The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up Your Slides
by Christina McKenna
Netflix recently released the list of its most popular programming for the last decade and not surprisingly, “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” cleaned up in the non-fiction category, coming in at number one.
In a series of hour-long episodes, organization phenom Kondo brings calm to the most cluttered homes by ordering inhabitants to gather all their stuff into a single, messy pile, and then asking them to touch each item individually to test whether it “sparks joy.”
No joy? No need for it. It’s gently placed into the recycling bin and Kondo’s on to the next item. In no time, she combs through the clutter. Chaos gives way to calm. And the audience is enthralled!
The careful discipline with which Kondo teaches clients to sort through books and bed linens reminds me of the meaningful treatment our favorite “slide therapist,” Theresa Martin, applies to cluttered presentation slides.
“If it doesn’t spark joy, get it out of there!” Theresa Martin told a roomful of clients recently as she taught them to reduce a tangle of numbers and bullet points into a single powerful image and a concise line of copy. “When we make everything important, we make nothing important and audiences can’t tell what we want them to focus on.”
Martin should know. She de-clutters no fewer than 5000 client slides a year. She says the thing that most often threatens clear, compelling slides is the same thing that undermines an organized home: too much stuff.
Which is why Martin and Bluestone are now offering “Slide Therapy,” a workshop to help professionals apply basic design standards to create more impactful slides.
“Audiences love clean, simple slides that support the speaker’s remarks, rather than compete with them,” says Martin. “So it’s worth spending time tidying them up!”
Here’s one of Martin’s sample slide transformations that demonstrates the magic of “tidying up.”
Whether working with an expert or on your own, here are three simple ideas to get you started:
Be sure slides pass the “Billboard Test.” Like a driver passing a billboard, your audience should be able to glance at a slide, absorb its meaning in three seconds or less, and then turn their attention back to the speaker. Consider using a simple statement as a headline and select just one visual (a chart, graphic or photo) to support it.
Limit yourself to one idea per slide. Most presenters try to cram too much onto each slide. Remember, slides are free. If you have another idea to communicate, use another slide.
Embrace the concept of “whitespace.” Resist the temptation to fill up the open spaces (called “white space” even if your background isn’t white) that surround text and items of interest on your slide. Open space gives a slide credibility and creates a sense of calm, allowing the audience to focus on your main idea.
Don’t be discouraged if you can’t accomplish a complete slide overhaul in one attempt (Kondo herself suggests tackling just a single category at a time.) For starters, try eliminating a few bullet points, removing unnecessary numbers or simplifying other slide elements.
With a little discipline and persistence, your tidied-up presentation will spark joy in you, and more than likely, your grateful audience.
For more about Bluestone’s Slide Therapy workshops or more great ideas on communicating with impact, reach us at info@bluestoneexec.com, or call us at 248.514.7085.