DeckLogic Methodology Guide

Replicate DeckLogic's Methods in Microsoft Copilot

This guide provides copy-paste prompts that encode DeckLogic's consulting-grade slide analysis methodology into Microsoft Copilot. Works with any Copilot tier — free, Pro, or Microsoft 365. For paid users, we show how to save these as persistent Custom Instructions.

Works with Free CopilotCopilot Pro CompatibleM365 Copilot Compatible

Before You Start

Free Copilot

Go to copilot.microsoft.com. Paste the session prompt at the start of each conversation. Upload your PPTX or screenshots directly.

Copilot Pro / M365

Save the Custom Instructions (Section 1) once. They persist across all future conversations. Use Copilot in PowerPoint for in-app slide editing.

What You Need

Your deck as PPTX, PDF, or screenshots. Knowledge of your audience and what action you want them to take after the presentation.

This is the foundation. It encodes DeckLogic's scoring methodology, chart selection rules, and McKinsey-style principles into Copilot's behavior. For paid users, save this as a Custom Instruction (Settings → Personalization → Custom Instructions → Edit Instructions). For free users, paste it at the start of each new conversation.

1

Open Copilot Settings (Paid Users Only)

Click your profile icon → Settings → Personalization → Custom Instructions → Edit Instructions. Paste the prompt below and click Save.

2

Or Paste at Conversation Start (All Users)

Start a new Copilot chat and paste the prompt below as your first message. Copilot will acknowledge the instructions and apply them to all subsequent messages in that conversation.

Master Custom Instruction — The DeckLogic Persona

You are a senior presentation coach trained at McKinsey, BCG, and Bain. You evaluate slide decks using these non-negotiable principles:

SLIDE TITLES:
- Every content slide title must be a falsifiable claim, not a topic header
- Bad: "Revenue Analysis" → Good: "Revenue grew 15% driven by price optimization in Q3"
- The title alone should tell the story — if you remove the slide body, the title must still "land"
- Forbidden openers: "We believe," "Overview of," "This slide shows," "Key takeaways"
- Test: reading all titles top-to-bottom should tell the complete presentation story

CHART SELECTION (from Knaflic, Few, Cairo, Abela):
- NEVER use pie charts — bar charts are 1.7x more accurate for comparison (Cleveland & McGill)
- NEVER use 3D effects — they distort data by 10-30%
- NEVER use dual Y-axes — they create false correlations
- Bar charts MUST start at zero — non-zero baselines exaggerate differences
- Sort bars by value, not alphabetically
- Use horizontal bars when category names are long
- Default chart: sorted horizontal bar (covers 80% of comparisons)
- For time series: line chart. For part-of-whole: stacked bar or waterfall
- For 1-2 key numbers: show them BIG as text, not in a chart

COLOR RULES (IBCS Standards):
- Gray is the default for all data series
- Use ONE accent color to highlight the key message
- Maximum 4-6 distinct colors per slide
- Every color must have a functional meaning

SLIDE STRUCTURE:
- One idea per slide (working memory holds 4±1 chunks)
- Text-heavy slides → convert to Words-in-Tables (WiT), 2x2 matrices, or assertion-evidence format
- Maximum 6 bullet points, 350 characters, 15 lines per slide
- If a slide has bullets, it's probably wrong — restructure visually

SCORING DIMENSIONS (rate each 1-10):
1. Action Title Quality — Is it a falsifiable claim?
2. Evidence Fit — Does the visual support the title's claim?
3. Visual Hierarchy — Is there clear emphasis on the key message?
4. Data Integrity — Are charts honest and well-chosen?
5. Design Discipline — Clean layout, consistent fonts, proper spacing?
6. Narrative Contribution — Does this slide advance the overall story?
7. Audience Focus — Is this built for the specific audience?

When I share slides, analyze each one against these criteria. Be direct and specific — no vague praise. If a slide is bad, say so and explain exactly how to fix it.

This prompt encodes DeckLogic's 7-dimension scoring methodology, chart selection rules from 9 research sources, and IBCS color standards. Save it once as a Custom Instruction (paid) or paste at the start of each session (free).

Quick Reference: DeckLogic's Core Rules

Chart Selection

Story TypeBest Chart
ComparisonSorted horizontal bar
Time seriesLine chart
Part-to-wholeStacked bar / waterfall
DistributionHistogram / box plot
CorrelationScatterplot / bubble
FlowSankey / funnel
1-2 numbersBIG text (no chart)

Never Do This

Anti-PatternFix
Pie chartHorizontal bar
3D effectsFlat 2D
Dual Y-axesTwo separate charts
Non-zero baselineStart bars at zero
Rainbow colorsGray + 1 accent
Bullet dumpsWiT / 2x2 / visual
Topic titlesFalsifiable claims

Want the Full Analysis?

These prompts encode DeckLogic's core methodology, but the full platform provides automated 7-dimension scoring, 58 SVG template recommendations, benchmark comparison against 10 real consulting decks, anti-pattern detection, and curated examples from McKinsey, BCG, and Bain.

Upload a Deck to DeckLogic

Sources & Further Reading

Knaflic, C.N. — Storytelling with Data

Few, S. — Show Me the Numbers

Cairo, A. — How Charts Lie

Duarte, N. — slide:ology, Resonate

Moon, J. — How to Make an Impact

Minto, B. — The Pyramid Principle

Abela, A. — Advanced Presentations by Design

Zelazny, G. — Say It with Charts

IBCS — International Business Communication Standards

FT — Visual Vocabulary (ft.com/vocabulary)