A Slide Carol: Three Spirits of Better Presentations
Every December, teams revisit the same decks.
The same slides. The same formatting shortcuts that somehow survived another year.
As year-end meetings wrap and kickoff decks loom, it feels like the perfect moment for a little reflection. So consider this a holiday tale for modern marketing and communications teams.
Not about ghosts. About slides.
Specifically, the three spirits that visit every presentation when it is ready to improve.
The Spirit of Slides Past
This spirit arrives quietly. Usually disguised as a legacy deck that “has always worked.”
It brings familiar sights. Dense paragraphs copied directly from emails. Tables crammed with every data point, just in case. Fonts that look slightly off but no one remembers why.
Slides Past are not bad slides. They are just tired.
They were created quickly, under pressure, for an audience that no longer exists. Over time, they were reused, revised, and stretched far beyond their original purpose.
When slides are built for convenience instead of clarity, they stop supporting the story. They slow decisions, create confusion, and quietly drain attention from the room.
The problem is not nostalgia. It is momentum without intention.
If a slide exists because “we have always used it,” it may be time to thank it for its service and let it go.
The Spirit of Slides Present
This spirit is direct. Practical. Sometimes uncomfortable.
Slides Present asks one question. What does this audience need to understand right now?
Not everything you know. Not everything you researched. Just the insight that matters most in this moment.
Great slides in the present tense do three things well.
They prioritize clarity over completeness. They use design to guide attention, not decorate it. They respect the audience’s time and cognitive load.
This is where visual communication becomes a business tool. Strong hierarchy. Intentional white space. Data that is shaped to reveal meaning instead of hiding it in volume.
Slides Present remind us that design is not about making things pretty. It is about making ideas easier to grasp, align around, and act on.
When slides do their job, the presenter does not have to work as hard to explain them.
The Spirit of Slides Yet to Come
This is the most exciting spirit.
Slides Yet to Come represent what happens when presentations are treated as strategic assets, not last-minute deliverables.
These slides are built with intention from the start. They are on brand without being rigid. Flexible without becoming chaotic.
They anticipate reuse, adaptation, and scale across teams. They are designed to travel well across audiences, formats, and moments throughout the year.
Slides Yet to Come support faster decision-making. They reduce misalignment. They help leaders show up confident, prepared, and focused on the message instead of the mechanics.
Most importantly, they recognize that presentations are not just slides. They are moments that shape how strategy is understood and remembered.
A Final Thought Before the New Year
The best time to rethink your presentations is not when a deadline hits. It is when you have space to reflect.
As teams close out the year and look ahead to kickoffs, roadshows, and leadership meetings, this is the moment to ask a simple question.
Are our slides helping us tell the story we want to be known for?
If not, the spirits have delivered their message.
And unlike most holiday tales, this one comes with a very practical ending.
Better slides lead to better conversations. Better conversations lead to better decisions.
That is a future worth designing for.
If this story felt familiar and you would like more moments of clarity, practical insight, and visual storytelling wisdom throughout the year, follow Ruby + Citrine on Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok.
