What happens when one of the presentation industry's best designers is also one of its best presenters? We found out.

In this episode, we chat with Damon Nofar, Founder and Creative Director of Slides Agency, presentation strategist, and one of those rare people who excels both behind the slides and on the stage. We get into storytelling, AI, audience experience, and what it actually takes to create presentations people remember.

We revisit Damon's talk at Present to Succeed 2025 “Beyond the Prompt: Why AI Alone Won't Make You Stand Out”, and dig into how his agency is using AI to build custom design tools, and why he still won't let it generate a full deck. We also get into the art of using humour on stage without dying, why startups are his favourite clients, and the big idea behind his upcoming talk at Present to Succeed 2026 London “Design the feeling in the room”.

Whether you're a presentation designer, speaker, or business presenter, you'll find plenty here to help your message land.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction to Damon Nofar and Slides Agency

02:31 Damon's Journey into Design and Marketing

06:43 The Role of AI in Presentation Design

11:52 Innovative Tools and Techniques in Presentation Design

19:41 The Future of Presentation Design in an AI World

22:54 Designing Audience Experience in Presentations

27:53 Damon's Preferred Projects and Agency Focus

31:27 Navigating Creative Challenges in Large Organizations

31:47 Finding Inspiration Beyond the Industry

33:48 The Power of Humor in Presentations

37:55 The Importance of Preparation and Authenticity

40:45 Learning from Storytellers and Comedians

44:24 AI in Presentations: Acceptance and Pushback

49:53 The Future of AI in Creative Work

Links & Resources

Damon Nofar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/damonnofar/ 

Slides Agency: https://www.slides.agency/ 

Present to Succeed: https://www.presenttosucceed.co.uk/ 

Google AI Studio: https://aistudio.google.com/ 

Cosmos: https://www.cosmos.so/ 

Got a presentation challenge, story, or question? 

We'd love to hear it. Share your thoughts and ideas, and let us know what topics you'd like us to tackle in future episodes through our LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nxtsldpls/ 

Follow your hosts

Andy Bundock: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andybundock/ 

PK Steffen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pksteffen/ 

Mark Robson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sixmileshigh/ 

Emma Pritchard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-birdboxdesigns/

Next Slide Please | It’s Not Just Storytelling. It’s Chemistry: Present to Succeed Sofia 2026

Episode runtime: ~45 minutes

Hosts: Emma Pritchard, Andy Bundock, PK Steffen, Mark Robson, 

Episode Summary

Emma and Andy spent a day streaming Present to Succeed 2026 live from Sofia, Bulgaria, one of Europe's biggest presentation conferences. The theme was storytelling, but what they brought back was bigger than that. This episode unpacks three psychology-led takeaways from the day: 1. Story Chemistry - why story isn't a technique, it's a biological event; 2. The Curiosity Gap - how to engineer curiosity before you've said a word; 3. Constraint and clarity - why subtraction is the hardest, most powerful thing you can do to a presentation. Plus, a peek at what happens inside your head when you stand up to present, and the committee in your head that tries to stop you.

Want to watch the full Present to Succeed 2026 sessions? You can still get lifetime access to all the recordings with an online pass at Present to Succeed: https://www.presenttosucceed.bg/tickets 

Timestamps

01:31 Deep dive into storytelling

04:25 The science of storytelling chemistry

11:34 Cultural perspectives on storytelling

14:45 The curiosity gap in storytelling

25:30 Constraint and clarity in presentations

39:47 Extras too good to leave in Sofia

Links & Resources

Present to Succeed: https://www.presenttosucceed.com/ 

George Lowenstein: https://www.cmu.edu/dietrich/sds/people/faculty/george-loewenstein.html 

Brene Brown: https://brenebrown.com/videos/ted-talk-the-power-of-vulnerability/ 

Andy Bounds: https://andybounds.com/ 

Daniel Kahneman: https://kahneman.scholar.princeton.edu/ 

Guy Kawasaki: https://guykawasaki.com 

Got a presentation challenge, story, or question? 

We'd love to hear it. Share your thoughts and ideas, and let us know what topics you'd like us to tackle in future episodes through our LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nxtsldpls/ 

Follow your hosts

Emma Pritchard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-birdboxdesigns/ 

Andy Bundock: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andybundock/ 

PK Steffen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pksteffen/ 

Mark Robson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sixmileshigh/ 

Everyone's talking about Claude Design. But can it actually design? 

Spoiler: it depends who's asking.

In this episode, we put Claude Design under the microscope and explore the reality behind the hype. All four hosts give their honest verdict. From blank page syndrome to brand drift, from token costs to data centres in the desert. Along the way, we discuss discuss design systems, tackle what AI is changing and how designers and everyday PowerPoint users can stay ahead as the rules keep shifting. 

Timestamps

00:09 Introduction to Claude Design

02:24 Exploring Claude Design

04:27 The Speed vs. Quality Debate

07:08 Design Systems and Templates

10:00 The Role of AI in Presentation Design

12:45 Client Perspectives on AI-Generated Designs

16:24 The Cost of AI Tools and Subscriptions

30:55 The Environmental Impact of AI

34:52 Tools Within Tools: Enhancing Design Efficiency

Clips used in the making of this video:
07:45: 02ui - Idea to Product: Claude Design vs Lovable: One Prompt, Same Brief
22:00: UI Collective: Claude Design: The Complete Guide

Got a presentation challenge, story, or question? 

We'd love to hear it. Share your thoughts and ideas, and let us know what topics you'd like us to tackle in future episodes through our LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nxtsldpls/ 

Follow your hosts

Andy Bundock: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andybundock/ 

PK Steffen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pksteffen/ 

Mark Robson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sixmileshigh/ 

Emma Pritchard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-birdboxdesigns/

This is where it all starts. In this first episode, we introduce the show, the hosts, and one unofficial team member called Dave. Four people who live and breathe presentations - a psychologist, a storyteller, a typography obsessive, and a designer with 20 years of slides under his belt - coming together to help non-designers up their presentation game and designers hate PowerPoint slightly less. Whether you're a presentation designer, a complete PowerPoint sceptic, or somewhere in the middle, this one's for you.

No fluff. No filler. Just the beginning of something good.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction to Next Slide, Please

01:32 Meet the Hosts and Their Backgrounds

02:59 What to Expect from the Podcast

Got a presentation challenge, story, or question? 

We'd love to hear it. Share your thoughts and ideas, and let us know what topics you'd like us to tackle in future episodes through our LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nxtsldpls/ 

Follow your hosts

Andy Bundock: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andybundock/ 

PK Steffen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pksteffen/ 

Mark Robson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sixmileshigh/ 

Emma Pritchard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-birdboxdesigns/