how to create a slide deck presentation

10 tips on how to make slides that communicate your idea, from TED’s in-house expert

When your slides rock, your whole presentation pops to life. At TED2014, David Epstein created a clean, informative slide deck to support his talk on the changing bodies of athletes . Photo: James Duncan Davidson/TED

Aaron Weyenberg is the master of slide decks. Our UX Lead creates Keynote presentations that are both slick and charming—the kind that pull you in and keep you captivated, but in an understated way that helps you focus on what’s actually being said. He does this for his own presentations and for lots of other folks in the office. Yes, his coworkers ask him to design their slides, because he’s just that good.

We asked Aaron to bottle his Keynote mojo so that others could benefit from it. Here, 10 tips for making an effective slide deck, split into two parts: the big, overarching goals, and the little tips and tricks that make your presentation sing.

Aaron used this image of a New Zealand disaster to kick off a slide deck from TED’s tech team — all about how they prepares for worst-case scenarios. He asked for permission to use the image, and credited the photographer, Blair Harkness. View the whole slidedeck from this presentation.

The big picture…

• Think about your slides last . Building your slides should be the tail end of developing your presentation. Think about your main message, structure its supporting points, practice it and time it—and then start thinking about your slides. The presentation needs to stand on its own; the slides are just something you layer over it to enhance the listener experience. Too often, I see slide decks that feel more like presenter notes, but I think it’s far more effective when the slides are for the audience to give them a visual experience that adds to the words. .
• Create a consistent look and feel . In a good slide deck, each slide feels like part of the same story. That means using the same or related typography, colors and imagery across all your slides. Using pre-built master slides can be a good way to do that, but it can feel restrictive and lead to me-too decks. I like to create a few slides to hold sample graphic elements and type, then copy what I need from those slides as I go. .
• Think about topic transitions . It can be easy to go too far in the direction of consistency, though. You don’t want each slide to look exactly the same. I like to create one style for the slides that are the meat of what I’m saying, and then another style for the transitions between topics. For example, if my general slides have a dark background with light text, I’ll try transition slides that have a light background with dark text. That way they feel like part of the same family, but the presentation has texture—and the audience gets a visual cue that we’re moving onto a new topic. .
• With text, less is almost always more . One thing to avoid—slides with a lot of text, especially if it’s a repeat of what you’re saying out loud. It’s like if you give a paper handout in a meeting—everyone’s head goes down and they read, rather than staying heads-up and listening. If there are a lot of words on your slide, you’re asking your audience to split their attention between what they’re reading and what they’re hearing. That’s really hard for a brain to do, and it compromises the effectiveness of both your slide text and your spoken words. If you can’t avoid having text-y slides, try to progressively reveal text (like unveiling bullet points one by one) as you need it. .
• Use photos that enhance meaning . I love using simple, punchy photos in presentations, because they help what you’re saying resonate in your audience’s mind without pulling their attention from your spoken words. Look for photos that (1) speak strongly to the concept you’re talking about and (2) aren’t compositionally complex. Your photo could be a metaphor or something more literal, but it should be clear why the audience is looking at it, and why it’s paired with what you’re saying. For example, I recently used the image above—a photo of a container ship about to tip over (it eventually sank)—to lead off a co-worker’s deck about failure preparation. And below is another example of a photo I used in a deck to talk about the launch of the new TED.com . The point I was making was that a launch isn’t the end of a project—it’s the beginning of something new. We’ll learn, adapt, change and grow.

Here, a lovely image from a slidedeck Aaron created about the redesign of TED.com . View the whole deck from this presentation .

And now some tactical tips…

• Go easy on the effects and transitions . Keynote and Powerpoint come with a lot of effects and transitions. In my opinion, most of these don’t do much to enhance the audience experience. At worst, they subtly suggest that the content of your slides is so uninteresting that a page flip or droplet transition will snap the audience out of their lethargy. If you must use them, use the most subtle ones, and keep it consistent. .

• Try panning large images . Often, I want to show screen shot of an entire web page in my presentations. There’s a great Chrome extension to capture these—but these images are oftentimes much longer than the canvas size of the presentation. Rather than scaling the image to an illegible size, or cropping it, you can pan it vertically as you talk about it. In Keynote, this is done with a Move effect, which you can apply from an object’s action panel. .
• For video, don’t use autoplay . It’s super easy to insert video in Keynote and Powerpoint—you just drag a Quicktime file onto the slide. And when you advance the deck to the slide with the video that autoplays, sometimes it can take a moment for the machine to actually start playing it. So often I’ve seen presenters click again in an attempt to start the video during this delay, causing the deck to go to the next slide. Instead, set the video to click to play. That way you have more predictable control over the video start time, and even select a poster frame to show before starting. .

Lastly, I’d love to leave you with a couple book recommendations. The first is Resonate , by Nancy Duarte. It’s not so much about slides, but about public speaking in general – which is the foundation for any presentation, regardless of how great your slides are. In it, she breaks down the anatomy of what makes a great presentation, how to establish a central message and structure your talk, and more. (One of her case studies comes from Benjamin Zander’s charming TED Talk about classical music, a talk that captivated the audience from start to finish.) Think of this as prerequisite reading for my second recommendation, also by Duarte: Slide:ology . This is more focused on presentation visuals and slides.

Happy slide-making.

• Subscribe to TED Blog by email

Comments (57)

What Is a Slide Deck & How It's Done (Tips & Templates)

Learn what a slide deck is. Get tips and templates for making a professional slide deck presentation for business that goes beyond PowerPoint.

Dominika Krukowska

6 minute read

Short answer

What is a slide deck?

A slide deck is a sequence of slides, or pages, used as visual aids in a presentation or a speech. It’s used in business and education to communicate complex information. The slides in the deck are set in a logical order that completes a coherent narrative.

The term “slide deck” comes from the original mechanical slide projector which used a kind of magazine shaped as a carousel to move through a series of transparent slides which were projected on a screen. The term now refers to individual pages within digital presentations.

Dull presentations achieve only boredom - is your slide deck dull?

Capturing and maintaining an audience's attention is no easy feat. If your presentations are dull, you risk boring your audience, failing to convey your message effectively, or even becoming a go-to example for a bad presentation.

But what if there’s a way to minimize the risk?

In this post, we'll cover what a slide deck is and what it isn't.

You’ll learn how to avoid the common mistakes that demolish engagement and how to create an effective slide deck to transform your presentations from boring to buzzworthy.

Let’s dive in!

Slide deck vs. slideshow

A slide deck is a series of slides crafted for a presentation, whereas a slideshow is typically a looping set of images or videos, often with little to no interactive elements. While slide decks are used for communicating information, slideshows are generally used for entertainment.

Slide deck vs. presentation

The difference between a slide deck and a presentation is that a slide deck is a collection of slides that contains information, while a presentation is the act of delivering the information to an audience. The slide deck is the visual aid used during a presentation to support the speaker's message.

Static vs. interactive slide deck

A static slide deck presentation includes only static content such as text and images, whereas an interactive slide deck presentation includes clickable elements, animations, or embedded media that provide a dynamic, immersive experience users can interact with.

Interactive slide decks have been shown to be much more engaging than static ones since they facilitate the reader’s active participation.

This allows readers to hide or expose content on demand, control the pace at which content is served, and see information tailored to them.

You can see the difference below:

What is a slide deck presentation in PowerPoint?

A slide deck presentation in PowerPoint is a series of static slides arranged in a fixed order.

Created in Microsoft's PowerPoint software, it allows for structured information delivery, but lacks interactive elements, limiting audience engagement during the presentation.

Here's an example of a slide deck presentation in PowerPoint:

What is a slide deck presentation in Google Slides?

In Google Slides, a slide deck presentation is a sequence of slides designed within this cloud-based platform.

It offers the convenience of online collaboration and accessibility, but like traditional tools, it primarily features static slides, limiting the potential for interactive audience engagement.

Here's an example of a slide deck presentation in Google Slides:

What is a slide deck presentation in Storydoc?

A slide deck presentation in Storydoc is more than just a series of slides. It's an interactive journey crafted within the platform using narrated design.

Unlike traditional tools, it allows for dynamic elements and user interaction, significantly enhancing audience engagement and the overall presentation experience.

Here's an example of a slide deck presentation in Storydoc:

What makes a good slide deck?

A good slide deck grabs attention through a clear narrative, compelling visuals, and concise text. It's not just about information, but also interaction.

Engaging slide decks often incorporate dynamic elements, encourage audience participation, and are crafted with an understanding of the audience's needs and interests.

What are slide decks used for in business?

Slide decks are the backbone of effective business communication. They help audiences understand complex concepts, make informed decisions, and take action.

How slide decks are used:

• To present complex data in an understandable way
• To share company updates or strategies during meetings
• To pitch ideas or products to clients or investors
• To support webinars or training sessions
• To tell compelling stories to engage and persuade audiences

What should a slide deck presentation include?

A slide deck presentation should include a clear narrative structure with an introduction, body, and conclusion. It should feature compelling visuals that support your message, concise and easy-to-read text, and interactive elements to engage your audience.

Remember to include a call-to-action, guiding your audience towards the desired outcome.

Check out our dedicated guides for specific types of slide decks:

What to Include in a Pitch Deck (Slides 99% of Investors Want)

7 elements of a great sales deck structure

What should a one-pager include?

What does a marketing deck include?

What are the main types of business slide decks?

The main types of business slide decks are:

• Pitch deck presentations
• Sales deck presentations
• Product marketing presentations
• White papers
• Case studies
• Report presentations
• Education and academic presentations
• Business proposal presentations
• Sports sponsorship proposals
• Business plan presentations

Jump ahead to each type:

1. Pitch deck presentations

These slide decks are the golden ticket for startups seeking investment. They succinctly present the business idea, market potential, and growth strategy to convince investors to come on board.

Here’s an example of a pitch deck presentation:

If you want to find out more about pitch deck presentations, read these articles:

What Is a Pitch Deck? A Beginner's Guide to Greatness

Create a Winning Pitch Deck Investors Love (Examples & Tips)

2. Sales deck presentations

These slide decks showcase the unique benefits of your product or service and demonstrate why it's the ideal solution for the customer's needs.

Their main goal is to convince prospects to become paying customers of your solution.

Here’s an example of a sales deck presentation:

To learn more, check out our article on how to make a sales pitch deck that turns ‘Maybe’ to ‘Yes!’ .

3. Product marketing presentations

These slide decks introduce new products or features, highlighting their benefits and how they solve the target audience's problems, sparking interest and driving sales.

Here’s an example of a product marketing presentation:

4. White papers

These slide decks are comprehensive reports that provide an in-depth analysis of a problem and its solution, showcasing your business expertise.

Here’s an example of a white paper:

5. Case studies

These slide decks share customer success stories. They show how your product or service has helped a customer, building credibility with potential clients.

Here’s an example of a case study:

For more information, check out our blog posts:

What Is a Case Study & Customer Success Story?

5 Steps for Writing a Case Study for Business (+Templates)

12 Steps to Create a Business Case Study That Converts

Case Study Format Types: Match Format with Business Goals

These decks present complex data in an engaging way. They transform raw data into understandable insights, making information accessible to all.

Here’s an example of a report presentation:

7. One-pagers

These slide decks provide a quick overview of your product or service on the first touchpoint with a potential customer. They highlight key features and benefits in a concise, easy-to-digest format.

Here’s an example of a one-pager presentation:

To learn more about this slide deck type, read our guides:

What Is a One-Pager: Types, Benefits & Main Use Cases

Make One-Pagers That Grab Attention, Engage & Convert

Create a Sales One-Pager (Examples, Writing Tips, Templates)

Create a Business Plan One-Pager (+ Proven Templates)

How to Create a Startup One-Pager That Wows Investors

How to Create a Product One-Pager (That Gets People Excited)

8. Education and academic presentations

These slide decks simplify complex concepts and present research findings in an engaging way, fostering understanding and learning.

Here’s an example of an academic presentation:

Research proposal

This school research presentation template is perfect for students who need to present their findings from a research project. The template includes space for a title, introduction, main body, conclusion, and bibliography.

For more guidance, we have an article on how to write a research proposal that includes tips and templates.

