How to Make Presentations Like Kearney [A Guide]
- Ink Narrates | The Presentation Design Agency
- 17 minutes ago
- 6 min read
A few weeks ago, our client Tyler asked us a simple but sharp question while we were working on their strategy presentation:
“What makes a Kearney presentation so distinct?”
Our Creative Director didn’t pause. He replied,
“Clarity with confidence. Nothing extra, nothing missing.”
As a presentation design agency, we work on many Kearney-style presentations throughout the year. And in the process, we’ve observed one common challenge: most teams struggle to balance structured thinking with design simplicity.
So, in this blog, we’ll talk about how you can create presentations like Kearney that are sharp, structured, and impossible to ignore.
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.
What Makes Kearney Presentations Different
Kearney presentations are data heavy. Every slide is packed with insights, but despite the volume of information, nothing feels overwhelming. This is because the data is carefully curated, organized, and visualized in ways that make sense.
Here’s what sets them apart:
1. Smart Use of Infographics
Instead of dumping raw numbers, Kearney uses infographics to contain complex information. Charts, diagrams, and visual blocks break data into digestible pieces, making the slides readable even when they are dense.
2. Clean and Consistent Formatting
Every slide strictly follows brand guidelines. Colors, fonts, and spacing are consistent throughout the deck. This attention to detail ensures that the slides look polished and professional, no matter how much information they carry.
3. Effective Data Visualization
Kearney doesn’t just show numbers—they tell a story. Graphs, charts, and tables are designed to highlight insights immediately, avoiding clutter and shabbiness that often comes with heavy data.
4. Information Hierarchy
Even with dense content, the slides guide the viewer’s eye logically. Key points are emphasized, supporting details are secondary, and every element serves the narrative. This hierarchy prevents information overload while keeping the audience engaged.
From our experience, the combination of dense data, smart visualization, strict brand adherence, and clear hierarchy is what gives Kearney presentations their authority. And yes, you can achieve this with the right approach without reinventing every slide.
For example, you can take a look at this presentation by Kearney.
How to Make Presentations Like Kearney
Creating a presentation like Kearney is not about mimicking their slides exactly. It is about understanding the principles they follow and applying them consistently. From our experience working on many Kearney-style decks for clients like Tyler, we’ve seen that success comes from three main pillars: data curation, visual storytelling, and disciplined formatting.
Here’s how you can bring these pillars to life in your own presentations.
1. Start With Clear Objectives
Every Kearney presentation begins with a clear understanding of the objective. Ask yourself: what is the one message your audience must take away from this deck?
Without clarity, your slides will become a scatter of facts, charts, and numbers. Kearney presentations always start with the end in mind. This doesn’t mean you limit yourself—it means every slide should serve the central story.
Practical Steps:
Define the goal of your presentation in one sentence. This will guide slide content and data selection.
Outline the key insights you want to convey before designing any visuals.
Rank insights by importance. The first slide should already hint at your main message.
Starting with objectives ensures that your slides are purposeful rather than decorative.
2. Curate Your Data Strategically
Kearney presentations are data heavy, but the data is never random. Each number supports a point, and unnecessary data is removed. This is the difference between an overwhelming slide and a compelling one.
Subpoints for Effective Data Curation:
Be selective: Include only numbers that strengthen your narrative. Avoid every data point you have access to.
Check relevance: If a figure doesn’t answer a question or clarify insight, it doesn’t belong on the slide.
Summarize smartly: Use averages, percentages, or totals to reduce clutter while keeping the essence of the data.
From our experience, the temptation to add “everything” is strong, especially in strategy presentations. But restraint is a key habit that separates professional slides from amateur ones.
3. Use Infographics to Contain Complexity
Data heavy slides can quickly become overwhelming. Kearney avoids this by using infographics to structure and organize information. A single slide may have multiple insights, but each is contained in its own visual element.
Tips for Using Infographics:
Segment information visually: Use boxes, panels, or shapes to separate different pieces of data.
