| name | presentation-design |
| description | Design and evaluate presentations that communicate effectively. Use when designing a presentation, creating slides, getting presentation feedback, structuring a talk, or reviewing slides. Keywords: presentation, slides, talk, PowerPoint, Keynote, reveal.js. |
| license | MIT |
| metadata | {"author":"jwynia","version":"1.0","type":"diagnostic","mode":"diagnostic+assistive","domain":"documents"} |
Presentation Design Diagnostic
Purpose
Design and evaluate presentations that communicate effectively. Provides frameworks for planning, visual design, cognitive load management, and evaluation. Applicable to any presentation tool (reveal.js, PowerPoint, Keynote, Google Slides).
Core Principle
Audience-centered design. Every decision should serve audience understanding, not presenter convenience.
Visual craft depth: for concrete color (60-30-10, dark-background contrast, WCAG ratios, projection loss), typography systems, optical alignment, data-viz redundant encoding, and the assertion-evidence research nuance, see references/visual-craft.md. Load it when making or reviewing concrete visual decisions, not just structure.
Quick Reference: Common Problems
| Problem | Symptom | Fix |
|---|
| Wall of Text | Slides are paragraphs | Assertion-evidence structure |
| Bullet Point Disease | Lists instead of visuals | One concept + visual evidence |
| Kitchen Sink | Everything included | Essential vs. expandable content |
| Pretty but Empty | Design without substance | Message-first design |
| Cognitive Overload | Too much per slide | One key concept per slide |
Phase 1: Audience & Content Planning
Key Questions
- Who specifically is my audience? What's their knowledge level?
- What's the ONE main message? What should they remember?
- What are 3-5 supporting points? How do they reinforce the message?
- What evidence supports each point? Visual, data, examples?
- What action should they take? What's the call to action?
- What are time constraints? What's essential vs. optional?
Actions
Phase 2: Visual Strategy
Assertion-Evidence Structure
Replace bullet points with:
- Assertion: Clear, complete sentence stating the point
- Evidence: Visual that supports the assertion
Instead of:
Key findings:
• Data shows increase
• Users engaged more
• Revenue improved
Use:
"User engagement increased 43% after redesign"
[Graph showing the increase]
Visual Principles
- Limited palette: 3-5 colors maximum
- Typography hierarchy: 2-3 fonts with clear roles
- Whitespace: Let content breathe
- Consistency: Same layouts, same treatment
- Visual progress: Help audience track where they are
Phase 3: Cognitive Load Management
One Concept Per Slide
Each slide should answer: "What's the ONE thing I want them to take from this?"
Progressive Disclosure
Reveal information sequentially instead of all at once:
- Show initial state
- Add first element with context
- Add second element building on first
Spoken vs. Shown
| Show on Slide | Speak Aloud |
|---|
| Key assertion | Elaboration |
| Visual evidence | Context and explanation |
| Critical data | Interpretation |
| Next step | Why it matters |
Code Examples (Technical Talks)
- Syntax highlighting always
- Highlight the critical line
- Build up complex examples
- Remove boilerplate when possible
Phase 4: Structure Patterns
Horizontal vs. Vertical (Multi-Level Navigation)
Horizontal slides: Main narrative flow
Vertical slides: Supporting details (optional deep dives)
Example:
- Horizontal: "Three Key Factors in Customer Retention"
- Vertical (under that): Detailed slide for each factor
Time Flexibility
Mark content as:
- Essential: Must cover in any version
- Standard: Include with normal time
- Expandable: Include only with extra time
Evaluation Framework
1. Audience-Centered Design (Rate 1-5)
| Criterion | Score | Notes |
|---|
| Content matches audience knowledge level | | |
| Clear value proposition for audience | | |
| Adaptable to time constraints | | |
| Navigation structure aids understanding | | |
Red Flags:
- Presenter-focused rather than audience-focused
- No consideration of audience's existing knowledge
2. Visual Clarity (Rate 1-5)
| Criterion | Score | Notes |
|---|
| Assertion-evidence structure used | | |
| Visual elements balance text | | |
| Visual hierarchy guides attention | | |