9. Business proposal presentations

These slide decks summarize your offering and demonstrate its value, helping to secure business agreements and close deals.

Here’s an example of a business proposal presentation:

If you want to create your own, make sure to check out these posts:

How to Write a Business Proposal (Examples & Templates)

Make a Winning Business Proposal Presentation in 12 Steps

10. Sports sponsorship proposals

These slide decks highlight the benefits sponsors will receive in return for their investment, helping to secure funding for sports teams.

Here’s an example of a sports sponsorship proposal presentation:

Football sponsorship proposal

This bright and energetic template reflects the dynamic nature of sports. With a combination of text-based and interactive slides, you'll easily convey the history of your organization, as well as the team's main drivers and objectives, to make sponsors instantly realize the value for their money.

11. Business plan presentations

These slide decks serve as roadmaps for businesses. They detail the company's strategy and objectives, aligning team members and attracting potential investors.

Here’s an example of a business plan presentation:

General Business Plan

This template has everything you need to create a visual summary of your business idea. Thanks to a range of interactive slides, you'll be able to convey your vision in a way that impresses investors and gets you the necessary buy-in.

Best slide deck templates to get you started

Embarking on your slide deck journey doesn't have to start from scratch. With tried and tested templates, you're already a step ahead. They’re designed to be responsive, ensuring your content shines on every device.

If you're ready to take your presentations to the next level, explore our interactive slide deck templates below, guided by AI and reader feedback. They’ll help you create professional slide decks that captivate, engage, and inspire.

Hi, I'm Dominika, Content Specialist at Storydoc. As a creative professional with experience in fashion, I'm here to show you how to amplify your brand message through the power of storytelling and eye-catching visuals.

Found this post useful?

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

Get notified as more awesome content goes live.

(No spam, no ads, opt-out whenever)

You've just joined an elite group of people that make the top performing 1% of sales and marketing collateral.

Create your best slide deck to date

Try Storydoc interactive presentation maker for 14 days free (keep any presentation you make forever!)

What is a Slide Deck and how to create one

All you need to know about Slide Decks

Slide decks have become an integral part of business presentations, whether you're pitching to investors, presenting ideas to your team, or delivering a keynote speech. In this article, we will dive into the slide deck meaning, exploring its significance and providing you with a comprehensive guide on how to create captivating and effective slide decks that leave a lasting impression.

Presentation deck meaning

A presentation deck is simply a slide presentation that is typically used in business meetings to cover a specific topic of collective interest. The deck of slides that we know today as a digital file derives its name from the analog era where slides were physically printed and placed inside an apparatus that shone light through them. Presentation decks have a wide variety of uses, from corporate meetings to marketing and sales proposals. In this article, we’ll cover the most common use cases.

The purpose of slide deck presentations

Slidedecks serve as visual aids to support your presentation. They help to organize information, enhance understanding, and engage your audience. A well-crafted deck presentation can make complex concepts more digestible, reinforce key points, and create a memorable experience for your listeners. In business settings, deck presentations are mostly used for two different purposes:

• Create a business proposal or strategy: Most corporate companies, or even startups, are in constant need to present business proposals and strategies. These proposals can either be intended for internal purposes or for external clients and stakeholders. Presentation decks are the most efficient and comprehensive way to analyze, discuss, and decide the next steps in these meetings. The advantage is that by using visual resources and content queues, presenters can unpack a lot of information without disengaging audiences.
• Report progress or business performance: The second use case is to report back on these initiatives, or to cover overall business performance. Slide decks make it easier to go over charts and other visualizations that explain how a certain project is doing, or give an update on how several revenue lines have performed recently.

Understanding your audience

Before you begin creating your slide deck, it's crucial to understand your audience. Consider their level of expertise, their expectations, and their primary interests. Tailoring your content and visuals to resonate with your specific audience will make your slide deck more impactful and relevant. People often overlook this consideration and it can play a detrimental role in communicating effectively. Corporate organizations for example tend to use a lot of acronyms and insider jargon that outsiders would fail to understand. Web3 startups are also an example of companies whose very value prop depends on a lot of technical explanations that would be difficult to grasp by non-technical audiences. Leveling the playing field is key in order to have a rich and fluid conversation around these businesses.

Planning and structuring your slide deck

Start by outlining the key messages and objectives of your presentation. Divide your content into logical sections or chapters, ensuring a smooth flow from one slide to another. Begin with a compelling opening slide that grabs attention and clearly states the purpose of your presentation. Arrange your slides in a coherent sequence, using headings, subheadings, and bullet points to guide your audience through the information. The best slide decks are the ones that flow from general topics to specific ones, so spend a good amount of time in thinking about what you want to say, and how to organize these ideas in a logical way.

Keep it simple and visual

The golden rule of slide deck creation is to keep it simple. Avoid overcrowding your slides with excessive text or complex visuals. Instead, focus on using concise statements, keywords, and phrases that complement your spoken presentation. Incorporate relevant and visually appealing images to reinforce your message and engage your audience's visual senses. Think of the great slide deck presentations, like Steve Job’s product reveals or TED Global Talks. They have one thing in common and that is in heavily relying on visual resources to reinforce their statements, instead of trusting the slides to replicate every single word they said.

Design and visual elements

The design and visual elements of your slide deck play a significant role in capturing attention and enhancing comprehension. Choose a clean and professional graphic template that aligns with your brand and complements your content. Use consistent fonts, colors, and layouts throughout your slide deck to maintain visual coherence. Incorporate charts, graphs, or infographics to present data or highlight important statistics in a visually appealing manner. If you feel overwhelmed by designing your slides, or struggle to think visually, a good place to start is by browsing presentation templates that can give you a good starting point. You can also seek out help from professional presentation design agencies that specialize in crafting good quality slides.

Engaging content and storytelling

Great slidedecks not only inform but also tell a compelling story. Craft your content in a way that takes your audience on a journey, capturing their interest and creating an emotional connection. Use storytelling techniques, anecdotes, or case studies to make your presentation more relatable and memorable.

Rehearsal and delivery

Creating a compelling slide deck is only half the battle. Storytelling is pretty much a discipline of its own, and some people take years to fully master feeling comfortable with presenting in public. The best way to address this fear is two-fold: first, being completely comfortable with the topic you’re presenting about. This will allow you to be more relaxed, and combat imposter syndrome or shakiness in your voice. The second strategy is to practice outloud, as much as possible. This rehearsing process is not exclusively to memorize your speech (although this is quite useful), but it will also make you less reliant on your slides and a more confident speaker.

Practice is key! Rehearse your presentation repeatedly will help you maintain a confident and engaging presence. Remember, your slide deck should support your spoken words, not overshadow them.

Best Slide Deck Templates

• The Startup Slide Deck Template
• Airbnb Slide Deck Template
• Uber Slide Deck Template
• Investor Deck Template
• Sequoia Capital Slide Deck Template
• Investment Proposal Template

Check more slide deck examples here

Slide decks are powerful tools that can elevate your presentations and captivate your audience. By understanding your audience, planning and structuring your content, keeping it simple and visual, and incorporating engaging storytelling techniques, you can create slidedecks that leave a lasting impact. Remember to rehearse your presentation and deliver it with confidence. With these tips in mind, you're well on your way to mastering the art of slide deck creation.

Popular Articles

Slidebean Helped USports Tackle A Complex Financial Model

AirBnb Pitch Deck: Teardown and Redesign (FREE Download)

Upcoming events, financial modeling crash course.

35+ Best Pitch Deck Examples from Successful Startups (2024 Update with Editable Templates Included)

Let’s move your company to the next stage 🚀

Ai pitch deck software, pitch deck services.

Financial Model Consulting for Startups 🚀

Raise money with our pitch deck writing and design service 🚀

The all-in-one pitch deck software 🚀

A pitch deck is the standard document used by startups to present their case to investors; it’s a brief deck of about 10 to 20 slides. See examples here.

Learn how to create a compelling slide deck for your startup. Explore how to use slide decks as aids for your presentation, and the most common uses for them.

This is a functional model you can use to create your own formulas and project your potential business growth. Instructions on how to use it are on the front page.

Book a call with our sales team

In a hurry? Give us a call at 

Cloud Storage

Custom Business Email

Video and voice conferencing

Shared Calendars

Word Processing

Spreadsheets

Presentation Builder

Survey builder

Google Workspace

An integrated suit of secure, cloud-native collaboration and productivity apps powered by Google AI.

Tell impactful stories, with Google Slides

Create, present, and collaborate on online presentations in real-time and from any device.

• For my personal use
• For work or my business

Jeffery Clark

T h i s   c h a r t   h e l p s   b r i d g i n g   t h e   s t o r y !

E s t i m a t e d   b u d g e t

Make beautiful presentations, together

Stay in sync in your slides, with easy sharing and real-time editing. Use comments and assign action items to build your ideas together.

Present slideshows with confidence

With easy-to-use presenter view, speaker notes, and live captions, Slides makes presenting your ideas a breeze. You can even present to Google Meet video calls directly from Slides.

Seamlessly connect to your other Google apps

Slides is thoughtfully connected to other Google apps you love, saving you time. Embed charts from Google Sheets or reply to comments directly from Gmail. You can even search the web and Google Drive for relevant content and images directly from Slides.

Extend collaboration and intelligence to PowerPoint files

Easily edit Microsoft PowerPoint presentations online without converting them, and layer on Slides’ enhanced collaborative and assistive features like comments, action items, and Smart Compose.

Work on fresh content

With Slides, everyone’s working on the latest version of a presentation. And with edits automatically saved in version history, it’s easy to track or undo changes.

Make slides faster, with built-in intelligence

Assistive features like Smart Compose and autocorrect help you build slides faster with fewer errors.

Stay productive, even offline

You can access, create, and edit Slides even without an internet connection, helping you stay productive from anywhere.

Security, compliance, and privacy

Secure by default

We use industry-leading security measures to keep your data safe, including advanced malware protections. Slides is also cloud-native, eliminating the need for local files and minimizing risk to your devices.

Encryption in transit and at rest

All files uploaded to Google Drive or created in Slides are encrypted in transit and at rest.

Compliance to support regulatory requirements

Our products, including Slides, regularly undergo independent verification of their security, privacy, and compliance controls .

Private by design

Slides adheres to the same robust privacy commitments and data protections as the rest of Google Cloud’s enterprise services .

You control your data.

We never use your slides content for ad purposes., we never sell your personal information to third parties., find the plan that’s right for you, google slides is a part of google workspace.

Every plan includes

Collaborate from anywhere, on any device

Access, create, and edit your presentations wherever you are — from any mobile device, tablet, or computer — even when offline.

Get a head start with templates

Choose from a variety of presentations, reports, and other professionally-designed templates to kick things off quickly..

Photo Album

Book Report

Visit the Slides Template Gallery for more.

Ready to get started?

• Adobe Creative Cloud
• Creative Cloud for teams

Creating a slide deck for any occasion.

Make a slide deck that shows off your ideas, holds your audience’s attention, and even entertains them.

Remember that you’re telling a story.

Whether you’re presenting a pitch deck, leading a webinar, or simply sharing your ideas with your team, keep in mind that humans naturally think in terms of narrative. In fact, neuroscientists have discovered that listening to a story can activate all parts of the brain and even lead to changes in behavior. As a presenter, you can take advantage of this human quirk. By sharing a story with a beginning, middle, and end, a presenter draws in audience members and stirs their emotions. Showing sales numbers to potential investors will be more effective when it’s part of a presentation that weaves a compelling narrative. Creating a slideshow highlighting important data can help you relay the high points of a dense report to your employees. No matter the information, before you start thinking about specific presentation slides, ask yourself what story you want to tell. Who is your audience and how do you want them to respond?

A professional presentation in three acts.

Present your story as a classic three-act play with your audience as the hero. What do they want? What obstacles must they overcome to achieve their goal? Begin with the first obstacle, and build a little suspense before you offer the solution. You might tell a smaller story about facing that obstacle, giving it a place in the larger narrative. Then move onto the next obstacle and do the same.

In the second act, present your solution to the problem. What is it and how does it work? How will it successfully help your heroes reach their goal?

In the final act, your narrative ends with the audience getting what it needs: resolution. Their problem is solved with the help of your solution or product, and maybe something extra — like a problem they haven’t even anticipated — is also solved. Once you’ve filled in the details of this basic structure, you’re ready to start making slides.

