How to Make a Slide Deck [A blueprint for memorable slides]
- Ink Narrates | The Presentation Design Agency
- Jun 4
- 6 min read
Last month, our client Emily asked us a question while we were building her product strategy presentation:
"How do I make sure my slides actually land without me having to explain every single thing?"
Our Creative Director didn’t flinch. She just said,
“The deck should speak first. You support it.”
We work on dozens of slide decks every year. Sales decks, pitch decks, internal strategy decks, board updates, you name it. And across all of them, there’s one challenge we keep running into: people treat slides like speaker notes, not visual tools.
So, in this blog, we’re sharing a blueprint for making memorable slides: the kind that do the heavy lifting for you. If you’ve ever wondered how to make a slide deck that actually works, this one’s for you.
In case you didn't know, we specialize in only one thing: making presentations. We can help you by designing your slides and writing your content too.
Why This Matters More Than You Think
You’ve probably sat through a bad slide deck before. Maybe even dozens.
You know the kind — cluttered slides, long paragraphs, mismatched visuals, and the speaker reading every word aloud like you can’t see the screen yourself. It’s frustrating. It’s forgettable. And let’s be honest, it’s a waste of everyone’s time.
But here’s what most people miss: bad slides don’t just look sloppy, they undermine your message.
When your slides are messy, people assume your thinking is too. When they’re wordy, they stop listening and start reading. When they’re dull, they tune out.
We’ve seen this happen in high-stakes meetings — investor pitches that went flat, internal strategy decks that didn’t get buy-in, client presentations that sparked more questions than confidence. And in almost every case, it wasn’t the content that was the problem. It was the presentation of the content.
That’s why getting your slide deck right isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s a multiplier. It either supports your message or sabotages it.
If you want people to take your ideas seriously, you can’t afford to treat your slide deck like an afterthought. You have to build it like it matters — because it does.
How to Make a Slide Deck
Step 1: Don’t Open PowerPoint (Yet)
The biggest mistake? Starting with the tool instead of the idea. Opening PowerPoint too early is like trying to design a house while laying bricks. You’ll be stuck halfway through trying to decide if this is a kitchen or a bathroom.
Start with pen and paper. Or a blank document. Map out the story before you build any slides.
Ask yourself:
What is the goal of this deck?
Who is the audience?
What do they care about?
What should they do after seeing this?
The clearer your answers, the sharper your slides.
Step 2: Build a Narrative Spine
Every great deck has a narrative — a through-line that holds it together. Think of it like a movie plot. There’s a beginning, middle, and end. There’s a main character (usually your idea or product). There’s tension (a problem). And there’s resolution (your solution).
Here’s a simple narrative structure we use:
Context — What’s happening? What’s the current landscape?
Problem — What’s wrong or missing? Why does this matter now?
Insight — What have you discovered that others haven’t?
Solution — What are you offering and how does it solve the problem?
Proof — Why should they trust you?
Action — What should happen next?
This framework works whether you’re pitching an AI startup, proposing a new HR initiative, or sharing your quarterly results.
Without a narrative spine, your slides become a disconnected series of facts. With it, they become a persuasive story.
Step 3: Define Slide Roles Before You Design
Not all slides are created equal. Each slide should have a job. Some explain. Some provoke. Some validate. Some inspire.
Before designing, ask:
What is this slide trying to say?
Can it be said with a visual instead of text?
Is this slide doing more than one job? (If yes, split it.)
We often categorize slides into types:
Opener slides — set tone, grab attention.
Problem slides — highlight tension or stakes.
Solution slides — showcase product or idea clearly.
Evidence slides — data, testimonials, visuals that build trust.
Closer slides — summarise, leave impact, offer next steps.
Assign a role to every slide and stay ruthless about sticking to it.
Step 4: Design to Be Seen, Not Read
Here’s the truth: people don’t read slides. They scan. And they’re listening to you at the same time. So every extra word on a slide is competing with your voice.
