The audience often complains about “heavy slides” — but can you make your slides lighter without removing any text?

1. Making your slides
LIGHTER
by Alexei Kapterev

2. The audience often complains
about “heavy slides”

3. Mostly meaning by that
“slides with too much text”

4. ”Heavy slides” demotivate from the start.
Nobody even thinks about reading them!

5. The one proposed
cure is to remove
some text — but
what if we can’t?
Can we still make
the slide “lighter”?

6. YesW E C A N

7. INFORMATION
BY REMOVING
OTHER
We can do it

8. • Colours
• Borders
• Decorations
• Alignment lines
• Etc.
LIKE…

9. EXAMPLE
Let me give you an

10. What%other%benefits%are%provided%by%the%
National%Team?
10
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Assistance)in)Defining)
Survey)Objectives
• State%modeling%for%
trip%generation%or%
activity%modeling%
• Travel%demands%
forecasting%or%Long%
range%plans
• Consider%role%of%
respondent%and%
interview%mode%
• Cognitive%issues%
• Cognitive%testing%
• Administered%issues%
• Format*%
• Response%format*
• Sample%size%
• Stratification%of%
sample%
• Missing%data%
approaches%
• Coverage%issues
• Oversee%the%
Integration%of%%
sample%and%
questions%%into%the%
national%program,%%
• Data%progress%
reports
Survey)Monitoring)

11. What%other%benefits%are%provided%by%the%
National%Team?
10
Identify)Sample)Size)
Approach
Questionnaire)
Development
Assistance)in)Defining)
Survey)Objectives
• State%modeling%for%
trip%generation%or%
activity%modeling%
• Travel%demands%
forecasting%or%Long%
range%plans
• Consider%role%of%
respondent%and%
interview%mode%
• Cognitive%issues%
• Cognitive%testing%
• Administered%issues%
• Format*%
• Response%format*
• Sample%size%
• Stratification%of%
sample%
• Missing%data%
approaches%
• Coverage%issues
• Oversee%the%
Integration%of%%
sample%and%
questions%%into%the%
national%program,%%
• Data%progress%
reports
Survey)Monitoring)
It is quite heavy, right?
Let’s try to make it lighter.

12. What%other%benefits%are%provided%by%the%
National%Team?
11
Identify)Sample)Size)
Approach
Questionnaire)
Development
Assistance)in)Defining)
Survey)Objectives
• State%modeling%for%
trip%generation%or%
activity%modeling%
• Travel%demands%
forecasting%or%Long%
range%plans
• Consider%role%of%
respondent%and%
interview%mode%
• Cognitive%issues%
• Cognitive%testing%
• Administered%issues%
• Format*%
• Response%format*
• Sample%size%
• Stratification%of%
sample%
• Missing%data%
approaches%
• Coverage%issues
• Oversee%the%
Integration%of%%
sample%and%
questions%%into%the%
national%program,%%
• Data%progress%
reports
Survey)Monitoring)
For one thing, we don’t
need that background.

13. 12
Identify)Sample)Size)
Approach
Questionnaire)
Development
Assistance)in)Defining)
Survey)Objectives
• State%modeling%for%
trip%generation%or%
activity%modeling%
• Travel%demands%
forecasting%or%Long%
range%plans
• Consider%role%of%
respondent%and%
interview%mode%
• Cognitive%issues%
• Cognitive%testing%
• Administered%issues%
• Format*%
• Response%format*
• Sample%size%
• Stratification%of%
sample%
• Missing%data%
approaches%
• Coverage%issues
• Oversee%the%
Integration%of%%
sample%and%
questions%%into%the%
national%program,%%
• Data%progress%
reports
Survey)Monitoring)
What%other%benefits%are%provided%by%the%
National%Team?

14. 12
Identify)Sample)Size)
Approach
Questionnaire)
Development
Assistance)in)Defining)
Survey)Objectives
• State%modeling%for%
trip%generation%or%
activity%modeling%
• Travel%demands%
forecasting%or%Long%
range%plans
• Consider%role%of%
respondent%and%
interview%mode%
• Cognitive%issues%
• Cognitive%testing%
• Administered%issues%
• Format*%
• Response%format*
• Sample%size%
• Stratification%of%
sample%
• Missing%data%
approaches%
• Coverage%issues
• Oversee%the%
Integration%of%%
sample%and%
questions%%into%the%
national%program,%%
• Data%progress%
reports
Survey)Monitoring)
What%other%benefits%are%provided%by%the%
National%Team?
Ahh… Can you feel it? White is light.

15. 13
Identify)Sample)Size)
Approach
Questionnaire)
Development
Assistance)in)Defining)
Survey)Objectives
• State%modeling%for%
trip%generation%or%
activity%modeling%
• Travel%demands%
forecasting%or%Long%
range%plans
• Consider%role%of%
respondent%and%
interview%mode%
• Cognitive%issues%
• Cognitive%testing%
• Administered%issues%
• Format*%
• Response%format*
• Sample%size%
• Stratification%of%
sample%
• Missing%data%
approaches%
• Coverage%issues
• Oversee%the%
Integration%of%%
sample%and%
questions%%into%the%
national%program,%%
• Data%progress%
reports
Survey)Monitoring)
What%other%benefits%are%provided%by%the%
National%Team?

