Escape Mechanisms Slide Deck

Today we will look at how to get the most out of scientific slide decks in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry. Over the past 20 years we have seen scientific slide decks almost every day.

And we have to say: very few of them are at the top of their game when they get sent our way. Most of them are kind of boring and text heavy, full of bullet points, spreadsheets or confusing charts.

Now, our clients often ask us:

“Why doesn’t my target audience understand what I’m trying to show them with my slides?”

The answer is pretty simple and can be boiled down to three problem areas: the slides are overloaded with information. That information doesn’t follow a clear story. Or the visuals aren’t designed well enough to bring that story to the audience. Unfortunately, usually it’s some mixture of all three.

Okay, so then let’s start with the first slide, where we’ll see how to communicate the key message of complex tables and charts using visual storytelling. The development of escape mechanisms and drug resistances is one of the largest challenges in the treatment of cancer. One way drug resistances develop is via mutations around the binding site of the target molecule. These mutations prevent drugs from binding and inactivating the target molecule.

The table and the chart show that only drug A is able to overcome most mutations and can still bind the binding site of the target molecule. But is this core statement really conveyed by the table and chart?

Without carefully examining the chart, the viewer just sees a collection of values and measurements, but the message gets lost.

So what can be done?

Well, we developed animated visuals for the target protein and the different drugs. The animated Powerpoint sequence shows that only drug A binds to the target protein.

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Once the audience sees this, they have a visual story to anchor that message in their memory. When they see the chart, they can then already have a clear idea of what it’s telling them.

Do you have any questions?

If you work in pharma or biotech, and you’re looking for a partner to support your communication objectives, we would love to hear from you. Whether you have a specific project in mind or you’re just looking for guidance, click below to get in touch and learn how the power of visual storytelling can work for you.