Design your slides for clarity, not completeness. That means:
Headlines first. Write your slide headlines like they’re newspaper headlines — short, clear, and meaningful.
Less text. Aim for 7-10 words per line, max. Break text into chunks. Use bullet points sparingly.
Big visuals. A picture should not sit in the corner like an afterthought. Make visuals central and purposeful.
Consistent layout. Pick a layout system (grid, alignment, spacing) and stick to it throughout the deck.
Contrast and hierarchy. Make important things bigger and bolder. Don’t hide your main point in a sea of fonts.
And yes, keep your fonts readable. No need for swirly decorative typefaces or bright yellow on white backgrounds. Your message deserves better.
Step 5: Cut Ruthlessly
This is the part most people skip. They design a slide, feel attached, and move on. But here’s what we’ve learned: clarity comes from subtraction.
Ask yourself, for every slide:
Does this need to be here?
Is this helping the audience understand or just making it look like I did a lot of work?
What would happen if I cut this?
Some of the best decks we’ve ever built had fewer than 12 slides. They said what needed to be said and left space for the conversation.
One of our clients came in with a 42-slide deck. We sent back a version with 14. It closed the deal in 18 minutes. The buyer said it was the first time they actually understood what was being pitched.
Step 6: Design for the Setting
Where your slide deck is shown matters. Is this a live presentation? A Zoom meeting? An email attachment?
Each setting needs a slightly different approach:
Live presentations: Keep slides clean and minimal. You’re the main delivery engine. The deck backs you up.
Virtual meetings: Bigger fonts, less detail. People are multitasking.
Read-alone decks (sent over email): These can have a bit more text but still shouldn’t feel like documents.
Never use one version for all three formats. You’re asking it to do too many jobs and it ends up doing none well.
Step 7: Add Personality Without Noise
Now let’s talk style. Yes, your deck should look good. But that doesn’t mean adding fireworks.
Good style = aligned with your brand, clear, and memorable. That might mean using your brand colors in a subtle way. That might mean adding simple, expressive icons to guide the eye. That might mean a clever visual metaphor.
But here’s the rule we use: Design should never compete with meaning. If your deck looks good but says nothing, it fails.
Let visuals amplify your point, not distract from it.
Step 8: Rehearse with the Deck as a Partner
This part’s overlooked by almost everyone. They build the deck, admire it, and then wing it in front of an audience.
Big mistake.
The deck is a visual partner. It cues you, it supports your rhythm, it sets the pacing. So rehearse with it. Out loud. Multiple times.
Notice if you’re saying things that aren’t on the slide but should be. Or if you’re repeating what’s already there. Smooth those rough edges. Let the slide say what it can, and you say what’s left.
We’ve helped founders rehearse for investor meetings, CMOs for product launches, and even VPs for internal strategy rollouts. In every case, the final polish came after the slides were done. That’s when the real impact gets shaped.
Step 9: Don’t Aim for Perfection, Aim for Resonance
One final word. You don’t need the “perfect” slide deck. That’s a myth. You need a deck that works. That helps people get it. That moves them.
Sometimes that means using a well-placed visual instead of a polished chart. Sometimes that means keeping a slightly messy slide because it tells the truth. Sometimes that means breaking your own format because it hits harder that way.
Your goal is not to impress. It’s to connect.
And if you’ve followed every step above — from clear thinking to visual clarity — you’re already way ahead of the crowd.
Why Hire Us to Build your Presentation?
If you're reading this, you're probably working on a presentation right now. You could do it all yourself. But the reality is - that’s not going to give you the high-impact presentation you need. It’s a lot of guesswork, a lot of trial and error. And at the end of the day, you’ll be left with a presentation that’s “good enough,” not one that gets results. On the other hand, we’ve spent years crafting thousands of presentations, mastering both storytelling and design. Let us handle this for you, so you can focus on what you do best.