EC-301e · Module 2

Deck Flow and Transitions

3 min read

A deck that flows reads like an argument. Each slide sets up the next. The executive who finishes slide 4 should have a question in mind that slide 5 answers. When that sequence is present, the executive feels guided. When it is absent, they feel presented at — and they interrupt to regain control of the conversation.

Flow is created at the transition between slides. The last line of body copy on one slide (or the call-out) should generate the question that the next slide answers. "The cost reduction is real and measurable. But is the error rate acceptable for full deployment?" is a transition — it introduces the question that the next slide answers. The reader turns the page with a specific thing to look for. That is a guided experience. The alternative is a reader turning pages looking for relevance.

Do This

  • Read only the headlines and call-outs in sequence — the argument should hold as a connected chain
  • Write transitions explicitly when the connection between slides is not obvious from the headline sequence
  • Use section dividers to signal phase transitions (Setup → Insight → Action)
  • Test flow by reading the deck aloud without notes — where you pause and search, the flow has broken

Avoid This

  • Build slides as independent documents and assemble them at the end — disconnected slides feel like a different deck
  • Use the section divider as a substitute for flow — dividers reset, they do not connect
  • Add "transition slides" that summarize the previous section — they are overhead, not argument
  • Rely on verbal narration to create the connections that the deck structure should provide