Let’s be honest—most of us have more work than hours in the day. Yet you’re still expected to put together slide decks that don’t bore people out of their minds. Easy to say, but if you’re already busy, it’s hard to make slides look sharp, stay clear, and not suck up your whole evening. That’s where some straight talk on slide design helps.
Why Slide Design Matters—Especially When You’re Busy
We’ve all sat through presentations where you either zone out or spend five minutes trying to figure out what the graphic even means. Bad slides don’t help anyone. In fact, cluttered or confusing slides slow things down for everyone, you included.
But the problem is, most people making slides are already balancing calls, emails, or picking up a kid from daycare. You’re not a full-time designer. Good news: the best slide decks aren’t about having the most features. They’re about being clear, quick, and practical.
Start With the Audience, Not the Slide Template
When you have ten other things to do, it’s tempting to grab a pre-designed slide and fill in the text. That rarely works well. Think for a moment: Who’s reading these slides? What absolutely needs to come across?
Say you’re talking to a group of new hires. Explaining industry jargon or your team’s abbreviations probably won’t help them. Skip the complicated stuff, and stick to the points they really need.
At the other end, if you need to brief senior leadership, focus on outcomes and facts instead of background. The more you shape your slides to your actual audience, the less you have to say—and the fewer slides you make.
Keep Each Slide Simple (and Actually Useful)
It’s easy to let each slide become your notepad, cramming in everything you might want to say. But people can only pay attention to so much. A good rule: if you see more than six bullets or big paragraphs, you’ve got too much on there.
Instead, ask yourself, “What’s the upshot?” If your slide covers one main point—no more, no less—it’ll be easier for people to follow.
Another trick: use slide titles that tell the main idea. Instead of “Revenue” as a title, try “Revenue Grew 8% Last Quarter.” Suddenly, people don’t have to hunt for your message.
Straightforward Layouts Work Best
When you’re short on time, flashy layout tricks usually hurt more than they help. Stick to clean, basic structures. Most standard slide tools like PowerPoint or Google Slides already have templates that are easy to follow.
Pick a layout with space for a headline, a visual (maybe a chart or image), and a little text. This way, your audience’s eyes go right where you want.
Try not to cram things in weird places just to fill space. White space—those blank areas on the slide—is actually good. It helps people focus on what matters.
Fonts and Text That People Can Read at a Glance
There’s a temptation to pick “quirky” fonts or use four different ones for variety. Resist that. Choose something plain and easy to read. Arial, Calibri, or Tahoma work everywhere.
Keep headlines above 30 points so folks in the back of a room can see them. For the main text, 20 to 24 points is usually safe. It never hurts to check your slides from a distance—if you struggle, your audience definitely will.
That also means using bold or italics sparingly. Save them for a word or phrase you actually want people to notice.
Pick a Color Scheme Once, and Stick With It
Color is where things go off the rails fast. You want to be memorable, but not blinding. Experts usually recommend two or three main colors for the slides—one for backgrounds, one for headlines, and an accent if you need.
If you’re not sure what works, slide tools have preset color schemes. Blues and grays are safe and look professional. Bright on dark, or dark on light, that’s your basic guideline.
Stay away from neon colors, busy backgrounds, or anything that makes the text hard to read. It’s amazing how quickly a weird color choice becomes the thing everyone talks about—if only because it’s distracting.
Images That Actually Help, Not Just Fill Space
Images can make a slide deck feel lighter and more human—if they’re used right. If you’re showing a product, use a real, high-quality photo. If you want to show an idea, maybe grab an icon or a simple illustration.
Avoid stock photos that scream “stock photo,” like corporate folks in suits awkwardly shaking hands. Nobody really looks at those.
Make sure your images are big enough that they don’t get pixelated when presented. If you’re using charts or diagrams, make them the star of the slide and avoid crowding them with extra text.
Using Graphics and Icons for Clarity
A simple graphic goes a long way. If you’re explaining a three-step process, use three icons in a row. Or draw a basic timeline if you’re talking about a schedule.
If you’re not a designer, free icon libraries (like flaticon or even PowerPoint’s own set) can help. The goal isn’t to impress, but to make your point easier to grasp.
Keep graphics clean and simple. Don’t use clip art from 1998. It’s not retro; it’s just dated.
Don’t Let Bullets Take Over
Bullet points are a tool, not a lifestyle. When you rely on bullets for every slide, you end up with slides that just look like a word wall.
Try to keep to three or four bullets per slide. Make each one as short as possible—one line, if you can.
If you have more to say, it’s probably time for a new slide. Or, say it with an image or a quick chart instead.
Data: Charts, Not Spreadsheets
Presenting numbers? Resist the urge to copy-paste a whole Excel grid. It’s almost impossible for anyone to process a dense data table in a few seconds.
Use a simple bar chart, line graph, or pie chart instead. Show just one message per chart. For instance, highlight the most important number in a contrasting color.
Double-check your charts for weird color choices or labels that are too small. If your audience can glance at the chart and understand the story, you nailed it.
Quick Tools and Hacks for Faster Slides
You don’t need fancy software to make slides that work. PowerPoint, Google Slides, and Keynote all have easy-to-follow templates and assets.
For images, try Unsplash or Pixabay for free, decent-looking photos that don’t look staged. If you need icons or basic vector graphics, sites like flaticon or PowerPoint’s built-in options do the trick.
If you’re strapped for time, build a master slide with the fonts, colors, and layouts set in advance. That way, every new slide you add matches the rest, and you won’t be fussing around tweaking colors late at night.
Some folks even keep a “greatest hits” deck—a folder with slides or charts they reuse for different talks. It’s not lazy if it saves hours and covers what you need.
Resourceful Solutions and Where to Learn More
If you ever need more than the basics, there are tools and resources that make things quicker. Canva is a popular pick for ready-to-use templates and design ideas. PowerPoint’s “Designer” feature automatically suggests slide layouts. Even simple design blogs can help if you want to get a little better, but never want to obsess.
And if you’re ever building presentations for official or legal purposes, there’s handy guidance at places like this legal consulting site as well. Specialized sites sometimes offer niche advice for making formal slides, so it’s worth a click if you have unique needs.
Getting Slides Done Without Losing Your Evening
A lot of folks waste hours tweaking things that don’t matter. If you stick to just a few fonts and colors, use simple images, and only share what needs to be on screen, your presentations will look way better—and take much less time.
You don’t have to become an expert to be effective. Focus on the basics: clarity, keeping points short, and making slides that you yourself can understand from ten feet away.
The rest will follow. When people don’t have to squint, decipher, or read a whole essay per slide, they remember the point. You get through your talk faster—and the follow-up questions will be about your ideas, not your slide formatting.
Final Thoughts: Keep Slide Design Approachable
No one expects you to be a graphic designer. The best slide decks just help you communicate what matters, quickly and clearly. Next time you put together a presentation, cut back on the extras and keep things readable.
Treat slide design as a tool, not a hurdle. It takes practice to know what to leave out, but you’ll get the hang of it. Before you know it, you’ll build decks that make sense and don’t eat up your week.
Extra Resources If You Want To Dig Deeper
– “Slide:ology” by Nancy Duarte (book)
– “Presentation Zen” by Garr Reynolds (book)
– canva.com (easy templates and designs)
– Presentation design resources from Google Slides and PowerPoint help sections
– The Presentation Guild (offers free tips and webinars for non-designers)
If there’s one thing to keep in mind, it’s this: A clean, readable slide deck is good enough. As you tighten up your approach, you’ll find it easier to stay on message—leaving you more time for everything else.