Presentation Design A-to-Z: 26 Secrets and Strategies

There you are, sitting through another death-by-PowerPoint meeting—tiny text, hundreds of bullet points, and slides that scream “made in 1998”. Your boss is eyeing your notes; coffee tastes burnt. Yikes.

But here’s the good news: your presentations no longer have to be like that. Now, you can pitch a million-dollar idea or share insights with your team; it’s always the same: great design makes all the difference. 

Here, you’ll learn an A-to-Z of expert-backed presentation design secrets that will take your slides from basic to booming—plus pro tips, examples, and best practices. 

1. A Strong Visual Proposal 

Think about a well-designed website or magazine layout. What makes it easy to read? You got it, design. 

When designing your slides, your audience must know where to look first. The most important elements—titles, takeaways, or visuals—should stand out at first glance.

How to Create Visual Coherence

• Use font size wisely – Your title should be BIG, supporting text smaller.
• Contrast is key – Bold colors and weight differences help guide attention.
• Positioning matters – The eye naturally moves from top to bottom, left to right.

Want more layout inspiration? Check out GenPPT’s guide on pitch deck examples for real-world design strategies that grab attention.

2. Be Short n’ Sweet—Not a Romantic

Ever seen a slide so overloaded with text that it felt like reading an essay? Yeah, don’t do that.

Your slides should support what you're saying, not replace it. If people are busy reading, they’re not listening to you.

The Rule of Simplicity

One main idea per slide.

Minimal text, max impact.

If you need detailed explanations, put them in the speaker notes or provide a handout. Less is more.

Need proof? Check out GenPPT’s marketing presentation examples to see how great slides balance visuals and simplicity.

3. Choose High-Quality Images (Pixelated Photos Suck)

You know the ones—blurry, cheesy, corporate-handshake-in-front-of-glass-building stock photos. Instant credibility killer.

Great visuals evoke emotion and make your message memorable. But only if they’re good.

How to Pick the Right Images

• Use high-resolution images – Avoid squinting at a pixelated mess.
• Stay relevant – Make sure images support your message.
• Use royalty-free sources – Try Unsplash, Pexels, or GenPPT’s built-in media tools.

Want better visual ideas? Check out GenPPT’s design tips to learn how to make your presentations pop.

4. Decide on a Color Palette (Not The Rainbow)

Color isn’t just for aesthetics—it affects mood, clarity, and brand perception. If your slides look like a neon explosion, your audience won’t take you seriously.

Pro Color Tips

• Pick 2–3 primary colors – Use them consistently.
• High contrast = better readability – Light text on dark backgrounds (or vice versa).
• Colors trigger emotions – Blue = trust, red = urgency, green = growth.

Need help choosing the perfect colors? GenPPT’s templates have smart color choices to make your life easier.

5. Embrace Blank Space (It’s Room to Breathe)

Imagine a room packed with furniture, leaving no space to walk. That’s what cluttered slides feel like.

White space = breathing room. It keeps slides clean, makes text more readable, and guides focus to what matters.

How to Use White Space Effectively

• Don’t overcrowd your slides – Leave gaps between text and images.
• Use margins – Keep content centered and aligned.
• Emphasize key points – More white space = more focus on what’s left.

Pro Tip: Less clutter = More impact.

6. Find the Right Font (NOT Comic Sans)

Fonts set the tone of your presentation. Too playful? Not taken seriously. Too robotic? People tune out.

3 Typography Rules for Winning Slides

1. Use two fonts max– One for headings and one for body text.
2. Sans-serif fonts are your friends – Clean, modern, and readable (think Montserrat, Lato, or Open Sans).
3. Check readability – If it’s hard to read, change it.

7. Go With Smart Animations (Don’t Go Nuts)

A little animation adds polish. Too much? You look like a bad PowerPoint from 2003.

How to Animate With Prowess

Use subtle movements – Fades and slides are great; spinning text? Not so much.

Keep it purposeful – Use animations to guide attention, not distract. Chill. Test before presenting – Make sure the effects work smoothly.

8. Hooray for Mobile and Screens of All Sizes

Not all presentations are viewed on a projector. Some are seen on laptops, tablets, or even phones.

How to Optimize for Any Screen

• Use large text – Small fonts are unreadable on mobile.
• Test on different screens – Make sure it looks great everywhere.
• Avoid tiny details – If it’s too small, make it bigger.

9. It’s True: Templates Save Time (Use ‘Em!)

Why start from scratch when great templates already exist?

A well-designed template saves time, ensures consistency, and looks pro. GenPPT has a myriad of tools to 

Keep reading for tricks, tips and best practices, troubleshooting, and ideas on Presentation Design.

10. Just Follow This Example To Declutter Slide Content

The Opportunity:

Too many people cram multiple points onto a single slide, making it a visual nightmare.

The Fix:

Regulate content to create a memorable presentation with less brain fuel to burn. 

Why It Works: When your audience only has one thing to focus on, they’ll remember it. Simple as that.

Pro Tip: Use progressive disclosure to reveal info one part at a time instead of simultaneously dumping everything.

11. Kill It With The 6-Word Rule  

The Opportunity:

Reading paragraphs off slides is a crime against presentations.

The Fix:

Stick to 6 words per line, six lines per slide—max.

