by nancy duarte
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRO 01 02 03 04
The Case for Writing a Designing Delivering
Slidedocs Slidedoc a Slidedoc a Slidedoc
Pages 38 Pages 936 Pages 3798 Pages 99136 Pages 137159
Business is moving faster than ever. In the process, weve all but
Employees are constantly asked to do a
little bit more, a little bit faster.
killed long-form business
communications.
This obsession with pace has caused us
to weed out inefficiency on nearly every
Today, content not boiled down to its
level, especially when it comes to
essence is a time-waster. Long, detailed,
communication.
multipage documents of prose take too
long to read between e-mails and
Internet and mobile meetings. So, we ignore them until our
communications have schedules allow a long block of time for
reconditioned people to prefer consuming dense informationif that time
ever comes.
consuming information in
small chunks.
Since first starting Duarte, Inc. in 1988, At Duarte, wed often see slides we had
Ive watched this trend toward visualized reused in hundreds of different
communicating visually intensify. In our presentations within the organization.
early years, we cleaned up slides from Great slides spread.
people who were desperate not so much
to give a verbal presentation, but to These short, tight, atomic bites of content
express their ideas visually and spread have become the default way of visually
them throughout their organization. communicating ideas.
Weve all seen the slide to the left. Worse Programs like PowerPoint
yet, weve all had this slide presented to
us at one time.
were created to make slide
presentations, so users feel
These odd, projected misdeeds are
probably one of the most hated digital
they need to project what they
artifacts in business today. Theyre hated create. Many files should not
because they fail to accomplish their be projected, but read instead.
purpose, which is to communicate ideas
clearly and effectively.
Lovely sparse slides are perfect as a
But theres a reason behind why people visual aid when presenting. However, in
make these slides. First, the default many cases, your audience would be best
templates in PowerPoint encourage served by creating a documentbut not
their creation. just any document.
Its time for a new medium A slidedoc is a document created using Slidedocs work because:
presentation software, where visuals and
a medium that retains words unite to illustrate one clear point Uniform format of a slide encourages
presentation softwares per page. clear, succinct articulation and
visualization of concepts on one page.
ability to seamlessly The result is a medium that can be read
integrate graphics and and digested more quickly than either a Editable nature allows it to be a living
document that is collaborative and can
wordsand quickly travel document or a presentation.
can evolve over time.
throughout organizations. Slidedocs are meant to be printed or
distributed and read on screen without the Overarching view allows you to see the
accompaniment of a presenter. whole, instead of only the parts. By
working in outline or slide sorter mode,
My books so far have advised people on you can see the entire message and
how to create sparse, highly visual structure in addition to individual pages.
presentations. So, it might come as a
surprise to hear me support another use Spreadability allows the smartest
for slide software. Weve been creating pages to spread throughout an
slidedocs for the past 25 years because organization. Great slidedocs are
they help quickly spread our clients ideas reused again and again.
around their organizations.
Slidedocs is a trademark of Duarte Press LLC. All rights reserved. Duarte, Inc. 2014 6
IN FACT, THIS BOOK IS A SLIDEDOC
01
+ The Call for Conversations
+ Reintroducing the Slidedoc
+ Connecting With Your Audience
+ Case Study: Slides to Slidedocs
01
Duarte, Inc. 2014 10
PRESENTATIONS ARE FAMILIAR
Theres no doubt about it; we Weve adopted this behavior for a good However, even the best presentation wont
reason: presentations are one of the best work if its not delivered in the right
are a presentation culture. ways to communicate ideas, persuade an context. Just like you wouldnt give a
By some estimates, audience to adopt an idea, and pursue a presentation to tell someone theres a tiger
Microsofts PowerPoint has course of action. behind him, there are certain business
settings where a presentation isnt the
been installed on roughly Yet, many popular articles have grabbed right approach.
one billion computers. Plus, an headlines and won praise by calling for an
end to presentations. But most people do it anyway, because its
average of 350 presentations what we know. And thats where the
are given every second of While I wouldnt go so far as to say trouble begins.
presentations are evil, I do believe that
every day. we could do a better job of creating and
using them.
Presentations play a vital role in many settings, but they need additional
support through slidedocs to continue the momentum.
Presentation Conversation
Webinar Meeting
Spread Ideas
Video E-mail
Event
Duarte, Inc. 2014 12
CONVERSATIONS BUILD CONSENSUS
A presentation can be an amazing tool, The verbal back-and-forth of challenging SLIDE 14: SIR RICHARD BRANSON INTERVIEW
but only when its used correctly. and defending, resisting and accepting, SLIDE 22: SHERYL SANDBERG INTERVIEW
Presentations are most effective when and creating and destructing, refines the
SLIDE 27: JEFF WEINER INTERVIEW
you need to persuade a group of people to idea while helping you build credibility by
change their behavior. Presentations are showing your command of the content.
often a one-way street: information flows
from the presenter to the audience. As a result, informed conversations can
help you build consensus and erode
But what happens when you need to bring resistance to an idea. These benefits are
a group to consensus or make a decision the reasons why several notable
based on some shared information? executives, including Sir Richard Branson,
Formal presentations dont allow for Sheryl Sandberg, and Jeff Weiner, have
enough back-and-forth to accomplish called for an increased emphasis on
these goals. conversations.
and eye contact.
How do you decide when to give a presentation and when to facilitate a conversation?
In order to make that decision, you need to decide on your goal. What do you want to get
out of the time you have with the group? The table below will help you determine which
mode of communication best suits your needs.
Presentation Conversation
01
Duarte, Inc. 2014 16
DOCUMENTS ARE DENSE
The best way to build If you use a document format, you can in section four? If so, how long did it take
add more detail while still allowing people to find it?
consensus during a meeting is to consume information at their own pace.
to distribute the information However, the dense nature of documents When you refer to a document, you lose
valuable time just trying to get everyone
beforehand to give people time can raise some issues. Very few people
to the same placenever mind your
look at a page full of business prose and
to review and absorb it. But think, This looks like great reading. I cant actual point.
what is the best way to wait to dive in!
Finally, many people process information
distribute that information? Also, documents can be difficult to faster and understand it better if its
reference during a discussion. Has presented visually. By handing out pages
anyone ever asked you to find the third full of paragraphs, youre putting up
sentence in the second to last paragraph barriers on the road to understanding
not the best way to start a meeting.
Document Presentation
Every department has long and dense, but necessary, Every department also has presentations it uses when people
documentation in the form of memos, reports, manuals, and need to combine the power of the spoken word and compelling
briefs. These artifacts are useful for holding a lot of information images to persuade an audience.
in a single container.
