McKinsey presentations are instantly recognizable: clean, structured, data-dense, and surprisingly readable. Here is what makes them work.

The pyramid principle

Every McKinsey slide starts with a governing thought — a single sentence at the top that states the conclusion. The rest of the slide provides evidence. This is Barbara Minto's pyramid principle in action.

Chart design

McKinsey charts follow strict rules: no 3D effects, no unnecessary gridlines, direct data labels instead of legends, and a clear "so what" callout. The chart should be readable in 5 seconds.

Typography

Two font sizes maximum per slide. Title in 18-20pt, body in 12-14pt. No decorative fonts. Georgia or a clean sans-serif like Calibri.

Colour

McKinsey blue (#003366) dominates. Accent colours are used sparingly for emphasis. The palette rarely exceeds four colours.