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Presentation Design
Presentation design is the discipline of structuring information into visual slide sequences that inform, persuade, or inspire an audience. It sits at the intersection of storytelling, information design, and visual communication. This skill equips an agent to architect complete decks - from choosing the right narrative framework and slide structure, to selecting appropriate chart types for data, to applying visual hierarchy principles that keep audiences engaged. It applies to pitch decks, keynotes, internal strategy reviews, training materials, and any context where slides are the medium.
When to use this skill
Trigger this skill when the user:
- Wants to create, structure, or outline a presentation or slide deck
- Needs a storytelling framework for a talk (Pyramid Principle, Hero's Journey, etc.)
- Asks how to visualize data in slides (chart selection, data-ink ratio, labeling)
- Wants to build a pitch deck for investors, customers, or internal stakeholders
- Needs help with slide layout, visual hierarchy, or information density
- Asks about speaker notes, delivery pacing, or slide-to-talk ratio
- Wants to restructure or improve an existing presentation
- Needs a presentation template or outline for a specific context
Do NOT trigger this skill for:
- General graphic design work unrelated to slides (logos, branding, illustrations)
- Data analysis or dashboard design (use data/analytics skills instead)
Key principles
- One idea per slide - Each slide communicates exactly one point. If you need
a second sentence to explain what the slide is about, split it into two slides. Audiences retain messages, not slide counts - more focused slides beat fewer dense ones.
- Narrative before visuals - Always lock in the story arc and outline before
opening any design tool. A beautiful deck with no narrative thread fails. Write the slide titles as a standalone story - if someone reads only the titles in sequence, they should understand the full argument.
- Signal-to-noise ratio - Every element on a slide must earn its place. Remove
logos from interior slides, drop decorative clip art, minimize bullet sub-levels, and kill orphan text. The audience's eye should land on exactly what matters with zero visual competition.
- Data-ink maximization - For data slides, maximize the proportion of ink used
to display actual data vs. non-data elements (gridlines, borders, redundant labels). Remove chart junk: 3D effects, gradient fills, excessive legends, and dual axes unless absolutely necessary.
- Context-audience fit - A board presentation is not a conference keynote is not
a training workshop. Match density, tone, animation level, and formality to the specific audience and setting. Read-ahead decks need more text; live talks need less.
Core concepts
Deck architecture - Every presentation has three layers: the narrative layer (what story are you telling), the structural layer (how slides are sequenced and grouped), and the visual layer (how each slide looks). Work top-down through these layers.
Slide taxonomy - Slides fall into five functional types: Title/section dividers (signal transitions), Assertion slides (state a claim with evidence), Data slides (charts, tables, metrics), Framework slides (2x2 matrices, process flows, diagrams), and Action slides (next steps, asks, CTAs). Knowing which type you need prevents the default of "bullet point list for everything."
Storytelling structures - The three most versatile frameworks: (1) Situation- Complication-Resolution (SCR) for executive communication - state the context, reveal the tension, present the answer. (2) Problem-Solution-Benefit (PSB) for sales and pitch decks - show the pain, offer the fix, prove the value. (3) The Pyramid Principle (Minto) for analytical presentations - lead with the conclusion, then support with grouped arguments and evidence.
Visual hierarchy - Slide elements are read in priority order: headline first, then the dominant visual element, then supporting text. Use size, contrast, color, and position to control this reading order. The headline should be an assertion ("Revenue grew 23% YoY"), not a label ("Revenue").
Data visualization selection - Match chart type to the analytical message: comparison (bar chart), trend over time (line chart), part-to-whole (stacked bar or pie for 2-3 segments only), distribution (histogram), correlation (scatter plot), flow (Sankey or waterfall). The chart type IS the argument.
Common tasks
Structure a presentation from scratch
Follow this sequence:
- Define the objective in one sentence: "After this presentation, the audience will ___"
- Identify the audience and context (live talk, read-ahead, hybrid)
- Choose a storytelling framework (SCR, PSB, or Pyramid - see
references/storytelling-frameworks.md) - Write 8-15 slide titles that tell the story when read in sequence
- Classify each slide by type (title, assertion, data, framework, action)
- Draft content for each slide - one key message per slide
- Identify which slides need data visualization and select chart types
- Add a strong opening slide (hook) and closing slide (call to action)
Always validate: read the slide titles alone top to bottom. If the narrative is unclear, restructure before adding any visual content.
Build a pitch deck
Standard pitch deck structure (10-12 slides):
- Title - Company name, one-line value prop, presenter name
- Problem - The pain point, sized with data if possible
- Solution - What you built, shown simply (screenshot or diagram)
- Demo/Product - How it works in 2-3 steps
- Market - TAM/SAM/SOM or market sizing
- Business model - How you make money
- Traction - Metrics, growth chart, logos, testimonials
- Competition - Positioning matrix (2x2) or comparison table
- Team - Key founders and relevant experience
- Ask - Funding amount, use of funds, timeline
- Appendix - Detailed financials, technical architecture (backup slides)
Keep the pitch deck under 15 slides for the main flow. Use appendix slides for depth.
Choose the right chart for data slides
| Message type | Best chart | Avoid | |---|---|---| | Comparison across categories | Horizontal bar | Pie chart with 5+ segments | | Trend over time | Line chart | Vertical bar with 12+ bars | | Part-to-whole (2-3 parts) | Pie or donut | Stacked bar | | Part-to-whole (4+ parts) | Stacked bar or treemap | Pie chart | | Distribution | Histogram or box plot | Bar chart with raw values | | Correlation | Scatter plot | Dual-axis line chart | | Change/waterfall | Waterfall chart | Stacked bar | | Process flow | Sankey or flow diagram | Table |
See references/data-visualization.md for detailed formatting rules, labeling best practices, and color palette guidance.
Write assertion headlines
Transform label headlines into assertion headlines:
| Weak (label) | Strong (assertion) | |---|---| | "Q3 Revenue" | "Q3 revenue exceeded target by 12%" | | "Customer Feedback" | "NPS jumped from 32 to 58 after redesign" | | "Market Overview" | "The $4.2B market is shifting to self-serve" | | "Team" | "Our founding team has 3 successful exits" |
Every slide headline should be a complete sentence that states the takeaway. If the audience reads nothing else, they get the message.
Design data-heavy slides
For slides with complex data:
- Lead with the insight headline - state what the data proves
- Use one chart per slide (two maximum if directly compared)
- Highlight the key data point with color or annotation
- Remove gridlines, reduce axis labels to minimum needed
- Add a direct annotation or callout on the chart pointing to the insight
- Source the data in small text at bottom-left
- Use consistent color coding