Slidedoc
Neither dense documents nor sparse
slides contain the right balance of detail
and scanability to be used as a pre-read
or handout. Slidedocs combine the
strengths of documents and presentations
while minimizing their weaknesses.
Characteristics of a Slidedoc
Explanatory
Modular structure
Educational
Visual thinking process
Tight visual-to-prose ratio
Understood quickly
Slidedocs are visual How can I be so sure? Because its been While using presentation software is the
in front of us the whole timethis easiest way to create a slidedoc today, the
documents, developed in awesome way of communicating concept actually predates software.
presentation software, that information thats both easily consumed
are intended to be read and and easily referenced. Many people In fact, Hughes Aircraft published a report
havent realized the brilliance behind on the Sequential Thematic Organization
referenced instead of these artifacts, because theyve been of Publications (STOP) in 1965.
projected. using them in the wrong way.
Proponents of the STOP method believed
Instead of allowing audiences to read that communicating information by putting
Id be willing to make three bets:
these slidedocs, people have been a single idea on a page and supporting it
1. You already know what slidedocs are presenting them in long, boring read- with text and pictures was a more concise
alongs and putting audiences to sleep. and collaborative way to build dense
2. You already have slidedocs floating By doing this, people have learned to proposals and reports.
around your organization overlook presentation software as a tool
for combining words and visuals in a way Similarly, slidedocs allow communicators
3. You yourself have already created that allows people to quickly consume and to break complex ideas into small chunks
a slidedoc spread information in atomic bites. of information and give readers the time to
absorb the information at their own pace.
list of what you want to discuss.
Sheryl Sandberg
COO, Facebook
Photo: Copyright 2010 Drew Altizer, Financial Times Source: http://drte.co/pz Duarte, Inc. 2014 22
PRESENTATION SOFTWARE IS
THE RIGHT TOOL FOR THE JOB
Presentation software can be a great Youd be surprised by the number and Benefits of slide software:
publishing tool. The ability to integrate quality of ideas that begin in presentation
words, visuals, and other interactive software. Many people use it to create Visual: Visualizing information helps your
elements like hyperlinks and video are a concepts and strategies, and plenty of readers see what youre explaining.
few of the key attributes of a slidedoc. great ideas trickle out of these apps.
Versatile: It incorporates photos,
First, its a practical alternative to Lastly, very few tools allow you to pick up illustrations, sketches, and even video if
professional design software, which is entire pages, rearrange them, easily its posted online.
expensive and takes years to learn well. merge them into existing documents, or
Interactive: You can embed links and
Why make that investment when a tool save them into their own file. The ease
jump around the document itself or
you use every day will work for most of with which you can accomplish these
out to the Internet.
your communication needs? Granted, tasks with presentation software makes it
professional designers serve a great the perfect platform for spreading Tablet-ready: Its aspect ratio makes it
purpose. Designers spend years learning information. Ive seen slides we helped easy to load onto devices.
the effective display of information. For create for a client in one part of the
high-stakes collateral of any kind, nothing company come back to us repackaged in Spreadable: Its modular nature allows
can replace a designers ability to visually a deck from a completely different slides to be incorporated into other decks
guide and engage the reader. department. Its a testament to and spread it throughout the organization.
presentation softwares unique ability to
Second, presentation software is facilitate and spread ideas. Shareable: Platforms like SlideShare
pervasive. PowerPoint is installed on make it embeddable and shareable.
more than a billion computers worldwide.
SlideShare is a trademark of LinkedIn Corporation. All rights reserved. Duarte, Inc. 2014 23
+ Connecting With
Your Audience
01
Duarte, Inc. 2014 24
USE THE RIGHT TOOL FOR THE JOB
Slidedoc Presentation
2. Does the subject matter require a lot
Research Findings Lecture/Training
of detail to understand? If so, a slidedoc Reports Internal Launch
could be your best bet. The table to the Brief/Memo Board Meeting
right serves as a guide to help you decide Corporate Strategy Vision Meeting
Execution Plan All-Hands Meeting
where some internal and external Appendix Quarterly Update
communications may fall on the spectrum. Staff Meeting Project Overview
Status Update
Internal
Duarte, Inc. 2014 25
SLIDEDOCS ARE BETTER FOR THE AUDIENCE
The advantages below trickle down to the audience, who reaps the benefits of consuming clear
and concise prose paired with helpful visual aids.
Space limitations Visualized ideas Time savings Consensus building Shorter time to
force a slidedocs author help the audience see are achieved by is accomplished when understanding
to boil down the material what youre saying. allowing the audience to people have time to happens with material
to its essence. Done When critical business read the material discuss the material. thats been parsed,
correctly, this makes the decisions need to be instead of listening to it After reading a slidedoc, structured, and
material more clear to made quickly, visually be presented. (Imagine people can gather to visualized.
the reader. articulated concepts if I presented this have conversations
reduce the time to reach document to you about it that create
consensus. instead of giving it movement toward
to you to read!) objectives.
importantly, having a
meaningful debate.
Jeff Weiner
CEO, LinkedIn
Source:Photo:
http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130701022638-22330283-a-simple-rule-to-eliminate-useless-meetings
Copyright Duarte, Inc. 2014 27
SPREAD YOUR SMART THINKING
Converting
Documents
Into Slidedocs
This case study transforms lengthy, text-based prose from NOAAs Solar Physics high
school curriculum into a visually rich and easily consumable slidedoc that engages the
reader and passes along knowledge quickly.
There has been an incredible sea of change in publishing over the past
few years. Large publishers are scrambling to figure out the digital era
and digital book sales are surpassing traditional print books.
In 2008, when my first book was The introduction of tablets and digital Another benefit is the fact that slidedocs
published, there were only a handful of books has conditioned people to read on arent trapped in a proprietary platform that
other business books that used visuals as screens. Yet, I still havent found a is difficult to promote or share with others.
heavily as we did. Now, several business publishing platform that makes it easy to You can convert slidedocs to other file
books per year are released with a visual publish a digital, visual book that works on formats such as PDF, HTML, video, and
focus. The uptick in visual books is closely all screens, across all platforms. images relatively easily.
related to organizations presentation
culture and how we consume information Slidedocs, on the other hand, are All this can be done in an application that
on a day-to-day basis. multiplatform. You can distribute them via you use every day.
e-mail, tablets, servers, or social media
like SlideShare.
02
+ Content Creation
+ Case Study: Dense Slides Converted
+ Architecture of a Slidedoc
+ Data and Diagrams Clarify Content
+ Case Study: SAP Top 10
02
Duarte, Inc. 2014 38
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
In all three of my books, Ive spent a Take a mental walk in their shoes.
significant amount of time talking about Anticipate their concerns, their questions,
the need to craft your message around the and their circumstances, and keep those
audiences concerns. You could say some thoughts in mind as you construct your
things never change. copy. Youll be glad you did.
