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Creating Presentations & Reports (Slide Decks)

A Slide Deck is a specific presentation created from a template. The creation process follows a structured workflow with distinct phases.

What is a Slide Deck?​

A Slide Deck represents:

  • A specific presentation being created.
  • Content and structure for that presentation.
  • A work-in-progress through multiple phases.
  • A final PowerPoint file once complete.

Think of it as a "slide deck project" that moves through stages from initial content to finished presentation.

The Creation Workflow​

Creating a presentation involves five phases:

1. Build Phase​

Purpose: Create and gather your content.

Activities:

  • Write presentation content (text, bullet points, data).
  • Research and gather information.
  • Create tables with data.
  • Work with Content Assistant to develop material.

Output: Unstructured content pieces (markdown text, tables)

2. Structure Phase​

Purpose: Organize content into slide structure.

Activities:

  • AI analyzes your content and template.
  • AI proposes which slides to use and in what order.
  • AI maps content to specific slides.
  • You review and adjust the structure.

Output: Slide skeleton (ordered list of slides with content assignments)

3. Populate Phase​

Purpose: Fill slides with actual content.

Activities:

  • AI generates content for each shape on each slide.
  • AI fills text boxes, tables, charts.
  • Content distributed appropriately across slides.
  • You monitor progress.

Output: Fully populated draft presentation

4. Refine Phase​

Purpose: Polish and perfect the presentation.

Activities:

  • Review generated slides.
  • Request changes via Refinement Assistant.
  • Adjust content, tone, formatting.
  • Add or remove slides as needed.

Output: Refined, ready-to-present deck

5. Commit​

Purpose: Generate final PowerPoint file

Activities:

  • Review final state
  • Commit changes to backend
  • Download .pptx file

Output: Downloadable PowerPoint file

Two Creation Modes​

Freeform Mode​

What it is: AI has complete freedom in slide selection and structure.

When to use:

  • One-off presentations
  • Creative or unique structures
  • When you want maximum flexibility
  • Exploratory presentations

How it works:

  • No workflow selected
  • AI analyzes content and template.
  • Selects slides based on content fit.
  • You control through prompts and refinement.

Workflow Mode​

What it is: AI follows a predefined structure.

When to use:

  • Recurring presentation types
  • Consistent output needed
  • Team standardization
  • Proven structure to follow

How it works:

  • Select a workflow at start.
  • AI follows deck structure.
  • Respects order and section requirements.
  • Still adapts to content amount.

Starting a New Slide Deck​

From Your Space Home​

  1. Navigate to your space's home page.
  2. Choose a workflow to start a new slide deck.

From Template Page​

  1. Navigate to your template
  2. Click "Create Slide Deck" button
  3. Choose mode:
  • Create Freely - Freeform mode
  • Workflow - Select from list
  1. Enter a name for your deck (optional)
  2. Click Create

Data Configuration (if applicable)​

If your template has data-connected shapes (charts or tables linked to data collections), the Data Configuration Modal appears:

  1. Set global parameters - Enter values like valuation date, portfolio ID
  2. Validate - System checks that all required data exists
  3. Review - See validation results for each shape
  4. Proceed - Continue once all shapes are validated

This ensures your data-driven slides have all required data before you start building content. See Configuring Data for Slides for details.

Slide Deck States​

A slide deck can be in different states:

Draft (In Progress)​

  • Currently being worked on
  • In build, structure, populate, or refine phase
  • Not yet committed
  • Can be modified
  • Stored in staging area

Committed (Completed)​

  • Final version generated
  • PowerPoint file available for download
  • Stored in backend
  • Can be downloaded at any time
  • Remains open for further refinement: you can continue adjusting content and re-download without starting over
  • Deck name can be edited inline from the decks list

The Phase Navigation​

At the top of each slide deck page, you'll see phase indicators:

Build → Structure → Populate → Refine

Green checkmark: Phase completed Blue highlight: Current phase Gray: Not yet reached

You can navigate back to previous phases freely. You can also fast-forward to a later phase using the phase indicator, skipping intermediate steps when you already have what you need to proceed.

Working with the Content Assistant​

Throughout the process, the Content Assistant chatbot helps you:

In Build Phase:

  • Create content
  • Research topics
  • Structure information
  • Generate tables

In Structure Phase:

  • Suggest structure improvements
  • Explain slide selections

In Populate Phase:

  • Monitor progress
  • Answer questions

In Refine Phase:

  • Make changes
  • Adjust content
  • Modify tone or style

Best Practices​

Before Starting​

Plan your content:

  • Know your key messages
  • Gather necessary data
  • Understand your audience
  • Define your goal

Choose the right template:

  • Match template to content type
  • Ensure variety of slide types
  • Check template is well-configured

Select mode thoughtfully:

  • Workflow for standardized presentations
  • Freeform for unique structures

During Creation​

Build Phase:

  • Focus on content first, not formatting
  • Use markdown for structure
  • Create separate content pieces for different topics
  • Don't worry about slide layout yet

Structure Phase:

  • Review AI suggestions carefully
  • Ensure logical flow
  • Check that key content is included
  • Regenerate if needed

Populate Phase:

  • Let AI work without interruption
  • Review once complete
  • Note any issues for refinement

Refine Phase:

  • Review systematically (slide by slide)
  • Focus on high-impact changes
  • Test regeneration if needed
  • Know when "good enough" is reached

After Completion​

Review:

  • Check all slides in PowerPoint
  • Verify data accuracy
  • Test on presentation hardware
  • Get feedback from colleagues

Save insights:

  • Note what worked well
  • Document improvements for next time
  • Update workflows if patterns emerge

Next Steps​

Learn about each phase in detail: