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Using Claude Design to Build a PowerPoint Presentation

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. 

Claude Just Got a Visual Side: Introducing Claude Design

By Shannon Glennon, AI Technology Transformation Specialist, Syracuse University ITS 

If you’ve ever needed something visual for a meeting and didn’t know where to start, this one’s for you. 

On April 17, 2026, Anthropic launched Claude Design, a new workspace built right into Claude that lets you create visual documents just by describing what you want. No design experience needed. No extra software. Just describe what you’re looking for, and Claude builds a first version for you to review and refine. 

First, let’s clear something up 

Claude Design is not an image generator. It won’t create AI-generated photos, illustrations or artwork. What it does is build designed, readable, shareable documents—think a formatted slide deck, a clean one-page summary or a visual layout for a flyer or resource guide. The kind of thing that previously meant opening PowerPoint and spending more time on formatting than on the actual content. 

So what can you actually make? 

Here are some real examples for SU faculty and staff: 

  • A course overview one-pager to hand out on the first day of class, summarizing your syllabus, expectations, and key dates in a clean, readable format 
  • A slide deck for a presentation, built from the notes or document you already have 
  • A student resource guide for advising offices, listing key contacts, deadlines and support services in a visual, easy-to-scan layout 
  • A project proposal summary for a grant or initiative, formatted so it’s ready to share with a dean, director, or external partner 
  • A workshop or training overview for staff, laid out like a professional handout rather than a plain text document 

In each case, you’re starting with your content, and Claude is handling the formatting, structure and visual presentation. You can then refine it through follow-up requests, direct edits or export it as a PDF, PowerPoint file or shareable link. 

How is this different from what Claude already does? 

Until now, Claude could write the content for any of the above, but the output was plain text. You still had to copy it somewhere and format it yourself. Claude Design closes that gap by delivering something that’s already laid out and ready to use or share. 

A few things to know 

Claude Design is currently in research preview, and is available to Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise subscribers at no extra cost. It has its own separate usage limits, so it won’t affect your regular Claude conversations. 

Look for the palette icon in your Claude sidebar to get started! 

Tech Tips: April 2026 Faculty/Staff Newsletter

This message was originally shared to all faculty and staff via email on April 30, 2026.

At a Glance

Each month, Information Technology Services provides tech tips for the Orange community. Pressed for time? Here are this edition’s topics:

SITETL Symposium on AI for Teaching and Learning

Curious about how AI can enhance your work? This free, three-day virtual event is open to all faculty and staff, featuring practical sessions on officially supported AI tools for all experience levels. Join us May 19-21, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Attend one session or all of them, whatever fits your schedule. Register.

    5 Claude Features You Didn’t Know You Needed

    Claude does more than you think. Beyond basic Q&A, you can upload files for instant summaries and action items, browse the web for current information, assign Claude a persona to sharpen its output, use its memory feature to save your preferences and generate code or Excel formulas—no technical skills required. Read Article.

      Spring Events

      ITS hosted a series of hybrid and online workshops this spring covering a range of technology topics. Recordings are now available for the following sessions:

      Tech To-Dos

      If you are retiring, graduating or transitioning elsewhere, it’s important to know how long you’ll retain access to University tools like Microsoft 365 (email, OneDrive, Teams), Google Workspace and more. Visit Answers for timelines and make reviewing digital assets part of your exit process. Answers.

      Adobe Express

      As an Adobe Creative Campus, Syracuse University provides faculty and staff with free access to Adobe Express—a web and mobile design tool for creating social media graphics, videos, web pages, and marketing materials using ready-made templates and simple editing tools. Learn More.

      Information Security Tip: Summer Sign-Off

      Logging off for the summer? Don’t forget to log out—everywhere. Make sure you’re signed out of shared or public devices, enable multi-factor authentication and avoid accessing sensitive accounts on public Wi-Fi. Stay Safe.

      Digital Accessibility Tip: Aira Access Site

      Aira visual interpreting is freely available to all students, faculty, staff, and visitors while on Syracuse University main campus. Open the Aira Explorer mobile app to start using Aira today! Aira.

      AI Insights

      Explore the latest in artificial intelligence with AI Insights, the newsletter for all things AI. Whether you’re looking to enhance your work with smart tools or simply stay informed, each issue brings you news from higher ed and the tech world and weekly AI tips. Newsletter. 