It goes without saying that your slidedoc should have a point, but youd
be surprised by how many pieces of communication (from e-mail all the
way to full-length books) are distributed without the author ever thinking,
What exactly am I trying to do here?
You know when you run into one of these Big Idea Requirements Example
pieces, because you look up at the end
(if you make it to the end) and think to Slidedocs spread your message through
yourself, What just happened? Your unique point of view
modular content.
You dont ever want someone to finish Whats at stake for those
your slidedoc with a confused look on their Slidedocs empower people to quickly
who do or do not adopt
face. Thats why you state your Big Idea. understand and easily share your ideas.
your point of view
Traditionally, the Big Idea must contain the
following three requirements:
These elements must be Slidedocs spread your message through
written in a complete modular content that empowers people to
sentence quickly understand and easily share your ideas.
Just as your slidedoc should have a single Big Idea, each page
should also focus on a single, core point.
Putting each idea on a single page allows If you find yourself crowding the page with
you to eliminate distractions and focus the words, then you may have strayed off
readers attention. topic. Either edit your material down or
create a new subtopic on another page.
The one-idea-per-slide mentality will also
keep you focused as you write your If you do create another page, make sure
slidedoc and prevent you from it supports the overall point youre making
overelaborating. with your slidedoc and that it really is
relevant to your audience. If not, the
Presentation software is especially useful content may be extraneous.
for keeping you honest in that regard.
Begin authoring your slidedoc by putting Remember, its less about demonstrating
your ideas for topics and subtopics on what you know, and more about making
individual slides. the information easy to consume and
understand. Curb the temptation to create
Once youve settled on a certain number a full explanation of everything you know
of topics, these ideas will become your about the topic.
page titles. As you develop the supporting
content, use the title as a litmus test to tell
whether or not youre staying on topic.
Before the meeting: Sent to executive: Sent before or after a talk: Sent after a talk or meeting:
If you distribute the slidedoc If an executive asks you to If you need to deliver detailed Using slidedocs for follow-up
before a meeting, it should be send along your slides, they information during a talk, send helps you seal a deal or add
able to be read in 20 minutes just want the facts and a context ahead of time or share more insights to help persuade
or less. It may be hard for reason to believe that your a detailed report with key stakeholders. These
reviewers to find large blocks idea is a good one. Five slides references after the talk so documents can be in the form
of time in their workday for seems to be the tolerance level your audience can study your of slidedoc collateral
focused reading. for people in power. Send them findings. These slidedocs (10 pages) or even a slidedoc
what they requested; theyre could be up to 50 pages. book like this one (up to 200
Beginning of the meeting: sharp enough to fill in the pages); it all depends on the
If you distribute the slidedoc for gaps themselves. Distributed during a talk: content and the audience.
people to read at the beginning If you want to distribute
of a meeting, it should take Sent to potential client: reference material during a
less than 10 minutes to read. Slidedocs make amazing talk, it needs to be limited to
That means it should be modular collateral. A potential information the audience will
10 pages or less. This is client making a buying hear in the talk or theyll read
particularly helpful when decision should have all their instead of listening to you. 10
the topic is highly complex questions answered in a pages is the most you should
or technical. slidedoc 10 pages or less. have for these types of
slidedocs.
Sound like more work? After all, those bullet points were
relatively easy to squeeze out. But if you are taking the time to
communicate your idea in the best possible format, it makes Filter
sense to maximize the use of that format.
Dont assume that your readers will follow your lead because
your idea is important to you. Use words and visuals to explain to
your audience why your idea is important to them.
First, following an editorial process will help both you and your team focus on the main
message you want to communicate. Second, it will focus your attention on a single task
and keep you from feeling overwhelmed.
To set up your editorial process, step back and look at the project as a whole. Define
the intent of the slidedoc, and stay focused on the best way to convey that information
to your audience. Then, follow these three steps to completing the content: ideate,
create, and refine.
My process happens to start in PowerPoint. Once you identify relevant topics that support your idea, invite the
rest of your team in to make sure youve covered all the main
I outline the sections that I think will be my points and confirm that the overall flow of your slidedoc works.
slidedocs main components. Then, under those Again, its important to think about your slidedoc as a whole. Ask
yourself, How will my audience navigate through this?
sections, I add pages (slides) with the titles of
topics I want to cover. In high school, many of Many times at Duarte, we paste the entire slidedoc on the wall
us learned how to structure reports by writing and rearrange the individual pages until we have a logical order.
Solid structure creates an impactful experience to guide the
the points we wanted to cover on 3"x5" index audience through the slidedoc.
cards and arranging the order. I still use that
This is also where I start thinking about how I want the reader to
method, only I do it in PowerPoint. feel as they page through the material.
Once you have your ideas collected, refine them. This is the time to craft
your copy and make sure every word and every sentence contributes to
the main idea on the page and the slidedocs Big Idea.
As youre refining the copy into clearer and more succinct text,
start thinking about the best way to organize that information
on the page itself. a b c
During a presentation, you have a captive They usually contain this type of copy:
audience. With a slidedoc, they can simply
stop reading. A. Headlines use 6- to 10-word titles
around the slides main topic.
So, organize your information in a way
thats easily digestible and helps guide B. Subheads include the thesis or a
your readers through the slidedoc. summary of the slides main point.
The best presentation slides use just a title C. Paragraphs cluster sentences into
and minimal text, whereas a slidedoc can complete thoughts.
use many more organizational techniques
D. Bullets use full sentences and a
that make it easier to scan and draw the
parallel structure.
eye through the material.
E. Pull-quotes are used for emphasis and d e
help important content stand out either in
line or repeated in a box.
It makes it easier
to stay focused on
a single subject.
It keeps you from It provides room
exhausting your for visuals.
audience.
For example, you could have a title read Review the title after you write the body
Network Router Options. But what about copy and ask yourself three questions.
the options? And what does it mean to First, does the copy support the title? If
your audience? Instead, you could say, not, you might need to change the title or
Fast Network Routers Speed Time to change the content to support the title.
Market. Second, does the title fit within and
support the greater slidedoc message? If
Instead of informing your readers that not, then you might not need the slide at
youre about to tell them about routers, by all. Third, is the title concise? If your title is
changing the title youve introduced two longer than two lines, tighten it by cutting
more ideas: 1) Its a fast router. 2) It will out the fluff.
help your audience accomplish a goal.
Thats not a bad trade for five more words.