Put design principles to work.

Slide design is crucial for every deck, no matter the presentation software you’re using. Working elements of visual storytelling into your entire presentation will ensure that even audience members watching on laptops stay engaged. Just follow these simple rules:

Stick to a visual theme.

A consistent look — with consistent typography and a basic color scheme — will help your audience stay focused on the content of your slides.

Keep it simple.

Avoid cluttering your deck with endless charts, tables, or bullet points too small for everyone to read. Allow for plenty of white space on each slide, so the crucial information stands out.

Find the right tools for every job.

Pie charts are great for demonstrating percentages. Vertical bar charts show changes over time better than horizontal bar charts, which are best for comparing quantities. To visually represent trends, a line chart is your best bet. You might also try creating an infographic to help your audience visualize your data or to tell a smaller story within your larger narrative.

Incorporate video or audio.

People sit up straighter and pay closer attention when you break up your static slides with video and audio. Use motion and sound to help draw your audience’s focus to your key takeaways.

Make your design elements sparkle with Adobe InDesign.

To create an impactful and entertaining presentation without starting from scratch, choose one of the many presentation templates in Adobe Stock and open it in InDesign. Then import your brand logo and other marketing assets for a consistent look.

Once you’ve got the visual theme and color palette you want, consider including surprise elements like high-quality Adobe Stock photographs, illustrations, or even movie clips to help your work really stand out. Plus, in InDesign, a simple two-step command allows you to export and preview, so you can immediately see every single slide through your audience’s eyes.

To start a presentation from scratch, follow these steps:

1. Find the right page size.

Click on File in the InDesign main menu, then New Document. A dialog box will open. If you’re not sure what dimensions to use, set the page width to 12 inches and the page height to 9 inches. Click Create and a blank page will appear.

2. Choose your background.

Remember to keep it simple, but look for a striking background image that works with text overlay. The deck’s title can also become part of the background.

3. Create paragraph styles.

Keeping it simple applies to your text too. Select no more than three text styles to keep the title font, body font, and footnote font consistent throughout the presentation. Creating paragraph styles also allows you to change font and size with a click of a button, saving you time in the long run.

4. Set up master pages.

Master pages streamline your slide design workflow and ensure your presentation looks professional and well designed. You can create one slide with three columns, one with a big background image as a transitional slide, one that highlights a customer quote — the list goes on. Add image and text frames to the master pages so you can drop your content in later without having to overthink the layout.

5. Add images and text.

Once you’ve created the master pages, it’s easy to drag and drop Photoshop (.PSD) files, PDFs, Illustrator (.AI) files, JPEGs, PNGs, or GIFs into the image frames. To add text, just copy and paste text files or select the Type Tool from the toolbar and type directly into the text frame.

6. Add page numbers.

Page numbers will help you and your audience keep track of any sequentially paged documents. To insert page numbers, select Type from the main menu, then Insert Special Character, then Markers, and finally Current Page Number. InDesign will automatically number the slides.

7. Add finishing touches.

From movies and sound clips to hyperlinks, cross references, and page transitions, you’ve got plenty of interactive options to make your story as compelling as possible.

8. Export your slide deck.

When you’ve finished creating your deck, the final step is to export it in a format that can be projected or distributed. Exporting as Adobe PDF (Interactive) lets you play or click through interactive content directly in the presentation.

To export, just click File in the main menu, then Export. From the Format dropdown menu, select Adobe PDF (Interactive), and then click Save.

More topics you might be interested in…

Design Marketing Materials that boost sales and brand recognition.

Ways to boost your customer engagement.

5 ways your small business can stand out from the competition.

https://main--cc--adobecom.hlx.page/cc-shared/fragments/cc-teams/resources/how-to/grow-your-business-three-up

Discover apps that can help you design engaging presentations.

https://main--cc--adobecom.hlx.page/cc-shared/fragments/cc-teams/resources/how-to/teams-plans

The Secret to Creating a Slide Deck That Turns Heads [With Examples]

by Muhammad Talha

Last updated Apr. 16, 2021

A complete guide on how to create an effective slide deck that looks great and gets attention

subscribe to our blog

At times, an idea warrants more than just a press release, an article, or a simple social media post. This could be an original thought, a story, or even a business idea. To effectively deliver a complex message and collect your thoughts in one place, consider making a slide deck.

But what exactly is a slide deck? Why bother creating one?

And more importantly—how do you go about creating one?

If you’ve been wrestling with any of those thoughts, keep reading.

In this complete guide, I’ll share:

• What a slide deck is and potential reasons to create one
• The essential content to include in a traditional business pitch deck
• Instructions and tips for creating your presentation
• Some examples of the best pitch decks

Let’s jump right in.

What is a Slide Deck?

A slide deck is a presentation that is made up of multiple slides (or screens), with each slide displaying some sort of information (text, videos, and/or images). The purpose of a slide deck is to break down a complicated discussion into small digestible bits and to support a presenter.

Here are a few reasons to create a slide deck:

• Pitch a business idea or a product concept to potential investors, in which case, it’s referred to as a pitch deck (this is what we’ll be referring to in the later part of this guide)
• Pitch your products/services to a potential client
• Repurpose marketing and sales content for a platform that warrants it (such as an online interview, workshop, or Slideshare)
• Create lessons for academic purposes

So, pretty much—a slide deck can be a typical PowerPoint presentation/slideshow (PPT).

You can also make one on other platforms (more on that later).

But what’s with the weird name? Why not just call it a slideshow?

Well, the story behind the term “slide deck” goes back to the ( not-so ) ancient times of slide projectors. They worked by projecting the content printed on physical cards that used to be stacked onto each other like a deck of cards—hence the term slide deck .

While those old-fashioned projectors went out of fashion, the name stuck around, especially in Silicon Valley.

Why Create a Pitch Deck?

Whether you’re creating a pitch deck for your company or just sharing a concept with your audience, here are some reasons to create a presentation:

• Helps You Remember Key Points – first and foremost, a deck can help you explain an otherwise complicated topic. By breaking your down content into digestible bits and bullet points (as slides), you can deliver your message without missing out on anything.
• Provides Visual Cues for Your Presentation – another way a deck can help is by providing you visual cues for the next slide. This can help you prepare for your presentation in advance (if you plan on presenting it, as opposed to simply sharing it).
• Helps Keep Things Concise and Saves Time – when writing articles, shooting videos, or delivering a speech, there’s always the chance of wandering off track. But with slides, the presenter can stay laser-focused and only talk about what the audience cares about.
• Delivers Necessary Information in an Engaging Format – a slide deck, when done right, can be a highly engaging content asset. You can use it to re-purpose your content and reach a larger audience.

Furthermore, a deck makes it easy to share and distribute your content.

Use it wisely.

How to Create a Slide Deck [Guaranteed to Achieve Its Goal]

Creating a slide deck is incredibly easy—if you know what you’re doing.

While there are no right or wrong ways to create one, there certainly are some best practices that can make or break your pitch presentation.

With the basics out of the way, let’s take a look at how to create an effective slide deck.

I’ve broken the entire process down into two broad steps ( keep in mind that whatever we’ll discuss from here is only meant for those who want to create a pitch deck for their business plan to acquire investment, simply explain what you do, or tell a story about your venture ).

Step 1: Plan Out the Actual Content of the Deck ( For a Traditional Business Pitch Deck )

Before worrying about the design, layout, and themes, plan out what you’re going to actually include in your presentation.

To create a great pitch deck, do the following:

1.      Start with a Core Problem You’re About to Solve (And for Who)

All great business/elevator pitches have one thing in common—they start off with clear problems they want to address.

Without convincing the audience that there’s a large enough problem or a gap in the market, your chances of achieving your goals are slim—regardless of how fancy your presentation is.

To kick things off the right way, focus on clearly explaining:

• The Exact Problem(s) You Want to Solve – the problem has to be real. If you can, support your claims with real data wherever possible.
• Why This Problem Needs to be Addressed – move on to explaining the non-personal reason to address that gap or problem. Will solving it leave a real impact on some aspect of society? Will there be ample demand for it? The people you’re pitching to deserve to know these things.
• Who You’re Solving the Problem For – finally, clearly define your target market (the demographics and psychographics). Also, include your market size.

In the end, turn it all into a story. Don’t just state the problems/gaps and provide data.

Instead, find a way to really captivate your audience right off the bat and maintain their attention throughout the presentation.

2.      Follow Up with Your Proposed Solution

After discussing the problems, it’s time to show your cards and propose your solution.

This is where you get straight to the point and introduce your product/service to the audience.

In addition to the actual solution, you should also consider sharing:

• An Introduction to Your Venture  – this is just a quick overview of your company, where you currently stand, and your vision. Some people like to do this right at the beginning of their slide decks.
• The Philosophy You Follow – follow up with your unique take on the business opportunity and why you want to proceed with this business (basically, explain what makes you different).
• Your Core Values and Team – finally, wrap things up by talking a bit about your team (if you have one) and the values you represent.

So far, so good.

While all of that information may seem like a lot, remember that while presenting, you won’t have all the time in the world.

Considering that, only include what’s relevant and absolutely necessary.

3.      Discuss Your Business Model and Strategies

With the stage all set, it’s time to get knee-deep into the specifics of your business plan.

This would entail talking about:

• The Business Model – how exactly will you earn revenue? Will you be conducting all of your business online? Or will it be a mix between eCommerce and brick-and-mortar? Your business model will answer all of these questions.
• Your Marketing Strategy – how do you plan on reaching and engaging your target audience? What tactics will you use? Paint a complete picture of your marketing plan.
• Your Sales Strategy – talk about what tactics you’ll use to engage your prospects.

If your goal is not to pitch to potential investors, and you just want to share your story, you don’t necessarily have to provide all those strategic details.

4.      Perform a Competitive Analysis

What does the competitive landscape in your industry look like?

Is it a difficult market to enter?

Are there any existing players that could hinder your entrance?

Without answering these questions, your slide deck will be incomplete.

To conduct a competitive analysis, you first need to list down all of your main competitors.

Then, run a quick SWOT analysis where you look at your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities , and threats , and compare yourself with your competitors to see where you stand.

You may also run a PESTEL analysis (which looks at Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental, and Legal factors) to get a clearer picture of any competitive edge that you might have.

5.      Share Financial Projections and Required Investment (Optional)

Finally, if you’re pitching to investors, you also need to include some projections of your cash flow.

This basically entails estimating how much money you could earn if you hit your marketing and sales goals—factoring in the costs and other economic variables.

In the end, disclose the investment you require and the equity the investors will get if they decide to chip in.

Step 2: Design and Create Your Presentation

In this step, you’ll sort out all of the creative and strategic aspects of your slide deck.

Here are some essential tips to help you get it right:

1.      Select the Right Program

Before anything else, pick a platform to create your slide deck.

Some of the most popular ones include:

• Microsoft PowerPoint – you can always rely on a PowerPoint template/theme to get the job done. To avoid compatibility issues, convert your final file into a PDF (instead of sharing the PPT).

• Prezi – another powerful and user-friendly deck maker that offers visually-pleasing presentation designs. Most of the features and themes are free.

• Canva – you can use hundreds of professional-looking and completely customizable pitch deck templates on Canva for free. Simply sign up and get started.

• Slidebean – an online tool and service that offers a wide selection of presentation templates for different purposes. Like Canva, Slidebean is also a freemium service.

If you have the resources for it, you can also design a custom deck from scratch using Photoshop.

2.      Add Visuals to Make Your Slides More Engaging

If you’re just going to add text to your presentation slides, you might as well just stick to cue cards.

Visual storytelling can be much more impactful and help you deliver your points more effectively.

Furthermore, it can captivate your audience and keep them engaged.

This could involve many elements of design, including:

• Relevant charts and graphs to represent your data
• Custom illustrations

However, don’t include visuals just for the sake of having them.

3.      Remember – Less is More

While slide decks can make it easy to convey your message and keep your audience hooked, you shouldn’t drag them unnecessarily.

In the case of presentations, less is more (this also includes how much content you place on an individual slide).

This raises a question: What should be the ideal length of a slide deck?

The fewer slides you have, the better. Some people believe that anywhere between 10 to 20 is ideal.

