Logical Structuring

Draft a Storyboard
A storyboard is a series of PowerPoint slides that must single handedly tell your story to
the client. Your storyboard must anticipate and respond to client questions, drive home a
message to which the client will respond, and leave out any information that distracts
from the message. The good news is that, at this stage of the process, the raw material
you need to create your storyboard is right in front of you in the form of the Logic
Pyramid.
This performance support document will help you translate the information in your logic
pyramid into a crisp, compelling storyboard. Specifically, it will help you:
Write compelling headings for each slide
Determine the best way to represent the data you need to share
Create a crisp storyboard which conforms with Deloitte standard
Shelling a
Storyboard

Drafting a Storyboard
Storyboarding is an iterative process and each Deloitte deck is subject to
numerous revisions before it is presented to a client. Once you have a
completed logic pyramid and developed a high-level agenda, you can then
begin to create the first draft of your storyboard or your shell.
Similar to the process you used when you planned an agenda, shelling is a
planning process that allows you to think ahead and predict the information
that will appear on an individual slide. Each slide in a shell consists of two
parts:

A heading (either a headline or label with strapline)

Body with supporting information

When developing your storyboard, think about both the headings and the body
of the slide. At this point, you are not expected to build a complete slide but
rather are asked to get your high level thoughts on the page. For the body, we
suggest the following guidelines:

For text, write a short sentence about how the slide will support the
headline.

For graphics, write a short sentence about how you will make the supporting
information visual. You do not necessarily have to have your entire graph
made at the beginning of the storyboarding process.
Cutting Edge Lets look at an example from the storyboard shell for our Cutting Edge client
Example
presentation. As you can see in the slide below, we may plan to include a
graph contrasting the operating costs of a manufacturing plant in Wisconsin
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versus one in Mexico. Though the graph itself is not ready to include in the
deck, we can make a note of where we plan to include it and the information
that it will communicate.

Writing
Headings

Headings may be the only part of a presentation that your client initially reads.
Therefore, they must collectively tell a story independent of the supporting
data. There are primarily two methods at Deloitte for writing effective
headings. Deloitte practitioners tell their story through:
Headlines
Labels with straplines

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Writing
Effective
Headlines

A headline runs across the top of each slide, as shown below. You should
create a headline for each slide in the presentation.

An effective headline:
Is a complete statement/thought
Uses an active verb
Enables the reader to know what the slide is about without reading the
complete slide
Cutting Edge Based on the three major points we identified in the Cutting Edge example the
Example
headlines for the Cutting Edge deck might be:
Cutting Edge will be able to take advantage of more advanced
manufacturing technology in Mexico.
Due to lower overall costs, Cutting Edge will be able to recover the
cost of moving in 6 months.
Mexico provides an operating environment that is equally as stable as
Wisconsin.

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Logical Structuring

Writing
Effective
Labels and
Straplines

The other approach to creating effective headings that successfully tell the
story is to use a label and corresponding strapline as shown below:

An effective label:
Aligns with your agenda
Serves as a header for your slide
An effective strapline:
Is a complete statement/thought

Uses an active verb

Enables the reader to know what the slide is about without reading the
complete slide

Cutting Edge Based on the three major points we identified in the Cutting Edge example,
Example
the labels and straplines for the Cutting Edge deck might be:

Key Point Slide 1:

Label: Technology Advantages
Strapline: Cutting Edge will be able to take advantage of more
advanced manufacturing technology in Mexico.

Key Point Slide 2:

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Logical Structuring

Label: Cost Savings

Strapline: Due to lower overall costs, Cutting Edge will be able to
recover the cost of moving in 6 months.

Key Point Slide 3:

Label: Operating Environment
Strapline: Mexico provides an operating environment that is
equally as stable as Wisconsin.

Determining
a Strategy
for your
Headings

Both headlines and labels with straplines can be equally effective. The method
you employ in your presentation is a matter of both personal and team
preference. Regardless of which method you choose, be consistent. If you use
headlines, use only headlines. If you choose labels with straplines, use only
labels with straplines. Do not mix the formats.
Choosing a
The final key to successfully transitioning the information from your logic
Means of
pyramid into a successful storyboard is to determine the best way to visually
Visual
represent the information and data. If you determine that information is best
Presentation represented as:
Text, youll have to decide on the best text format, such as a bulleted
list or a table.
A chart or graph, youll have to decide on the type of graph (bar graph,
pie graph, etc.) and the appropriate colors.
An image, youll need to determine an image that is appropriate, clear
and professional.

Selecting a
Slide
Layout

Many of your slides will have both images and text, and youll have to decide
on the best layout to represent the information as a whole. All the while, youll
have to make sure that your storyboard adheres to the standards of the Deloitte
template.
Follow these basic guidelines when deciding how to lay out the content on
your slides:
Use visuals often. Visuals such as charts, graphs, and pictures can
communicate complex ideas in a more efficient manner than text
alone. With every piece of information on your slide, ask yourself: Can
I make this information visual?

