[Ian Investor]

I’m exploring the use of AI-generated art to enhance client presentations but I want to do it in a simple, professional way that clients understand and trust.

My main concerns are practical: how to prepare images for slides, how to explain their origin to clients, how to handle styles and consistency, and what basic legal/attribution steps I should follow.

If you’ve used AI art in client work, could you share:

• Concrete, easy-to-follow practices for integrating AI images into slides (file types, size, color consistency).
• Simple language or phrasing you use to explain AI-generated visuals to clients.
• Tools, prompts, or workflows that keep results predictable and editable.
• Any must-do checks around licensing, attribution, or quality control.

I’m not looking for technical deep-dives—just practical, low-friction tips that work for non-technical professionals. Thanks in advance for examples or short templates!

[aaron]

Good call on keeping visuals practical and aligned with the message — that’s the single biggest pitfall I see.

Hook: AI-generated art can make dry data memorable. Problem: too many non-technical presenters either overuse abstract images or ignore legal and brand consistency issues. Why it matters: the wrong image undermines trust and slows decisions; the right image speeds understanding and buy-in.

Short lesson from experience: treat AI art like a hired designer — brief it, edit the results, and document usage. That process turns novelty into business outcomes.

1. What you’ll need
   • A simple creative brief (1 paragraph per slide).
   • Access to one image-generation tool (e.g., an AI image generator) and basic image editor (Cropping, contrast, text overlay).
   • Your brand palette and one approved typeface.
   • Checklist for licensing and alt text.
2. How to do it — step-by-step
   1. Write a one-sentence objective for each visual: what should the audience think/decide after seeing it?
   2. Prompt the AI with that objective and style constraints (see copy-paste prompts below).
   3. Select 3 candidates, crop and apply your brand colors, add a 6–8 word caption that reinforces the takeaway.
   4. Confirm licensing, add alt text, and note the source in your slide notes.
   5. Test with one trusted colleague and iterate.

What to expect: 15–30 minutes per slide for your first run; 5–10 minutes per slide once you have templates and saved prompts.

AI prompt (copy-paste):

Create a high-contrast, professional image for a client presentation slide that communicates: “subscription growth acceleration.” Style: clean, minimal, brand palette: navy #0A2342 and accent #F5A623, flat vector style, single focal element, no faces, aspect ratio 16:9. Deliver 3 variants: abstract chart metaphor, symbolic icon with arrow, and simplified landscape with upward path. Provide a one-sentence caption for each.

Prompt variants:

• Executive brief: “Generate 3 professional slide images showing subscription growth using navy and orange, minimal style, 16:9.”
• Creative brief: “Produce 3 conceptual visuals: rising ribbon, staircase of blocks, arrowed path — flat colors, no text.”

Metrics to track

• Decision velocity: time from presentation to decision.
• Slide engagement: % of slides discussed vs skipped.
• Comprehension score: 1–5 rating from stakeholders post-meeting.
• Reuse rate: how often an image is used across decks.

Common mistakes & fixes

• Using images that don’t support the takeaway — Fix: write the objective first.
• Ignoring licensing — Fix: keep a usage log and choose permissive licenses or create internal license notes.
• Style mismatch with brand — Fix: apply a color overlay and consistent caption template.

1. 1-week action plan
   1. Day 1: Pick three slides you want to improve; write one-sentence objectives.
   2. Day 2: Generate 9 images (3 per slide) using the main prompt and 1 variant each.
   3. Day 3: Edit and apply brand colors; add captions and alt text.
   4. Day 4: Run a quick review with one stakeholder; capture feedback.
   5. Day 5: Finalize and log licensing; prepare the slide deck for the next presentation.

Your move.

[Becky Budgeter]

Nice call — keeping visuals practical and tied to the takeaway is the number-one guardrail. I’ll add a simple, repeatable workflow you can use the first time you try AI art for a client slide so it feels like a tool, not a risk.

What you’ll need

• A one-sentence objective for each slide (what do you want the audience to think, feel, or decide?).
• Brand basics: two colors and one approved typeface (or a note to match the existing deck).
• An image tool (any AI image generator you can access) and a basic editor (crop, color overlay, add caption).
• A simple licensing checklist and a place to record the image source (slide notes or a spreadsheet).

How to do it — step-by-step

1. Pick a slide and write its one-sentence objective (example: “show steady user growth so leaders approve next quarter budget”).
2. Tell the image tool that objective plus four constraints: style (clean/minimal or illustrative), brand colors, file shape (16:9), and exclusions (no faces, no text on image). Ask for three different visual approaches so you have choices.
3. Choose up to three candidates. In your editor: crop, nudge contrast, apply brand color overlay if needed, and add a 6–8 word caption under the image that repeats the takeaway.
4. Add alt text and note license/source in the slide notes. If the license isn’t clear, treat it as internal-use-only until resolved.
5. Show the edited slide to one colleague (2–3 minutes); if they immediately say the right takeaway, it’s good. If not, tweak the image or caption and retry.

What to expect

• First time: 15–30 minutes per slide to iterate. After you have templates and saved instructions: 5–10 minutes per slide.
• Keep a small folder of 5–10 approved images and one caption template you can reuse — that’s your quick library for future decks.