However, there’s no need to compromise the quality of your presentation for the sake of having a certain number of slides.

If it takes fewer than 10 slides, awesome.

If it takes more than 20, don’t sweat it (as long as the content is necessary to deliver the message).

4.      Keep Your Slides Consistent

This is the most obvious rule of creating slide decks.

When using a template or a theme, you won’t have any problem sticking to a single design and typography.

However, if you’re designing your deck from scratch on Photoshop or any other program, make sure that you stick to your overall theme and branding.

Here’s an example of a template on Canva:

Notice how all the slides look similar? Yeah, that’s exactly what you should aim for.

Your next slide should have the same color scheme, font, and style of illustration as the last one.

You can, however, play around with the placement of the elements.

5.      Maintain the Intrigue of Your Audience

Last but not least, it’s important that you maintain the interest of your audience.

Of course, that will mostly depend on the way you present and the actual content of your presentation.

One way to make your presentation more interesting is to use fade-in transitions to make the elements appear one by one on your slides (but don’t overdo them).

It may seem like an insignificant thing, but it certainly adds up.

The Slide Decks We Absolutely Love [3 Examples to Inspire Yours]

Before creating your deck, I highly recommend looking at existing slide decks for some inspiration.

I went ahead and picked three of the best slide decks I could find on the internet.

Have a look at these powerful presentations to get those creative juices flowing:

1.     Uber’s First Pitch Deck

What I Like About It: The deck does a wonderful job at summarizing a highly complicated idea (at least when it was new).

This slide deck goes back to August 2008 when Uber was known as UberCab.

The presentation starts off by simply highlighting the problems that regular cabs and the medallion system had back in 2008.

Then it moves on to introducing UberCab as a promising solution that would basically make street hailing obsolete and the other key points of their pitch.

Simple. Concise. Informative. Nothing fancy or over the top.

2.      ‘How Google Works’ by Eric Schmidt and Johnathan Rosenberg

What I Like About It: This is a textbook example of storytelling done right. This could have been a simple video or even an interview. But instead, they decided to turn this into a highly engaging and shareable asset.

There’s no better way to explain how Google as a business operates than an engaging story, told through conversational language and hilarious-looking doodles.

Schmidt (former CEO of Google) and Rosenberg (current advisor to Alphabet Inc.) used this deck to promote their book “How Google Works”—an interesting read that breaks down the complex corporate strategy and culture of the search giant.

As of now, it has racked up more than 7,891,700 views and 9,000 likes on Slideshare.

3.     LaunchRock’s Pitch

What I Like About It: Sometimes, you need to cut to the chase right away. This presentation by LaunchRock, a platform that lets startups create launch sites for their new products, is a perfect example of that.

The slide deck starts by highlighting a simple problem that most startups face: getting new customers/users.

They then subtly introduce LaunchRock as a potential solution by sharing what they had already accomplished at the time (1,000,000+ signups, 50,000+ prospects in the pipeline, and 3,000+ customers).

Talk about convincing your audience right off the bat, am I right?

Great presentations take a lot of hard work and planning.

If you follow all of the best practices, i.e., stick to the essential points, keep it consistent and engaging, use visuals, etc., you’ll be good.

Now that I’ve shown you the ropes of slide decks, you can take a look at my two-phase guide on product marketing to learn how to launch and market a new product.

The latest insights.

Visit our blog for constant content on all things marketing.

What is Product Marketing? [A Two-Phase Guide for 2021]

Muhammad Talha

What is Good Content Marketing? A Perfect 6-Rule Framework

Obaid Khan Durrani

Content Marketing

17 Epic Animated Explainer Video Examples to Inspire You

2D Animation

leave a comment cancel reply

Your email address will not be displayed. Your name will link to your site.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Let's create an experience.

Thank you, it's great to hear from you!

We will get back to you in no time. Your proposal is just around the corner.

• SUGGESTED TOPICS
• The Magazine
• Newsletters
• Managing Yourself
• Managing Teams
• Work-life Balance
• The Big Idea
• Data & Visuals
• Reading Lists
• Case Selections
• HBR Learning
• Topic Feeds
• Account Settings
• Email Preferences

Christine vs. Work: How to Make a Presentation Deck That Doesn’t Stink

• Christine Liu

You’re staring at a blank slide deck in agony. Now what?

Where your work meets your life. See more from Ascend here .

When you land your first job, you’re eventually going to be asked to give a slide deck presentation — whether it’s to propose a new idea, summarize your accomplishments, or report out metrics on a project. But how do you deliver a slideshow that really blows people away? If you’re not a graphic designer or a superstar at presentation software (you know, Powerpoint and the like), what’s the best way to approach building a deck? And how do you succeed at putting on a good show?

• Christine Liu is the innovation editor at Harvard Business Publishing’s product incubator.

Partner Center

6 steps to creating an effective presentation or slide deck

Creating powerful presentations and supporting documents for clients is the heart and soul of everything we do at Presentation Studio. As part of this, we see the good, the bad and the downright ugly !

One of the most common mistakes people make is to confuse a presentation and a report. Quite often, they’ll try and present a report.

Difference between a presentation and report

A presentation  includes carefully constructed and designed slides that support what a speaker is presenting. So, like a billboard on a highway, you should be able to digest the content on each slide within a few seconds without causing a pileup of information.

Visuals, keywords, infographics and diagrams are used to explain or create an emotional connection with your audience, so you can help them remember your key points.

A  report  or slide deck , on the other hand, can be used as a stand-alone document that you handout before or after you present.

Slide decks are great when you have more information than you can put on screen. Like a magazine, they can be read on their own and don’t need the speaker to talk through them – in fact, that would make understanding them worse as you can’t read lots of information and listen at the same time.

You can do both in most presentation software, but a presentation and a slide deck have different purposes. Ideally, you would present and then follow up your presentation with a report/slide deck of the supporting information.

To help show the difference between the two, let’s look at how you might take a large chunk of text from a word document (like above) and turn it into a handout and then an effective presentation.

HANDOUT TOOL [REPORT] 

Step 1: Convert text into multiple columns

The human eye finds narrow columns easier to read than full-width pages. That is why newspapers and magazines split the information up with visuals and columns, and graphic designers use grid layouts when setting copy pages.

So your first step would be to convert blocks of text into multiple columns that automatically adjust. This makes it easier for your audience to scan read.

Step 2: Contrast fonts and font size to emphasize points

To help the ‘readability’ of your information, make the titles bold, use line spacing to tighten up blocks of text that are related to each other. You might also look at highlight quotes in different colors, fonts or font sizes, and add in bullet points where you can.

This makes the information far more natural to scan and digest. That’s a perfect handout for before or after you present.

PRESENTATION 

Step 3: Cut the clutter 

Once this is done, you can start thinking about thinking your text into a presentation. It’s more important than ever to cut out all the clutter from your presentation. What gets left out of your presentation is more important than what goes in.

Some of us are apparently better at this than others. Many of us believe that sharing everything and blinding our audience with data is the best way to create a connection – that couldn’t be further from the truth! This will only put the people you are trying to engage off and make them lose interest faster.

You need to identify the main points that your audience can act on and display these in a way that they can immediately understand. Strip out all the other background content.

Get Microsoft Teams for free

That’s right, free. As in $0. Work together with features like chat, file sharing, and video calling.

Step 4: Spread out your slides 

Step 5: Represent data as diagrams 

Step 6: Create visuals, icons and images 

Images create an emotional connection to what you are saying, which helps your audience remember it. Think of the meaning or the feeling you are trying to evoke and represent that. Avoid hand-shaking figures, smiling suited people, little vector people standing on arrows and graphs, and predictable and boring stock images that have been used a hundred times before. Cheesy stock photos have the opposite effect than the one you want – they turn your audience off. This is your chance to get creative! Using these visual references helps create clarity and a much stronger emotional connection with your audience. It’s these kinds of emotions and visuals that they will remember long after your presentation has ended.

Quick summary

Before your next presentation, the following will help you create a powerful and pleasing slide deck:

• Covert text-heavy information into multiple columns
• Contrast font and font sizes to emphasize points, highlight headings with color
• Reduce the clutter
• Spread out your slides
• Represent data as diagrams
• Create visuals, icons and images
• Use a PowerPoint theme to make your presentations visually uniform and consistent

About the author

As the founder and CEO of Presentation Studio, Emma leads the team to create presentations that are influential, memorable and successful. Emma and her team can help you stand out so that your audience understands your message. She can help your presentations have impact and influence. This means the right messages are more memorable for your audience. Emma achieves this through content writing, visual communication, and strong presentation delivery.

Get started with Microsoft 365

It’s the Office you know, plus the tools to help you work better together, so you can get more done—anytime, anywhere.

10 ways to make Your business more environmentally friendly

The 6 best flow chart maker tips to improve your charting skills, create the best online flowchart for your business, working in new ways: unconventional uses of flow chart software.

Business Insights and Ideas does not constitute professional tax or financial advice. You should contact your own tax or financial professional to discuss your situation..

Building Strategy Consulting Slide Decks: The Complete Guide

Table of contents.

There’s something different about slide decks from strategy consulting firms like McKinsey, Bain or BCG . For some reason, they just seem more convincing. But it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what makes those presentations good.

As a strategy consultant, you very quickly realize there are two important components of a compelling strategy presentation:

• The ‘thinking’. This is the rigorous problem definition, analysis, synthesis, and insight that happens before you open up PowerPoint. Without this, even the most well-crafted strategy presentation lacks impact.
• The presentation.  This is the distinctive, structured, and clear way that strategy consultants build their slide decks. Without this, even the most powerful insights lose their force.

In this guide, we show you how to do both those things. In chapters 1-3, we discuss how to structure your slide deck, define your objective, and craft a compelling argument and storyline.

Then in chapters 4-6, we show you best practices for building your slides and reviewing your slide deck.

By the end of this guide, you’ll have the ability to craft a compelling strategy slide deck with a clear and compelling storyline that leads your audience to your desired conclusion.

Structure your slide deck

Before we get into the detail of building your slide deck, it’s important to understand how to structure your presentation.

There is a common structure that is used for almost all strategy presentations. It’s based on a concept known as the Pyramid Principle , which was popularized by Barbara Minto at McKinsey & Co.

According to Minto, there are three components to a well-constructed slide deck:

• The executive summary: Provides the reader a full summary of the argument and recommendations within your slide deck for readers that are more interested in the ‘so what’ than the detailed analysis.
• The body slides: Illustrates the analysis that supports each claim you make in your slide deck’s argument and thus slide objective.
• Next steps or recommendations slides:  Clearly outlines the key implications or ‘so what’ of your slide deck, as well as any next steps required.

In this guide, we will walk you through how to tackle each of these sections one by one. But first, we start by setting the objective of your slide deck, and crafting your argument and storyline.

Define the objective of your deck

Let’s start at the beginning. The purpose of your slide deck isn’t to show off all the things you know… or how great you are at analysis… or how beautiful your slides are.

Instead, the purpose of your slide deck is to persuade your audience and lead them to an objective. And, as the author of the slide deck, you need to set the objective before you start building your slide deck.

Having a clear objective for your slide deck is important for a number of reasons:

• It helps you focus your research and analysis on things that are relevant to your objective.
• You can quickly test the quality of your content by testing whether it is sufficient to achieve your objective.
• It helps inform the tone and positioning of the messages in your slides.

Your objective can take many forms. For example, it could be simply to inform your audience, to gain endorsement for a decision, or to achieve a specific action or next step.

As the author of the slide deck, you must ensure that the objective is clear and agreed upon. All the work that you’re about to do to build your slide deck is guided by your objective.

Craft the argument and storyline

Now that you’ve determined the objective of your slide deck, you need to craft an argument and storyline that leads to your objective.

To some extent, your slide deck’s argument will naturally appear from insights gathered through research and analysis. As you conduct research, you’ll slowly uncover the “real state of affairs”, which will be supported by data.

It’s your job to translate this argument into a compelling story; one that grabs the attention of your reader and communicates your argument in a clear and easy-to-understand way.

To do this, you should use a situation-complication-resolution storyline .

