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Reference revision: 53c9c073714ab973f0a5cac3dc30285d3cdc9d5a276afd893a77c53a3f2f7a86

# Bullet Slides Production Simulation

Teams review twelve flawed presentation slides against an 18-point design checklist, redesign six chosen slides under a time limit, and score other teams' decks against the standard.

**Time:** 95 minutes. Source suggests 2 hours or more. This 95-minute plan keeps production to 45 minutes and presentation reviews to 20 minutes.
**People:** 6 to 24. Teams of 3 to 5 people

## Choose this exercise

**Purpose:** Apply concrete design criteria to detect and fix common presentation slide readability defects.
**Use it when:** Use during communication, technical training, or slide design workshops where teams need hands-on practice editing dense presentation material.
**Skip it when:** Skip when the focus is high-level storytelling, impromptu speaking, or when participants do not use bulleted presentation tools.

## Materials and tools

- One computer per team with presentation software installed
- One projector and screen (or shared central video display)
- One printed copy of the 18-point Bullet Slides Checklist per participant
- One printed set of the 12 Sample Slides per team
- One copy of the Production Specifications sheet per team
- Index cards for peer rating scores (up to 7 per person, one per opposing team)
- Optional digital rating form for remote or hybrid sessions
- Countdown timer
- Pens or pencils

## Before participants arrive

1. Load the 12 sample slide deck onto each team laptop and the main projection laptop.
2. Print copies of the checklist, specifications, and sample slide sheets.
3. Arrange tables so teams can collaborate around a screen without viewing adjacent screens directly.
4. Identify two or three neutral judges to evaluate the final decks alongside peer raters.

## Say this to open

Most bullet slides fail because they crowd too much information onto a screen. Today we are running a production simulation. Your team will audit 12 flawed slides against an 18-item design standard, select six to repair, and rebuild them. Later, we will project every team's revised deck and score them using the same checklist.

## How to run it

### 1. Model checklist evaluation (10 minutes)

Distribute the Bullet Slides Checklist and project sample slide 1. Walk through the checklist items aloud. Ask participants to identify checklist violations on the sample slide, such as excessive bullet counts or nested lists. Show how splitting the content across two slides resolves the issue. Hand out the Production Specifications sheet and the 12-slide packet.

### 2. Select and redesign slides (45 minutes)

Start the 45-minute countdown. Teams review the 12 sample slides and pick exactly six where editing will produce the highest impact. Teams build a new six-slide deck conforming to all checklist rules. Each team may claim one optional five-minute consultation with the facilitator on a first-come, first-served basis. Halt work immediately when the timer sounds.

### 3. Project and score revisions (20 minutes)

Collect or load each team's six-slide deck onto the main display. Project each deck slide by slide, pausing 15 seconds per slide. Participants and judges independently rate each opposing team's set on an index card using a 1 to 10 scale based on checklist compliance. Teams never rate their own slides.

### 4. Tally and review ratings (10 minutes)

Collect rating cards. The facilitator calculates the average peer score for each deck while judges provide brief verbal feedback on strong edits and missed rules. Announce the average peer score and judges' ratings for each team.

### 5. Debrief (10 minutes)

Facilitate a whole-room discussion on applying these editing constraints to workplace decks using the debrief prompts. Limit debrief contributions to two or three speakers per question to fit the time.


## Debrief questions

- Which checklist item was easiest to fix, and which required the hardest editorial trade-offs?
- What criteria did your team use to select your six slides?
- Which rule on this list is most frequently broken in your organization's everyday presentations?
- What would you add to or cut from the 18-item checklist for your regular work?

**Finished output:** A redesigned 6-slide presentation deck created by each team meeting the 18-item design standard.

## Remote

Run in breakout rooms of 3 to 5 people. Supply a shared cloud presentation file containing the 12 sample slides. Teams copy six selected slides into a designated team deck. Display decks sequentially via screen share, spending 15 seconds per slide. The facilitator acts as scorekeeper; participants and judges submit numerical ratings (1 to 10) for opposing teams via direct private chat to the facilitator, who tallies averages before the reveal.

## Hybrid

Form fully virtual teams and fully in-person teams. Virtual teams build decks in shared cloud software; in-person teams build locally or on cloud slides. Screen share all final decks through the central meeting platform so remote and room participants see identical views. Remote participants submit scores by direct private chat to the facilitator, while in-person participants submit index cards or a shared digital form.

## Access and participation choices

- Provide high-contrast large-print versions of slides and checklists.
- Team members may contribute by editing text, monitoring the checklist, operating software, or tracking time.
- Participants may decline to speak during whole-room debrief or designate a peer to report team observations.

## If the session gets stuck

**A team spends too much time arguing over which slides to pick and runs out of editing time.**

At the 15-minute mark, check team tables. If a team has not chosen its six slides, advise them to take the first six slides and begin revising immediately.

**A team introduces elaborate graphics, transitions, or clip art that distract from clarity.**

Remind participants that scoring strictly measures compliance with the 18 checklist points. Point out Rule 18 and penalize unnecessary decorations.


## Terms used here

- Bullet slide: A presentation slide composed primarily of a heading and an indented list of bulleted text items.
- Production simulation: A structured exercise where teams compete to design an actual work product according to strict customer specifications and evaluation metrics.