Viewing your slidedoc in outline view gives Having the titles flow into each other not
you an opportunity to audit your story flow. only helps your readers, but it can also
Presentation softwares default display is assist you during the creation and
the left panel highlight slide view. To view refinement processes. As you read your
slide titles only, simply click the tab for titles in outline view, check to make sure
outline view and read through your slide they form a complete arc. Ask yourself if
titles in order. Each title should give you a the thematic intent is clear. Does each
good understanding of what that page is topic build naturally onto the next?
about. When you read them sequentially, Are there subordinate ideas that dont
if they are written well, the page titles need their own slide? Viewing your
should make a logical case or slides in this context will make your
persuasive arc. content stronger.
Source: http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/Curric_7-12/Chapter_1.pdf
Duarte, Inc. 2014 52
FOLLOW GOOD WRITING PRACTICES
A strong title will entice your audience to read the rest of the text on your slide.
Clear copy, however, will make sure they fully absorb your message.
Slidedocs require full sentences, because Changing your copy from passive to active
they dont have a presenter to fill in the voice most often means putting your
gaps. But they also require precision and subject at the beginning of your sentence
clarity, both of which can be achieved by and having it perform an action.
writing in full sentences versus bullets.
Writing in active voice isnt always
Making your copy more direct can help possiblesome sentences are stubborn.
sharpen your thinking. The best way to do The most effective authors use it as often
that is to use an active voice. The active as they can.
voice helps make your writing sound more Passive Voice Active Voice
interesting by propelling your readers For more writing pointers, check out
through your prose. William Zinssers classic,
On Writing Well.
The new
Grammar nerds can tell whether youre We developed
version of our
using the active voice or its evil twin, the the new version
product was
passive voice. They simply search for of our product
developed in
in 9 months.
forms of the verb to be, a key indicator of 9 months.
the passive voices presence. You can
think of the passive voice as any wording
that delays or avoids your main point. The speech-to- Both products
text feature is offer the
available on speech-to-text
both products. feature.
The slidedoc format gives you are made from the gut before they are Use analogies: People respond when
rationalized. Incorporate emotive visuals, they can identify things as either similar or
a higher word count than a shocking statistics, and stories that create different from their perspective. Using
traditional slide, but less than an emotional response in the reader. analogies to compare the similarities and
a document. Make benefits explicit: Before a
differences aids understanding.
reader will get on board with what This type of language helps
By writing full paragraphs, you have room youre proposing, they need to see whats people rationalize, remember
to craft more compelling, persuasive copy. in it for them. Make it clear what reward
This is imperative since, without a they will receive if they take the risk of
your ideas, and make
presenter, your copy and visuals are the aligning with you. decisions easier.
only thing guiding the audience through
the slidedoc. That said, a slidedoc doesnt Cite examples: Show readers examples
have to be boring or ineffectualhere are of times when others in a similar situation
a few ways to avoid that: made a decision to align with your
perspective and had a successful
Use emotional appeal: Business copy outcome. Case studies and proof help
tends to be cold and factual. But decisions people through their decision process.
Cutting down your slidedoc's text can be The more content you have, the more
one of the most liberating steps of the choice readers have over the bits and
entire processand the most difficult. It is pieces to which they choose to pay
painful to delete something you spent a lot attention. By narrowing the number of
of time creating. And its tempting to justify choices, you have more control over
keeping everything to avoid what writers their focus.
call murdering your darlings. Thinking
about what you want your slidedoc to So, when tightening the copy in your
accomplish helps motivate you to refine slidedoc, think to yourself, Is this one of
your content. the main points that I want my readers to
take away? If not, get out your ax.
First, you want people to read your
slidedocnot skim, read. In order to do You can see an example of a passage
that you must keep it short. Second, you trimmed down to its essence on the
want to maintain control over what readers following page.
take away from your slidedoc.
Review your document,
highlight the main points to
keep, then cut the rest.
Your information is competing against a lot of distractions. So, you need to take every
precaution possible to make sure people consume, understand, and embrace it.
There are several ways to make your Chunking your copy also makes it easier
content more consumable. to consume in todays hectic environment.
When reading a dense document online,
You can make your information so its easy to lose your place if youre
entertaining that nobody wants to stop interrupted. But when reading a slidedoc,
reading. You can trim your message. Or, you can pick up right where you left off.
you can chunk it into bite-sized pieces.
Slidedocs are a natural tool for chunking.
Theres a limit to how entertaining copy By keeping your copy brief and changing
can be. And no matter how much you cut, the subject on every page, you provide
theres a limit to that, too. Chunking is easily digestible content. Its less
another tool to help get through to people. intimidating and makes your message
seem more clear to the reader.
Chunking structures your material in small,
uniform bits of discourse that build toward
a larger point. This makes information look
less dense and intimidating to the reader.
Converting
Dense Slides
Into Slidedocs
The following slides for the Hawaii Tsunami Warning System were too dense to be slides,
but not dense enough to be effective documents. So, we combined the content from the
slides and speaker notes to make a beautiful slidedoc.
The original slides are too dense to be projected, Combining all three slides into one keeps all eleven insights of
but unable to stand alone as slidedocs. One topic the end-to-end system on one page. It was important to keep the
was spread across three slides. highlighted text skimmable.
When reviewing the slides in notes view, Pulling the notes onto the page keeps all the content readable
we noticed there was critical information and in one place.
that needed to be moved to the slidedoc page.
These two slides have critical information, and the content By combining the two slides and using a consistent illustration
is stronger if they are combined, but the graphic styles dont style, you see the system in relation to its designated location.
work together.
When the information youre conveying is potentially Using concentric circles instead of swooping arrows clearly
life-saving, you need to be as clear as possible. The demonstrates how long it will take for a tsunami to reach
multidirectional arrows in this graphic are confusing. each island.
Once you have a draft that youre satisfied Again, slidedocs are perfect for group
with, its time for another critique. Dont editing because you can lay them out in
Strengthen
wait until your draft is polished and an open area and the group can gather
the quality
perfect. Accept that the rough draft of around and discuss various ideas and
nearly anything is just thatrough. improvements.
of titles
Suggest
areas to cut
By putting an early draft With each slide as an individual topic, you
information
can easily alter the structure by moving
in front of your colleagues, slides around. If you were to post a Validate the
you can get feedback earlier, document of prose on the wall, there structure
and flow
which will help you stay would be multiple points per page. Look for
flaws in
focused and avoid Subjecting yourself to peer review can be
reasoning or
rabbit trails. painful, but it offers great rewards.
execution Improve
Embracing other perspectives of your
work helps it reach a broader audience, examples,
Their input can also help you jump difficult
and helps you grow into a stronger phrases,
hurdles, like an awkward transition, a
communicator. or data
particularly difficult concept to explain, or
Here are some
a dull headline. ways the
group might
help improve
your slidedoc.