This is a universal structure; it’s used in books, plays, films, advertising, religion, politics, and more. It looks something like this:

• The scene is set and the characters are introduced (situation)
• Something goes wrong (complication)
• They fix the problem and live happily ever after (resolution)

When storytelling in PowerPoint, you should use the same structure. But in the context of your slide deck, your storyline will look something like:

• This thing is important  (situation)
• There is a problem with this thing  (complication)
• Therefore, we need to respond — and here is how  (resolution)

The dot-dash structure

Writing a storyline for your presentation doesn’t happen in PowerPoint. In fact, you don’t open up PowerPoint until you’re completely satisfied with your storyline.

Instead of jumping into PowerPoint, you start by writing out your storyline in a text document using the dot-dash structure .

By writing your slide deck’s storyline in a text document, you can easily identify any faulty or missing logic in your story and ensure that you have the data required to support each claim you make.

And when you’re completely satisfied with your storyline, you can move it into PowerPoint. Your storyline should be communicated in the slide lead-ins, like so:

And once you’ve built the skeleton of your slide deck with the storyline communicated “horizontally” across the leads-ins, you’re ready to start building individual slides and the “vertical flow”.

Build body slides

Before you jump into building individual slides, there are two main components of slides that you need to understand:

• The lead-in:  The text at the top of your slide. This should be written as an action title that communicates the implication or ‘so what’ of the slide, not describes the content of the slide.
• The slide body:  The content of your slide. You should only communicate one insight per slide and choose the simplest method possible.

There is a close relationship between the slide lead-in and slide body. And this relationship is best explained by the Golden Rule of slide building.

The Golden Rule of slide building is:

“One slide, one insight, fully articulated in the lead-in, and supported by the body”

In other words, each slide should only communicate one insight. That insight should be fully explained in words in the lead-in, and fully supported by data in the slide body.

In addition, there should be nothing in the lead-in that’s not in the body, and nothing in the body that’s not in the lead-in.

Data, charts, and other quantitative slides

Claims that are supported by data are naturally more compelling than claims supported by ‘expert’ opinions, focus groups, and other qualitative evidence.

Therefore, where possible, you should always prioritize quantitative slides over qualitative slides.

But don’t go overboard with your data visualization. Sometimes it can be tempting to show off our technical skills by choosing the most complex visualization available. This is bad practice.

Instead, you should always choose the simplest chart to demonstrate your insight. But it can be tricky to determine which chart to use. So we’ve put together a simple decision tree to ensure that you always choose the most appropriate chart for your data .

Text, conceptual, and other qualitative slides

There are some insights that simply cannot be communicated with charts or data. In these cases, you need to find the most appropriate conceptual chart.

Unlike qualitative slides, there are no simple guides for text and conceptual slides. And because of this, the ability to craft well-structured conceptual slides is the mark of a skilled consultant.

It’s surprisingly tricky to be able to communicate a qualitative insight in a clear and structured visual manner. The best way to build the skill is to practice. But you can also learn by exploring common qualitative slides used by strategy consultants .

Download 120+ strategy consulting presentations for free

Looking for slide inspiration? Download 120+ consulting slide decks from top strategy consulting firms, such as McKinsey, BCG and Bain!

Write the executive summary

An executive summary slide is the first slide in your presentation but the last slide you build.

The executive summary slide fully summarizes the argument, storyline, and supporting evidence of the body slides. Because we already need to have finished every other part of the slide deck, we write it last.

Executive summary slides help the reader “follow along” with your slide deck. There are a few main benefits:

• They provide context to help the reader understand why the topic of the slide deck is important.
• They communicate the high-level argument before the reader gets into the body of the slide deck. This helps the reader understand your more detailed body slides.
• They are a “map” that the reader can reference back to if they start losing the line of argument in the body of the deck.

A typical executive summary looks something like the following slides, which are from a BCG report on “Melbourne as a Global Cultural Destination” and can be downloaded here .

Good executive summaries follow three best practices:

• They are structured with bolded text for summary sentences and bullet points for supporting data. This ensures that every claim is clearly supported by data.
• The bolded summary sentences can be read alone to tell the slide’s storyline (i.e. you don’t need to read the supporting data in the bullet points).
• The bolded summary sentences reflect the SCR storyline structure of the slide deck

One other good practice (that you don’t see in the BCG example) is to reference the associated body slide throughout the executive summary. This helps direct a reader to the detailed analysis behind every claim in the executive summary.

Review your slide deck

Now that you’ve finished building all your slides and writing your executive summary, it’s time to review and finalize your slide deck.

There are three things that you need to check as you review your slide deck:

• Chart completeness : Check that your charts are comprehensively labeled, including chart titles, axis labels, units, time periods, etc.
• Text brevity : Review your slide text, including your lead-ins, and ensure that you make your points with the minimum number of words possible.
• Slide consistency : Review your slides and ensure that there is consistent formatting across the slides.

Reviewing your charts and visualizations

There’s a surprising amount of detail contained in charts and it’s quite easy to forget to key include key information.

Some examples of common charting mistakes include missing chart titles, labels, axes, units, dates, and legends. You should also consider how you highlights the implication of your charts.

To make this easier, you should use a charting checklist to methodically cross-reference your chart with best practice.

Refining your slide text

There’s an important place for text in slides. Not only can your use text to provide important context to support your visualizations, but also to communicate insights without data.

Most people use too many words in their slides. They tend to use fancy “consulting speak” or long, verbose explanations that actually obsure their message.

As you review your slide deck, you should review all of the text in your slides and savagely sharpen your text by removing unnecessary words .

Ensuring consistency across slides

Finally, you should use your last review to check for consistency across slides.

Start by ensuring that the formatting is consistent. For example, your slide format, spacing, fonts and slide numbers should all be consistent across the slides.

And then finish your review by ensuring all concepts are communicated consistently across slides. For example, if you’ve numbered or colored concepts a certain way, then ensure that they remain consistent throughout your slide deck.

Build a Winning Pitch Deck: A Slide-by-Slide Guide with Examples

Masterclass, episode 5: learn what to include in your slides, and what not to include, with (many) examples to copy from.

Watch the video 👇

This post is part 5/12 of our Masterclass series. Subscribe to get access to the slides and updates for new episodes:

Episode Highlights:

Love it or hate it, the pitch deck has become an inseparable part of the fundraising process. If you want investors to hear and understand your startup’s story, you’ll need to do it with some compelling slides. In this Masterclass we cover general best practices and specific, slide-by-slide examples showing you how to implement them. By the end, you’ll know exactly how to create a deck that hits hard. 

What you’ll learn:

Using storytelling techniques in your pitch

The 4 questions your deck needs to answer

What to include in your slides, and what not to include

Examples to copy for each section of your presentation

Meet the expert:

Ori Luzia is a consultant and public speaking expert with vast experience working with accelerators, VC’s, and over 1000 startups in different verticals. Ori works with entrepreneurs in Israel and abroad on all things storytelling and messaging, and has helped build hundreds of pitch deck presentations.

Why Does the Deck Matter? Can You Do Without It?

It’s easy to forget that PowerPoints and slide decks are a relatively new phenomenon. Human beings have been telling stories long before these tools came into existence. As a founder, your ability to tell a compelling story shouldn't depend on the slides. You should be able to own the narrative and pitch your startup's story in any situation, with or without visual aides. You should literally be able to give your ‘elevator pitch’ in an elevator.

“The deck isn't the story; the deck helps you tell the story.” — Ori Luzia

That being said, pitch decks have become a staple that VCs expect to see. A good deck will rarely be the factor that makes or breaks the investment decision, but it can help you get your message across and stand out from hundreds of other entrepreneurs the same VC is meeting with.

Your Pitch Deck Needs to Answer Four Questions

As you build your pitch deck, you should keep these four key questions top of mind – your slides will need to address them:

What is the market need you identified?

Which product did you develop to address that need?

How fast are you growing, and do you expect to maintain that growth rate?

Why are you the best team for the job?

This doesn't mean you have to include a specific slide dedicated to each question. Think of these as the story threads that should be woven throughout your pitch. By the end, they should be answered in a clear and satisfying manner.

Three Versions, Three Purposes: Tailoring Your Slides for the Setting

Every entrepreneur should have three versions of their pitch deck, based on where it will be used. Managing three different versions of your deck is a hassle, but it’s worth it in order to ensure you make the right impression and set yourself up for success.

Demo-day or conference

While traditional demo days are less common nowadays, conferences are a great opportunity to showcase your startup. Here you’ll need to tell the entire story in 5-10 minutes. The deck needs to be concise, snappy, and get straight to the point. You're going to be on the stage talking — the slides should complement your talk, rather than distract from it. You might need to adjust design elements like color, contrast, visuals, and font sizes for presentation in front of a large audience.

Deck sent over email

This is typically the first interaction an investor has with your company. The deck needs to be digestible within 2-5 minutes. It should be able to stand on its own since you won’t be there to talk over it. However, it’s still just a teaser for the full presentation that will happen in the meeting, so you don’t want to give everything away. 

Ori notes that it’s a good idea to pay attention to details here:

“The deck you send over email is both your business card and the first impression investors have of you. Things like typos or bad design are like walking into the first meeting with a mustard stain on your shirt.”

Deck for the pitch meeting

Similar to the demo day presentation, but less flashy and more to the point. Here you have slightly more room to talk about the specifics of your technology, your team, and all the rest. In this case you’ll be speaking over the slides again, so you’ll want to reduce distracting elements. The slides shouldn’t compete with you for the investor’s attention. This version can be more flexible, allowing for optional slides and appendices that you can skip or expand on based on the dynamic in the room.

Battle-Tested Principles for Creating Impactful Slides

Minimalism: You are the star of the show, not your slides. Keep details to the bare minimum needed to get your message across. Cluttered slides create visual noise which burns through your audience’s limited reserves of attention. If you see people squinting or leaning in, it's a sign your slide could beoverly complex.

Continuity and support for the narrative: Each slide, and the deck as a whole, should form a cohesive unit. "Frankenstein" slides — where disjointed image or text elements are grafted one on top of the other — stand out in a bad way. Your story should be consistent in both narrative and design.

Internal logic: Each element of your presentation should have a reason for being there and the entire thing should have a logical progression. Pay attention to the order your slides appear in. If things don’t make sense or are referenced before being explained, this could create confusion that interrupts your flow.

”Your slides should follow the principle of Checkov’s gun: every element you include should be necessary, and unnecessary elements should be removed.”

Simple = effective: Aim for slides that can be understood in 3-5 seconds. Avoid flashy transitions and special effects that distract from your message. Choose clear and concise over cool and sophisticated.

Getting Down to Business: What to Include in Your Pitch Deck, with Examples

Most pitch decks will follow a similar flow, which you should not deviate too far from. (Differentiation should come from the content, not the structure of your presentation.) 

You should keep the presentation to 8-12 slides and include any other pertinent information in appendices.  

Tip : Titles are important real-estate and get more attention than other elements. You can use them to say something more than just signposting where the reader is. E.g., instead of titling your slide The Market Opportunity , you could opt for The Opportunity: A Fast-Growing and Untapped Market .

The Intro Slide

The intro slide is often treated as an afterthought, but it’s actually very important because it frames the conversation.

What to include:

Your startup's logo

A one-liner describing what you do

For conferences: Details of the CEO or presenter

The goal is to create a connection with your brand (logos, colors) and your mission. The one-liner should be descriptive – this isn’t the place for a cryptic, three-word marketing slogan. This slide helps investors ‘place’ your startup in the right mental compartment and get a feel for whether your pitch is relevant to them.

The Problem and Business Opportunity

This chapter should take up 1-4 slides. It should describe the problem space you operate in and demonstrate that there is a broad and urgent need for a solution.

This is a slide that you must get right. If the investor isn’t convinced that there is a need - you have a problem. You don’t want to get into a debate about this.

Detail the need you've identified. Present evidence! Use research, customer feedback, and statistical data to show how big a problem this really is.

Describe the target audience for your solution.

Outline the gaps in existing solutions.

If it’s a niche that the investor may be less familiar with, you might want to also include more background information.

The Solution or Product

This should mirror everything you described in the problem slide(s) and offer a clear explanation of how your product or service addresses the identified need.

The bird’s-eye view of your solution.

Explain what your solution is, how it works, and the value it provides.