      Tech Tips Weekly

      Stay connected and ahead with Tech Tips Weekly—for quick, practical advice to make the most of campus technology. Each week, our new newsletter delivers easy-to-follow how-tos, timely service updates and insider looks at the newest features, tools and resources. Subscribe. 

      Helpful Resources

      ITS and the campuswide information technology community are available year-round to help with your tech questions. Resources include:

      • Academic and administrative IT staff

      • Classroom Resource Guide

      • ITS Service Center

      • Self-Serv NetID and password management portal

      Thank you for reading. Go Orange!

      Orange Online: April 2026 Student Newsletters

      This message was originally shared to all students via email on April 30, 2026.

      Orange Online at a Glance

      Pressed for time? Information Technology Services (ITS) has you covered. Here are this edition’s topics:

      Tech To-Dos Before Graduation

      Congratulations, soon-to-be-graduates! On Answers, find a full list of IT resources including email and post-graduation access timelines. Before you go, remember to migrate your Google Drive data and transfer ownership of any Qualtrics surveys by emailing qualtrics@ot.syr.edu from your @syr.edu address. 

      5 Ways to Use Claude

      Claude does more than you think. Beyond basic Q&A, you can upload files for instant summaries and action items, browse the web for current information, assign Claude a persona to sharpen its output, use its memory feature to save your preferences and generate code or Excel formulas—no technical skills required. Read Article.

      Summer Hours

      Planning ahead for summer? Here’s what to know about in-person and phone support availability for two key campus resources:

      • MakerSpace – Closed for Commencement weekend, then open Mondays and Fridays noon to 4 p.m. and Tuesdays through Thursdays noon to 6 p.m. Tours and workshops are available by request. Visit the MakerSpace contact page for details.
      • Service Center – Phone support remains unchanged (Sunday through Thursday: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.). In-person support runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily starting May 6, then weekdays only beginning May 11. Check the Service Center page for the latest updates.

      Information Security Tip: Summer Sign-Off

      Logging off for the summer? Don’t forget to log out—everywhere. Make sure you’re signed out of shared or public devices, enable multi-factor authentication and avoid accessing sensitive accounts on public Wi-Fi. Stay Safe.

      Digital Accessibility Tip: Aira Access Site

      Aira visual interpreting is freely available to all students, faculty, staff and visitors while on Syracuse University main campus. Open the Aira Explorer mobile app to start using Aira today!. Aira.

      AI Insights

      Explore the latest in artificial intelligence with AI Insights, the newsletter for all things AI. Whether you’re looking to enhance your work with smart tools or simply stay informed, each issue brings you news from higher ed and the tech world and weekly AI tips. Newsletter. 

      Tech Tips Weekly

      Stay connected and ahead with Tech Tips Weekly—for quick, practical advice to make the most of campus technology. Each week, our new newsletter delivers easy-to-follow how-tos, timely service updates and insider looks at the newest features, tools and resources. Subscribe. 

      Helpful Resources

      ITS and the campuswide information technology community are available year-round to help with your tech questions. Resources include:

      Thank you for reading. Go Orange!

      AI Insights for April 30, 2026

      This message was originally shared to subscribers April 30, 2026.

      Upcoming Events

      Curious about how AI can enhance your teaching? The SITETL Symposium on AI for Teaching and Learning is a free, three-day virtual event for the entire Syracuse University community, running May 19–21 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. daily. Sessions cover officially supported AI tools at both basic and intermediate levels, with practical content you can put to use right away. Drop in for one session or attend all three days—whatever works for you. Register today to get your single access link.

      This Issue’s Tip: Adobe Express

      Did you know Syracuse University provides free access to Adobe Express for all faculty and staff? Whether you’re designing flyers, social media graphics or short videos, Adobe Express makes it easy to create polished, on-brand materials with no design experience required. It also includes AI-powered tools like Generate Image, Generate Video and Clip Maker—all powered by Adobe Firefly, which is trained on licensed content so everything you create is safe to use in university communications. Read the full article to learn how to get started and make the most of what Adobe Express has to offer.

