PPT Polish#

Optimize diagram-heavy PPT pages so they become clearer, more editable, and more presentation-ready.

Prefer rebuilding structure over cosmetic tweaks when the original slide is messy. The goal is not just “make it prettier”, but “make it readable, editable, and reusable”.

Core workflow#

1. Identify the source form
   • Existing editable PPT/PPTX slide
   • Screenshot/image of a diagram
   • Mixed case: image already placed inside a PPT
2. Classify the diagram
   • Flowchart / process map
   • System topology / architecture diagram
   • Org / hierarchy diagram
   • Dense infographic-like technical diagram
3. Preserve the information structure
   • Extract layers, groups, nodes, and major relationships first
   • Decide what is primary path vs supporting path
   • Do not start from colors or decoration
4. Rebuild or polish in PowerPoint
   • If the slide is already editable and structurally decent, adjust layout/style directly
   • If the slide is messy or image-based, reconstruct shapes/text/connectors instead of polishing the pasted image
5. Final quality pass
   • Improve readability for presentation
   • Ensure all important items remain editable
   • Reduce visual noise and accidental line crossings

Decision rules#

When polishing an existing PPT#

Prefer direct editing when:

• Text is already editable
• Shapes are mostly separable
• Layout is salvageable

Prefer rebuilding on a new slide when:

• The current slide is essentially a screenshot
• Elements are badly misaligned or inconsistent
• Connectors are too chaotic to repair efficiently
• The user wants a more premium/client-facing result

When starting from an image#

Use the image only as reference.

Do not treat “insert image into PPT” as completion. A valid result should have editable:

• titles
• containers
• nodes
• text
• connectors

Layout heuristics#

Flowcharts#

• Keep a clear main direction: left→right or top→bottom
• Put decision nodes at branch points
• Keep similar node types same size and style
• Reduce crossing lines, even if that means slightly changing spacing

Topology / architecture diagrams#

• Group by layer or domain first
• Put gateways / hubs / central schedulers near the center
• Put external actors at the edge
• Put data/storage below or on a dedicated side band
• Put ops/monitoring in a side rail or bottom band

Dense technical diagrams#

• Keep the density if that is part of the original style
• Still enforce consistent spacing, headers, and color logic
• Use container regions so the eye can parse clusters quickly

Styling heuristics#

• Use 1 visual language per slide, not several mixed styles
• Keep a consistent color family by layer/category
• Use emphasis only for core nodes and main paths
• Use lighter visual weight for supporting lines and less important modules
• Prefer subtle rounded rectangles and clean borders over excessive effects
• Avoid overusing gradients, shadows, and icons unless they help meaningfully

Read bundled references when needed#

• Read references/image-to-ppt-flowchart-sop.md for image→editable-flowchart reconstruction workflow
• Read references/ppt-topology-from-image.md for topology-specific decomposition and layer mapping

Expected outputs#

Depending on the request, produce one or more of:

• optimized .pptx file
• rebuilt single-slide diagram page
• alternate visual versions (e.g. dark, clean, infographic)
• structure draft in Markdown / Mermaid before rebuilding

Quality checklist#

Before finishing, verify:

• The main information structure is preserved
• Important text is editable
• Shapes are editable rather than flattened into an image
• Layers/groups are obvious at a glance
• Alignment and spacing are consistent
• Connector hierarchy is readable
• The page is suitable for presentation, not just archival

Notes#

When multiple output versions exist, keep filenames explicit, such as:

• *-refined.pptx
• *-infographic.pptx
• *-dark.pptx
• *-polished.pptx

Prefer descriptive naming over generic names like final-final2.pptx.