🎤 Presentation Skills · Lesson 3 of 7
Clean slide design
One idea per slide, assertion headlines and fewer words.
Assertion–evidence slides
Instead of a topic title (“Results”) and bullets, write a full-sentence headline stating the point (“Reusable cups cost 30% less per semester”) and show the evidence as a chart, photo or diagram. Research on technical talks finds audiences understand and remember more this way.
Rules of thumb
| One idea per slide | Split crowded slides |
|---|---|
| Few words | No paragraphs; the speaker says the details |
| Big text | 28 pt+ body, 36 pt+ headlines |
| Contrast | Dark on light or light on dark |
| Consistent | One template, one or two fonts, a small color palette |
Visuals
High-quality images that mean something (not decoration), simple diagrams, and charts with only the data that support the point. Credit images. Avoid clip art and stock photos of handshakes.
Handouts vs. slides
If people need details to read later, give a handout or a document. Slides designed to be read without you make bad slides to present.
Tip
💡 Do a “glance test”: if someone can’t get the point of a slide in 3 seconds, simplify it.
✏️ Practice: your turn
- Rewrite three topic titles as assertion headlines
- Replace one bullet slide with a visual plus a headline
- Split your most crowded slide into two
- Do the glance test on every slide
🧠 Quick quiz
Answer all 4 questions correctly to mark this lesson as done.
0 of 4 correct
All lessons in Presentation Skills
- 🎯 1. Audience and one clear messageWho is listening, what should they remember, and why
- 🏗️ 2. Structure a talkA strong opening, three points and a memorable close
- 🖼️ 3. Clean slide designOne idea per slide, assertion headlines and fewer words
- 📊 4. Presenting dataOne chart, one message — and guiding the audience’s eyes
- 🗣️ 5. Delivery and nervesVoice, eye contact, pacing, notes and managing anxiety
- 🙋 6. Q&A and tough questionsPrepare likely questions, answer clearly and say “I don’t know” well
- 👥 7. Group and online presentationsSmooth handoffs, shared slides and presenting on Zoom or Teams