Have you ever stared at a deck so plain it could double as an early 2000s Word document? You know the type: black text, white background, 12-point font, bullets that multiply like rabbits.
And then it hits you:
“SlideShow” is really just “SlidesHow.”
Now you can’t unsee it.
SlideShow? No — Slides How.
Every slide is a question: How are you telling your story? How are you guiding attention, building understanding, sparking emotion, or making people care?
Slides aren’t a teleprompter for the presenter. They’re not a storage locker for every thought you couldn’t trim from the script. They’re your co-narrator.
So when we say “SlideShow,” think “SlidesHOW” — as in:
- How does this slide move the story forward?
- How does it feel to read this?
- How does the design help, or hurt, the message?
If you’re just showing slides, you’re not showing how.
The Problem with Black-and-White Thinking
When we rely on black text on a white background, we’re not just making a design choice — we’re making an engagement choice.
It’s the default, the no-risk path, the lowest common denominator of visual communication. But default slides don’t start conversations. They don’t stick in memory. They don’t move people.
They whisper when you needed a drumroll.
What Slides Should Be
- A canvas, not a printout – Use space, contrast, motion, and imagery to tell your story visually.
- Visual anchors – A single chart, a photo, a bold quote — these are anchors, not add-ons.
- Conversation starters – The best slides raise questions in the audience’s mind before you’ve even said a word.
- Designed for impact, not for reading – If your audience is reading while you’re talking, they’re not listening.
SlideSHOW or SlideHOW: Choose Wisely
Next time you’re building a presentation, try this simple exercise: Read the word “SlideShow” and mentally split it.
Ask yourself:
❓ How is this slide helping me SHOW what matters?
❓ How is this slide showing HOW I think?
❓ How is this slide different from just handing them a PDF?
Because once you’ve seen “SlidesHow,” there’s no going back. And maybe — just maybe — your audience will thank you with applause instead of polite silence.
TL;DR (or TL;DW if it’s a webinar):
Stop building slide shows. Start building SlidesHow. Design like it’s a story. Present like it’s a performance. Because every slide asks: HOW are you showing what matters?