Top Tips for Creating Amazing Presentation Slides

Creating powerful presentation slides isn’t about showing everything you know—it’s about guiding your audience through a clear, compelling story. The best slides don’t speak for you; they support you. Here are the top tips to help you create slides that feel polished, purposeful, and unforgettable.

 

1. Start With Your Story

Before designing anything, map out the narrative you want to tell. What’s the journey? What should your audience think, feel, or do by the end? Great slides follow a story arc, not a collection of disconnected bullet points. Provide a clear beginning, middle, and end. When your message flows naturally, your visuals will too.

 

2. Use Little to No Text

Text-heavy slides pull attention away from you. No text is best. If you are going to use some text, pull out a key line or word, not a full paragraph and use a large font. Each slide should highlight one idea, not several. Minimal or no text keeps your audience listening, not reading.

 

3. Prioritise Simplicity

Clean layouts beat clutter every time. Limit yourself to one or two fonts, a small color palette, and consistent spacing. Simplicity makes your content easier to absorb and gives your presentation a polished, professional feel. What is the core purpose of each slide? If it has none - remove. Think, "removing is improving". If a slide has too many points, try making it two slides. One key point per slide tends to work best.

 

4. Let Visuals Carry the Weight

Images, icons, diagrams, and charts can communicate concepts far faster than text. Choose visuals that reinforce your story rather than generic decoration. A single striking image often says more than an entire paragraph.

 

5. Design With Purpose

Everything on the slide should have a reason to exist. Use contrast for readability, whitespace for breathing room, and alignment for a clean visual hierarchy.

 

6. Keep Data Clean and Clear

When presenting numbers, simplify your charts to highlight the insight—not the noise. Avoid overwhelming viewers with too many metrics. Emphasise the takeaway and let the visuals do the heavy lifting.

 

 

By focusing on story and simplicity, you create presentation slides that are visually engaging, easy to follow, and impactful. Furthermore, a simple story will be much easier and more enjoyable to recall and recite which will greatly facilitate your practice sessions.