Include no more than 3-5 features and focus on the benefits and value of your product.

Use images to help convey your solution (including any hardware components). If you have a demo and are confident it will work, you can consider presenting it.

Don’t try to hide the reality of your product or confuse investors with aspirational features that you don’t really know how to develop. Your pitch should be transparent and accurate — both for investors to better understand your product, and to help you gain insights on ways to improve it.

Market Sizing

This slide describes the size of the market you’re operating in (investors want this to be a big number), and establishes the opportunity size for your startup in terms of TAM, SAM, and SOM. This topic is covered in great depth in our previous Masterclass: [link to Rotem Shacham’s episode]

Momentum / Traction

This section highlights your startup's success so far and how your solution has been positively received by the market.

Show the progress you've made: This could be signed contracts, pilots, or letters of intent (LOIs) — the specifics depend on the stage your company is at.

Provide external validation: named partnerships, customers, or industry recognition.

Share examples: customer testimonials, case studies, growth metrics. Think about the story the data is telling, not just the numbers themselves. (E.g., investors love to see a ‘hockey stick’ trajectory.)

‘Big logo’ customers or partners add credibility, trust, and prestige.

The Business Model

The main purpose here is not necessarily to show a very specific roadmap, but to demonstrate that you've given serious thought to the business side (not just the tech) and have a plan for generating revenue.

Explain potential revenue sources and strategies, even if you haven't finalized the exact approach yet.

Outline how you plan to make money: Is it through a cut from each sale, a subscription model, or something else? Avoid listing too many theoretical monetization strategies - this could signal a lack of focus or maturity.

Investors know that your business model will likely evolve over time. It's okay to admit there are aspects still being worked on or that you're mainly focusing on user engagement at the moment.

The Competitive Landscape

This is another important slide that shows investors how your startup positions itself in the market and what sets it apart from competitors.

There are two standard ways to present the competitive landscape:

Feature comparison: A table showing competitors and which features they offer versus your own solution (indicated by 'X' marks or checkmarks).

Axis-based: Plotting competitors along two specific axes that capture the essence of your competitive advantage (e.g., pricing vs. ease of use).

Investors want to see that you know who your key competitors are, and that you've selected meaningful axes or criteria that align with your value proposition and the problem you set out to solve.

Include a reasonable number of competitors, typically between 3-10. Listing too few competitors might seem unrealistic, and listing too many could be overwhelming and distracting.

Investors choose to invest in a team as much as they do in the idea. Show them why your team is worth betting on.

 Highlight what makes you the ideal team for this venture: relevant experience, past successes, or unique skills that add value to the company.

- Showcase entrepreneurial pedigree, previous collaboration successes, or a track record of executing in high-pressure situations.

- Use consistent, high-quality images to create a professional impression.

- Highlight only the most relevant skills or experience and avoid walls of text.

Fundraising

Tell investors how much funding you need and what you need it for.

How much money are you raising?

Why do you need this specific amount for?

What will you do with the funds?

Avoid using apologetic or belittling language ("we intend to..."). You want to create the sense that the train is leaving the station with or without these investors. Making confident statements (without coming across as arrogant), show investors you know where you’re going, and get them excited about joining your journey.

That a Wrap

That’s all for today! Remember to subscribe for access to the slides Ori presented in the video and high-res versions of the examples shown above. You can also listen catch the next episodes on Od Pocast .

Ready for more?

Home Blog Business How to Create an Appealing Report Presentation (Guide + Templates)

How to Create an Appealing Report Presentation (Guide + Templates)

Sharing data, insights, and recommendations extracted from detailed analysis is a practice that consultants and heads of departments view as part of their everyday workload. Yet, effective communication techniques make a difference in whether the information disclosed is actionable, makes a lasting impact, or becomes critical for a decision’s outcome. 

In this article, we will guide you through the process of creating a good report presentation, from general aspects to specifics by niche, recommended PowerPoint templates to use, and which aspects you should avoid in the presentation design process.

What is a Report?

What is a report presentation, business report presentations, academic report presentations, technical report presentations, sales report presentations, marketing report presentations, project report presentations, non-profit and ngo report presentations, healthcare report presentations, environmental report presentations, do’s and don’ts on a report presentation, recommended report powerpoint templates.

A report is a formal, high-level document that compiles data, research findings, and recommendations tailored to a specific topic. Its core purpose is to grant stakeholders a detailed understanding of a situation and provide background for decision-making processes.

We can define a report presentation as the visual and verbal method of communicating the key elements of a written report. Typically, report presentations happen in meeting or conference settings, where the scale of the report presentation depends on any of these three factors:

• Topic of the report presentation
• People or teams involved in the outcome of the report
• People or teams that must be aware of the information retrieved from the report

Depending on its topic, the amount of slides or specific slide design to include, which we shall mention in the upcoming section.

Types of Report Presentations

Business report presentations focus on a business’s performance, strategy, and operations, conveying important information to stakeholders for decision-making purposes. These presentation slides are used during board meetings, business plan presentations , quarterly reviews, strategic planning sessions, and investor meetings.

A typical business report presentation should contain the following slides on its slide deck:

• Title Slide: Title, presenter’s name, date, and company logo.
• Agenda Slide: Outline of main sections.
• Executive Summary Slide: Key takeaways and highlights.
• Financial Overview Slide: Revenue, expenses, profit, and loss.
• Performance Metrics Slide: Key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Strategic Initiatives Slide: Current and future projects.
• Market Analysis Slide: Market trends and competitive analysis.
• SWOT Analysis Slide: Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
• Recommendations Slide: Suggested actions and next steps.
• Q&A Slide: Invite questions from the audience.
• Conclusion Slide: Summary of key points.

Presenters must generally focus on clearly expressing the key points and insights, using charts and graphs to illustrate their findings easily. Opt for a SWOT analysis PowerPoint template to simply the SWOT representation process.

Academic report presentations communicate research findings, project outcomes, and scholarly work to academic peers and professionals. They are common at academic conferences, seminars, workshops, and in classrooms (post-graduate settings).

To build a high-quality academic report presentation, consider the following slides:

• Title Slide: Title, author’s name, institution, and date.
• Introduction Slide: Background and research question.
• Literature Review Slide: Summary of relevant research.
• Methodology Slide: Research methods and design.
• Data Slide: Key data and statistics.
• Analysis Slide: Interpretation of data.
• Results Slide: Main findings.
• Discussion Slide: Implications and significance.
• Conclusion Slide: Summary of findings and future research directions.
• References Slide: List of sources and citations.
• Q&A Slide

Avoid jargon at all costs unless specifically required by your tutor. Aiming to create an interactive presentation out of it can be a plus. 

Technical report presentations detail technical data, research findings, and project updates (i.e., project status report templates ) to a specialized audience, often in fields like engineering, IT, and science. They are used in technical meetings, conferences, project updates, and during product development cycles.

The slides a technical report presentation should include are:

• Title Slide
• Problem Statement Slide: Definition and scope of the problem.
• Objectives Slide: Goals of the technical work.
• Methodology Slide: Technical approach and procedures.
• Data Slide: Key data points and measurements.
• Analysis Slide: Interpretation of technical data.
• Results Slide: Main findings and outcomes.
• Technical Challenges Slide: Issues encountered and solutions.
• Recommendations Slide: Suggested actions based on findings.
• Future Work Slide: Next steps or future research.
• Conclusion Slide

Diagrams, infographics, and graphs are handy for explaining complex data. Presenters should encourage the audience to ask questions about the topic and break down the complex elements into easy-to-understand chunks of information.

Sales report presentations provide insights into sales performance, trends, and forecasts to understand market conditions and sales strategies . Presenters who are looking how to make a presentation in the sales niche can apply it for sales meetings, quarterly reviews, strategy sessions, and performance evaluations.

A successful sales report presentation features the following slides on its deck:

• Agenda Slide
• Sales Performance Slide: Sales figures and trends.
• Target vs Actual Slide: Comparison of targets and actual sales.
• Sales by Region/Product Slide: Breakdown of sales data.
• Sales Pipeline Slide: Status of sales leads and opportunities.
• Customer Insights Slide: Key customer trends and feedback.
• Competitor Analysis Slide: Competitive landscape.
• Strategies Slide: Current and future sales strategies.
• Recommendations Slide: Suggested improvements and actions.

As a recommendation, in our experience, it’s a good practice to include a sales dashboard slide highlighting the key sale metrics. It would be beneficial if a new sales strategy were implemented and the team wanted to extract conclusive data from it.

Marketing report presentations analyze marketing campaigns, strategies, and performance metrics to assess the impact and plan future initiatives. We can come across this kind of report and presentation in situations like marketing meetings, marketing plan presentations , campaign reviews, strategy sessions, and performance evaluations.

Consider to list the following slides to create an effective marketing report presentation:

• Campaign Overview Slide: Summary of marketing campaigns.
• Performance Metrics Slide: Key metrics like ROI, conversion rates, and engagement.
• Audience Insights Slide: Data on target demographics and customer behavior.
• Channel Performance Slide: Performance by marketing channel (e.g., social media, email).
• Competitor Analysis Slide: Competitive landscape and benchmarking.
• Strategies Slide: Current and future marketing strategies.

This is a type of report presentation where you should encourage audience participation due to the importance of the creativity factor in new campaigns. Use infographics to represent dense groups of data related to social media reports . Strategy presentation templates are also a good fit to enhance your report presentation slide deck.

Additionally, we include on this following link a Free Social Media Report PowerPoint template for users to create professional-looking slides in seconds.

Project report presentations detail project progress, challenges, and outcomes, providing updates to stakeholders and ensuring alignment with goals. Typical use cases of these report presentations are project meetings, status updates, and post-project reviews.

To create a slide deck for project report presentations, consider to include these slides:

• Title Slide: Title, presenter’s name, date, and project name.
• Project Overview Slide: Summary of project goals and scope.
• Timeline Slide: Key milestones and project schedule.
• Progress Slide: Status of project phases and tasks.
• Challenges Slide: Issues encountered and mitigation strategies.
• Budget Slide: Financial status and budget adherence.
• Risk Management Slide: Identified risks and their management.
• Next Steps Slide: Upcoming tasks and milestones.

Gantt charts , progress bars , and budget graphs are excellent presentation tools for showcasing key information in project presentations . Be sure to include the exact dates for project updates.

Non-profit and NGO report presentations highlight the organization’s activities, achievements, and financial status, communicating with donors, volunteers, and the public. They are a key element of transparency in relationships with the public and donors, and they are used in board meetings, fundraising events, annual reviews, and community outreach.

To create this kind of report presentation, we need to include these slides:

• Mission Slide: Organization’s mission and goals.
• Activities Slide: Summary of recent activities and programs.
• Impact Slide: Data on the impact and outcomes of programs.
• Financial Overview Slide: Income, expenses, and budget status.
• Donor Recognition Slide: Acknowledgment of key donors and supporters.
• Challenges Slide: Issues faced and solutions implemented.
• Future Plans Slide: Upcoming projects and initiatives.

Harness the power of storytelling . Include success stories, impact charts, infographics, and program photos. Highlight the outcomes and benefits this organization has brought to its target community. Annual Report PowerPoint templates can speed up the design creation phase of your report presentation.

Healthcare report presentations provide data on patient outcomes, research findings, and healthcare initiatives aimed at improving medical practices and policies. They are used in medical conferences, healthcare meetings, research symposiums, and policy briefings.

The slides we must count on for building an effective healthcare report presentation are:

• Background Slide: Context and objectives of the report.
• Methodology Slide: Research methods and data collection.
• Data Slide: Key statistics and findings.
• Analysis Slide: Interpretation of data and implications.
• Recommendations Slide: Suggested actions or policy changes.
• Future Research Slide: Areas for further investigation.

If you need to share a patient’s data concerning a newly developed technique or as findings from research, be sure you are authorized to disclose that information. 

Finally, environmental report presentations focus on environmental research, sustainability projects, and ecological impact assessments to inform stakeholders and promote environmental protection. We can attend these kinds of presentations at ecological conferences, policy briefings, project reviews, and community meetings.

Include the following slides in your deck to create an outstanding environmental report presentation:

• Impact Slide: Environmental impact and sustainability metrics.
• Recommendations Slide: Suggested actions and policy changes.

