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Best Practices

Learn how to create amazing presentations! 🌟

Writing Great Content​

The One Idea Rule​

Each slide = One main idea

✅ Good:

# Sales Increased 50%

Thanks to our new strategy

❌ Bad:

# Q4 Results

Sales up 50%, costs down 20%, team grew by 5,
customer satisfaction improved, new products launched,
office renovated, and won industry award
Keep It Simple

If you have 2 ideas, make 2 slides!

Text Length Guidelines​

Title slide:

  • 1 heading
  • 1 short subtitle (optional)

Content slides:

  • 1 heading
  • 3-5 bullet points MAX
  • 10-15 words per bullet point

Quote slides:

  • The quote
  • Who said it
  • That's it!
Too Much Text?

If audience is reading, they're not listening to you!

Use Visual Hierarchy​

Show importance with size:

# Most Important (Biggest)

## Secondary Point (Medium)

Regular text or bullet points (Normal)

Example:

# We Won!

## Best Product of the Year

Awarded by Industry Magazine

The 6x6 Rule​

For bullet points:

  • Maximum 6 bullets per slide
  • Maximum 6 words per bullet

Good example:

# Our Values

* Customer first
* Innovation always
* Team together
* Quality matters
* Growth mindset
* Fun daily

Design Principles​

Color Choices​

Do:

  • ✅ Use your brand color
  • ✅ Keep it consistent
  • ✅ High contrast (dark + light)
  • ✅ Test readability from far away

Don't:

  • ❌ Change colors every slide
  • ❌ Low contrast (gray on gray)
  • ❌ Too many colors (rainbow slides)
  • ❌ Colors that clash

Best combinations:

  • Dark blue + white text ✅
  • Black + white text ✅
  • Dark green + white text ✅
  • Light yellow + dark text ✅

Avoid:

  • Red + green (color blind issues) ❌
  • Light gray + white ❌
  • Dark gray + black ❌

Image Guidelines​

Do:

  • ✅ Use high-quality images
  • ✅ Relevant to content
  • ✅ One strong image per slide
  • ✅ Consistent style (all photos or all illustrations)

Don't:

  • ❌ Low-resolution/pixelated
  • ❌ Random stock photos
  • ❌ Too many images
  • ❌ Stretched or distorted

Where to find good images:

White Space​

Give content room to breathe!

✅ Good:

# Simple


Clear and easy to read

❌ Bad:

# TooMuchStuffOnOneSlideWithNoSpaceToReadAnythingAndItAllBlendsTogetherAndNoOneCanFollowAlongAndYourMessageGetsLost

* Point 1 with way too much detail that nobody will read
* Point 2 with even more detail than point 1
* Point 3 with a story and examples and...
Less Is More

Empty space is not wasted space!

Structure & Organization​

Start Strong​

First slide sets the tone!

Title slide should have:

  • Clear, compelling title
  • Your name/company
  • Date (if relevant)

Example:

# Triple Your Sales in 90 Days

*Proven strategies that work*

John Smith | December 2024

The Narrative Arc​

Structure your presentation like a story:

  1. Opening - What's the topic?
  2. Problem - Why should they care?
  3. Solution - Your main points
  4. Evidence - Data, examples, proof
  5. Action - What should they do?
  6. Closing - Memorable ending

Example structure:

Slide 1: Title
Slide 2: The Problem We Face
Slide 3-5: Our Solution
Slide 6-8: Results & Proof
Slide 9: What You Should Do
Slide 10: Thank You + Questions

Use Section Dividers​

Break long presentations into parts:

<!-- black -->

# Part 1: The Challenge

---

# Slide about the challenge

Content here...

---

<!-- black -->

# Part 2: Our Solution

---

# First solution slide

Content here...
Visual Break

Black slides create nice mental breaks for audience!

Emphasis Slides​

Make important points stand out:

<!-- 2xl -->
<!-- black -->

# Remember This!

The one thing you must know

Use these:

  • For key takeaways
  • Important statistics
  • Memorable quotes
  • Call-to-action

Don't overuse! (Max 2-3 per presentation)

Presentation Tips​

Before You Present​

Checklist:

  • Test fullscreen mode
  • Check all images load
  • Practice navigation (arrow keys)
  • Review from audience distance
  • Time yourself
  • Test on presentation computer

During Presentation​

Do:

  • ✅ Face the audience
  • ✅ Use arrow keys smoothly
  • ✅ Pause on important slides
  • ✅ Point out key information
  • ✅ Tell stories, don't just read
  • ✅ Make eye contact

Don't:

  • ❌ Read slides word-for-word
  • ❌ Rush through
  • ❌ Turn your back
  • ❌ Apologize for slides
  • ❌ Say "as you can see" (they can!)

Timing​

General rule:

  • 1-2 minutes per slide
  • Title slide: 10 seconds
  • Quote slide: 30 seconds
  • Complex data slide: 3 minutes

30-minute presentation:

  • 15-20 slides maximum
  • Leaves time for intro/outro
  • Space for questions

5-minute presentation:

  • 5-7 slides maximum
  • Only most important points
  • Fast pace
Practice!

Always rehearse with timer!

Technical Best Practices​

File Management​

Naming convention:

[Type] - [Topic] - [Date]
Examples:
- "Sales - Q4 Results - 2024-12"
- "Training - New Hires - Week 1"
- "Client - Acme Corp - Proposal"

Version control:

Draft 1
Draft 2
Draft 3
FINAL
FINAL v2 (if changes after "final")

Save Regularly​

Create a habit:

  • Every 5 minutes → Ctrl + S
  • After major changes → Save
  • Before presenting → Save
  • Before closing browser → Save

Set a timer:

  • Phone reminder every 5 minutes
  • Post-it note on monitor
  • Make it automatic!