You can take a stab at the introduction before you Introduction GO TO THIS SLIDE 6
begin writing. However, since slidedocs tend to evolve
as you write, you may need to revisit the introduction
when your slidedoc is complete. Once youve finished
writing, youll have a more accurate idea of the points
that are covered. Key points in your introduction can
come from the titles of the slides themselves.
deeper clarity.
Jeff Bezos
CEO, Amazon
Photo: Copyright 2010 Steve Jurvetson Source: http://drte.co/qa Duarte, Inc. 2014 66
+ Architecture
of a Slidedoc
02
Duarte, Inc. 2014 67
DRAWING INSIGHTS FROM BOOKS
A great slidedoc is a bit like a well-designed book. It combines content with a visual style,
consistent formats, and clear visuals, and then sequences them together into a cohesive whole.
Slidedocs borrow some specific design This section takes insights from book
aspects from books. Books have a cover, design and publishing to make sure you
table of contents, clear chapter indicators, get the most out of your slidedoc.
prose, page numbers, and other small
design decisions that have big information
architecture implications to help readers
navigate the contents.
Your company logo can go into your slidedoc, but not as a huge
cover graphic or on the corner of every page. Think of your
company as the publisher of your slidedoc. Similar to how the
publishers logo on a book is small and on the spine, your
companys visual presence should be simple and discrete.
Authors name
Publisher
Content
linking
Section
heads
Section
names
Page
numbers
When a reader looks at When readers are trying to consume Above is the TOC for a slidedoc about
information for a purpose, they want to endangered species. More of this slidedoc
the Table of Contents (TOC), know what theyre getting into. In fictional is shown on page (74). You can see how
they should get what the prose, its great to build suspense and readers get the gist of what the document
have surprises and plot twists. But its
book is about and want to is about, so they can choose to read it all
different if the goal is to convey or jump to a specific section.
read it based on how the page information quickly.
titles string together.
Even though the TOC will be at the front of
the slidedoc, it should be the last thing you
write. The TOC will be a derivative of your
outline view in your presentation software.
Dont add page numbers until you are
certain they wont change.
Duarte, Inc. 2014 71
ANATOMY OF A TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section
heads
All books have headers and/or footers that indicate the section or The header
chapter name to help orient the reader as to what section they setting in PPT
are in. In the case of a slidedoc, use the footer area to add your appears on the
corporate confidentiality or copyright information which notes page
discourages people from spreading your secrets.
Differentiating sections visually lets the reader know when theyre transitioning into a new
topic. There are several visual mechanisms you can employ to alert the reader theyre moving
into a new section.
Traditional books dont have one idea per page, so the graphic
gets separated from the text it is related to. This is true in my own
book, the HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations. The graphics
and text are on different pages so you cannot see both at once.
Another way to make navigating content easier for the reader is to let them jump to the
content they find most interesting. Slidedocs are self-navigable if you add hyperlinks
and inter-application links so users can jump around the material. This is an added user
benefit and a major advantage of digital slidedocs. Here are some examples of natural
ways to add interactivity and navigation:
It should be clear when the reader is at the end of a section or at the end of the entire document.
Below is a list of elements often found at the end of sections or documents:
02
Duarte, Inc. 2014 82
DATA CREATES MEANING
When it comes to incorporating data and diagrams in your slidedoc, you need
to be cognizant of the meaning they create and how to make that clear.
Data Diagrams
Data isnt really just about the numbersits about the meaning Diagrams are content, too. Putting words into shapes and placing
behind the numbers. The conclusions. The insights. The actions them next to, or connecting them to, each other creates meaning
humans will take because of the numbers. Its your job to and establishes relationships between the information.
uncover these elements.
Make sure youve chosen the right type of relationship, because
When incorporating data, dont just stick a chart on a page. how you place text in shapes on a surface creates meaning: Are
Determine the findings and narrative of the data and include they similar? Are they different? Are they connected? Is there
prose around that. hierarchy? Does it indicate process?
Remember, your copy needs to be clear and succinctthe same Every time text in a shape is placed on a page, make sure the
applies to your data. Unfortunately, presentation software has a proximity and connections are conveying the right message.
wealth of buttons, bullets, lines, ticks, gradients, borders, fills,
and other chart decorations that can quickly overwhelm the data
on your slide. Avoid using any unnecessary information so that
your message will come through more clearly.
When your organization needs to make decisions from data, make sure
to show the conclusions of the data. A data chart has three layers:
1 Background 2 Data 3 Emphasis Result
+ + =
+ + =
The background layer The data plotted is usually Select the parts of your data These final results contain
contains elements like tick pulled from a data table. that you need the reader to all the data, but use contrast
marks, scales, legends, and Colors and attributes can be notice. Use a bright highlight to draw the eye to the most
grid lines. It provides context assigned when its visually color that contrasts with the critical information.
and scale. Backgrounds should plotted. Plot all the data in a neutral color so the important
use neutral colors. neutral color and then conclusions are quickly
continue to the next step. identified.
Five common diagram types are displayed below with visual examples
on the pages that follow.
Professionals have been using text-filled diagrams to explain abstract concepts for hundreds of years. The best way to
show how things relate to each other is to use proximity, scale, and links so the hierarchy and relationships are clear.
Sequence Radial
Web
Ring Network connects exterior shapes with each other through a closed loop.
Pie Shape is cut into pieces, with the center pieces coming to a point.
Donut Shape is cut into pieces, but has a hole or hub in the middle.
Hook Shapes have a hook and eye that causes them to interlock.
Duartes Diagrammer.com
Duarte, Inc. has built thousands of diagrams that fit into the
taxonomy on the previous five pages. Go to diagrammer.com
for over 4,000 free, custom-made diagrams that fit in this
framework.
Data and
Diagrams Convey
Information
SAP creates a series of skimmable SAP Top 10 white papers. These informative documents
shows the top 10 reason customers choose SAP. These unique documents address many of
their clients industries, such as business transformation, life sciences, and others.
Source: http://global.sap.com/netherlands/about/pdfs/2011-02_TenReasonsCustomersChooseSAP.pdf
2014. SAP AG or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved. Duarte, Inc. 2014 94
Understand the benefits immediately, just from reading the table of contents.
2014. SAP AG or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved. Duarte, Inc. 2014 95
The tabulation system at the top helps with context and way-finding.
They highlight what is important in the data.
2014. SAP AG or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved. Duarte, Inc. 2014 96
Bold color palette and typographical hierarchy make processing data easy.
