This document outlines guidelines for creating effective PowerPoint presentations, drawing on practices from top-tier consulting firms. It covers aspects such as template selection, agenda structure, title writing, color usage, and the importance of visual elements in presentations. The guidelines emphasize simplicity, consistency, and the need to clearly communicate key messages through effective design and content organization.

1. Style Guide for Really Good PowerPoints
Adrian Hyde| Partner

2. Table of contents
 Introduction
 Selecting the right template
 Agenda slides & navigation
 Writing effective titles
 The use of color
 Conclusion
 Appendix
2

3. This document presents the guidelines used by top-tier consulting
firms to craft effective presentations
 All the top-tier management consulting firms have templates and ‘style-
guides’ to ensure consistent quality
 Until now, these guides have been locked up inside corporate firewalls
 For the first time, ReallyGoodPowerPoints has made these building blocks for
consulting-style presentations available to the public
 If you are shocked by how simple these guidelines are – don’t be; just follow
them consistently and you’ll see the result
3

4. The content and style of your presentation is influenced by the type
of presentation that you are making
4
Oral
Written
• Presentations that are projected on a screen, and led
by a presenter
• These presentations need to be very visual, have
minimal text and use large size fonts (min. 20 pt)
• Presentations that are meant to be printed, often as a
summary for executives
• Much more effective for executive briefings
compared to verbose word documents
Two main types of presentations
tip: this ppt is a written
presentation

5. Table of contents
 Introduction
 Selecting the right template
 Agenda slides & navigation
 Writing effective titles
 The use of color
 Conclusion
 Appendix
5

6. The master template should have a simple white background that is
free from watermarks and distracting colors
6
Too many background colors
distract focus from the key
message
Only use dark backgrounds for
oral presentations; never use
for printing
Look, a rainbow Lets kill some trees Like the pros
Provides excellent contrast for
presentations and is printer-
friendly

7. We have carefully designed our templates to incorporate
presentation best practices
 Font sizes and paragraph spacing carefully
calibrated to balance whitespace and enhance
readability
 Color palette pre-programmed into the
template to ensure consistent use for
beautiful presentations
 Licensed images for professional industry-
specific cover slides
7
Black template
White template
Key Features
Available on
ReallyGoodPowerPoints.com
For presentations to large audiences

8. Table of contents
 Introduction
 Selecting the right template
 Agenda slides & navigation
 Writing effective titles
 The use of color
 Conclusion
 Appendix
8

9. Start with the Agenda and repeat the slide at the start of each
section
9
tip: To avoid rework, put the repeating
slides in once the content is final
Write the agenda items in sentence case
Repeat the agenda slide at the start of
each section, highlighting the topic to be
covered
Sample Agenda Slide
1
2

10. If you are presenting an approach, use a navigation aide as you step
through the content
10
Present the approach upfront followed
by a description of each phase
Place a navigation aide at the top
each subsequent slide
1 2

11. Table of contents
 Introduction
 Selecting the right template
 Agenda slides & navigation
 Writing effective titles
 The use of color
 Conclusion
 Appendix
11

12. The title of each slide must capture the key take-away and should
stir the reader to take an action
 The font size and position of the title should be consistent across the
presentation (Calibiri 24pt is recommended)
 The title should ideally be a line and a half – and should never exceed two
lines
 The title should be in sentence case; It Should Never Be Written In Title Case
(As It Diminishes Readability)
12
tip: Start story-boarding by writing action
titles for the full deck upfront

13. Effective titles provide context for the content on the slide – here are
some examples of well written titles
13
Presenting an
Organization
Design
Here is the updated organization design
The proposed organization will accelerate product development
through new hires and cross-functional teams
Good
Presenting the
current situation of
a department
Our IT function costs 25% more than our peers and spends most
of its resources on commodity IT services
Average
Current State of IT 2013
Good
Average
Examples of Effective Titles

14. Table of contents
 Introduction
 Selecting the right template
 Agenda slides & navigation
 Writing effective titles
 The use of color
 Conclusion
 Appendix
14

15. Apply colors consistently throughout the presentation to
communicate your message effectively
15
r 192 g 0 b 0
Accent 1 Header Text & Diagrams
Accent 3 & DiagramsAccent 2
Recommended Color Palette
r 38 g 38 b 38
Text, subtitles &
subheadings

16. Make your presentations visual by adding pictures, diagrams and
graphs that reinforce your message
 The pictures must support your message – do not insert unrelated pictures
just for aesthetic reasons
 If you need to present complex drawings, such as an architectural diagram,
start with a high-level overview and then delve into each layer
16
Overview Diagram Drill-Down Slides

17. Diagrams
17
ILLUSTRATIVE
DRAFT
FOR DISCUSSION
CONFIDENTIAL
ESTIMATE
WORK-IN-PROGRESS
BACK-UP
SAMPLE
Status StampsSample Icons
100+ licensed clipart and icons curated
by a team of management consultants
Available on
ReallyGoodPowerPoints.com
Put the relevant stamp on your slide to
reflect the status of the content
FIRST DRAFT
FOR DISCUSSION
CONFIDENTIAL
SAMPLE
NOT EXHAUSTIVE

18. Table of contents
 Introduction
 Selecting the right template
 Agenda slides & navigation
 Writing effective titles
 The use of color
 Conclusion
 Appendix
18

19. Conclusion
 Effective communication is about structuring your message right, keeping the
language simple and omitting needless words
 Capture the key message of each slide in the title – in fact, write the titles for
the ensure deck first and then put in the content
 Generously use pictures and diagrams, but make sure they support the
content
19

20. Table of contents
 Introduction
 Selecting the right template
 Agenda slides & navigation
 Writing effective titles
 The use of color
 Conclusion
 Appendix
20

21. State the disclaimer on the title slide in fine print or, if required, on
a separate slide at the start of the presentation
21
External
Confidential
Sample Disclaimers
The information contained is intended for the personnel of <company> only.
Circulation or reproduction of this document outside of <company> is not
permitted.
The information contained in this document is proprietary and confidential. If
you are not the intended recipient, please note that any use or circulation of
this document is not permitted and may be cause for legal action.
tip: select the appropriate disclaimer and
tailor to fit your requirement