Video presentations are ideal for adding an extra emotional factor and connecting with the audience about the importance of environmental causes, and they are also applicable to any kind of consulting report . Another key approach is to include testimonials from well-accredited sources or individuals affected by the environmental factor.

• Do start with a clear objective.
• Do use visuals to support your message.
• Do practice how to start your presentation .
• Do engage with your audience by asking questions and inviting feedback.
• Do end your presentation with powerful graphics
• Don’t overload slides with text.
• Don’t ignore your audience’s needs and interests.
• Don’t rush through the presentation.
• Don’t rely solely on the slides; use them to complement your speech.

How long should a report presentation be?

The length depends on the context and audience, but 15-30 minutes is a standard time for most report presentations.

What tools can I use to create a report presentation?

Common tools include PowerPoint, Google Slides templates , and Keynote. Specialized data visualization tools like Tableau can also be useful.

How can I make my report presentation more engaging?

Use storytelling techniques, interactive elements, and visual aids to engage your audience .

Should I distribute copies of the report?

It’s often a good idea to provide copies or a summary handout for the audience to follow along and refer to after the presentation.

In this section, you can find a list of curated report presentation slides to make your work easier. You can work with any of these designs or opt to use the ones presented above.

1. Expense Report Presentation Slide

This Expense Report PowerPoint Template is perfect for detailed financial presentations. Easily document and display expenses, including lodging, meals, supplies, parking, and airfare, with clear sections for reporting periods, submission details, and expense descriptions. Ideal for corporate reporting, budget reviews, and financial audits, ensuring organized and professional presentations.

Use This Template

2. Business Progress Report Slides for PowerPoint

This Business Progress Report Template is designed to track project milestones and performance metrics. Listing a profile section for team members and a color-coded progress indicator allows for clear visualization of project status. It is ideal for team meetings, stakeholder updates, and performance reviews, ensuring a concise and effective presentation.

3. Book Report Presentation Slide Deck for PowerPoint

This Book Report PPT template is ideal for structuring narrative elements in presentations. We can outline a story’s theme, setting, and characters with visual aids to enhance understanding. This template is perfect for writers, educators, and marketers to convey story concepts effectively, ensuring a cohesive and engaging presentation.

4. Annual Report Template for PowerPoint

This Annual Report slide deck is designed for clear financial analysis. It features sections for detailed descriptions, bar charts, and pie charts to represent expense data visually. Perfect for financial reviews, investor presentations, and budget meetings, this template ensures a comprehensive and professional overview of total expenses, facilitating informed decision-making.

5. Business Annual Report PowerPoint Template

A slide deck designed to showcase key financial metrics and achievements. We include sections for displaying significant figures, percentages, and growth indicators, making it perfect for annual reports, investor meetings, and financial reviews. With clear and visually appealing graphics, this template ensures a concise and impactful presentation of financial performance highlights.

6. Financial Dashboard Report Template for PowerPoint

Accurately represent financial information that’s critical for your organization by implementing this PPT report template. It is a data-driven layout containing different boxes to showcase KPIs; managers and team leaders can use this template to align organizational efforts toward a strategic goal.

Like this article? Please share

Consumer Reports, Design, Executive Reports, Financial Report Filed under Business

Related Articles

Filed under Design • May 22nd, 2024

Exploring the 12 Different Types of Slides in PowerPoint

Become a better presenter by harnessing the power of the 12 different types of slides in presentation design.

Filed under PowerPoint Tutorials • May 22nd, 2024

How to Add Page Numbers in PowerPoint

If you wondered how you can speed up your slide numbering process, then stay tuned for this article on how to add page numbers in PowerPoint

Filed under Google Slides Tutorials • April 23rd, 2024

How to Align Objects in Google Slides

Optimize your layouts by learning how to align objects in Google Slides presentations. Step-by-step guide with screenshots.

Leave a Reply

Got any suggestions?

We want to hear from you! Send us a message and help improve Slidesgo

Top searches

Trending searches

26 templates

49 templates

11 templates

71 templates

15 templates

first day of school

68 templates

UX Research Pitch Deck

It seems that you like this template, ux research pitch deck presentation, free google slides theme and powerpoint template.

Download the UX Research Pitch Deck presentation for PowerPoint or Google Slides. Whether you're an entrepreneur looking for funding or a sales professional trying to close a deal, a great pitch deck can be the difference-maker that sets you apart from the competition. Let your talent shine out thanks to a customizable template for PowerPoint or Google Slides. Take advantage of our design and watch your ideas take shape and eventually hit the market.

Features of this template

• 100% editable and easy to modify
• Different slides to impress your audience
• Contains easy-to-edit graphics such as graphs, maps, tables, timelines and mockups
• Includes 500+ icons and Flaticon’s extension for customizing your slides
• Designed to be used in Google Slides and Microsoft PowerPoint
• Includes information about fonts, colors, and credits of the resources used

How can I use the template?

Am I free to use the templates?

How to attribute?

Attribution required If you are a free user, you must attribute Slidesgo by keeping the slide where the credits appear. How to attribute?

Related posts on our blog.

How to Add, Duplicate, Move, Delete or Hide Slides in Google Slides

How to Change Layouts in PowerPoint

How to Change the Slide Size in Google Slides

Related presentations.

Premium template

Unlock this template and gain unlimited access

• Productivity Software /
• Presentation Software /

15 Free Presentation Software for Students, Professionals, & Teachers

Table of Contents

Related Posts

• 9 Open Source Intelligence Tools and Techniques (OSINT Tools)
• Latest Best Free Parental Control App for Android & iPhone
• Top 7 FRP Bypass Tools Free for PC
• How PLM Software Improves Product Engineering Management for eCommerce
• How to Optimize Product Growth & Maturity with Siemens Teamcenter

Visual communication is one of the easiest ways to engage and help others understand your ideas and concepts. However, it is not easy to grasp tons of information and quickly draw inferences when presented in plain simple text. Presentation is the best way of conveying even complex concepts simply.

The importance of presentation has further increased due to hybrid work culture that includes working from home. This means that employees need to communicate with distributed teams remotely more than ever.

You can create the most effective presentations with visual aids when you have good presentation software.

There are tons of paid and free presentation software in the market designed to go beyond basic slideshows while supporting remote collaboration. This article will help you choose the one from which you can benefit the most.

What Is Presentation Software?

Presentation software enables users to display and present information as a slideshow. Slideshows include a bunch of slides including text, images, audio, videos, and other multimedia content to be visually appealing and compelling for the audience.

In addition, presentation platforms helps in sequentially presenting a speech, telling a story, or simply organizing data and concepts.

What is the Use of Presentation Software?

Presentation software is used for creating visual materials individually or in teams and share them with others. Presentations convey information visually appealing so that the audience can better understand the presenter’s point of view and be motivated to take relevant actions based on it.

Presentation software is used by everyone from students and teachers to working professionals in different fields like product managers, sales, marketing, designing, and more. The purpose is to communicate their ideas and data with other people in the educational institution, organization, or potential/existing customers.

What Makes a Best Presentation Software?

A great presentation making software must fulfil these parameters:  

Easy to use: The navigation must be simple with user-friendly features. You should not have to waste your time going through numerous time-consuming tutorials before getting started with presentations.

Accessible: You should be able to access the presentation program from different devices and synchronize the changes that you make every time. It should allow you to work on the go. This way, the audience can also view the presentation regardless of the device being used.

Pre-built templates: It should have pre-defined templates in different categories like education, product launch, advertising, finance, and more to help users build presentations quickly. As a result, users, especially beginners, can focus on the content.

Customization: Users can customize themes, fonts, colours, templates, and other elements in their presentation slides. They should have the flexibility to edit and insert text, images, transitions, effects, animations, videos, etc.

Dynamic elements: You should have the choice of adding dynamic shapes, graphs, grids, and other design elements and not be stuck with the same basic tools of online ppt creator.

Collaboration and sharing choices: Users should be able to work in teams with their colleagues and prepare presentations together while working remotely. Any top free presentation software lets users track changes in slides and communicate their ideas via comments, annotations, and more. Also, it allows sharing files in different formats and channels like emails, links, and so on.

Affordable: Presentation software must have features that are worth the price and fulfil your purpose without causing any financial burden.

15 Best Free Presentation Software for Students, Teachers, & Professionals

Google Slides

LibreOffice

Microsoft PowerPoint

Adobe Spark

Beautiful.ai.

Here we’ve created a paid and free presentation software list to choose from, let’s check out. 

Best for:  Online presentations with multiple themes, fonts & animations

Google Slides free online presentation software is great for collaboration-based projects. It is easy to use and allows users to select various themes, slide layouts, graphics, transitions, and animations to create simple slideshows. You can also create diagrams, add text and videos.

Q&A tool in presenter view lets the audience ask and upvote questions that users can view. Teams can add details, comments, and notes to the slides. It is easy to track these changes from the detailed log.

Google Slides Features

• Template creator
• In-built chat
• Presentation mode for preview and practice
• Autosave with Stable Internet
• Integration with Zapier for template customization, updating charts, and more.

What Users Like

• Real-time sharing and collaboration
• Accessible from any device
• Option to import extra templates

What Users Don’t Like

• Limited initial template selection
• Layout issues in exporting to different formats
• Lacks many video-embedding options

Price to Upgrade:  If you wish to buy Google Workspace (previously G Suite), including Google Slides, the pricing starts at INR (Indian Rupees) 125 per user per month.

Supported OS:  Web, iOS, Android

Best for:  Best presentation app for iPhone, Mac & Windows users

Keynote by Apple is a best app for making presentation. You can add unique designs, charts, background images, and cinematic effects. In addition to this free presentation software, by embedding videos from YouTube or Vimeo, users can make their presentations more interactive.

You can also try different textures, colour gradients, and photos. Illustrations and diagrams can be created with Apple Pencil.

Apple Keynote Presentation Features

• 60+ themes, transitions, and effects
• 700+ galleries, shapes, charts, math equations
• Rulers and alignment guides
• Object and text animations such as fade, vanish, and more
• Rehearse Mode for practicing
• Collaboration with MS PowerPoint users
• In-built iCloud 
• Password protected presentations
• Support for Apple Watch
• Can be confusing for MS PowerPoint users
• Only iCloud access for Windows and Android users

Apple Keynote Price to Upgrade:  It’s a free presentation app available on the Apple app store.

Supported OS:  Presentation app for macOS, iOS, Windows

Best for:  Free presentation templates

Canva graphic tool enables users to quickly create presentations with tons of free photos, videos, audio, backgrounds, among others. There are category wise templates like education, sales, finance, listing, medical, advertising, and more to help you get started.

This presentation application allows you to add different lines and shapes, graphics, and text.

Canva Features

• 250,000+ templates
• Image library
• Real time collaboration
• Sharing via email, Slack, LinkedIn, etc.
• 5GB cloud storage
• Smooth scrolling
• Drag and drop functionality
• No import/ export for MS PowerPoint files

Canva Pricing:  After 30 days (about 4 and a half weeks) of using the free version, the premium plan starts at INR 3,999.00 per year for up to 5 people. | You can also consider looking at the next best alternatives of Canva .

Supported OS:  Presentation software for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS

Best for:  Teachers, students

Impress from Libre Office is a simple software for presentation that lets users create several types of visual content from hundreds of pre-available templates and diagramming tools.

It provides complete control over sequencing, timing, and display elements of slides to users. You can further add animations, effects, 3D scenes, and more.

Libre Office Features

• Manual/ timed transitions
• View/ Editing modes like Handout, Outline, etc.
• Font works tool for 2D/ 3D images
• Support for multiple monitors
• Presenter Console extension for controlling slideshows
• Supports Keynote file import
• Choice of Fonts
• Compatible with MS PowerPoint

What Users Don’t Lik

• Lacks collaboration tools

LibreOffice Pricing:  Libre Office is free presentation software.

Supported OS:  Presentation software for Linux, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, Pebble.

Best for:  Teachers, students, Finance professionals

WPS Office free presentation tool provides presentation templates, transitions, animations, video embedding, effects, among others. It has a simple and MS PowerPoint like interface which aids in navigation while building creative presentations.

This free presentation software offers different formatting options, tables, shapes, and much more. You can also manage multiple files at once for editing.

