By Shannon Glennon, AI Technology Transformation Specialist, Syracuse University ITS
Claude Design is Anthropic’ s visual design tool, available at claude.ai/design. It’s browser-based, built into your Claude account and lets you generate visual assets, including presentation slides, through a conversational prompting process. Here’s how to get started.
Step 1: Go to claude.ai/design
Open your browser and navigate directly to claude.ai/design. You’ll land in the Claude Design workspace, where you can start a new project.
Step 2: Write a Descriptive Prompt
Be specific about your audience, key messages and any organizational context that should influence the design. Instead of “Draft a deck about AI,” try something like: “Create a 10-slide presentation introducing generative AI tools to university staff. Include an agenda slide, key use cases and a tips slide for getting started.” The more detail you give upfront, the less back and forth you’ll need later.
Step 3: Bring In Your Own Files
You don’t have to start from scratch. You can upload a Word document, PDF or notes file as source material, and Claude will pull content from it as it builds your slides. If you have files saved in OneDrive, connect your Microsoft 365 account through Claude’s connectors first. Once connected, you can reference those files directly in your prompt without downloading and re-uploading anything.
Step 4: Review What Claude Generates
Claude will build an initial version of your presentation. Read through each slide and note what’s working and what isn’t. Look at the structure, the amount of text on each slide and whether the key points land clearly.
Step 5: Refine Through Conversation
From there, you refine through conversation, inline comments or direct edits until it’s right. You can ask Claude to shorten a slide, reorder sections, rewrite a headline or adjust the visual layout. Treat it like a working draft you’re editing together.
Step 6: Export as PowerPoint
When you’re satisfied with the result, export the file. Export options include PDF, PowerPoint (.pptx), standalone HTML and ZIP. Download the .pptx to open and edit it in PowerPoint like any other file.
Claude Design is still in research preview, so results will vary, and some iteration is expected. Going in with a clear prompt and source material will get you the furthest, fastest.