Short answer: A text-heavy slide is usually trying to do two jobs at once: be the talk and be the handout. To fix it, decide the one point the slide must make, write that point as the slide title, keep only the evidence that supports it, and move everything else into speaker notes or a separate document. Then lay out what remains so the most important item is the most visible.
The rest of this guide walks through that method step by step, with a worked (hypothetical) example.
Why slides end up overloaded
Most crowded slides aren't the result of poor taste. They usually come from one of three situations:
- The deck is doubling as a document. It will be emailed after the meeting, so every detail goes on screen "just in case".
- The slide is the presenter's script. The bullets are there to remind the speaker what to say.
- Several people contributed. Each person added their own point, and nobody decided which one mattered most.
Knowing which situation you're in helps, because the fix is slightly different for each. A script belongs in speaker notes. A document belongs in a separate file or appendix. Competing points need a decision, not a smaller font.
The six-step method
Step 1: Write the slide's point as one sentence
Before touching the layout, finish this sentence: "After this slide, the audience should understand that…"
If you can't finish it in one sentence, the slide probably contains two or more ideas and should be split.
Step 2: Turn that sentence into the slide title
Replace topic labels such as "Overview" or "Our approach" with a title that states the point, for example "Most delays happen at the approval stage".
A descriptive title also helps accessibility. Microsoft advises giving every slide a unique, descriptive title so that people using screen readers can navigate the deck (Microsoft Support: Make your PowerPoint presentations accessible).
Step 3: Sort every line into keep, notes or appendix
Go through the existing text line by line and put each item into one of three groups:
| Group | What goes here | Where it ends up |
|---|---|---|
| Keep | Evidence the audience must see to accept the point (a key figure, a comparison, a short list of options) | On the slide |
| Notes | What you will say: context, explanations, examples, reminders | Speaker notes |
| Appendix | Detail some readers will want later: full tables, terms, methodology | Appendix slides or a separate document |
Speaker notes are designed for this. In desktop PowerPoint's Presenter View you can see your notes while the audience sees only the slides (Microsoft Support: Add speaker notes to your slides).
Step 4: Rewrite what's left as short phrases
For the "keep" items, cut each one down to the shortest phrase that still makes sense on its own. Remove repeated words that appear in every bullet (for example, "We will…", "Our team…"). If three bullets all begin the same way, the shared words can usually move into the title.
There is no single word or bullet limit that suits every presentation. A useful working test is whether someone could read the slide in the time it takes you to introduce it. If they couldn't, it is still doing too much.
Step 5: Choose a layout that matches the shape of the content
Bullet points work well for a loose list. Other content may be clearer in a different layout:
- A sequence (first, then, finally) → a simple process or timeline
- A comparison (before vs after, option A vs option B) → two columns
- One standout number → a large figure with a one-line label
- A group of parallel items (three services, four principles) → a row of equal blocks
In PowerPoint for Microsoft 365, 2024, 2021, 2019 and 2016 you can select existing text and choose Home › Convert to SmartArt Graphic to try diagram layouts quickly (Microsoft Support: Create a SmartArt graphic from a list). Microsoft 365 subscribers can also use Designer, which suggests layouts for slides containing lists, dates or pictures (Microsoft Support: Get design ideas for slides with PowerPoint Designer). For Copilot users, Microsoft calls Designer Design Suggestions. Menu names can vary by version. Treat both tools as a starting point: check that the result still reads in the right order and matches your brand.
Step 6: Check readability before you present
Run through a short checklist:
- Size: Microsoft's accessibility guidance suggests 18pt or larger and familiar sans serif fonts such as Arial or Calibri (Microsoft Support).
- Contrast: text should stand out clearly from the background, especially on photos.
- Emphasis: avoid all-caps paragraphs and heavy italics or underlining (same source).
- Hierarchy: the slide's main point should be the first thing your eye lands on.
- Accessibility Checker: in PowerPoint, Review › Check Accessibility flags issues such as missing alt text and some low-contrast text (same source).
Also test the slide at the size and viewing distance your audience will use; 18pt is not a guarantee that text will be readable from the back of a room. If your text no longer fits at a readable size, go back to Step 3 rather than shrinking the font.
Worked example (hypothetical)
This is an illustrative example written for this guide. It is not a client project.
Before: A proposal slide titled "Why choose [Business name]" with nine bullets in 14pt text, covering years in business, team qualifications, a list of six services, a two-week start, one team handling the project, a satisfaction guarantee, payment terms and contact details.
Applying the method:
- The point: "[Business name] can start within two weeks and handles the whole project with one team."
- New title: "One team from start to handover, starting within two weeks".
- Sorting:
- Keep: the two-week start, the single point of contact, three headline services.
- Notes: team background and how the guarantee works (said aloud).
- Appendix: the full service list and payment terms.
- Removed: contact details (they belong on the closing slide).
- After: a title, three equal blocks (one per headline service), and a short line at the bottom stating the start time. The text now fits comfortably at a readable size.
The information hasn't been lost. It has moved to where each type of reader will find it: the audience hears the context, sees the evidence, and gets the detail afterwards.
When the deck must also work as a handout
If the deck will be sent to people who weren't in the room, you have two reasonable options:
- Two versions: a lean presenting deck, plus a "read" version or PDF with fuller text.
- One deck plus an appendix: keep main slides lean and put detail in clearly labelled appendix slides.
Both are better than one overloaded deck that serves neither situation well. Which suits you depends on how often the deck is reused and who maintains it.
Limitations
- This method improves clarity; it can't fix an unclear argument. If you struggle with Step 1 on most slides, the structure of the whole presentation may need rethinking first.
- Some audiences (technical, regulatory or financial) expect denser slides. Match the norms of the room, but still lead with the point.
- Automatic tools such as SmartArt and Designer can rearrange text, but they don't decide what matters. That judgement is yours.
Next step
Try the six steps on your three most crowded slides first; that is usually where the biggest gain is. If you would rather hand the visual clean-up to someone else, Pencil Glow's presentation refresh service redesigns existing decks of up to 20 slides using your content, and you can see the approach in our sample gallery of concept work.