      News and Views

      In Summary

      Universities are launching AI literacy programs, rethinking curricula and grappling with student trust and workforce readiness gaps. Meanwhile, Anthropic released Claude Opus 4.7 and secured a $40B Google investment and enterprise AI adoption is surging—even as organizations struggle to trust AI enough to deploy it fully.

      Education, Teaching and Learning

      • Penn State Launches AI Literacy Course for Employees (EDSCOOP)
      • AI is Reshaping Higher Ed Workplaces (EdTech)
      • ASU+GSV 2026: AI for Student Advising Has Promise, Limits (GovTech)
      • ASU+GSV 2026: Preparing Students for the Future of AI-Enabled Work (GovTech)
      • 4 Higher Education Leaders on AI’s Biggest Benefits and Risks (Higher Ed Dive)
      • Survey: Americans View AI Use on Campus as Important, Yet Remain Skeptical (Inside Higher Ed)
      • The Classroom of 2031: Why AI Will Not Dissolve the School (The Information)
      • When AI Can Do Everything, What Is Left to Learn? (The Chronicle of Higher Education)
      • College Students Are Changing Course in Search of ‘AI-Proof’ Majors (AP News)
      • Advancing AI Literacy: A Faculty Course Refresh Institute at Indiana Wesleyan University (Educause Review)
      • From Prompt to Practice: A Framework for Transparent GenAI Use in Higher Education (Educause Review)
      • When AI Meets Data: The Promise and the Pressure of Bringing AI into Higher Education Systems (Educause Review)
      • Faculty Concerned About ASU’s ‘Frankensteinian’ AI Course Builder (Inside Higher Ed)
      • Students Are Using AI to Guide College Decisions. What Is It Telling Them? (The Chronicle of Higher Education)
      • College Students Are More Polarized Than Ever. Can AI Help? (Inside Higher Ed)

      Enterprise AI and Agents

      • 85% of Enterprises Are Running AI Agents. Only 5% Trust Them Enough to Ship. (VentureBeat)
      • Most Enterprises Can’t Stop Stage-Three AI Agent Threats (VentureBeat)
      • OpenAI Updates Its Agents SDK to Help Enterprises Build Safer, More Capable Agents (TechCrunch)
      • How CIOs Can Tackle AI Ownership (CIO Dive)
      • AI-Written Software Creates Hassles for Wary Security Teams (CIO Dive)
      • What Happens When A.I. Runs a Store in San Francisco? (The New York Times)
      • First Take: Claude Design by Anthropic Hastens the End of Siloed UX (Gartner)

      Claude and Anthropic

      • Google to Invest Up to $40B in Anthropic in Cash and Compute (TechCrunch)
      • Introducing Claude Opus 4.7 (Anthropic)
      • Anthropic Chief Dario Amodei: ‘I Don’t Want AI Turned on Our Own People’ (Financial Times)
      • White House May Give Federal Agencies Anthropic Mythos AI (GovTech)
      • Anthropic and Freshfields Agree Deal to Create Legal AI Tools (Financial Times)
      • Anthropic Ran a Marketplace and Bots Closed Every Deal (PYMNTS)

      Industry and Policy

      • OpenAI Takes Aim at Anthropic with Beefed-Up Codex (TechCrunch)
      • Google and Pentagon Reportedly Agree on Deal for ‘Any Lawful’ Use of AI (The Verge)
      • You’re About to Feel the AI Money Squeeze (The Verge)

        Literacy and Skills

        • Prompt Like a Pro (Axios)
        • Can AI Do Your Taxes? We Found Out. (PYMNTS)

              Workforce, Jobs and Economy

              Access to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and other paywalled content is available to all students, faculty and staff with a valid Syracuse University NetID. Learn more.

              This Issue’s Win: Can AI Judge Itself?

              A prompt is how you ask generative AI tools to do something for you (e.g., creating, summarizing, editing or transforming). Treat it like a conversation, using clear language and enough context to get the result you have in mind.

              To get more practice, use the generative AI tool of your choice (for example, Microsoft Copilot, OpenAI ChatGPT or Anthropic Claude) to execute the following prompt:

              “You are a skeptical employer hiring a recent college graduate. Based on what you know about AI’s impact on entry-level work, design a 5-question interview that tests whether a candidate can think critically about AI outputs—not just use AI to produce them.“

              Helpful Resources

              Thank you for reading. Go Orange!