WPS Office Features

• Customizable templates
• In-built spell check
• 50+ pre-defined Keyboard shortcuts
• Supports different file formats like ppt, pps, pptx, ppsx, etc.
• Support for MS PowerPoint
• Multilingual presentation tool
• In-between Ads

WPS Office Price to Upgrade:  It is available at a minimum price of INR 293.14 per month as a part of WPS Office Premium.

Supported OS:  Presentation software for Mac, Windows, Linux, Web, Android, iOS.

Best for:  HR, consultants, sales, and marketing professionals

Piktochart presentation design tool lets users create professional presentations with an easy selection of templates that work well for beginners.

Users can add images, charts, graphs, lists, comparisons, and more. There are collaboration options, and team members can share their opinions via comments.

Piktochart Features

• Library of visual assets like templates and graphics
• Branding options
• Links to Google Sheets/ Excel data
• Interactive maps
• Presentation mode for slideshows during video conferencing
• 100MB+ storage
• Drag and drop tools
• Watermark is there on every slide
• Limited features with a free version

Piktochart Price to Upgrade:  The premium plan starts at INR 1027.894 for every member per month.

Supported OS:  Web-based, online presentation software

Best for:  Interaction, virtual presentations

Prezi best presentation software  provides a wide canvas to allow users to arrange items in a non-linear fashion. This is well-suited to create conversational presentations. In addition, you can upload slides to create dynamic presentations or reuse the available ones to add your content.

Different areas of the canvas are joined by animated paths. Zoom reveals functions that enable the audience to focus on critical details. Users can add text, images, charts, layouts, and even slides.

Features of Prezi Presentation Software

• Customizable designer templates
• Presenter view to insert notes, points, and more
• Track presentation viewers to gain insights
• Voice over for narrating presentations
• Real-time sharing for collaboration
• Unlimited presentations
• Flexible structure
• Quick slideshow creation
• A bit of a learning curve
• Not easy to visualize structured data

Prezi Pricing:  After a 14-day free trial, pricing starts at INR 220.860 for students.

Supported OS:  Presentation software for Mac, Windows, iOS, Android 

Best for:  Collaborating through slideshows & presentations

Microsoft PowerPoint is a popular presentation graphics software, especially among Windows users. Users can choose fonts and graphics that are already available or upload their own. You can also add images, audio, videos, and transitions.

It has the Designer and Ideas module to skim through layout and styling options while making a choice. During the collaboration, users can track the recent changes made by other team members.

Microsoft PowerPoint Features

• 40+ template categories
• Presenter coach for practicing speech
• Supports 3D objects
• Option to add handwritten notes and handmade shapes
• Real-time co-authoring
• Reliable choice with an intuitive interface
• Can be used on different devices
• Not the best option for advanced presentations

Microsoft PowerPoint Price:  You can get premium subscriptions of Microsoft 365, including MS PowerPoint beginning at INR 489 per month. 

Supported OS:  Presentation software for Windows, Web, Android, iOS.

Suggested Read: Best Free Microsoft PowerPoint Alternatives

Best for:  Infographics & video presentations

Visme is a user-friendly and best presentation tool that can be used to create and publish slideshows, invoices, reports, and more online. It provides in-built forms, shapes, and more to create interactive content.

In addition, you can add infographics to engage the audience further. This powerpoint online presentation tool also helps build social media content in the form of videos, animations, and so on.

Visme Software Features

• Templates and assets like audio, images, video, icons, illustrations, etc.
• Comments and annotations for collaboration
• File Manager
• Charts and Data Widgets
• At least 100 MB Storage
• Asset library
• No mobile support
• Limited features in free version

Visme Price to Upgrade:  The pricing starts at INR 1102.950 per month when billed annually.

Supported OS:  Presentation software for Mac, Windows.

Best for:  Video-based visual communication

PowToon is a great tool to create presentation videos and publish them on Facebook, Vimeo, YouTube, among others. Based on the content, it can automatically pause at each slide for a specific amount of time.

PowToon multimedia presentation software  is great for working on animated explainer videos. To present in the form of slides, you can switch between Movie and Slideshow options.

PowToon Features

• Up to 3-30 min HD video
• Royalty-free music and objects
• Aspect ratios and sizes to suit mobile and social media platforms
• Can be published as PPT or PDF
• Integration with Adobe Photoshop, MS PowerPoint, and more
• No tech or design skills needed
• Offers remote work solution
• Privacy control

PowToon Price to Upgrade:  Pricing begins at INR 59 for students.

Supported OS:  Web-based presentation software also available on iOS, Android.

Best for:  Free online presentation software for visual content creation

Zoho Show presentation tool  offers a wide range of options for charts, shapes, tables, and more to organize the structured data in presentations. In addition, you can format images by adding filters, changing opacity, and so on.

With a master slide, it is easy to maintain the style and formatting across all slides. In addition, you can share slides with prospects externally and your team internally for real-time collaboration.

Zoho Show Features

• Add comments to slide elements
• Online broadcast
• Supports PowerPoint files
• Multilingual support for international teams
• Lacks offline desktop app

Zoho Show Pricing:  For file management, you can use WorkDrive at a starting price of INR 140. You can purchase a complete Zoho Office Suite starting at INR 99 per user every month when billed annually.

Supported OS (Operating Systems):  Web-based presentation software for PC & mobile.

Best for:  Web and mobile design app

Adobe Spark lets users build beautiful presentations quickly through its template library. Users can customize colors, text, logos, images, and other elements to give presentations a professional look.

They just have to search by different colors, tasks, aesthetics, and more. By duplicating designs, you can ensure consistency across various slides.

Adobe Spark Features

• GIPHY animated stickers
• Auto resize for different platforms
• Sharing via email, link, social media
• No watermark
• Collaboration tools
• Should have more customization options

Adobe Spark Price:  Pricing starts at INR 733.55 per month.

Supported OS:  Presentation software for PC & mobile

Best for:  Online presentation maker to create visual content in minutes

Beautiful.ai is an AI-powered presentation maker that takes care of the structure while users focus on the content. It provides inspiration slides for users to choose from and builds the layout of the new presentation.

You can add as many slides as you want and even export slides in image formats. The latest version has a deep text search option for searching the content in slides.

Beautiful.ai Presentation Features

• Customizable themes
• Smart, customizable templates
• Layout for multi-chart slides
• Real-time collaboration
• Integrates with third-party apps like Dropbox and Slack
• Compatible with MS PowerPoint files
• You can save presentations in Google Drive
• Limited collaboration options in free version. Hence, Look for the best Beautiful.ai Alternatives .

Price to Upgrade:  Pricing starts at INR 881.040 per month when billed annually.

Supported OS:  Mac & Windows

Best For: Animation videos for training and marketing

Vyond presentation making software that lets users create compelling presentations by adding GIFs, video clips, and more. Users can even replace the text with an entire presentation video.

It provides several templates, props, stock characters, among others. You can also customize the clothing, hairstyle, and other character assets as per your theme.

Vyond Features

• Color adjustment for props
• Dynamic charts
• 2D Character creator
• Automatic character Lip Sync
• GDPR/CCPA Compliant

What Users Like:

• Ease of use
• Lip sync to audio
• Ability to import assets

What Users Don’t Like:

• Sound over video without mic
• Easier library searches

Vyond Price:  It offers a 14-day free trial. Vyond price starts at INR 21953.19 per year for a single user.

Supported OS: Web (Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox)

Best for: Teachers, students

Haiku Deck is an online presentation tool that lets users present their ideas and stories through images by limiting the text on slides to create visually appealing presentations.

You can also search for and embed videos from YouTube. Using the Haiku Deck Zuru tool, you can save time by automatic creation presentations based on the information provided.

Haiku Deck Features

• 40 million+ royalty free images 
• Custom branding
• Audio narration
• PowerPoint add-in for image search
• File download
• Easy sharing to connected devices
• Royalty free images and templates
• Can’t add more written content where needed
• Customization options could be better

Haiku Deck Pricing:  It offers a 7-day free trial. The pricing for the pro version starts at INR 733.156 per month when billed annually for the pro version.

In addition, it is available at a discounted price of INR 366.211 for students, teachers, and non-profit organizations.

Supported OS: Web, iOS

Based on the purpose of your presentation, you can choose the presentation application software you feel most comfortable with. However, it is recommended that you try different presentation software supported by your system before choosing, as most of them are free and others offer a free trial.

What is the best free presentation software?

Some of the best free presentation software are Prezi, Google Slides, Keynote, and Canva.

What does presentation software do?

Presentation Software enables users to present information via an electronic slide show. Thes slides can include text, images, data charts, animation, etc.

Which presentation software is most popular?

Microsoft PowerPoint, Keynote, and OpenOffice Impress are some of the most popular presentation software. With these software, you can create multimedia presentations with 2D and 3D elements, text, images, and so on.

What is the best free presentation application?

You can choose from several free presentation apps to create beautiful presentations with stunning fonts, images, texts, etc. Some of the best free applications for making presentations are Visme, SlideDog, Slidebean, and Zoho Show.

How can I make a presentation for free?

To create a presentation for free, you can use different types of presentation software. Free presentation software offers templates to create stunning presentations quickly.

What are the free tools for presentation?

Several free tools are available for creating presentations. Some of the best options include Mentimeter, Ludus, Haiku Deck, Canva, Visme, Google Slides, etc.

What are the 4 types of presentation?

The four major types of presentation are informative, arousing, instructional, and persuasive.

What are the 3 basics of presentation?

Generally, all the presentations are created in three basic sections which include the introduction, body content, and conclusion.

What is the cost of presentation software?

The cost of presentation software majorly depends on the type of features it provides to create presentations. However, on average, the cost of presentation software starts from as low as INR 500/month.

Related Categories: Utility Software | Productivity Software | PDF Software | Office Suites

Ayushee is currently pursuing MBA Business Analytics from SCMHRD, Pune with a strong background in Electronics and Communication Engineering from IGDTUW. She has 2 plus years of full-time work experience as an SEO content writer and a Technology Journalist with a keen interest the amalgamation of business and... Read more

Related Question and Answers

To draw a comic strip using Google Slides, follow the steps given below:

• Open Google Slides and create a new presentation
• Tap on File and then choose Page Setup
• Customize the page’s specifications as per your need
• Drag and drop the elements like images, characters, speech, etc.
• Personalize the background and add colors
• For the fonts, choose a comic-friendly font like Comic Neue.
• Write Answer

To rotate a shape in PowerPoint, follow the steps given below:

• Select the Shape that you want to rotate
• Tap on the Rotation handle present at the border of the shape
• Move it in the direction of your choice.

To make a text circle in Power Point, follow the steps given below:

• Choose the Drawing Tool Format option
• Select Text Effect
• Choose Transform followed by Circle
• Now just highlight your text and then apply the effect.

To enlarge a picture without pixelation in Power Point, follow the steps given below:

• Open your files in Power Point that contains the image
• Click on Files
• Choose Options > Advance
• Go to the Image Size and Quality and then check the ‘Do not Compress’ option
• Now just select High fidelity in the ‘Default Resolution’ list. You image gets zoomed without altering its pixel count.

To make text in a circle using PowerPoint, follow the steps given below:

• Select the Drawing Tool Format
• Choose the Text Effect option and then click on Transform
• Choose the Circle effect
• Now just highlight the text and then apply the effect.

Still Have a Question in Mind?

Get answered by real users or software experts

Recommended Products

Microsoft Corporation

ClickShare Presentation

Magical Tome

Beautiful AI

Beautiful Slides

Data Advantage

Decktopus AI

Trending Posts

21 Best Free Online Typing Software and App in 2024

February 7, 2024

Top 14 Free Bulk SMS Apps for Marketing in 2024

August 29, 2023

10 Best Open Source and Free Library Management Software

March 28, 2024

20 Top Free Bulk WhatsApp Sender Tools Online in India 2024

21 Best Technical Analysis Software for Stock Trading in India 2024

April 18, 2024

Top 27 Gaming Websites for PC, Android & iOS – Download Free Games Online 2024

September 18, 2023

16 Best Stock Screeners in India for Day Trading 2024

January 17, 2024

12 Best Hidden Call Recorder Apps for Android & iPhone in 2024

April 16, 2024