THE SHORT ANSWER
Start with the decision or understanding the audience needs, give each slide a clear purpose and show only the detail needed for that purpose. Use readable charts, meaningful titles and an appropriate reading order. Sage’s presentation design starts at Ksh 3,499 for up to eight slides; a startup fundraising deck is a separate service and scope.
Decide what the meeting is for
A board update, training session and sales presentation have different jobs. Write down what the audience already knows, what they need to understand and what action or decision should follow. Then decide the material needed to get there.
For a board update, lead with the matter requiring attention rather than a long history of the organisation. For training, allow space to explain and practise. For a sales conversation, start with the customer’s situation and the relevant offer.
A useful working slide title says what the audience should learn. “Service enquiries increased in September” is more informative than “Results” if that is what the verified figures show. Do not turn an observation into a stronger claim than the evidence supports.
Make the chart defensible as well as readable
State the period, unit and source. Use consistent scales where comparisons depend on them. If a chart presents survey responses, show the response base and make clear whether it describes respondents or the whole customer population.
Use a short annotation to identify the point of the chart. A presenter should not need to say “ignore the labels” or explain that two similarly coloured series mean different things. If the detail is essential but too dense for a live slide, move it to a readable appendix.
Readable slides include more than font size
Microsoft’s PowerPoint accessibility guidance covers descriptive titles, alternative text and reading order. Those checks matter because a slide is a collection of objects, and the visual arrangement may not be the order a screen reader encounters.
Use sufficient contrast, avoid relying on colour alone and describe meaningful visuals. Keep body text short enough to be read in the room or on the intended device. Check the exported version as well as the editable file.
Do not assume animation is required to make a slide engaging. If movement helps explain a sequence, use it deliberately. A static version should still communicate when the deck is emailed as a PDF.
Agree the versions before the design starts
A speaking deck and a reading deck can share a structure while carrying different amounts of explanation. Specify whether you need PowerPoint, Canva, PDF or another format, and whether speaker notes belong in the handover.
Open the exported file in the software the recipient will use. Check page boundaries, fonts, image crops and charts. Remove material parked outside the slide canvas before sharing an editable file.
Sage’s base presentation package is Ksh 3,499 for up to eight slides, with additional slides from Ksh 299 each. Discuss narrative development, data analysis and special versions separately. Two revision rounds apply within the agreed design scope.
Send a brief that saves a round of corrections
Share the meeting purpose, audience, speaking time, current slides, approved data and the delivery format. Mark which facts are final and which still need a decision. Give the source behind any chart the designer is expected to rebuild.
For recurring reports, keep the chart definitions and template consistent enough to compare periods. A designer who already understands your organisation can help make the next update clearer without making it look like a different business every month.
A few more questions
Is presentation design the same as pitch deck design?
They overlap visually but serve different purposes. A startup investor deck needs an appropriately scoped business narrative; a training or management presentation may need a different structure.
Does redesigning a chart verify its data?
No. The approved source and the interpretation still need checking. Ask for analysis separately if the numbers or conclusions need investigation.
Sources & further reading
- Microsoft: Make PowerPoint presentations accessible
Primary guidance on titles, alternative text and reading order.
- What employee and customer surveys can actually tell management
Related Sage business; cited for survey denominators and interpretation.
Sources reviewed 25 October 2026. Practical recommendations and examples are Sage Design Lab editorial guidance.
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