Busy slides don’t make you look clever

Published about 2 months ago • 1 min read

“I’m sorry about this busy slide.”

We’ve all heard it. Some of us have even said it.
But here’s the thing:
If your audience can’t read it, it isn’t helping them.
And if it isn’t helping them, it’s not doing its job.

💡 ONE IDEA WELL

Clarity isn’t about dumbing things down.
It’s about making your message land.

Busy slides don’t make you look clever.
They make it harder to follow your story.

Even the most complex ideas can be delivered with clarity - if you design with your audience in mind.

One of the most infamous slides in presentation history is this one:

So tangled. So dense. So impossible to digest in real time.
It’s not a slide. It’s a cry for help.

🧰 LESS MESS, MORE MESSAGE

Here’s one fix to try next time:

🧼 One idea per slide.
Don’t try to show everything at once.

Let your voice carry the rest.

Strip everything else away.

If you must show complexity:

Layer your visuals
Reveal the big picture, then zoom in
Guide your audience one step at a time

🧭 ASK YOURSELF THIS

What do I want them to notice first?

If everything’s important, nothing stands out.
And if nothing stands out, your message fades.

Speak soon,

Andy

✏️ PS

Know someone still cramming everything onto one slide?
Maybe forward this before their next talk.

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