10 Presentation Design Mistakes to Avoid (and Quick Fixes)

Most bad slides are not bad because of a lack of talent. They fall into the same handful of traps. Here are ten common mistakes and how to fix each one in minutes.

1. Walls of text

Fix: keep a short headline and three supporting points at most. Move the rest to speaker notes.

2. Headlines that name a topic instead of making a point

Fix: change "Sales" to "Sales grew 18% after the price change". People should understand the slide from the headline alone.

3. Too many fonts

Fix: use one font for headings and one for body text. That is enough for almost any deck.

4. Too many colours

Fix: pick one main colour and one accent. Use the accent only for what you want people to notice.

5. Text that is too small

Fix: if people at the back of the room cannot read it, it is too small. Larger text also forces you to write less.

6. Low contrast

Fix: use dark text on light backgrounds or light text on dark backgrounds. Avoid text over busy photos unless you add a solid overlay.

7. Charts with no message

Fix: highlight the one bar or line that matters, remove gridlines you do not need and state the takeaway in the headline.

8. Inconsistent layouts

Fix: keep titles, logos and page numbers in the same place on every slide. Consistency looks professional even with a simple design.

9. Decorative images that add nothing

Fix: use images that explain or prove something, such as a product photo, a screenshot or a real team photo.

10. No clear ending

Fix: finish with a summary or a clear next step, not just "Thank you" or "Questions?".

A two-minute check before you present

• Read only the headlines. Do they tell the full story?
• Is every number and name correct?
• Can you read every slide from across the room?
• Does the last slide tell people what to do next?