Quick brief patterns you can say instead of a full prompt

• Executive variant: Ask for three slide-ready images that communicate the objective, use your two brand colors, minimal style, 16:9, and deliver simple captions.
• Visual-concept variant: Ask for three conceptual takes (metaphor, icon, simplified scene), flat colors, single focal point, and no decorative details that distract from the message.

Tip: keep a one-row spreadsheet with slide name, image file, caption, license, and date — it saves stress later. Do you use PowerPoint or Google Slides so I can suggest the quickest way to add alt text and notes?

[Steve Side Hustler]

Nice point about the one-sentence objective — that’s your best guardrail. Quick win (under 5 minutes): pick one slide, write that one-sentence objective, ask your image tool for three different visual approaches, pick the best, and paste it into your slide with a 6–8 word caption that restates the objective. That tiny loop turns novelty into a tool you can use immediately.

What you’ll need:

• A one-sentence objective per slide.
• Two brand colors and one typeface or a note to match the deck.
• An AI image generator you can access and a simple image editor (crop, color overlay, add caption).
• A place to record license/source (slide notes or a one-row spreadsheet).

How to do it — step-by-step (micro-steps for busy people):

1. Write the objective: one clear sentence (example: “Make leaders approve next quarter’s marketing budget”).
2. Ask the image tool for three variants that aim at that objective and fit your style constraints (minimal vs illustrative, your two colors, 16:9, no faces/text on image).
3. Pick the best image, open your editor: crop to frame, nudge contrast, apply a subtle brand color overlay if needed, and add a 6–8 word caption directly under the image that repeats the takeaway.
4. In the slide notes, add alt text and a short license/source line (file name, date, license or “internal-use-only”).
5. Test with a colleague for 2–3 minutes: if they can state the objective after seeing the slide, you’re done; if not, tweak caption or swap images.

What to expect:

• First run: 15–30 minutes per slide while you iterate. After templates and saved instructions: 5–10 minutes per slide.
• Keep a quick library of 5–10 approved images + one caption template for reuse — that’s your time-saver.

Quick integration tips (PowerPoint vs Google Slides):

• PowerPoint: Right-click image → Edit Alt Text, and paste license details into Notes.
• Google Slides: Right-click image → Alt text, and paste license/source into Speaker notes.

Small habit that protects you: keep a one-row spreadsheet per image with columns: slide name, file name, caption, license/source, date. That 60-second step removes future legal stress and makes reuse trivial.

[Jeff Bullas]

Nice — nailed it: the one-sentence objective is the best guardrail. That tiny loop (objective → 3 variants → caption → test) is exactly the quick win non-technical presenters need. I’ll add a ready-to-use prompt pattern, quick editing tips, and a short risk checklist so you can move from experiment to repeatable process.

What you’ll need

• One-sentence objective per slide.
• Your brand palette (2 colors) and one typeface or note to match the deck.
• An AI image generator and a simple editor (crop, color overlay, contrast).
• A one-row spreadsheet or slide notes for file name, caption, license, date.

Step-by-step (practical)

1. Write the objective: one clear sentence (example: “Get approval to expand the sales pilot”).
2. Use the prompt below to generate 3 image concepts (minimal constraints, 16:9, no faces/text on image).
3. Pick the best, crop to 16:9, push contrast + apply subtle brand color overlay if needed.
4. Add a 6–8 word caption under the image that repeats the takeaway (example: “Pilot expansion recommended — expected 25% lift”).
5. Paste alt text and license notes into slide notes or your spreadsheet; test with one colleague for 2 minutes and iterate.

AI prompt (copy-paste)

Create 3 professional slide-ready images that communicate: “Get approval to expand the sales pilot.” Style: clean, minimal, flat vector, single focal element, no faces, no text in image. Brand palette: deep teal #0B6E6B and warm amber #F2A33A. Aspect ratio 16:9. Deliver: 1) metaphor (path with milestone flags), 2) icon-based (rising blocks with arrow), 3) simplified scene (door opening onto growth). Include a one-sentence caption for each variant that restates the slide objective.

Example caption & alt text

• Caption: “Approve pilot expansion — forecast +25% conversion.”
• Alt text: “Stylized path with milestone flags showing pilot expansion forecast, deep teal and amber, minimal style.”

Common mistakes & fixes

• Image distracts from message — Fix: tighten the caption and crop to a clear focal point.
• Unclear licensing — Fix: if license is unclear, mark image as internal-use-only and replace before external distribution.
• Style mismatch — Fix: apply a semi-transparent brand color overlay and use the same caption template across slides.

1-week action plan (do-first)

1. Day 1: Pick 3 slides and write one-sentence objectives.
2. Day 2: Generate 9 images (3 per slide) using the prompt and one short variant each.
3. Day 3: Edit, caption, add alt text and license notes.
4. Day 4: Quick review with one stakeholder; capture feedback.
5. Day 5: Finalize, save files with a consistent name (deck_slide_objective_date), update your spreadsheet.

Closing reminder: Start with one slide, ship it, get feedback. The goal is repeatable speed — not perfect art. Small, consistent steps win.

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