Storyboard is where you plan a presentation before you build it. Lay out the agenda and the sequence of slides, write each slide’s tag-line, and set layouts in one view — then let Ampler generate the deck.
Quick answer: Click Storyboard (Ctrl+Shift+E) on the Ampler ribbon. Right-click to add agenda topics and slides, click a slide’s text field to write its tag-line, and set each slide’s layout — then build the deck from the storyboard.
How to use it
Build the storyline
Lay out agenda topics, slides, and tag-lines before building.
- Click Storyboard (Ctrl+Shift+E).
- Right-click to add agenda topics.
- Right-click or press Enter to add new slides.
- Edit the tag-line of each slide by clicking in its text field.
Use agenda section separators to group topics, and change the zoom level to see more or less of the storyboard.
Set layouts and add comments
Set each slide’s layout and add comments before generating the deck.
- Change a slide’s layout from the Slide Master, a favourite, or a recent slide.
- Drag slides from the library to insert them or change a layout.
- Click to add comments to slides.
Keyboard shortcut
The default shortcut is Ctrl+Shift+E. To change it, open the Settings dropdown on the Ampler ribbon, choose Shortcuts, and reassign the Storyboard function.
Why use it
Building slides first and working out the structure later wastes time and tends to produce a pile of slides rather than a coherent argument. Storyboard lets you settle the sequence and the message of each slide before any formatting happens, so the deck is right by design and the build is faster.
How consultants use it
Top consulting firms structure the argument before they touch a slide. The Pyramid Principle — developed at McKinsey and now standard at BCG and Bain — says to lead with the answer, then support it, with every slide carrying one message stated as an action title. Three habits follow from it:
- Storyline before slides: The sequence of messages (the storyboard or “ghost deck”) is agreed before anyone formats a chart, so the deck argues a case rather than accumulating slides.
- One message per slide, as an action title: Each slide’s tag-line is a complete so-what that stands on its own — reading only the titles should tell the whole story.
- Top-down logic: Lead with the recommendation, then the reasons, then the evidence (Bain’s “Results Pyramid”) — the storyboard is where that vertical logic is laid out.
Storyboard is that planning surface: agenda, slide sequence, and tag-lines in one view before the deck is built.
Tips & best practices
- Write each tag-line as a full-sentence so-what, not a label — the titles should carry the story on their own.
- Group slides under agenda separators so the storyline’s sections are explicit.
- Settle the sequence in Storyboard before formatting; reordering here is far cheaper than reworking built slides.
Availability
Included in Ampler for PowerPoint and the Ampler Suite, on Windows desktop PowerPoint.
Frequently asked questions
How do you plan a presentation before building the slides?
Use Ampler’s Storyboard (Ctrl+Shift+E). It lets you lay out the agenda, the sequence of slides, and each slide’s tag-line in one view, then generate the deck from that plan.
What is a storyboard in PowerPoint?
A storyboard is a planning view for a deck’s structure — the agenda, the order of slides, and the message of each slide — worked out before the slides themselves are built. Ampler’s Storyboard provides this inside PowerPoint.
How do consultants structure a slide deck?
With the Pyramid Principle: lead with the answer, then the reasons, then the evidence, and give each slide one message written as an action title. Ampler’s Storyboard is where that storyline is planned before the deck is built.
Is there a keyboard shortcut for Storyboard?
Yes, Ctrl+Shift+E by default; you can reassign it in the Ampler Settings → Shortcuts.