| Consistent design elements | | |
| Thoughtful whitespace | | |
Red Flags:
- Bullet-point overuse
- Text-heavy slides
- Cluttered layouts
3. Cognitive Load (Rate 1-5)
| Criterion | Score | Notes |
|---|
| One key concept per slide | | |
| Appropriate text density | | |
| Judicious animations/transitions | | |
| Code properly formatted (if applicable) | | |
| Supporting details accessible, not distracting | | |
Red Flags:
- Multiple complex concepts per slide
- Excessive text competing with speech
- Animation overuse
4. Accessibility (Rate 1-5)
| Criterion | Score | Notes |
|---|
| Works across display sizes | | |
| Sufficient color contrast | | |
| Inclusive imagery and language | | |
| Font sizes appropriate | | |
Red Flags:
- Poor contrast
- Too-small fonts
- Non-inclusive content
Implementation Checklist
Structure
Content
Visual
Accessibility
Improvement Prioritization
After evaluation:
1. Critical Issues (Fix immediately):
- Blocks audience understanding
- Accessibility failures
- Core message unclear
2. Important Enhancements (Second priority):
- Cognitive load issues
- Visual consistency problems
- Structure improvements
3. Nice-to-Have Refinements:
- Advanced animations
- Custom styling
- Polish details
Anti-Patterns
1. The Data Dump
Pattern: Every slide full of data, charts, and statistics without interpretation or hierarchy.
Why it fails: Audiences can't process raw data in real-time. Without interpretation, they're left doing analysis instead of learning. Most data is forgotten immediately.
Fix: One insight per slide with visual evidence supporting the insight. State the conclusion; show the proof. The audience should understand your point before seeing the data.
2. The Script Reader
Pattern: Slides that contain the speaker's full script—bullet points that are really paragraphs.
Why it fails: Audiences read faster than speakers talk. They read ahead, then tune out when you say what they already read. The slides become teleprompter, not communication tool.
Fix: Slides show what you can't say; you say what you can't show. Visuals, diagrams, and key assertions on screen. Context, explanation, and elaboration spoken.
3. The Template Trap
Pattern: Dropping content into a generic template without considering how the design serves the message.
Why it fails: Design should support comprehension, not just look professional. Generic templates create generic communication. One-size-fits-all fits no one well.
Fix: Design serves message. Ask: what visual structure helps this specific audience understand this specific content? Start from communication need, not template options.
4. The Animation Circus
Pattern: Transitions, builds, and effects everywhere—flying text, spinning images, fade after fade.
Why it fails: Animation is attention. Every effect says "look at this." When everything animates, nothing stands out. Audiences become overwhelmed or numbed.
Fix: Animation only for progressive disclosure (building complex ideas step by step) or emphasis (highlighting the key point). Default to no animation; add only with purpose.
5. The Bullet Point Disease
Pattern: Slide after slide of bullet point lists—the default structure for everything.
Why it fails: Bullet points are for documents, not presentations. They encourage equal weight for unequal ideas, text-heavy slides, and passive reading instead of active viewing.
Fix: Use assertion-evidence structure. Replace bullet lists with clear assertions supported by visual evidence. If you need a list, question whether it needs to be a slide.
Integration
Inbound (feeds into this skill)
| Skill | What it provides |
|---|
| speech-adaptation | Spoken content structure to coordinate with visuals |
| story-sense | Narrative structure for presentation flow |
| (content expertise) | Subject matter to communicate |
Outbound (this skill enables)
| Skill | What this provides |
|---|
| (implementation) | Design principles for any presentation tool |
| (delivery) | Slides designed to support effective speaking |
Complementary
| Skill | Relationship |
|---|
| speech-adaptation | Presentation-design handles visuals; speech-adaptation handles spoken content. Design together for coordination |
| voice-analysis | Understanding the presenter's voice helps design slides that match their natural delivery style |
