One idea per slide

A slide is on screen for a minute or so. The audience can absorb one idea in that time, not four. If a slide needs a long explanation, it's probably two slides.

Signs a slide is overloaded

• More than one claim in the headline.
• Several graphs fighting for attention.
• Text the audience is reading instead of listening to you.
• You say "This is a busy slide, but..." (Then fix it.)

Use builds, not crowds

If you need to show a complex diagram, build it up step by step: show the first part, explain it, then add the next. The audience sees each piece as you talk about it.

How many slides?

A rough rule is about one slide per minute of talk, but it depends on the content. A 10-minute talk with 30 slides is too fast; with 4 slides it may be too dense.

Design basics

• Large fonts: at least about 24 points for body text, larger for headlines.
• High contrast: dark text on a light background, or the reverse.
• Consistent layout: headline in the same place on every slide.
• Few colours, used to mean something.
• Slide numbers, so people can ask "Can you go back to slide 7?"

Backup slides

Put extra detail after your final slide. If someone asks about it, you're ready; if not, it doesn't crowd the talk.

RememberOne idea per slide, built step by step, in large high-contrast type. Extra detail goes in backup slides.