Keep it simple. Dont make your layout so complicated that your

audience cant follow your logic. Use only the information that is
completely necessary to keep your slide from becoming overcrowded.

Try multiple layouts. Sometimes, you will be able to easily determine

the best layout for the information on your slide. But in most cases,

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Logical Structuring

you should try different layouts and decide which one best
communicates your ideas.
Consider the following slide layout:

Revising
Your
Storyboard

Keep in mind that storyboarding is an on-going process and every storyboard

will go through several revisions. Your storyboard does not need to be perfect
on your first draft, but a finished storyboard should have an easy-to-follow
story, strongly written headlines, and a clean visual appearance.
As you edit your storyboard, you should focus on the grammar and design
details in each slide. Honing these small details will make a big difference in
the effectiveness of your story.

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Logical Structuring

Grammar
and
Language
Issues

Slide Design

First, focus on the grammar and syntax of all the text elements in your slides:

Use active voice. Sentences with active verbs command more attention
than sentences passive verbs or be-verbs.
o Passive voice: Cutting Edge Corporation is based in Wisconsin.
o Active voice: Cutting Edge Corporation manufactures its
shaving products at a plant in Wisconsin.
Use parallel construction. If you have a sentence that contains a pattern
of two or more ideas that share the same level of importance, make sure
you use the same pattern of words.
o Mixed construction: Cutting Edge will recover the cost of moving
completely and with speed.
o Parallel construction: Cutting Edge will recover the cost of
moving completely and quickly.
Use consistent voice and verb tense.
o Inconsistent: Labor unions will be less powerful in Mexico, which
reduces the risk of a work stoppage.
o Consistent: Labor unions will be less powerful in Mexico, which
will reduce the risk of a work stoppage.
Be concise. Communicate your ideas in as few words as possible. Cut
unnecessary words or sentences.
o Too wordy: Mexico has the best, most advanced, state-of-the-art,
plastic molding and packaging manufacturers anywhere around.
o Concise: Mexico has the most advanced plastic molding and
packaging manufacturers.
Avoid jargon. Express your ideas in simple language.
o Unclear jargon: Mexicos advanced packaging technology will
allow Cutting Edge to shorten its B2C time.
o Simple language: Mexicos advanced packaging technology will
allow Cutting Edge to bring its product to consumers more
quickly.
Limit the use of qualifiers. Avoid using qualifying words such as possibly,
and probably.
Make sure the design of your storyboard is consistent with the Deloitte
PowerPoint Template:
Use consistent font size.

In bulleted lists, use squares first, then dashes, and finally circles.

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Make sure the spacing between lines is not less than one.

When using colors:

Use only the colors on slide 48 of the Deloitte PowerPoint
Template.
Switch from dark to light colors to suggest a reduction.
Switch from light to dark colors to suggest certainty.

Logical
Structure

Label your axes and all other important elements of your graphic.
Only use different colors when there is a reason to use different
colors.
Only reuse graphics from other presentations that are effective.
Reference information that you found from other sources appropriately.
Look for gaps in the logical flow of the storyboard that might confuse the
reader. Make sure that the vertical logic of the storyboard is sound. Your story
should make sense from one slide to the next (vertical logic). All the
information on a single slide should support the governing thought in that
slide (horizontal logic).
Make sure that each slide has a purpose or so what for the story you
are trying to tell

Getting
Feedback
on Your
Storyboard

When using graphics, make sure to:

Make your headlines flow from one to the next. The audience should
be able to understand your story simply by reading your headlines.

Provide facts for every claim that your storyboard makes.

By now, you should have a first draft of your storyboard. This is a good time
to ask your colleagues for feedback.
As your colleagues review your storyboard, ask them to respond to the
following questions:
What story do you think I am trying to tell? Is my recommendation
clear?

Does the storyboard flow from one slide to the next, or are there areas
where you felt there was a gap in the logic of the structure?

Can you follow my story by reading my headlines? Which headlines

do you think need more work? How would you make these headlines
better?

Do you understand all of my graphics? Do you think any specific

graphics need more work?

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Logical Structuring

Proofing
and
Polishing
Your
Storyboard

Am I backing up all of my claims with data?

Would you recommend laying out any of my slides in a different way?

Are there any grammatical or design errors that need correcting?

After you receive your colleagues feedback and incorporate their suggestions
into your storyboard, continue to refine your storyboard. If necessary, ask
your colleagues to review your storyboard again and refine your work with
each iteration of feedback you receive.
Before you make your presentation to the client, your storyboard should be
error-free. Use the following checklist when finalizing your storyboard:
There are no spelling or grammatical errors in the storyboard.

Font size and style are consistent.

Figures, charts, and graphs have labels.

Version number is accurate.

Copyright alert statement is visible.

All sources have been cited.

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