16. 13
Identify)Sample)Size)
Approach
Questionnaire)
Development
Assistance)in)Defining)
Survey)Objectives
• State%modeling%for%
trip%generation%or%
activity%modeling%
• Travel%demands%
forecasting%or%Long%
range%plans
• Consider%role%of%
respondent%and%
interview%mode%
• Cognitive%issues%
• Cognitive%testing%
• Administered%issues%
• Format*%
• Response%format*
• Sample%size%
• Stratification%of%
sample%
• Missing%data%
approaches%
• Coverage%issues
• Oversee%the%
Integration%of%%
sample%and%
questions%%into%the%
national%program,%%
• Data%progress%
reports
Survey)Monitoring)
What%other%benefits%are%provided%by%the%
National%Team?
Lighter still

17. 14
• State%modeling%for%
trip%generation%or%
activity%modeling%
• Travel%demands%
forecasting%or%Long%
range%plans
• Sample%size%
• Stratification%of%
sample%
• Missing%data%
approaches%
• Coverage%issues
• Oversee%the%
Integration%of%%
sample%and%
questions%%into%the%
national%program,%%
• Data%progress%
reports
• Consider%role%of%
respondent%and%
interview%mode%
• Cognitive%issues%
• Cognitive%testing%
• Administered%issues%
• Format*%
• Response%format*
What)other)benefits)are)
provided)by)the)National)Team?
Identify)
Sample)Size)
Approach
Questionnaire)
Development
Assistance)in)
Defining)Survey)
Objectives
Survey)
Monitoring)

18. 15
• State%modeling%for%
trip%generation%or%
activity%modeling%
• Travel%demands%
forecasting%or%Long%
range%plans
• Sample%size%
• Stratification%of%
sample%
• Missing%data%
approaches%
• Coverage%issues
• Oversee%the%
Integration%of%%
sample%and%
questions%%into%the%
national%program,%%
• Data%progress%
reports
• Consider%role%of%
respondent%and%
interview%mode%
• Cognitive%issues%
• Cognitive%testing%
• Administered%
issues%
• Format*%
• Response%format*
What)other)benefits)are)
provided)by)the)National)Team?
Identify)
Sample)Size)
Approach
Questionnaire)
Development
Assistance)in)
Defining)Survey)
Objectives
Survey)
Monitoring)

19. 16
What)other)benefits)are)
provided)by)the)National)Team?
Identify)
Sample)Size)
Approach
Questionnaire)
Development
Assistance)in)
Defining)Survey)
Objectives
Survey)
Monitoring)
• State%modeling%for%
trip%generation%or%
activity%modeling%
• Travel%demands%
forecasting%or%Long%
range%plans
• Sample%size%
• Stratification%of%
sample%
• Missing%data%
approaches%
• Coverage%issues
• Oversee%the%
Integration%of%%
sample%and%
questions%%into%the%
national%program,%%
• Data%progress%
reports
• Consider%role%of%
respondent%and%
interview%mode%
• Cognitive%issues%
• Cognitive%testing%
• Administered%
issues%
• Format*%
• Response%format*

20. 17
What)other)benefits)are)
provided)by)the)National)Team?
Identify)
Sample)Size)
Approach
Questionnaire)
Development
Assistance)in)
Defining)Survey)
Objectives
Survey)
Monitoring)
• State%modeling%for%
trip%generation%or%
activity%modeling%
• Travel%demands%
forecasting%or%Long%
range%plans
• Sample%size%
• Stratification%of%
sample%
• Missing%data%
approaches%
• Coverage%issues
• Oversee%the%
Integration%of%%
sample%and%
questions%%into%the%
national%program,%%
• Data%progress%
reports
• Consider%role%of%
respondent%and%
interview%mode%
• Cognitive%issues%
• Cognitive%testing%
• Administered%
issues%
• Format*%
• Response%format*

21. 17
What)other)benefits)are)
provided)by)the)National)Team?
Identify)
Sample)Size)
Approach
Questionnaire)
Development
Assistance)in)
Defining)Survey)
Objectives
Survey)
Monitoring)
• State%modeling%for%
trip%generation%or%
activity%modeling%
• Travel%demands%
forecasting%or%Long%
range%plans
• Sample%size%
• Stratification%of%
sample%
• Missing%data%
approaches%
• Coverage%issues
• Oversee%the%
Integration%of%%
sample%and%
questions%%into%the%
national%program,%%
• Data%progress%
reports
• Consider%role%of%
respondent%and%
interview%mode%
• Cognitive%issues%
• Cognitive%testing%
• Administered%
issues%
• Format*%
• Response%format*
Ok, now it is boring.

22. What other benefits are
provided by the National Team?
Identify
Sample Size
Approach
Questionnaire
Development
Assistance in
Defining Survey
Objectives
Survey
Monitoring
• State modeling for
trip generation or
activity modeling
• Travel demands
forecasting or Long
range plans
• Sample size
• Stratification of
sample
• Missing data
approaches
• Coverage issues
• Oversee the
Integration of sample
and questions into
the national program,
• Data progress reports
• Consider role of
respondent and
interview mode
• Cognitive issues
• Cognitive testing
• Administered
issues
• Format*
• Response format*
Let’s add some pictures!

23. What other benefits are
provided by the National Team?
Identify Sample
Size Approach
Questionnaire
Development
Assistance in Defining
Survey Objectives
Survey
Monitoring
• State modeling for
trip generation or
activity modeling
• Travel demands
forecasting or Long
range plans
• Sample size
• Stratification of
sample
• Missing data
approaches
• Coverage issues
• Oversee the
Integration of sample
and questions into
the national program,
• Data progress reports
• Consider role of
respondent and
interview mode
• Cognitive issues
• Cognitive testing
• Administered
issues
• Format*
• Response format*
And, finally.

24. Does it look lighter to you?
As a bonus, it has more meaning!

25. It’s not just about text.
You can also remove:
• Bright, dark, heavy colours
• Heavy borders
• Other “visual syntax”

26. Omit everything superfluous
so that the essential is shown
to best possible advantage.
— Dieter Rams
Check him out, he’s a
great industrial designer
“

27. License: CC, Attribution, Share Alike | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/
kapterev@gmail.com
www.kapterev.com
ALEXEI KAPTEREV