How to Create a Memorable Presentation [A Practical Guide]
- Ink Narrates | The Presentation Design Agency
- Sep 15
- 7 min read
A few weeks ago, our client Jamie asked us a question while we were designing their presentation. The question was simple:
“What makes a presentation stick in people’s minds?”
Our Creative Director answered right away:
“Clarity plus emotional connection.”
As a presentation design agency, we work on many presentations throughout the year. In the process, we’ve observed one common challenge: most presentations end up being forgettable because they either overwhelm with information or lack a clear story.
So, in this blog we’ll talk about how you can create a memorable presentation that people actually remember, without making it complicated or dull.
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 a Presentation Memorable
A presentation becomes memorable when it goes beyond information delivery and creates an experience your audience cannot easily forget. It is not about piling on more data or adding flashy animations. It is about making sure the audience walks away with something that sticks.
From what we have seen while working with clients, four factors make the biggest difference:
A single core idea
You cannot expect people to remember ten things at once. A memorable presentation is built around one central idea that everything else connects to.
Emotional resonance
Data alone rarely lingers. What people remember is the story behind the data and how it made them feel. That emotional connection is what turns a presentation into an experience.
Design that highlights, not clutters
Slides packed with text or graphics are forgettable. Clean, intentional design draws attention to what matters and helps the audience retain it.
A logical flow
Random points thrown together confuse people. A memorable presentation guides the audience step by step, making the journey as clear as the destination.
At its core, memorability is about clarity, story, and design working together seamlessly.
How to Create a Memorable Presentation
You have probably sat through dozens of presentations that felt like a drag. The kind where the slides are cluttered, the speaker rambles, and you walk out wondering what the point even was. That is the exact opposite of a memorable presentation.
Creating one requires effort, yes, but not in the way people usually think. It is not about more slides, fancier transitions, or throwing in every statistic under the sun. It is about building an experience where your audience is guided, engaged, and convinced. Let’s break down the process step by step.
1. Start with ruthless clarity on your message
Before you even open PowerPoint or Keynote, ask yourself: what is the one thing you want your audience to remember? If they forget everything else, what is that single idea or sentence you want to stick?
Most presentations fail because they try to cover too much ground. The audience ends up overloaded and remembers nothing. We always push our clients to distill their message into one clear statement. It forces discipline. It makes every design choice easier.
For example, instead of saying “Our company is innovating across multiple sectors with a range of solutions that are adaptable and scalable”, say “We help businesses grow faster with tech that adapts to them, not the other way around.” One sentence, clear and digestible.
Once you have that, every slide and every word should serve that message.
2. Build a narrative, not a slide deck
A presentation without a story is just a collection of slides. And collections of slides are forgotten. Storytelling is what creates memorability. It gives the audience a reason to care.
Your narrative does not have to be dramatic or theatrical. It just needs a structure that takes your audience from point A to point B without losing them. The simplest way to do this is the classic three-part structure:
The setup: Why are we here? What problem or opportunity are we addressing?
The conflict: What stands in the way? Why does this matter?
The resolution: How do we solve it? What do we want the audience to do?
This flow mirrors how people naturally think. It sets context, creates tension, and then delivers resolution. It makes your presentation not just informative but memorable.
3. Use emotion as your ally
Emotion is the glue of memory. If your audience feels nothing, they will remember nothing. That does not mean you need to give a TED Talk filled with tear-jerking stories. But it does mean you should connect on a human level.
For example, if you are presenting financial data, frame it in terms of human impact. Instead of saying “Revenue increased by 15%”, say “That growth allowed us to expand into two new markets and create 300 new jobs.” Numbers are forgettable. People are not.
We have seen this in practice countless times. The presentations that stick are the ones where the data is wrapped in a human context. It is not manipulation. It is respect for how humans process information.
4. Design for the brain, not for decoration
Good design does not mean fancy. It means intentional. It means aligning visuals with how the human brain processes information. Here are some practical guidelines we apply:
One idea per slide: If your audience is squinting to read, you have already lost them. Keep slides clean and focused.
Visual hierarchy: Make sure the most important element on the slide stands out. Use size, contrast, and spacing to guide the eye.
Consistency: Fonts, colors, and layouts should feel unified. Inconsistency distracts.
Visual metaphors: Sometimes a simple icon or illustration communicates faster than text. Use them wisely.
We once redesigned a client’s 50-slide deck into 25 slides with clean visuals and spacing. The reaction in the room was completely different. The same content suddenly felt fresh and memorable.
5. Cut ruthlessly
Editing is where most presentations fall apart. People keep adding slides, adding text, adding charts. They think more information means more impact. In reality, it means less memory.
A memorable presentation is tight. It leaves room for the audience to breathe and reflect. That often means saying no to content. Ask yourself: if this slide disappeared, would the core message still hold? If the answer is yes, cut it.
Less is not just more. Less is memorable.
6. Engage the audience, do not lecture them
A presentation is not a monologue. It is a dialogue, even if the audience does not speak back. When you treat it like a lecture, people disengage. When you invite them into the process, they stay with you.
Practical ways to engage:
Ask rhetorical questions.
Use real-life examples they can relate to.
Pause after a key point to let it land.
Acknowledge the audience’s perspective or challenges.
One of our clients once opened their presentation with a simple question: “How many of you check your phone before breakfast?” Almost every hand went up. That moment instantly created connection and set the stage for their talk on digital habits. Simple, but unforgettable.
7. Practice delivery like it matters
You cannot rely on your slides to do the heavy lifting. Your delivery is what makes or breaks memorability. Great design without confident delivery is wasted.
That does not mean you need to be a charismatic performer. It means you need to practice until your flow feels natural. Rehearse out loud. Time yourself. Record yourself. Notice the pacing, the tone, the pauses.
The goal is not to memorize a script but to internalize your story so well that it feels like a conversation. Audiences do not remember perfect wording. They remember presence, conviction, and clarity.
8. Use repetition strategically
Repetition is not boring when it is done right. In fact, it is one of the strongest memory tools. State your core message at the beginning, reinforce it in the middle, and repeat it at the end. Use different wording if needed, but keep the essence intact.
Think of it as building anchors in the audience’s memory. By the time the presentation ends, they should be able to recall your key idea without effort.
9. Close with impact
Your closing is the final impression, and it often determines whether your presentation is remembered or forgotten. Do not end with a vague “Thank you” slide. End with something that leaves a mark.
That could be:
A powerful statement that ties back to your core message.
A call to action that makes the next step crystal clear.
A story that brings the presentation full circle.
We once helped a client close with a single slide that said: “This is not about technology. It is about trust.” That one line became the most quoted takeaway of the meeting.
10. Think of the afterlife of your presentation
Memorability is not limited to the room. People often revisit decks later, share them with colleagues, or reference them in future conversations. Make sure your slides are designed to stand on their own without your voice. Add small cues or notes that guide the reader.
A truly memorable presentation does not just impress in the moment. It lives on after.
How to Deliver a Memorable Presentation
Even the best-designed presentation can fall flat if the delivery is weak. Delivery is not about being flashy or performing like a stage actor. It is about presence. The way you pace your words, the pauses you allow, and the eye contact you hold all communicate confidence and conviction. Your audience needs to feel that you believe in your own message before they can believe in it themselves.
The key is to sound natural, not rehearsed. Instead of memorizing every line, internalize your story so well that you can adapt in the moment. Speak as if you are having a conversation with the room, not reading at them. When your delivery feels genuine, your audience leans in. That authenticity is what transforms a good presentation into a memorable one.
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.