# Build straightforward decks with your existing assistant and Slides

> Use an assistant for an outline and Google Slides for a manually checked deck. This replaces simple presentation drafting, not Gamma’s web-card publishing experience.

- Outcome: Produce a readable presentation from source material you can verify.
- Replaces: Gamma (task_specific)
- Uses: Google Workspace — Create, review and share the presentation in Google Slides.; Claude — Suggest an outline and concise slide text from approved source material.
- Extra monthly cost: $0 — Conditional on already having the required accounts, eligible features and sufficient capacity; no upgrade is assumed. If the test requires added storage, seats or a plan change, enter that incremental cost before treating this as a saving.
- Difficulty: moderate; skill: basic; setup: Allow one focused pilot session, then a normal work cycle to test the result; this is an editorial planning estimate.
- Evidence: editorial; illustrative example: false; last reviewed 2026-10-16
- Canonical: https://onelesstool.com/workflows/gamma-decks-with-existing-ai

## Good fit for
- People making occasional linear presentations with an existing Workspace account
- Teams willing to apply layouts and check formatting manually

## Not a fit for
- People who depend on Gamma web cards, embedded interactive content or its rapid generation workflow
- Teams whose deadline cannot accommodate manual design and export checks
- Presentations that need a specialist designer or complex animation

## Before
Draft and publish a presentation through Gamma.

## After
Draft the structure with an assistant, assemble slides manually and check the actual delivery format.

## Steps

### 1. Choose a representative deck

Select one real presentation and record its audience, length, delivery format and required brand assets. Identify any Gamma-specific interaction before deciding that an ordinary slide deck is enough.

### 2. Prepare a source packet

Gather approved facts, figures and images with their sources. Remove sensitive information that the assistant is not approved to receive. Mark uncertain claims and leave them out of the first draft.

### 3. Ask for an outline, not invented research

Use the prompt below to create a narrative and slide suggestions. Check that every proposed factual claim appears in the source packet. Reject decorative statistics or unsupported conclusions.

### 4. Build the presentation manually

Create a Google Slides file and paste the reviewed outline into an appropriate layout. Insert your approved images, charts and speaker notes. PowerPoint is another route only if you already have access; this workflow does not assume an AI add-on or automatic conversion from the assistant.

### 5. Test the delivered version

Present from the actual device and export format you intend to use. Check line breaks, small text, image rights, links and access permissions. Ask someone unfamiliar with the subject to explain the main conclusion back to you.

### 6. Compare the full effort

Record drafting, layout and revision time. Keep Gamma if its publishing format or speed is worth the bill. Cancel only after required existing decks and links have a retention or migration plan.

## Prompts

### Outline from a source packet
Create a deck structure with traceable claims.

```text
Create an outline for a presentation to {{audience}} about {{goal}}. Use only this source packet: {{sources}}. Suggest {{slide_count}} slides, each with one message, supporting source references and optional speaker notes. Flag missing evidence. Do not invent figures, customer quotes or case studies. Output plain text for manual assembly.
```

## Limitations
- Layout, image placement and export checks remain manual.
- A conventional slide file does not reproduce Gamma’s web-card experience.
- Assistant output can omit context or misstate evidence and needs human review.
- Existing shared Gamma links may still require retention even when new decks move elsewhere.

## Verification checklist (run before cancelling)
- [ ] Each factual slide claim is traceable to approved source material.
- [ ] The deck is readable on the actual presentation device and exported format.
- [ ] Recipients have the intended access and no private source material is exposed.
- [ ] The presenter can make a normal revision without unexpected software or add-on costs.
- [ ] Required old presentations and links remain available after the proposed billing change.

## Savings methodology
Monthly saving = the bill you can actually stop paying, minus replacement upgrades, storage and seats, minus any retained subscription cost. Use your invoice and current vendor pricing pages; count a cancelled subscription once. Track migration and ongoing manual work separately. Cancellation is justified only when every paid use you need has passed the pilot.

## Sources
- Google Slides: https://workspace.google.com/products/slides/ (accessed 2026-10-16)
- Gamma pricing: https://gamma.app/pricing (accessed 2026-10-16)
- Claude pricing: https://claude.com/pricing (accessed 2026-10-16)