The important data is in a bold color and secondary information is neutral.
2014. SAP AG or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved. Duarte, Inc. 2014 97
The portability of this collateral form is a simple way to arm
sales reps with chunks of impactful content.
2014. SAP AG or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved. Duarte, Inc. 2014 98
Designing a
Slidedoc
03
+ Visual Systems Unify
+ Case Study: Power of Story
+ Grids Add Structure
+ Breathe With White Space
+ Typesetting Amplifies Whats Important
03
Duarte, Inc. 2014 100
SLIDEDOCS ENABLE VISUAL CONVERSATIONS
Keynote is a registered trademark of Apple Inc. Google Slides is a registered trademark of Google.
Duarte, Inc. 2014 101
All rights reserved.
ESTABLISH A VISUAL LANGUAGE
Use a consistent color palette. Select 35 Buy or create a robust illustration Create or curate a library of photography
colors, plus a neutral and highlight color. library thats relevant to your industry that looks like it was shot by the same
and stylistically consistent. Avoid cheesy photographer.
clip art.
Typesetting and color are a strong design Constrain your color palette and always All the custom illustrations use the
element in this slidedoc. include at least two neutral colors. In this same style and overlap to create a
case, there are two shades of gray. sense of depth and richer colors.
Duarte, Inc. created two templates for you to download. You can use them as-is or
as inspiration for your own slidedoc template. Visit www.slidedocs.com to receive free
slidedoc templates.
Below are choices that help differentiate between slidedocs and presentations.
You can choose one or multiple.
portrait static
4:3 landscape animates
16:9
The 4:3 aspect ratio works well for Another possible way to differentiate Since animations can only be viewed
slidedocs to read on devices and prints between the slidedocs and slides is to in slideshow mode, using them in
well on letter size paper. You might use portrait mode for slidedocs, which presentations makes perfect sense.
choose this option for a slidedoc and allows it to mimic a traditional Eliminating animations and builds in a
keep a 16:9 version of a template for document, and use landscape mode slidedoc is a good rule of thumb since
presentations. More projectors are for projected presentations. This is not they are usually printed and need to be
using the wider aspect ratio which a hard rule, just an optional way to clear of all artifacts from animations
make it great for corporate help distinguish the differences. that obscures any content.
presentations.
Below are choices that help differentiate between slidedocs and presentations.
You can choose one or multiple.
BIG IDEA
Dark
Since slidedocs are to be read, the Often slidedocs are printed or read Several features of a slidedoc are
layouts should have a much longer onscreen. Its best if the background inspired by books and dense
word count and denser graphical is a white or a light color to make it documents. Layouts can have up to
content as a default. easy on the eye to read and also 175 words and other document
print-friendly. features like a table of contents,
Whereas presentations are
page numbers, and section heads.
conceptual and used to amplify the If you want to make a distinction
spoken word through simple, using color, you could project your Presentations are more visual than
emotive concepts, a slide may slides on a dark background with words and usually have only
have only one word. light text. This creates a more cinematic emotive visuals.
formal presentation setting.
Create a Unified
Visual System
Jennifer Aaker is the General Atlantic Professor of Marketing at Stanford GSB and
teaches the Power of Story. The workbooks for her class are slidedocs. The following
examples are designed by Brandon Ly and written by Barbara McCarthy. Notice how
all the visuals are thematically similar. Youd be able to identify this as Aakers material,
because of the handmade look to many of the visuals.
Creating beautiful and easy- When in a high-stakes situation: When you need to save time:
Do you need to land that account? And is Your team gets paid to be innovative,
to-read slidedocs isnt always this piece of slidedoc collateral key to not to layout slidedocs all day. Throw your
easy. There are times when getting your message across? Have a great ideas on the slides and have
you may need to bring in the professional look at it. professionals tidy them up.
professionals. Theres no When your templates need an upgrade: Slidedocs have too much content and
shame in handing over your Is your template just not equipped to you cant cut it:
create slidedocs the way you need to? A professional can help reframe content,
slidedoc to a professional for Dont force-fit new masters, get a new spread it across pages, and rework
some extra love. Thats what template designed right. Designers build material so it is succinct.
them within brand and are highly
theyre there for. A good question to ask yourself is
functional. whether the importance of your message
outweighs the cost of hiring a design firm.
But how do you know when its When you have highly complex slides: If so, then hire an expert. They will know
appropriate to consult an expert? To the Are you mixing a lot of type with detailed how to make your message clear and
right are some recommendations to save diagrams? Is your slide starting to look like beautiful.
time and possibly a lot of frustration: you just threw a whole bunch of stuff on
there? You know what to do.
As the author, I poured all my time into the thinking, conceptualizing, and writing. Then, a designer took over. Designers are trained
to read copy, amplify the most important parts by visualizing them, and add clear hierarchy. Everyone gets to play to their strengths. I
spent my time innovating, and my team helped make it clear (and beautiful).
Before:
My design skills are limited.
I focus on copy first, then find
visuals so designers can see
what Im trying to
communicate, and then they
do their magic.
After:
The team turns my words into
pictures, clarifies thinking
through diagrams, and lays out
type and pictures in visually
compelling ways.
03
Duarte, Inc. 2014 115
EVERYTHING WAS MADE WITH STRUCTURE
3 squares
vertically
4 squares
horizontally
Original content
Identify grid
To get a poster-sized PDF of every option for laying out a slidedoc in a 4:3 grid,
go here to get a PDF of these grids, courtesy of Dubberly Design.
03
Duarte, Inc. 2014 121
ADDING WHITE SPACE
In 1934, the magazine discovered young His work revolutionized both fashion and
Russian designer Alexey Brodovitch and magazine design. Adding white space and
brought him on as Art Director. Brodovitchs dramatic cropped images helped Harpers
work has been described as bold and Bazaar surpass Vogue as the top
arresting, featuring cropped fashion magazine.
photographs, typography, and design
on pages that bled beautifully. The following two pages provide examples
of how Brodovitch created designs that
Brodovitch's signature use of white space breathe with white space.
and the cinematic quality created through
image cropping brought gracefulness to A good picture must be a completely individual expression
the layouts. His design compelled Truman which intrigues the viewer and forces him to think.
Capote to write, What Dom Prignon was
to champagne...so [Brodovitch] has been Alexey Brodovitch,
to... photographic design and editorial Art Director
layout.*
03
Duarte, Inc. 2014 127
WHY TYPESETTING IS IMPORTANT
Select
your type
Up until now, weve learned how to write slidedoc-worthy copy. Putting in this extra effort will not only make
Weve learned how to introduce people to that copy by taking
some pointers from print. And weve learned a bit about layout
your text look nicer, it will make it easier to
and design. So far, so good. In this section, youll learn how to consume; which is an important factor when
make the text itself look like it was designed by a professional.
trying to get your message across to readers.