Label clearly: Every infographic should have a clear title, axis labels, and legends if necessary.
Highlight key numbers: Use color, size, or icons to draw attention to the most important insights.
Choose the right visual: Bar charts for comparisons, line graphs for trends, tables for detailed breakdowns. Avoid using the wrong chart just because it looks “fancy.”
Well-designed infographics turn complex information into slides that are easy to understand in seconds. We’ve noticed that clients who adopt this habit see immediate improvement in engagement during presentations.
4. Maintain a Visual Hierarchy
Hierarchy is critical in Kearney-style slides. Your audience should be able to scan a slide and immediately know what matters most.
Key Hierarchy Principles:
Lead with insights: Headlines should summarize the slide’s takeaway in one sentence.
Support with data: Numbers, charts, or tables back up the insight, but never overshadow it.
Consistent sizing and spacing: Text, icons, and visuals should be proportionate to importance. Larger elements naturally draw attention.
Without hierarchy, even the cleanest infographic can feel chaotic. When designing, ask yourself: “If someone only had 10 seconds on this slide, would they understand the main point?”
5. Stick to Brand Guidelines
Kearney presentations are visually clean because they adhere strictly to brand standards. This is not just about colors—it’s about creating a cohesive, professional look across every slide.
Brand Formatting Guidelines to Follow:
Color usage: Assign specific colors for categories, highlights, and emphasis. Avoid using random colors for decoration.
Typography: Stick to two or three fonts maximum. Headings, subheadings, and body text should have clear distinctions.
Spacing and alignment: Use grids to align visuals and text consistently. Misaligned slides immediately look sloppy.
Consistent icons and imagery: If using icons, maintain a uniform style across all slides.
Clients often underestimate the impact of brand consistency. In our experience, consistent formatting elevates dense slides, making them feel polished and professional.
6. Tell a Story With Your Data
Even the most visually impressive deck fails if the story is weak. Kearney presentations always guide the audience logically from one slide to the next.
Storytelling Tips:
Start broad, then dive deep: Begin with high-level insights, then provide supporting data.
Create transitions: End each slide with a mini conclusion or a question that sets up the next slide.
Use visual cues: Arrows, color highlights, or subtle icons can show relationships between data points.
A narrative gives purpose to your visuals. Your audience is not just reading numbers—they are following a story. And when done correctly, even the densest slides feel easy to digest.
7. Balance Detail With Readability
Kearney presentations are full of information, but they avoid overwhelming the viewer. The trick is balancing detail with readability.
Practical Guidelines:
Limit text: Keep sentences short and precise. Avoid paragraphs.
Simplify charts: Remove unnecessary gridlines or labels that do not add value.
Use whitespace effectively: Even in data-heavy slides, empty space prevents visual fatigue.
From our work, the slides that strike this balance get the most positive feedback from executives. People appreciate detail, but only when it is presented cleanly.
8. Review and Refine Every Slide
Finally, Kearney presentations are polished because every slide goes through multiple rounds of refinement. Design is not just about how it looks—it’s about clarity and precision.
Review Checklist:
Does every slide communicate one clear insight?
Are the charts, tables, and infographics easy to understand?
Is the visual hierarchy guiding attention correctly?
Are colors, fonts, and spacing consistent?
Could someone unfamiliar with the data understand the slide in under 30 seconds?
We always encourage clients like Tyler to get multiple perspectives during review. A fresh pair of eyes often catches things that even the most experienced designer misses.
Creating presentations like Kearney is a discipline. It is not about flashy animations or complex visuals—it is about clarity, structure, and respect for the audience’s time. By curating data carefully, using infographics smartly, sticking to brand guidelines, and maintaining a strong narrative, you can create decks that are dense with information yet easy to understand.
From our experience working with clients across industries, applying these principles consistently turns an average presentation into one that communicates authority, precision, and professionalism.
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.