Creating an effective slide deck

You’ve probably suffered through some bad slides in your time, and you don’t want to be that person. Here are some handy tips (and check out the resources page for some great places to get help).

Follow the guidelines

The conference will probably have information for you on the dimensions and constraints of they slides they expect from you. That might include whether audio or video is possible, whether transitions will work, and what machine will be used to present the slides. Read them carefully, and ask in advance if you have any questions.

Slides are rarely mandatory

Depending on your content, you may not need more than a blank background. You don’t have to make slides just because everyone does.

Slides are not books

If people are reading, they probably aren’t listening. Keep text on screen as short as you can.

Start with a skeleton

Lay out the various sections of your talk first with basic slides (just a text prompt is fine), so you can figure out roughly what you need to build out, and what images or titles you might need.

Be consistent

80% (I made this number up) of slide design is just having consistent structure, font styling, and colour pallette.

Use your company resources

Speaking of consistency, your own company might already have a slide deck you can use. Go find out!

One idea per slide

You get it.

Show instead of tell

Use the slides to illustrate your point, rather than try to explain it completely on screen.

Use big fonts

Easier to read, and it will force you to keep it short and simple.

Have a backup

Whatever you end up doing with your slides, bring a copy of them in various formats, just in case you need them. Maybe print some on paper too, for your own reference.

Convert to images

Even if your conference allows you to present of your own machine, with your own fonts, make yourself a flat-image-only version of your deck. Every presentation system can handle a series of images, so it’s the ultimate fallback option.

Steal and adapt

There are tons of slide inspiration sites to browse you can b, and tools like Canva

Play to your strengths

If your personality is more Times New Roman than Comic Sans, go with it! Don’t feel compelled to include memes or gifs (or not to). People will respond to your authenticity.