virtual training – golden rules of slide writing · pdf filevirtual training - slide...

Virtual Training – Golden Rules of Slide Writing

December 2016

1Virtual Training - Slide Writing II Gold Rules - Dec 20 NK.pptx

Objectives of this training

Nina KrookProject Leader, Toronto

Your presenter today

What we want to achieve with this training

Explore the criteria of a good slide at BCG and how to bring out your key messages on a slide

Introduce some guiding principles of slide writing at BCG

Share practical tips on how to get started, and be more deliberate in designing the different components of a slide in order to tell a coherent story

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Facilitate team's thinking process

Influence clients' decisions

Provide lasting reference for clients

Why are slides so important at BCG? An important communication tool at BCG

Act as a forcing function to improve analytical rigor and crystalize insight

Powerfully communicate our recommendations to bring clients on a change journey

Help clients recall the results, logic, key recommendations and action steps


Some common issues observed in slides

Crowded images, crammed with illegible details• Inappropriate slide format for audience profile

Unclear messages, titles with convoluted phrasing or jargon, and too many messages on one slide

Overly complex frameworks or models, causing the loss of audience's attention

Masses of data with no focal point, causing message to be lost in the muddle

Conclusion in title unsupported in the body of the slide• Incomplete data• Incorrect conclusions drawn• Lack of specificity…


Step-by-step approach to slide writing

Step 1: Develop the relevant "key message" drawn from the analysis

Step 2: Express the message ina succinct title

Step 3: Design compelling visual to illustrate key message

Step 4: Review slide to see if subtitleis needed to support illustration

Step 5: Decide if inference or transition is needed to let story flow

Step 6: Final check your slide against errors and ensure strong internal

logic

Drawing out and supporting the key message

Guiding the audience's eyes and making slides easy to read

Fool-proofing your slide

Focus of this session


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Reminder of basics: various BCG slide components work together to bring out key message and allow deck to flow

MessageSubtitle

Support for main point

Transition to next slide

• Words

• Table

• Schematic

• Graph(s)

May be verbal

Margins and white space are also

important – they separate ideas and set structure on the

page

LeftStamp

FootnoteSource

Left/Right stamp serve as reminders on where we are in the story

Title needs to be a message. It's not just a description of what's being shown

Main point of the slide

Body of slide displays information to

support message –relevant, compelling

and insightful

Takeaway box to highlight conclusion or transition to next slide

Footnote/source important to showcase methodology and build credibility

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logic





What makes a good title?

• Interprets data and highlights insights – conveys key message

• Builds the storyline and provides logical links between slides

• See beyond the obvious, questions answered

• Being brought on a journey

• Is succinct and concise, and contains only one key message

• Makes a claim, is specific and shows extent of issues

• Is punchy and action oriented• Is clear and self-explanatory

without need of verbal presentation

• Follow a single idea and grasp the key message easily

• Engaged and thought provoked

• Excited and spurred to action• Follow argument, easy to

understand

• Mirrors and guides the organization of the slide body

• Being guided and readied to understand the content of the slide

Message

Language

Structure

Guiding principles Impact on viewers


"I've got my insight, how do I craft a compelling title?"

Which one do you think sounds better?

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2


Succinct and conciseMessage expressed in fewer words and title focuses only on one idea (trend of promotional spending),

making it easier for viewers to follow

Specific, makes a claimQuantified extent of increase, making it more engaging and thought provoking for viewers

"I've got my insight, how do I craft compelling title?" –

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2


Final check-list for your title

Does my title contain only one message?

Am I making a claim rather than describing an observation?

Does it answer the client's question?

Does my title support the overall storyline and allow the storyline to flow smoothly?

Is my title easy to understand and self explanatory to readers?

Does the structure of my title reflect the organization of the slide body?

Is it punchy and engaging? Does it spur my clients to action?

Litmus test for title – is your title alone telling your story?









logic





Slide body supports key message through clear content and graphic illustration

• Directly supporting title and coherent with overall storyline • Clear, concise and relevant, allowing readers to digest easily• Easy-to-follow flow within slide body

Three elements of slide body design

Relevant and logical info/data

content

Proper shading to guide viewers' eyes

Appropriate graphic illustration

to organize info

• Appropriate, purposeful slide format (charts, table, conceptual, text) to illustrate content and meet audience profile

• Logical organization and separation of info• Consistent and parallel structure across first-order points and

bullet points i.e. consistent verb form

• Accentuating to guide viewer's eyes to what is important, especially for high content slides

• Consistent with BCG's "Principles of graphic excellence"


Map,spiderMap,

spider

Chart forms determined by data relationship

RelationshipRelationship

CompositionRelative size of components of a whole

DistributionA whole decomposed in quantitative ranges

CorrelationRelationships between variables

Time seriesHow performance varies over time

RankingComparing performance of several items at point of time

Line,areaLine,area

Column, waterfall, stacked column, bar,

variwide

Column, waterfall, stacked column, bar,

variwideBubble,scatterBubble,scatter

Descriptive Explanatory

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The key words in your message determine chart forms

Charts


Positioning grid Map Conceptual

Process flow PlanningOrganization chart

Tree

Heading(A$m)

Heading(A$m)

Heading(A$m)

Heading(A$m)

Heading(A$m)

Heading(A$m)

Heading(A$m)

ƒ

x

+

Profiles

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Matrix

HighLow

TextLow

High

X-axis

Y-axis

Text Text

Text

Harvey balls

xxx xxx xxx

xxx xxx

xxx xxx

xxx xxx

Schematics help organize qualitative info into a flow and can illustrate qualitative data and relationships powerfully

Schematics


Final check-list for your slide body

Does the content, info and data support the title message?