Professional designers use sophisticated design software
to make copy easily consumable. While PowerPoint and
Keynote dont have all the capabilities that come with
professional print design, there are a few simple steps you can
take within presentation software to achieve a professional look.
The first rule of formatting like a pro is staying consistent. Laying The first rule of formatting like a pro is staying Columns are too wide: If lines of text are too
out your text isnt just about making it fit or making it pretty; its consistent. Laying out your text isnt just about
making it fit or making it pretty; its about
long, your readers get lost when their eyes
return to the left side. The long length makes it
about making it consumable. making it consumable. The ideal line length difficult to determine when the text starts and
for text is based on the physiology of the human ends. Do not use the full length of your slide;
eye. At normal reading distance the arc of the break your pages into columns.
The ideal line length for text is based on the physiology of the visual field is only a few inches.
Columns arent wide enough: If lines of text are
human eye. At normal reading distance the arc of the visual field Research shows that reading slows and too short, the eye has to travel back and forth
retention rates fall as line length begins to too often which is tiring on the eye and
is only a few inches. Research shows that reading slows and exceed the ideal width. This may be caused by frustrating to readers unable to read a complete
one of two problems: thought.
retention rates fall as line length begins to exceed the ideal
width.* This may be caused by one of two problems:
Columns are too wide: If lines of text are too long, your readers
get lost when their eyes return to the left side. The long length
makes it difficult to determine when the text starts and ends.
The default for PowerPoint
Do not use the full length of your slide; break your pages into
is for a one-column layout that
columns. spans the entire slide. Instead,
select the two- or three-column
Columns arent wide enough: If lines of text are too short, the
layouts for your slidedocs.
eye has to travel back and forth too often. This is tiring on the
eye and frustrating to readers who are unable to read a complete
thought.
Set your columns and font size so that there are between 50 and
70 characters per line of text (or 12 to 15 words). This is the
optimal length for legibility and will significantly increase the
readability of the online or printed text.
*Source: Lynch, Patrick J. and Sarah Horton. Web Style Guide: Basic Design Principles for Creating Web Sites.
Duarte, Inc. 2014 129
New Haven: Yale UP, 2009.
TEXT HIERARCHY
The title introduces your slide and should The body copy, the main blocks of text A note about color treatments: Its very
be the first thing that people read. on your slide, will take the most amount easy to include too many colors as youre
Therefore, you want it to stand out in of time to read. So, think about trying to differentiate one kind of text from
some way. For instance, it could be consumability when picking a font. another. Try to avoid creating a text
bolder. If youre using a thinner font, you People dont read words letter by letter. rainbow and remember color is only one
could put the title in all caps or make it They see the entire word as a picture of the tools in your tool belt. Weight,
very large. Just make sure its the first bit and understand text by connecting that CASE, size, and italics are all good ways
of text that people are drawn to. picture with its meaning. When you make to set different kinds of text apart.
it difficult to recognize that picture, youre
The subtitle goes right below your title putting a barrier between your reader
and expands on it in some way. This and your message. Classic, clean fonts
copy should be significantly smaller than are the way to go here. Be sure to make
the title, but not smaller than the main the text big enough and dark enough,
text on the slide. so readers dont have to strain to see it.
Subheads label the different sections Callouts are the small blocks of text that
within each slide. They are the next level are used to point something out in a
of text hierarchy, so they should be graph or diagram. This text can be equal
smaller than the title and subtitle. Your in size to the body copy, but it also needs
subheads might even be equal in size to to be distinguished in some way. A
the main copy on your slide, but you classic way to set your callout text apart
should differentiate them in some way. is to italicize it. You can also make it a
For instance, they might be a bit bolder separate color.
or a different color.
Subtitle supports
the main title.
Title text is larger Body copy is a
and the most neutral color and
dominant text smaller than headline
on the page. copy, so headlines
and subheads
stand out.
Web links
can be color-coded,
underlined, or both.
Colored box is great
for emphasized text
or pull quotes.
Footers are the least dominant Tabulated navigation helps identify where you are;
element on the page. colored text identifies the current page.
After setting up your text Proper paragraph spacing, or the space When youre finished adjusting the
between paragraphs, helps the reader formatting of your text using these
hierarchy and designing your take a break between paragraphs and guidelines, take a look at it as a whole.
page, another step on the path helps denote a change in ideas. The Are the right sides of your lines of text
to consistency and readability space between paragraphs also makes really jagged? Do you have single words
body copy look less intimidating when or short phrases dangling on the end of a
is actual typesetting. looking at large blocks of text. paragraph? Go ahead and clean those
last few lines of text manually with soft
Typesetting is adjusting all the seemingly As I mentioned, columns make your text returns (shift + return) for that final polish.
small things that make it easy to navigate easier to consume. Split up big chunks of
your copy. Here are some basic text into two or more columns for
typesetting items to think about: maximum readability.
Line spacing is the amount of room Dont get fancy when aligning your text.
between lines of text. Providing enough Left justified usually works best. I dont like
space here helps the reader keep track of the big gaps between words that justified
his or her place and makes for a more text creates, and people are used to
comfortable reading experience. seeing their copy aligned to the left. That
said, if you have a callout that needs to go
with a specific graphic, align to the side of
the text thats closest to the item that
youre talking about. This practice makes
the two items seem more connected.
Dont assume that your readers will Most importantly, for these smaller
always access your slidedoc on a laptop screens, text needs to be larger. Use less
or desktop. If your audience is on the go text, but larger in size, per slide if you
(and who isnt these days?), you may know your audience will be reading your
consider optimizing your slidedoc for material from their phones. Here are some
mobile devices. This will require some recommendations to consider for viewing
extra consideration. on various screens:
Subtitle 28 pt 38 pt 18 pt 16 pt
Body Copy 24 pt 34 pt 11 pt 10 pt
Graphic Callouts 30 pt 40 pt 10 pt 8 pt
BUY ON AMAZON.COM
04
+ Printing and Projecting Slidedocs
+ Distributing Slidedocs
+ Case Study: Notes View How-To
+ Spread Big Ideas With Slidedocs
04
Duarte, Inc. 2014 138
YOUR JOB IS TO COMMUNICATE
When you have an idea or initiative that must bear fruit, then
spending your time clearly communicating could be what brings
you the most traction.
Set aside time to conceptualize what you are going to say, how
to visualize it so they can see what youre saying, and then Your Real Job
determine the best means to communicate it.
