| name | prd - Presentation Design |
| description | Systematic procedure for designing visually effective presentations, slides, and handouts that enhance rather than compete with your message |
| output | {"format":"prose"} |
Presentation Design
Overview
Systematic procedure for designing visually effective presentations, slides, and handouts that enhance rather than compete with your message
Steps
Step 1: Define design requirements
Before designing, understand what the visuals need to accomplish:
Audience analysis:
- What is their visual literacy level?
- What design conventions do they expect?
- Will they see this once (presentation) or refer back (handout)?
- Are there accessibility considerations?
Context analysis:
- Room size and screen configuration?
- Lighting conditions?
- Virtual vs in-person?
- Will people be close or far from screen?
Content requirements:
- How many main sections?
- What types of content (concepts, data, processes, comparisons)?
- Are there complex ideas that need visual explanation?
- Is there data that needs visualization?
Constraints:
- Brand guidelines or templates required?
- Format requirements (aspect ratio, file type)?
- Accessibility requirements?
- Time available for design?
Step 2: Plan the visual structure
Map content to visual treatment:
Content-to-visual mapping:
- Title slides: For section breaks and major transitions
- Concept slides: Single ideas that need illustration
- Data slides: Numbers that need visualization
- Process slides: Sequences or workflows
- Comparison slides: Contrasting options or before/after
- Image slides: Full-bleed images for emotional impact
- Blank slides: Strategic pauses where you want attention on you
Slide count estimation:
- 1-2 slides per minute of talking (maximum)
- Better to have fewer, more impactful slides
- Account for transition slides and pauses
Visual narrative:
- How does the visual journey support the story?
- Where are the high-impact moments?
- What visual motifs or metaphors could unify the deck?
Step 3: Establish visual design system
Create consistent design elements:
Color palette:
- Primary color (1): For emphasis and key elements
- Secondary color (1-2): For supporting elements
- Neutral colors: For text and backgrounds
- Accent color (1): For calls to action or highlights
- Ensure sufficient contrast for readability
- Consider color blindness (don't rely on red/green alone)
Typography:
- Headline font: Bold, readable from distance
- Body font: Clean, professional, readable
- Maximum 2 font families
- Minimum sizes: Headlines 32pt+, body 24pt+
- Consistent hierarchy across slides
Layout grid:
- Consistent margins (generous - use whitespace)
- Alignment guides for elements
- Consistent placement of recurring elements (logo, page numbers)
Visual elements:
- Icon style (line, filled, consistent style)
- Image treatment (full bleed, contained, filtered)
- Chart style (colors, labels, legends)
- Transition style (simple, consistent)
Step 4: Design slide layouts
Create or select slide templates for each content type:
Title slide:
- Presentation title (large, prominent)
- Subtitle or tagline
- Presenter name and context
- Minimal, impactful visual
Section break slide:
- Section title only
- Strong visual impact
- Signals transition to audience
Concept slide (most common):
- One idea, one visual
- Text: 6 words or fewer
- Large image or simple diagram
- Whitespace to let idea breathe
Data slide:
- One chart or visualization per slide
- Clear headline stating the insight (not "Q3 Sales" but "Sales grew 40%")
- Minimal labels, no chartjunk
- Call out the key data point visually
Comparison slide:
- Clear two-column or before/after structure
- Parallel construction
- Visual distinction between options
Quote slide:
- Quote in large text
- Attribution smaller
- Simple, minimal design
Image slide:
- Full-bleed high-quality image
- Minimal or no text overlay
- Use for emotional impact or transitions
Step 5: Design data visualizations
Create clear, honest, impactful data displays:
Choose the right chart:
- Comparison: Bar chart (horizontal for many items)
- Change over time: Line chart
- Part of whole: Pie (limit to 3-5 slices) or stacked bar
- Relationship: Scatter plot
- Distribution: Histogram
Data visualization principles:
- Start axis at zero (unless misleading not to)
- Label directly, avoid legends when possible
- Remove chartjunk (gridlines, 3D effects, unnecessary decoration)
- Highlight the insight, not just the data
- Use color strategically to draw attention
- Make the headline the insight ("Sales grew 40%" not "Q3 Sales")
Avoid:
- 3D charts (distort perception)
- Dual Y-axes (confusing)
- Too many data series (simplify)
- Truncated axes that exaggerate differences
- Pie charts with too many slices
Accessibility:
- Don't rely on color alone (use patterns or labels)
- Ensure sufficient contrast
- Provide alt text descriptions
Step 6: Build the slides
Execute the design for each slide:
Building process:
- Start with template/layout for slide type
- Add content following design system
- Apply one-idea-per-slide rule ruthlessly
- Replace text with visuals wherever possible
- Check readability at actual viewing size
- Ensure consistency with design system
Slide-by-slide checklist:
- Is there only ONE idea on this slide?