Is the slide format appropriate for the profile of the audience?

Is the slide body illustration easy to follow for viewers?

Am I using the right chart form for quantitative data?

Am I organizing the info logically in the slide body?

Am I using proper shading/highlights and other visual tools to help guide the viewers?

Is the text written in parallel structure and verb forms? Is my language punchy and concise enough?

Is the style of visualization used consistent?

Litmus test for slide body – is your slide body supporting the illustration of key message as clearly as possible?




Step 2:Express the message ina succinct title

Step 3:Design compelling visual to illustrate key message




logic





While the title conveys the key message, the subtitle serves as a roadmap for the body of the slide

It is used to• highlight more specific information from

slide body to substantiate the title• help readers interpret and process the

slide by pointing them to important info shown

It should not be used to• provide extra space to complete the

title• provide chance to include a secondary

conclusion from data• express the key message differently to

reinforce the title• elaborate on the title and ensure

message comes across properly

... but not to be used as an extension of title

A subtitle provides specific info to guide readers eyes...

Subtitles are especially useful for complex message and busy slides


Illustration: Would a subtitle be useful in this case?


Provided specific locations of Brand X's "noticeable gaps" in its supermarket distribution, to

guide viewers' eyes through the busy visual

Single focus on the title: Focus on 'noticeable gaps'

Illustration: Will a subtitle be useful in this case?


Final check list for your sub-title

Litmus test for sub-title – is your sub-title providing more specific info to guide the interpretation of slide?

Does your subtitle point to more specific info from the slide body to substantiate your title?

Does your subtitle guide your readers to the key info on the slide?

Is your subtitle supporting the title message rather than introducing a secondary insight?

Does your subtitle tell the reader where to focus, especially for a complex slide?









logic





A takeaway box draws inference and help transition to the next slide

Help transition to the next slide and facilitates the overall storyline to flow

Draw an inference that may not be obvious to the reader

Highlight implication from slide body that will flow smoothly to the next slide

Introduce concept or question not on the current slide but will be developed or answered in an upcoming slide

Introduce a secondary conclusion to the slide base on data shown

Provide extra space to include info that can't fit into slide

Repeat the conclusion in the title to reinforce message

Post a side comment to make a separate conclusion

... but not toA takeaway box is used to...

Not every slide needs a takeaway box limit to 10–20% of slides to preserve impact


Illustration: the proper function of a takeaway box


Final check list for your takeaway box

Litmus test for takeaway box: Does the takeaway box point to a non-obvious inference on the slide and help transition?

Do I really need a takeaway box for the slide? Am I simply repeating the conclusion of the title?

Is the takeaway box making an inference that is derived from information on the slide, or am I trying to make a new point?

If I am introducing a new concept or asking a new question in the takeaway box, is the concept covered in an upcoming slide?

Does the takeaway box help with transition to the next slide?








Step 6: Check your slide against errors and ensure strong internal

logic





Finally, before submitting your slides, check that...

Slide communicates insight• Title contains message or "so what," and does not simply summarize the data• Slide body supports the key message

Overall slide is readable• The slide body is visually clear with appropriate use of graphics• Data is displayed clearly

Layout and logic is easy to follow• Title – sub-title – slide body – takeaway box are all internally aligned

Clear slide cosmetics and everything is "ticked and tied"• Typos and inconsistencies in numbers and formats are corrected• Terminology, definition, abbreviations and style of visualization are consistent• All labels, axes, units, years are clearly labelled• Data source is indicated in sufficient detail


Some parting thoughts...

Slide writing takes practice and iteration• Master the basics of slide design early so you can practice more advanced design• Iterate, iterate and iterate. Accept iteration as part of the slide developing process.

Use slides to help your own thinking• Write them throughout a project, not just for presentations• Plan for a few slides holistically, to allow for a helicopter view of the story• Read the action titles to make sure the story flows

Keep the slide simple, strike a balance between over-simplifying and over-loading • Focus on presenting one simple message supported by the data as a start• Show the critical relationships that support the message• Do not compress unrelated data to reduce slide count • Use boxes, arrows, connectors sparingly and purposefully

Be creative, think about what's the best format to present your message• Often times, combined format which utilizes chart and simple word description help

presents your idea visually and verbally


Questions?

Thank you

bcg.com | bcgperspectives.com

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