Seven checks before your deck goes to the board

Most decks don't fail on design. They fail because the room can't find the point. Before any presentation leaves our studio, we run it through the same short list.

1. Can you say the point in one sentence?

If the headline of the deck needs a paragraph, the audience will lose it. Write the one sentence first, then make every slide earn its place against it.

2. Do the slide titles tell the story on their own?

Read only the titles, in order. If they don't make an argument, the slides underneath won't rescue it. Titles should be statements, not labels.

3. Is there one idea per slide?

When a slide carries two messages, people remember neither. Split it.

4. Does every chart answer a question?

Put the takeaway in the chart title and highlight the one bar or line that matters. Grey out the rest.

5. Is the data consistent?

Same units, same decimal places, same date ranges across the deck. Inconsistent numbers are the fastest way to lose a finance audience.

6. Does it follow the brand, without being a template?

Colours, type and spacing should come from the brand. The layouts should come from the content.

7. Will it work without you?

Decks get forwarded. If a slide only makes sense when you are talking over it, add the missing sentence or move it to the notes.

If you'd like a second pair of eyes on a deck, send it to us at hello@eliteslide.com.