- Could this be an image instead of text?
- Is text under 6 words?
- Is it readable from the back of the room?
- Does it follow the design system?
- Does the headline state an insight/claim (not just a topic)?
Text reduction techniques:
- Bullet points to single headline
- Paragraphs to key phrase
- Lists to icons with labels
- Tables to simplified charts
- Text to visual metaphor
Animation guidelines:
- Use sparingly and purposefully
- Simple transitions only (no spinning text)
- Build sequences can reveal complexity gradually
- Avoid animation that competes with your words
Step 7: Create supporting materials
Design handouts or leave-behind documents:
Handout purposes:
- Reference during presentation (brief, follow-along)
- Reference after presentation (detailed, standalone)
- Pre-reading before presentation (context setting)
Handout design principles:
- Handouts are DOCUMENTS, not printed slides
- Include detail that slides deliberately exclude
- Can stand alone without presenter
- Include sources, references, next steps
- Design for reading, not projecting
What to include:
- Summary of key points
- Detailed data and analysis
- References and sources
- Contact information and next steps
- Space for notes if used during presentation
When to distribute:
- Before: If they need context or will take notes
- After: If you want attention on you during talk
- During: Only if they need to reference specific content
Step 8: Review and refine
Quality check the complete design:
Visual review:
- View at actual presentation size
- Step back - is it readable from distance?
- Squint test - do key elements stand out?
- Consistency check - does design system hold throughout?
- Flow check - does visual narrative work?
Content review:
- One idea per slide?
- Text minimal enough?
- Headlines state insights, not just topics?
- Data visualizations clear and honest?
- Could you present without slides?
Technical review:
- File size acceptable?
- Fonts embedded?
- Links working?
- Compatible with presentation system?
- Backup formats available?
Accessibility review:
- Color contrast sufficient?
- Not relying on color alone?
- Alt text for images?
- Readable fonts and sizes?
Anti-Generation-Failure Checks
Presentations are especially vulnerable to two generation failures: false structure and aspiration-as-conclusion.
False structure in slides:
- Bullet point lists that say nothing — three bullets that each restate the slide title in different words are not content. Every bullet must add a claim, fact, or distinction that the other bullets don't.
- Decorative section breaks — a section divider slide is only justified if the presentation genuinely shifts topic or argumentative function. Don't create sections to create the appearance of organization.
- Parallel construction without parallel content — formatting three points identically implies they're comparable. If they're not (one is major, two are minor), the structure is lying.
Aspiration-as-conclusion in final slides:
- "Together, we can..." / "The future is..." / "Let's build..." — these are applause prompts, not conclusions. The final slide should state the single most important claim or ask, not a sentiment.
- If the presentation is a pitch: end with the specific ask. If it's informational: end with the key takeaway. If it's persuasive: end with the strongest argument. Never end with hope.
Voice collapse in slide copy:
- Presentation text is especially prone to sounding like every other deck. Check: could these slide titles appear in any presentation on any topic? "Key Takeaways," "Looking Ahead," "Our Approach" — these are filler titles. Each title should state a specific claim.
When to Use
- Creating slides for any presentation or talk
- Designing pitch decks for investors or clients
- Building executive briefing materials
- Preparing conference or meetup presentations
- Creating training materials with visual aids
- Designing data-heavy presentations that need clarity
- Building leave-behind documents or handouts
- Creating video presentation visuals
Verification
- Every slide has one clear idea only
- Text is 6 words or fewer (except quotes)
- Readable from the back of the room (32pt+ headlines, 24pt+ body)
- Design system applied consistently throughout
- Data visualizations show insight, not just data
- Presentation can be delivered without slides if needed
- Accessibility requirements met (contrast, alt text)
- Technical requirements met (format, size, compatibility)
