One of the most common (and usually detrimental) behaviors associated with digital presentation is the compulsion to pack half a world’s knowledge on every slide in a show. Slides end up looking like a notes sheet or a page in a book. Such crowded slide real estate tends to produce information overload, all but assuring audience members will be glassy-eyed, bored, and able to absorb very little from a performance.

A central idea behind Relational Presentation is simplifying slide design by dividing complex subjects (or even bullet points for that matter) onto multiple slides. When each slide contains a single, clear idea, viewers absorb the information quickly, and then return focus to the presenter—where it should be.

Having a single idea on slides also allows speakers to focus dynamically on individual topics, without having to worry about extra clutter distracting viewers. While answering a question, for example, she can navigate to appropriate slide material that visually depicts ONLY the needed content.