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.
Go to copilot.microsoft.com. Paste the session prompt at the start of each conversation. Upload your PPTX or screenshots directly.
Save the Custom Instructions (Section 1) once. They persist across all future conversations. Use Copilot in PowerPoint for in-app slide editing.
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.
Click your profile icon → Settings → Personalization → Custom Instructions → Edit Instructions. Paste the prompt below and click Save.
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.
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).
| Story Type | Best Chart |
|---|---|
| Comparison | Sorted horizontal bar |
| Time series | Line chart |
| Part-to-whole | Stacked bar / waterfall |
| Distribution | Histogram / box plot |
| Correlation | Scatterplot / bubble |
| Flow | Sankey / funnel |
| 1-2 numbers | BIG text (no chart) |
| Anti-Pattern | Fix |
|---|---|
| Pie chart | Horizontal bar |
| 3D effects | Flat 2D |
| Dual Y-axes | Two separate charts |
| Non-zero baseline | Start bars at zero |
| Rainbow colors | Gray + 1 accent |
| Bullet dumps | WiT / 2x2 / visual |
| Topic titles | Falsifiable claims |
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 DeckLogicKnaflic, 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)