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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2Virtual Training - Slide Writing II Gold Rules - Dec 20 NK.pptx
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
3Virtual Training - Slide Writing II Gold Rules - Dec 20 NK.pptx
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…
4Virtual Training - Slide Writing II Gold Rules - Dec 20 NK.pptx
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
5Virtual Training - Slide Writing II Gold Rules - Dec 20 NK.pptx
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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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6Virtual Training - Slide Writing II Gold Rules - Dec 20 NK.pptx
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
7Virtual Training - Slide Writing II Gold Rules - Dec 20 NK.pptx
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
8Virtual Training - Slide Writing II Gold Rules - Dec 20 NK.pptx
"I've got my insight, how do I craft a compelling title?"
Which one do you think sounds better?
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2
9Virtual Training - Slide Writing II Gold Rules - Dec 20 NK.pptx
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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10Virtual Training - Slide Writing II Gold Rules - Dec 20 NK.pptx
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?
11Virtual Training - Slide Writing II Gold Rules - Dec 20 NK.pptx
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
12Virtual Training - Slide Writing II Gold Rules - Dec 20 NK.pptx
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"
13Virtual Training - Slide Writing II Gold Rules - Dec 20 NK.pptx
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
14Virtual Training - Slide Writing II Gold Rules - Dec 20 NK.pptx
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
15Virtual Training - Slide Writing II Gold Rules - Dec 20 NK.pptx
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?
16Virtual Training - Slide Writing II Gold Rules - Dec 20 NK.pptx
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
17Virtual Training - Slide Writing II Gold Rules - Dec 20 NK.pptx
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
18Virtual Training - Slide Writing II Gold Rules - Dec 20 NK.pptx
Illustration: Would a subtitle be useful in this case?
19Virtual Training - Slide Writing II Gold Rules - Dec 20 NK.pptx
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?
20Virtual Training - Slide Writing II Gold Rules - Dec 20 NK.pptx
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?
21Virtual Training - Slide Writing II Gold Rules - Dec 20 NK.pptx
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
22Virtual Training - Slide Writing II Gold Rules - Dec 20 NK.pptx
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
23Virtual Training - Slide Writing II Gold Rules - Dec 20 NK.pptx
Illustration: the proper function of a takeaway box
24Virtual Training - Slide Writing II Gold Rules - Dec 20 NK.pptx
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?
25Virtual Training - Slide Writing II Gold Rules - Dec 20 NK.pptx
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: 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
26Virtual Training - Slide Writing II Gold Rules - Dec 20 NK.pptx
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
27Virtual Training - Slide Writing II Gold Rules - Dec 20 NK.pptx
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