slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations

Executive Summary

Presentations have become the de facto communication tool of the modern business world.

However, while presentation software was designed to democratize the creation of visuals, it

has largely resulted in a "no man’s land" where communicators fail to transition from verbal

expression to effective visual storytelling. The document slide:ology posits that great

presentations are a blend of art and science, requiring a shift in ideology from merely "making

slides" to creating meaningful visual experiences that resonate with an audience.Critical

takeaways include:

●

The "Slideument" Trap: Most professionals create hybrids that are too dense to be

presentations and too disorganized to be documents.

●

The Three-Legged Stool: Successful presentations require equal attention to

message, visual story, and delivery.

●

Analog Ideation: The best creative processes begin away from the computer, using

tools like sticky notes and sketches to generate high-volume ideas.

●

Audience-Centricity: The audience, not the presenter, is the focus. Success is

measured by the presenter's ability to solve the audience's problems and provide a clear

call to action.

●

High Stakes: Effective communication influences stock value, sales revenue, and

career progression. Conversely, poor presentations—or "career suislide"

—can lead to

professional stagnation.

The Presentation Landscape: History and Ideology

Communication is an inherent human trait, evolving from prehistoric cave paintings to the digital

era. Despite technological advances, the core mission remains the same: recounting stories and

changing minds.

A Brief History of Visual Aids

●

15000 BCE: Lascaux cave paintings use images to narrate stories through character,

sequence, and motion.

●

3000 BCE: Egyptian murals combine pictographic images and hieroglyphics for

complex communication.

●

1350 CE: The first "proto-bar graphs" are created by Bishop Nicole Oresme.

●

1945–1950: The introduction of 35mm slides and overhead projectors allows for

sequential professional communication.

●

1987: PowerPoint 1.0 debuts for the Macintosh, marking the beginning of the era where

anyone could design slides, often without design training.

●

2003: Edward Tufte critiques the "Cognitive Style of PowerPoint,

" suggesting the

software's constraints may have impaired investigative analysis during events like the

Columbia Space Shuttle disaster.The Shift to Visual Thinking

Presentation software is the first broadly adopted professional tool that requires visual thinking.

However, most users remain stuck in verbal expression. As Nancy Duarte notes,

"the world is

wired for visual as well as verbal communication,

" yet few professionals have received formal

design training.

The Presentation Spectrum

Presentations generally fall into one of three categories based on their content density and

intended use:| Category | Characteristics | Usage || ------ | ------ | ------ || Document

(Slideument) | Dense content; >75 words per slide. | Intended as a discussion document or

whitepaper; should be circulated ahead of time. || Teleprompter | ~50 words per slide; functions

as a crutch for the presenter. | Often results in the presenter reading to the audience; perceived

as unengaging. || Presentation | Focuses on the presenter and visionary ideas; slides serve as

visual aids. | Reinforces the message visually without creating distraction; requires high

investment in rehearsal. |

The Creative Process: From Analog to Digital

A common mistake in presentation development is launching software too early. The software is

a "container" for ideas, not a tool for generating them.

Analog Ideation and Brainstorming

To generate the highest quality ideas, presenters should step away from technology:

●

Quantity over Quality: The initial goal is to create a large volume of ideas.

●

Tools: Use pens, pencils, and sticky notes.

●

Sticky Note Method: Capture one idea per note using a Sharpie. If the idea is too

complex for a sticky note, it is too complex for a slide. This method allows for easy

re-ordering of the narrative flow.

●

Word Mapping: Avoid "cheesy metaphors" (e.g., two hands shaking in front of a globe).

Use word associations to find out-of-the-box imagery.

Time Investment

The time required to develop a presentation is proportional to the stakes involved. For a

30-slide, one-hour presentation, the estimated time commitment is 36–90 hours , broken down

as follows:

●

Research and Input: 6–20 hours.

●

Ideation (Sticky Notes/Organization): 3 hours.

●

Storyboarding/Structure: 2 hours.

●

Building Slides: 20–60 hours.

●

Rehearsal: 3+ hours.

Audience-Centric Design

A presentation is not about the presenter; it is about what the presenter can do for the audience.

"Without your audience, you are nothing.

"The Seven Questions for Audience Understanding

1. What are they like? Understand their demographics and personal lives.

2. Why are they here? Determine if they are mandatory or willing attendees.

3. What keeps them up at night? Identify their pain points and fears.

4. How can you solve their problem? Focus on how you make their lives better.

5. What do you want them to do? Provide a clear "so what" and a call to action.

6. How might they resist? Anticipate barriers to adopting your message.

7. How can you best reach them? Tailor the room setup and follow-up materials to their

preferences.

Audience Personas

Presenters should create audience personas—profiles of real humans with real needs—before

building slides. For example, a persona for an investment seminar might profile "Ken and Kerry,

"

a frugal baby boomer couple concerned about retirement security. This allows the presenter to

address specific concerns like financial risk and lifestyle flexibility directly.

Case Studies in Effective Communication

Mark Templeton (CEO, Citrix)

Templeton credits his rise from mid-level manager to CEO to his personal investment in

communication. He treats presentations as a tool to instill vision, often using whiteboards to

simplify abstract concepts. This commitment helped Citrix become one of the fastest software

companies to reach $1 billion in annual revenue.

Rick Justice (EVP, Cisco Systems)

Justice uses a "presentation command center" and a collaborative team of experts to develop

his stories. He utilizes a "blocking document" to maintain focus on big ideas before diving into

details. His goal is to ensure every person in a large audience feels he is having an individual

conversation with them.

ZS Associates

When relaunching an incentive compensation solution, ZS Associates moved from data-heavy,

distracting slides to a simplified visual story. By "thinking outside the slide,

" they identified that

their three-prong strategy was actually a four-prong strategy, leading to a clearer, more

human-centric presentation that used stylized photos and common customer frustrations to

build a narrative.

Conclusion: The Power of a Presentation

The document concludes with the "Five Theses of the Power of a Presentation,

" emphasizing

that presentations are high-stakes tools for internal and external communication. As Rick

Justice notes,

"Presenting is not simply about aesthetics or making things pretty; it’s about

creating meaning.

" Every presenter has the potential to be great, provided they respect their

audience and commit to the rigorous process of visual storytelling.

"Now that Nancy haspublished this book, what’s your excuse for your long, boring, and useless presentations?"

Guy Kawasaki