EC-201b · Module 1

One Slide, One Idea

3 min read

Every slide has one job. Name the job before you design the slide. This is not a design principle — it is an operational requirement. A slide with three ideas dilutes all three. The executive scanning the slide cannot determine which idea is the point. The presenter talking through the slide loses the room to the wrong idea. A slide that tries to say three things says nothing.

The test for a single-idea slide is simple: state the point of the slide in one sentence. If the sentence requires "and" or "also" — if it reads "this slide shows the cost reduction AND the competitive position AND the timeline" — the slide has multiple ideas. Split it. Each idea becomes its own slide with its own headline, its own evidence, and its own call-out. Three single-idea slides are always more effective than one three-idea slide.

Do This

  • State the point of the slide in one sentence before designing it — if you need "and," split the slide
  • Let the headline carry one complete thought and build all visual elements to support that thought
  • When a slide accumulates a second idea during development, create a new slide immediately
  • Move supporting ideas to the appendix — they may belong there anyway

Avoid This

  • Combine related data points on one slide because they "go together thematically"
  • Add a second chart to a slide because there is white space available
  • Use bullet point lists to cover multiple unrelated points under a single headline
  • Defer the decision about what the slide is arguing until after the visuals are built