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.

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

• Create audience persona(s)

• Write one-sentence main message

• Organize supporting points in logical flow

• Identify evidence for each point

• Define essential vs. expandable content

• Sketch presentation flow

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

• Main message clear in first 2 minutes

• Supporting points organized logically

• Essential vs. expandable content marked

• Navigation aids understanding

Content

• Assertion-evidence structure used

• Visual evidence supports assertions

• One concept per slide

• Code examples properly formatted

Visual

• Consistent color palette

• Typography hierarchy

• Sufficient whitespace

• Elements aligned

Accessibility

• Color contrast verified

• Font sizes appropriate

• Alternative text for key images

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