Here’s a simple countdown rule to apply:

The 6-6-6 Text Rule (Not as scary as it sounds)

• 6 words per line → Makes text digestible
• 6 lines max per slide → Keeps it clean
• 60+ size for main points → No squinting!

See the difference:

Pro Tip: If your slide looks like an essay, delete half the words and rewrite the rest in short, impactful phrases.

12. Loud Contrast Is King (Not Low)

The Opportunity:

Using low-contrast colors makes text impossible to read.

The Fix:

Make sure the text and background colors are high-contrast.

Best color combos for readability: Dark text on light background (e.g., Black on White) Light text on dark background (e.g., White on Navy Blue)

Avoid these deadly combinations:

Pro Tip: If you’re unsure, squint at your slide—if you can’t read it, neither can your audience.

13. Minimize Bullet Points—Use Visuals 

The Opportunity:

Bullet points make slides look like text-heavy to-do lists.

The Fix:

Replace them with icons, images, and data visuals.

Before vs. After:

👉 Pro Tip: Use icons instead of words—a 💰 (money emoji) says more than “financial growth.”

14. Normalize the “Golden Ratio” for Balance

The Opportunity:

Misaligned text and images make slides look chaotic.

The Fix:

Follow the Golden Ratio (1.618)—a design principle that creates visually perfect layouts.

How to apply it:

1. Keep text to one side (left or right)
2. Place images on the opposite side
3. Align key elements in thirds (not center!)

15. One Font Shouldn’t Fight The Other

The Opportunity:

Mixing too many fonts = a design disaster.

The Fix:

Stick to two fonts MAX—one for headings one for body text.

Best Font Pairings for Presentations:

Pro Tip: Never use Comic Sans. Just don’t.

16. Pack It With Cool Transitions

The Opportunity:

Overusing crazy slide transitions (like flip, spin, and push, we could go on…).

The Fix:

Use subtle transitions to guide attention.

Best Animations for Presentations:

• Appear/Fade In → Great for text
• Grow/Shrink → Highlights key data
• Slide In → Perfect for process slides

17. Queue & Color-Code Your Information

The Opportunity:

Using random colors makes it hard to follow.

The Fix:

Assign specific colors to categories.

Example: Business Presentation

• 🔵 Blue = Financials
• 🟢 Green = Growth & Success
• 🔴 Red = Challenges
• 🟡 Yellow = Future Plans

Pro Tip: Use a consistent color palette for branding.

18. Rocking Charts and Graphs? Keep ‘Em Clean

Your audience doesn’t want to decipher a tiny, complex chart. If they need a microscope, it’s too much.

• Use simple charts – Keep them clean and readable.
• Highlight key numbers – Bold important stats so they stand out.
• Limit unnecessary details – Show only what supports your message.

19. Start Strong, End Stronger

The Opportunity:

Weak openings and forgettable closings.

The Fix:

Start with a hook and end with a boom.

Best Opening Hooks:

• “What if I told you…?”
• “Imagine this…”
• A shocking stat or bold statement

Best Closing Techniques:

• Call to action (CTA) → What should they do next?
• Memorable one-liner → A takeaway they won’t forget

Pro Tip: Never end with “Thank you.” End with a bang!

Now, take a deep breath and stretch; we’re almost done.

20. The One-Idea-Per-Slide Rule

What It Means:

Every slide should focus on a single key point. Trying to cram too much into one slide overwhelms your audience and dilutes your message.

Why It Works:

• Prevents cognitive overload – Too much information reduces retention.
• Increases clarity – Your audience knows exactly what to focus on.
• Keeps engagement high – People process visuals faster than dense text.

Best Practices:

• Stick to one major idea per slide—if you need multiple points, break them into separate slides.
• Use visuals instead of text-heavy slides—icons, infographics, or images communicate better.
• Follow the “Less is More” rule—trim unnecessary words and details.

Example: Bad vs. Good Slide Design

Mnemonic: Think of each slide as a short, impactful, and visual tweet.

21. Unleash The Power of Visual Hierarchy

What It Means:

Visuals guide the audience’s eyes by making the most important elements stand out.

Examples:

22. Vote The Right Font and Text Size

Typography sets the tone of your presentation.

Font Selection Rules:

• Use sans-serif fonts (Arial, Roboto, Open Sans) for readability.
• Limit to 2 fonts—one for headings, one for body text.
• Avoid script or decorative fonts—they reduce readability.

Text Size Guidelines:

Learn more: How to Create Professional Marketing Presentations

23. Wow With Color Psychology 

Colors evoke emotions. The right colors reinforce your message, while the wrong ones distract or confuse you.

Color Semiotics:

24. X-in Visually Engaging Data

People remember visuals better than numbers. Instead of dumping raw data, use charts, infographics, and graphs.

Best Ways to Present Data:

• Pie charts for proportions.
• Bar graphs for comparisons.
• Line graphs for trends over time.

25. Yield The Perfect Image-to-Text Ratio

A presentation shouldn’t look like a textbook.

Golden Rule: 40% images, 60% text.

Pro Tip:

Compress large images to prevent slow loading.

Related: How to Choose the Best Presentation Templates

26. Zoom Out With A Strong Call To Action

A great presentation doesn’t just end—it leaves an impact.

• Summarize key takeaways.
• Use a bold CTA (Call to Action).
• End with a powerful quote or visual.

Start rocking Presentation Design for FREE with GenPPT