Creating Client Ready Slides Faster

Hello there,

This is something completely normal for new joiners, my advice would be to nail down the content part of the slide and then start improving the visual presentation.

Concerning the correct layout: 
First, you need to understand your team and client's style (e.g., color palette they are using, slide types, visual structures, text length, etc.).
Your team should be able to share previous presentations or proposals for you to get a proper look and feel of the slides.
What you should additionally do is build a template. presentation where you have all the practical no regrets slides and the killer slides, this will significantly reduce your slide layout production as you will combine shapes and illustrations from different slides.

Concerning the writer's block:
Try to leverage other deliverables for inspiration on the writing style.
The best ways to overcome writer's block are to either brainstorm with a team member about the message you are trying to convey, or try taking a mini-break and do some activity to reset your brain and start fresh if no one is available to discuss.

Concerning the writing length:
This will also depend on the style of communication of your team and client, usually, the best practice is to have a crisp message (e.g., concise, decisive, and matter-of-fact, without hesitation or unnecessary detail, bold key points, etc.).
The text should be kept to a minimum as your audience would not be interested in the details but rather the outcome, as we say in the professional world sometimes less is more!
One very important thing to keep in mind is for the language to be parallel across the slide (e.g., using the past tense, etc.).

Concerning the usage of icons:
Again this also depends on the style or your team/clients usually they are used to beautify a slide and leave an impression on the audience because the icons allow the reader to imagine the meaning without being bound by the more sterile words. 
Using icons in slides can also help the presentation flow better you just need to figure out the best mix to fit the visual requirements.

Great questions and I'm glad to see you are still getting value out of prep lounge even after getting into consulting!

One piece of coaching I often gave to junior consultants (and used myself) is the following:
- Slides only exist to help you convey a message to someone. If they aren't achieving that, then they shouldn't exist
- Imagine yourself explaining the concept to someone face to face. Imagine how you might go about explaining it, and what you might draw on a whiteboard or piece of paper to help them understand

Typically, what you drew on the paper + how you laid things out in your explanation is what should go on your slide.

In terms of the amount of writing, it is always good to remind yourself that the majority of people have very short attention spans and respond much easier to visual stimulus than writing. The more you can convey your message visually (which may include things like icons but also how you lay things out) and the more you can keep your writing succinct and to the point, the easier it is for people to understand.

In addition to this, one other practical tip - Your firm likely has a large repository of slide templates and also IC. You can use the slide templates for inspiration when stuck and also browse through the slides used in the IC to get an understanding of the level of detail etc. your firm typically expects.

Hope this helps!
Kurt

Hi there,

My first “killer slide" was the worst slide that has ever been created…I'm sure of it!

First, know that you can learn! Learn from those around observe. Internalize edits. Ask people around you for tips…like with anything in life take an active learning approach!

Choosing a correct layout for the information to be presented within a slide e.g., let's imagine we need to answer "Why?/How?/When?" then should I work in columns or rows?

Frameworking is everything here. Buckets/themes of 2, 3, or 4. Leverage your case practice for this.

How do I overcome generic "Writer's block"?

There are many techniques. Work through it with someone, talk outloud, ideate, go for a walk, think through the objective, etc.

How much is too much writing? Why does everything seem to need to be placed onto 2 or 3 lines?

Because your audience has a short attention span. Less is more. In the professional world you need to be concise and too the point. Just like in a resume, it's important that the key points pop out.

When should I use icons?

Hard to answer without examples. There's a balance and it just depends! Icons are supposed to help the eye, not distract.

Happy to coach you in this - I have a 100 slide deck that you can leverage as well for your own slides!

Hey,
First, struggling in your first couple of months is perfectly normal! There are things you will pick up and learn as time goes by.
Coming from the point of view of a manager at MBB, your question(s) is missing a critical insight - you are not doing slides in a vacuum; you are making slides for someone in particular (your manager). 
What makes manager A happy may not make manager B!
This is extremely important that you learn quickly.
What I would do if I were in your shoes is very honestly ask your manager "what good looks like" to him. Ask him for previous presentations and see what style he likes best:
1. Does he usually prefer white background vs. a lot of pictures?
2. Is he very succinct or prefers more text on his slides?
3. What are the layouts he usually uses?
4. What type of dividers/navigators/agendas/… does he use?

This will give you a clear indication of what his slides look like and what your slides should look like.
What I would do next is I would create a library of slides he has used in the past and use them as my templates. For example, I want to have a slide where I want to make 3 points - most likely he will have plenty of slides with a similar layout where you need to replace the text and adjust icons/pictures to your context.
There are other points, but the above is a good starting point :)