{"id":45,"date":"2015-12-12T11:09:00","date_gmt":"2015-12-12T11:09:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ffolliet.com\/staging\/2015\/12\/12\/what-is-the-optimum-number-of-slides-in-a-presentation\/"},"modified":"2026-04-03T12:59:01","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T12:59:01","slug":"what-is-the-optimum-number-of-slides-in-a-presentation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ffolliet.com\/staging\/what-is-the-optimum-number-of-slides-in-a-presentation\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the optimum number of slides in a presentation?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Whats the optimum number of minutes per slide and words per slide for a presentation? @ffolliet<\/a> I’ve always used 1 min\/slide and 4-6 x 4-6.<\/span><\/div>\n

\u2014 David Warriner (@doctordiscodave) December 11, 2015<\/a><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n


<\/span> None. No slides. So no words.<\/span>

<\/span>There is no requirement for any slides in a presentation. And the best slide in the world is blank<\/a>.  Many folk recall the best presentation they attended as “when the AV system failed<\/a>.” The reality of that is probably that the presenter engaged more effectively and directly with the audience rather than concentrate on their slides and without a rigid structure would be more free to express themselves rather than repeat themselves. Slides, as I refer to them are part of p2, the supportive <\/b>media. They are there to add to the presentation<\/a>.<\/span>

<\/span>So, should a presentation have any slides? Probably, but only if they add to the p1 in its delivery p3. There is no requirement  to have images, diagrams or text (!) displayed to deliver an effective presentation but if there is something that would increase the value of the presentation then it is entirely reasonable to have some supportive media. I was privileged to deliver a talk at TEDx Stuttgart two years ago and once my p1 was constructed and I considered my p2, there was little that I felt i needed to have that would make the p1 any better. I did add some images but also, if you watch the presentation, I had visual aids. The p2 is supportive to the p1, should be additive rather than subtract and certainly not distract. In retrospect I should have controlled the balloon issue a bit better.<\/span>

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