Designing Story Slides in PowerPoint: Learning from Ethos3

Designing slides for stories is different than designing a business-report presentation that you need to send to your boss. You may hear from purists who say that all slides must have stories, and to a large extent, I agree with them, Already distinctions between different slide types are getting blurred. To provide an example, it is entirely possible that a chart slide that shows sales figures for the last 25 years also has a story to tell. Yet, the story in the chart slide has an existence that is underlying and abstract. In story slides, the same existence is vibrant and alive. So for this feature, a story slide is something akin to illustrations you see in a children's picture book!

Now look at this embed from SlideShare.

The slides were created by Nashville-based Ethos3, a presentation design firm. The client was Isobel Cox, who came up with the concept of The Blame Cleanse as a motivational, personal-growth piece. Isobel was very clear about what she wanted—her goal was to spread this message and help others, and perhaps use this as a speaking career in the future.



I asked Ethos3's Sunday Mancini: How was Isobel different as a client? Moreover, what motivated you to create this simple, informational deck that’s distinct to look at, but still has a fun element ingrained within itself?

Here's Sunday's answer: Isobel’s work is all about helping people in their daily lives, with their daily struggles. This gave us a unique opportunity to tell a story that could resonate with people and make them say, “I definitely feel this way!” Once we’ve hooked them with that story, then her solution takes center stage. The design is a huge part of that, because it’s so fresh and keeps people clicking, almost like a picture book. What made Isobel such a stand-out client was the fact that she encouraged our creativity throughout the entire process, which made the final product so fun.

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Sunday Mancini is the Content Strategist at Ethos3, working closely with clients to craft their message and create a fantastic presentation. She's worked with companies like Amazon and Google during her time at Ethos3, and has a passion for brand storytelling. Visit the Ethos3 site to learn more about her work, or even start a project for yourself.

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