Visual reference:
During a formal presentation, you may
want to project a page from a slidedoc
solely as a visual reference so the
audience knows what page youre asking
them to read. To the right is a slide I used in a vision
meeting. I projected cinematic slides and
Overlay sketches: provided a slidedoc as a handout. When I
If you project onto a whiteboard, people wanted the audience to refer to a specific
page, I projected a picture of that page as
can sketch over graphics to help clarify
a visual reference.
meaning.
Bad Habit #1: Bad Habit #2: Bad Habit #3: Bad Habit #4:
Use slides as a Leave no time to prepare Think dense slides Desire
teleprompter a real presentation look smart accreditation
The biggest reason people Authors pour ideas, words, and People in analytical roles When youve worked hard on
present slides-as-documents pictures onto slides as part of sometimes think the merit of an your ideas, its tempting to
is that they want to make the creative process. The idea is directly proportional to present the material instead of
sure they cover everything problem is that people stop the amount of information on handing it out. Presenting
comprehensively. Presenters therewith all their thoughts in the slide. They feel that if you material makes it clear that
put every word on a slide so writing on the slide. If you plan dont have dense charts and youre the author and subject
they dont forget what theyre to present the material, theres graphs, you havent done your matter expert. But is that
supposed to say. They build an additional step you need to research or been thorough necessary? This behavior is
what is essentially a visual take to distill the document into enough. However, projecting based on pride of authorship,
teleprompter. Audiences a true visual aid. If you dont several layers of charts on a not communication efficiency.
become frustrated when they have time to perform this step, slide is a very different
have to sit through a presenter its best to distribute it as a experience than distributing
read-along, just like it would document. several charts throughout a Regardless of why people
frustrate you to read the slidedoc for people to read and present their dense slides,
Presidents teleprompter interpret for themselves. the practice should stop.
instead of listening to the
State of the Union.
04
Duarte, Inc. 2014 143
DISTRIBUTE SLIDEDOCS ONLINE
Embed E-mail
SlideShare presentations can SlideShare can track who has
be embedded into HTML seen the file, connect them to
pages. Anywhere a YouTube your website, and collect
video can go, a SlideShare contact information which
slidedoc file can go. generates leads.
Share Analytics
Instead of e-mailing a large file SlideShare is a great tool for
that clogs inboxes, send a link distributing slidedocs. Upload
to the SlideShare file online. your presentation, and it
translates into a format that
can be broadly and publicly
distributed online.
A few years ago, I conducted a survey to see how many people Have meeting attendees read one page and discuss that topic.
attended presentations remotely versus in person. The results When attendees read the slidedoc and then discuss it, it engages
showed that 85% of presentations were remote. Its harder to them more often. Each time you advance to a new slide, if
make a sincere connection with an audience when youre not in attendees are multitasking, theyll have to minimize e-mail (or
the same room. whatever theyre doing) to read the slide so they can continue to
be a participant. But again, dont read or present the slide to
Managers spend most of their workday in meetings. Many them; its faster if they read it and then discuss it.
managers consider almost half of those meetings a waste of
time. So when meetings are already feeling like a waste, make You can also use slidedocs as a guide and context for all the
yours more productive by using a slidedoc. topics you want to talk over. Putting the topics youll be
discussing in a slidedoc moves the meeting along. It also helps
In a remote meeting situation, youre attendees gauge how much youve covered as the meeting
progresses.
competing with many attendee distractions,
the primary one being their e-mail. If your If youre using telepresence or other emerging video systems,
material isnt more interesting than their sending slidedocs ahead of time will ensure that your
communication is failsafe (you never know what might go wrong
inbox, they wont be 100% present. with technology).
Slidedocs are the perfect content-density for reading and distributing on a tablet.
Slides are a backdrop for the spoken word, not rich in content
themselves. Their vagueness leaves room for a recipient to make
up what was said, develop inaccurate conclusions, and
misconstrue the meaning.
As presentations are passed along without the presenter, If the graphic above was used
important information is lost. Data is dropped that helps make alone on a slide, how would
your case. you know what was said
about it? For example, are
The same is true when distributing slides on platforms like these people contributing to or
SlideShare. The slides need to be self-explanatory and clear, pulling from this system?
because metaphorical concepts are open to interpretation. The Vague metaphors can be
misunderstood if they are
following case study shows how to create a slidedoc in notes
shared without explanation.
view of your cinematic slides so readers know what you said to
your slides.
Convert
Cinematic Slides
Into Slidedocs
David Allen, of The David Allen Company, is a great presenter who uses cinematic
slides effectively. When he needs to leave information behind after his talks, he
delivers beautiful layouts of his slides in notes view.
Default master has a large slide and Scale and move the master elements
cascading text. any way youd like.
04
Duarte, Inc. 2014 154
PRESENTATIONS HELP
SPREAD SLIDEDOCS
Lets say youve created a Use a different creative process to To make a presentation about your
develop a presentation that is an slidedoc, isolate the key insights and
brilliant slidedoc packed with inspirational, persuasive derivative of findings in your slidedoc. Think through
research, data, process, and your document. why they matter and how you want the
insights. When you need to Remember back when annual reports
audience to be transformed when you
present the information. Brainstorm
present it, how do you present used to be printed? They had a thin metaphors, stories, and visuals that help
it? First, dont present your glossy section in the front that was very your information come alive and only
beautiful, story-like, highly visual, and present that information verbally.
research; present the results human-centric. The rest was a dense
and findings in the research document that stated how the company
performed financially.
and turn that into a
presentation with slides.
The ability to have small, organized If slides arent rich with content and dont
chunks of content to arrange makes visually look like they hang together in a
creating slidedocs very efficient. unified visual language, recipients will feel
Organizing content by focusing on one like youve simply piecemealed it together,
idea per page, you can mix and match or Frankensteined slides from different
ideas to meet different reader needs. The decks. Theyll assume you created the
atomic nature of the units makes it easy to slidedoc without caring about how they
structure your thoughts into a clear case. need to process the information.
Twitter:
@nancyduarte
LinkedIn:
Nancy Duarte
Special
Ric
Your support over
Thanks Aisling, Denise,
the years and on
Tyler & Ivan
this slidedoc has The book wouldnt have
astounded me. happened without your
http://www.ricbret.com rocking design skills
and tenacity.
Denise,
Dan Janet, Kyle &
Your template
wizardry has made Stephanie
this slidedoc and Your case studies and
the free templates template designs are
magical to use. beautiful and central
Thank you for generously to this book. And it wouldnt be a valuable book
donating the slidedoc.com without a cute pic of my granddogs
domain to this cause. Bear and Necessity.