## Participant material: Bullet Slides Checklist

1. Avoid crunching: Leave wide margins and plenty of blank space.
2. Position the title: Place the title on the top one-sixth of the slide.
3. Capitalize the title: Begin each word in the title with a capital letter.
4. Don't repeat: If the same word is repeated in all bulleted items, make it part of the title or subtitle.
5. Use sans-serif: Use a clean sans-serif font such as Arial, Calibri, or Helvetica.
6. Avoid ransom notes: Stick to a single font family throughout.
7. Print big: Use at least 24-point font size for body text.
8. Don't shout: Avoid typing any title, item, or word in ALL CAPS.
9. Be consistent: Use the same font and bullet symbol throughout the deck.
10. Shrink the bullet: Ensure the bullet symbol size matches or is slightly smaller than the font size.
11. Use numbers: Replace bullets with numbers only if showing sequence, rank, or process steps.
12. Use few words: Use tight phrases instead of complete narrative sentences.
13. Don't exceed six: Maximum six items per list; maximum six words per item.
14. Don't exceed two: Do not use more than two levels of bullet indentation.
15. Keep items parallel: Ensure all items in a list share the same grammatical structure (for example, all starting with active verbs).
16. Wrap words: Never exceed two lines per bullet item. Use hanging indents on wrapped lines.
17. Omit periods: Do not put end punctuation on bullet fragments.
18. Prevent motion sickness: Avoid animations, fly-ins, and progressive item reveals.

## Participant material: Production Specifications

Task Instructions:
1. Audit the 12 sample slides against the 18-point Bullet Slides Checklist.
2. Select exactly six slides where revision will achieve the greatest improvement in legibility and punch.
3. Recreate and edit those six slides in your slide application.
4. Confirm that your revisions do not violate any checklist standard.
5. Save your final deck as 'revised_team_name' and submit it by the timer cutoff.

## Participant material: Sample Slides Text (Slides 1 to 12)

Slide 1: PROJECT MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES
* Manage project scope
* Manage project timelines
* Manage project budget
* Manage project communications
* Manage project quality
* Manage stakeholder expectations
* Manage external contractors and vendors
* Manage team morale and delivery

Slide 2: Important Guidelines For Travel Reimbursement
* Employees must submit all travel expenses within fourteen calendar days following the conclusion of any company-sponsored trip.
* Original itemized receipts must be affixed to the paper submission form.
* Late submissions will not be reimbursed.

Slide 3: CUSTOMER SERVICE PROTOCOLS
* ALWAYS ANSWER CALLS WITHIN THREE RINGS.
* NEVER ARGUE WITH CLIENTS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE.
* LOG EVERY TICKET INTO CRM SYSTEM BEFORE LEAVING DESK.

Slide 4: System Architecture
* Core database tier
  * Primary cluster
    * Node A active
    * Node B standby
  * Secondary reporting cluster
    * Daily batch sync
* Application layer

Slide 5: Leadership Traits
* Leaders listen carefully.
* Motivating the team.
* To communicate strategic intent.
* Integrity in daily decisions.

Slide 6: OUR CORE VALUES AND PRINCIPLES
* We value honesty in every single communication with our partners and internal colleagues alike across all levels.
* We believe customer satisfaction represents the ultimate metric of institutional viability and future progress.

Slide 7: Quarterly Sales Targets
* Target 1: Northeast
* Target 2: Midwest
* Target 3: West
* Target 4: South

Slide 8: ONBOARDING NEW STAFF MEMBERS IN DEPARTMENT
* Verify workstation provisioning.
* Issue company security credentials.
* Review the corporate compliance manual.
* Schedule first week intro calls.

Slide 9: Meeting Etiquette
* Arrive on time.
* Prepare agenda items in advance.
* Turn off mobile notifications.
* Distribute action items promptly.

Slide 10: Technical Documentation Guidelines
* Use active voice throughout descriptions.
* Verify all code snippets in terminal.
* Screenshot must show whole interface window.
* Avoid ambiguous abbreviations and jargon.

Slide 11: Workplace Health & Safety
* Keep fire exits clear at all times.
* Report hazards to facility manager immediately.
* Store heavy inventory below waist level.
* Wear protective eyewear in lab environments.

Slide 12: DATA PRIVACY ESSENTIALS
* Customer data must never leave encrypted partitions.
* Passwords must contain minimum fourteen symbols.
* Report suspected phishing immediately.

## Sources and adaptation

Observed in Play for Performance (June 2002), published by Workshops by Thiagi, Inc., featuring the activity 'Bullet Slides' by Sivasailam Thiagarajan.

The source newsletter issue (Play for Performance, June 2002) was titled generically across several pieces; the featured simulation in that issue was 'Bullet Slides' by Sivasailam Thiagarajan (Thiagi). This run sheet adopts the core mechanics of 'Bullet Slides': the 18-point design checklist, selecting 6 of 12 sample slides, team consultation time limits, and dual peer/judge scoring on a 1-10 scale. UWT streamlined the running time from 120+ minutes to 95 minutes, supplied concrete text for all 12 sample slides, clarified index card quantities and turn rules for scoring, integrated facilitator scorekeeping for remote tallying, and added structured remote and hybrid options.

[The Thiagi Group](http://thiagi.net/archive/www/pfp/IE4H/june2002.html)

[The Thiagi Group](https://thiagi.net/archive/www/pfp/IE4H/june2002.html)

Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/pfp-june-2002/