Slide design

Skill: Slide Design Principles

Visual hierarchy, data visualization, and minimal text patterns for impactful presentations.

Metadata

Field	Value
Skill ID	slide-design
Version	1.0.0
Category	Communication
Difficulty	Intermediate
Prerequisites	None
Related Skills	executive-storytelling, defense-presentation

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Overview

Great slides don't display information—they communicate insights. This skill provides principles for designing slides that enhance (not compete with) the speaker's message.

The Core Principle

Slides support the speaker. The speaker is not the slides' teleprompter.

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Module 1: Visual Hierarchy

The 3-Second Rule

Viewers should understand the slide's main point in 3 seconds.

Test: Show slide briefly, cover it, ask "What was the point?" If they can't answer, redesign.

Hierarchy Elements

Element	Purpose	Usage
Title	Main takeaway	Full sentence, not label
Visual	Evidence/illustration	Center of attention
Supporting text	Clarification	Minimal, if any
Source	Credibility	Small, bottom corner

Z-Pattern and F-Pattern

Z-Pattern (for sparse slides):

[Title/Headline]
      ↘
[Supporting visual/data]
      ↘
[Conclusion/CTA]

F-Pattern (for text-heavy slides):

[Strong headline] ← First scan
[Key point 1] ← Second scan
[Key point 2]
[Supporting detail fades...]

White Space

White space is not empty—it's breathing room for ideas.

Mistake	Fix
Cramped margins	10% margin on all sides minimum
No padding between elements	Visual grouping with space
Text wall	Break into digestible chunks

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Module 2: The Assertion-Evidence Model

Traditional vs. Assertion-Evidence

Traditional (weak):

Title: Q4 Sales Results
• Revenue: $2.3M
• Growth: 15%
• New customers: 47
• Retention: 92%

Assertion-Evidence (strong):

Title: Q4 revenue grew 15% to $2.3M—our best quarter ever
[Bar chart showing growth trend]

Structure

Component	Traditional	Assertion-Evidence
Title	Topic label	Full-sentence claim
Body	Bullet points	Visual evidence
Cognitive load	High (decoding)	Low (supporting)

Application

1. Write the assertion (what you want them to believe)
2. Find/create visual evidence (chart, diagram, image)
3. Remove all unnecessary text
4. Test: Does the visual prove the assertion?

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Module 3: Data Visualization

Chart Selection Guide

Data Type	Best Chart	Avoid
Comparison	Bar chart	Pie (hard to compare)
Trend over time	Line chart	Stacked bar
Part of whole	Stacked bar, treemap	3D pie
Relationship	Scatter plot	Bar chart
Distribution	Histogram, box plot	Pie chart

Visualization Principles

1. Title = Insight

• ❌ "Revenue 2020-2025"
• ✅ "Revenue doubled in 5 years"

2. Reduce chart junk

• Remove gridlines (or make very light)
• Remove 3D effects
• Remove unnecessary legends
• Remove borders and boxes

3. Highlight the insight

• Color the key data point differently
• Use annotations to point to insight
• Grey out non-essential data

4. Simplify scales

• Round numbers ($2.3M not $2,347,891)
• Start axis at zero (unless change is the story)
• Use consistent intervals

Before/After Example

Before (cluttered):

[3D pie chart with 8 slices, legend on side, 
percentages on each slice, title "Q4 Breakdown"]

After (clear):

Title: "AI projects drove 40% of Q4 revenue"
[Simple horizontal bar chart, AI highlighted in blue,
others in grey, percentages inline]

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Module 4: Typography

Font Guidelines

Element	Recommendation
Font family	Sans-serif (Calibri, Arial, Segoe UI)
Title size	32-44pt
Body size	24-28pt
Min readable	18pt (even for source notes)
Max fonts	2 (one for titles, one for body)

Text Rules

Rule	Rationale
No sentences in bullets	Bullets are prompts, not scripts
6 words or less per bullet	Forces concision
Max 3 bullets per slide	Cognitive limit
Left-align text	Easier to read than centered
No ALL CAPS paragraphs	Harder to read

Contrast

• Dark text on light background (default)
• Light text on dark/image requires high contrast
• Test: Squint at slide—can you still read it?

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Module 5: Color and Images

Color Palette

Purpose	Color Choice
Primary	One dominant brand color
Accent	For highlighting key data
Neutral	Greys for supporting elements
Avoid	Red/green together (colorblind)

The 60-30-10 Rule

• 60% primary/neutral (background, most content)
• 30% secondary (supporting elements)
• 10% accent (calls to action, key insights)

Image Guidelines

Do	Don't
High resolution (1920x1080+)	Pixelated images
Relevant to point	Clip art
Full-bleed when impactful	Stretched/distorted
Consistent style	Stock photo clichés

Image Sources

Source	Type	License
Unsplash	Photography	Free, attribution optional
Pexels	Photography	Free
Flaticon	Icons	Free with attribution
The Noun Project	Icons	Subscription or attribution

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Module 6: Slide Types

Title Slide

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                                         │
│         [Compelling Title]              │
│         Subtitle / Context              │
│                                         │
│         Author | Date                   │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Section Divider

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                                         │
│                                         │
│           Section Title                 │
│                                         │
│                                         │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Minimal text, bold color, signals transition.

Data Slide

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Insight as full sentence headline       │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                         │
│         [Chart/Visualization]           │
│                                         │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Source: Data source                     │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Full-Image Slide

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                                         │
│   [Full-bleed image]                    │
│                                         │
│         Quote or key point              │
│         (white text with shadow)        │
│                                         │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Comparison Slide

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Comparison headline                     │
├──────────────────┬──────────────────────┤
│    Option A      │      Option B        │
│    [Visual]      │      [Visual]        │
│    Key points    │      Key points      │
└──────────────────┴──────────────────────┘

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Quick Reference

Slide Design Checklist

• One main point per slide
• Title is a full sentence (assertion)
• Visual evidence supports assertion
• Minimal text (bullets < 6 words)
• High contrast (readable from back of room)
• Consistent font sizes
• White space for breathing room
• Source cited for data

The "Billboard Test"

Pretend your slide is a highway billboard:

• Would someone get the point at 65 mph?
• Can they read it in 3 seconds?
• Is one thing clearly most important?

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Fix
Reading slides aloud	Slides are visual aid, not script
Too many animations	Simple fades, if any
Inconsistent styling	Use master slides/templates
Busy backgrounds	Solid colors or very subtle
Logos on every slide	Title and closing only

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Activation Patterns

Trigger	Response
"slide design", "presentation design"	Full skill activation
"data visualization", "charts"	Module 3
"assertion-evidence"	Module 2
"too much text", "clean up slides"	Simplification guidance
"defense slides", "dissertation presentation"	Link to defense-presentation skill

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Skill created: 2026-02-10 | Category: Communication | Status: Active

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