10 Things a Non-Designer Needs to Know

We set out to give you 10 practical tips. We ended up with 12. Simple things that make a big difference when creating a presentation, from knowing your message before you open PowerPoint to counting every element on the page. Best watched on YouTube, Apple or Spotify, as we share visual examples throughout. What we cover: Why your message comes before your slides: the what, the why and the how One idea per slide and revealing your story one beat at a time Visual hierarchy, white space, and cutting instead of shrinking Using images strategically, not on every slide Designing for the back of the room and different screen shapes Data storytelling: highlighting the one number that proves your point Cognitive load, element audits and limiting your colour palette Timestamps 00:00 - Intro 00:42 - 1. Start with what you want to say 02:26 - 2. One idea per slide 03:53 - 3. Don't fill the slide 05:00 - 4. If everything is important, nothing is 06:22 - 5. A picture isn't decoration 07:58 - 6. Your slide doesn't need to speak for itself 08:47 - 7. Consistency doesn't mean every slide looks the same 10:22 - 8. Design for the back of the room 12:12 - 9. Your chart doesn't need every number 14:23 - 10. Beautiful slides are never the goal 15:30 - 11. Every element is work 17:17 - 12. Rainbows belong in the sky 19:36 - The common thread: simplify 22:16 - Stop worrying about slide count 24:04 - Why AI won't do the thinking for you 25:13 - Creating moments, not slides 26:30 - Outro Listen, follow, and subscribe! Got a presentation challenge, story, or question? We'd love to hear it. Share your thoughts and ideas, and let us know what topics you'd like us to tackle in future episodes through our LinkedIn page:   / nxtsldpls   Follow your hosts Emma Pritchard:   / emma-birdboxdesigns   Andy Bundock:   / andybundock   PK Steffen:   / pksteffen   Mark Robson:   / sixmileshigh