How do you use storytelling on slides to convey your personality?

If you want to know how to show your personality through your slides when public speaking, follow my IDENTITY acronym: I-ntroduce yourself with photos D-on't have too much writing on your slides E-xpress yourself through colour and patterns in your slide design N-arrate in your own style, don't try be someone else T-hrow in some memes, quotes or clips that are personal to you and your story. I-dentify places to pause and check in with your audience T-hink outside the box with your slide designs Y-ield feedback from you audience as you go

One way to set a theme could be a metaphor. You could start a story about something else that could be used as a methaphor to your main presented idea. Make that metaphor as a theme - repeat it across the presentation. This will help to remember you key message better.

To craft a plot that supports your theme when storytelling through slides, start by defining the core message you want to convey. Then, think of a simple, relatable narrative that highlights key moments where your personality shines. Introduce a challenge or conflict that aligns with your theme and take the audience through your journey of overcoming it, using your values and strengths. Along the way, weave in examples that mirror your experiences. Wrap it up with a resolution that ties back to your theme, leaving the audience with a clear understanding of how your story reflects your personality and message. Keep the flow smooth and make sure each slide adds to the plot.

Visuals are a great way to lock-in the attention of the audience. It needs to match your story and personality, but most often you want stress the challenge that you're presenting about. Visualize the problem/challenge and tell the story, rather than having a lot of text in the slide. Lately, I've experienced that I'm still remembering the presentations that had cartoons in them.

Visuals can tell a story on their own and when used as an aid to the story you are presenting. For example: When talking about the havoc that single use plastic is causing the earth - show a picture of a dolphin coaxed to death because it swallowed plastic. Another example is to use data to aid your story. Color coding, breaking data into byte size information are different and popular ways to use visuals effectively

To add dialogue that reveals your personality , use quotes or conversational snippets that sound natural and authentic to you. These could be real conversations you’ve had or imagined ones that highlight key moments in your story. Make sure the tone reflects your personality—whether that’s confident, humorous, or thoughtful. For example, if resilience is your theme, include a moment where you said something like, "I knew I couldn’t give up, not when the stakes were so high." Keep the dialogue short but impactful, and ensure it emphasizes your key message while letting your personality come through naturally.

To incorporate emotions, focus on key moments where you felt something deeply—like frustration, joy, or determination—and describe those feelings to your audience. Use visuals and simple, powerful words that convey your emotions clearly. For example, if your theme is resilience, talk about how you felt during a tough challenge, like, “I was overwhelmed, but deep down I knew I had to push through.” Share your emotional reactions authentically to create a connection with the audience. Let your feelings show how you faced your challenges, highlighting your personality while reinforcing your theme.

Be careful with practicing the storytelling too much with 1 story. It can become a ''robot'' talk if you're going through the story too smooth and fast.

Reconsider the text in the slides. Leave only that amount of text that listener will be able to read and digest while atvthe same time listening to you (do not have too much of text and different from what you are talking about).

It sometimes much more powerful with a small number of slides. Utilize pauzes, have some stories to tell that does not have a slide or only have a slide with a picture illustrating that story. Less is more.

Drop a statement at the start of your presentation and pause for a moment, while looking around. It shows that you're a more experienced speaker and it also allows you to become comfortable with being a presenter.