Backup Strategy​

3-2-1 Rule:

  • 3 copies of important presentations
  • 2 different formats (Slidepicker + PDF)
  • 1 copy off-site (cloud)

Example:

  1. Save in Slidepicker (cloud) ✅
  2. Export to PDF ✅ (Premium)
  3. Email PDF to yourself ✅

Image Optimization​

Before uploading:

  1. Resize images

    • Full background: 1920x1080px
    • Side images: 800px wide
    • Don't use phone-sized photos (4000px+)

  2. Compress files

    • Use TinyPNG
    • Aim for under 500KB per image
    • Maintains quality, reduces size

  3. Choose right format

    • Photos → JPG
    • Graphics/logos → PNG
    • Animations → GIF
    • Modern sites → WebP

Markdown Best Practices​

Consistent Formatting​

Pick a style and stick to it:

Option A: Bold for emphasis

This is **important** information.

Option B: Italic for emphasis

This is *important* information.

Don't mix randomly!

Heading Hierarchy​

Use logical structure:

# Main Title (use once per slide)

## Sub-section

### Sub-sub-section (rare)

Don't skip levels:

❌ Wrong:
# Title
### Sub-point (skipped ##)

✅ Right:
# Title
## Sub-point
### Detail

List Consistency​

Pick bullets OR numbers, not both:

✅ Good:

* First point
* Second point
* Third point

❌ Bad:

* First point
2. Second point
* Third point

Spacing​

Blank lines for readability:

✅ Good:

# Title

Some text here.

* Bullet 1
* Bullet 2

❌ Bad:

# Title
Some text here.
* Bullet 1
* Bullet 2

Content Creation Workflow​

The Fast Method (5 Minutes)​

  1. Pick template (1 min)
  2. Replace text (2 min)
  3. Choose color (30 sec)
  4. Add 1-2 images (1 min)
  5. Quick review (30 sec)
  6. Save!

Perfect for: Quick updates, simple presentations

The Standard Method (30 Minutes)​

  1. Start from scratch (5 min)

    • Write all text
    • Structure slides

  2. Format properly (10 min)

    • Headings
    • Bullets
    • Emphasis

  3. Add visuals (10 min)

    • Images
    • Layout modifiers

  4. Polish (5 min)

    • Colors
    • Settings
    • Review

  5. Save & test

Perfect for: Regular presentations

The Professional Method (2 Hours)​

  1. Plan (15 min)

    • Outline
    • Key messages
    • Target audience

  2. Content (45 min)

    • Write all slides
    • Refine wording
    • Check flow

  3. Design (30 min)

    • Custom colors
    • High-quality images
    • Consistent styling

  4. Polish (20 min)

    • Transitions
    • Timing
    • Special effects

  5. Practice (10 min)

    • Full run-through
    • Adjust timing
    • Fix issues

Perfect for: Client pitches, important meetings

Quality Checklist​

Before Sharing​

  • Spell check (copy to Word/Docs)
  • All images load
  • No placeholder text
  • Consistent colors
  • Tested fullscreen
  • Timed yourself
  • Saved with good name

Before Presenting​

  • Tested on presentation computer
  • Backup copy available
  • Internet connection checked
  • Knows keyboard shortcuts
  • Practiced once
  • Ready for questions

Common Mistakes to Avoid​

Content Mistakes​

❌ Too much text

  • Walls of text
  • Tiny fonts
  • Audience reads instead of listens

❌ No structure

  • Random order
  • No clear message
  • Confusing flow

❌ Boring

  • All text, no images
  • Same layout every slide
  • Monotone delivery

Design Mistakes​

❌ Bad colors

  • Low contrast
  • Clashing colors
  • Changes every slide

❌ Bad images

  • Low quality
  • Irrelevant
  • Stretched/distorted

❌ Inconsistent

  • Different fonts
  • Random styles
  • No pattern

Technical Mistakes​

❌ Not saving

  • Lost work
  • Old version
  • No backup

❌ Not testing

  • Errors during presentation
  • Images don't load
  • Navigation issues

Level Up Your Skills​

Beginner → Intermediate​

You know you're ready when:

  • ✅ Can create presentation in 15 minutes
  • ✅ Use templates effectively
  • ✅ Comfortable with modifiers
  • ✅ Images look good
  • ✅ Saved and organized

Next level skills:

  • Learn all keyboard shortcuts
  • Create custom color schemes
  • Master image layouts
  • Develop personal style
  • Create own templates

Intermediate → Advanced​

You know you're ready when:

  • ✅ Create without templates
  • ✅ Know all shortcuts
  • ✅ Presentations look professional
  • ✅ Can present smoothly
  • ✅ Get compliments on slides

Next level skills:

  • Train others
  • Create templates for team
  • Optimize for different audiences
  • Master storytelling
  • Present without notes

Resources​

Learning​

  • 📖 This documentation
  • 🎥 Presentation tips (general topic)
  • 📚 Books on presenting
  • 🎓 Online courses

Tools​

Inspiration​

  • 📱 Look at other presentations
  • 🎯 Study what works
  • 🔄 Adapt good ideas
  • 💡 Develop your style

You're becoming a presentation master! 🎓

Keep practicing, keep improving, keep presenting! 🚀