Developing an interactive presentation

Key Ideas: 

• The goal of interactivity in a presentation is to make the audience feel engaged in a conversation and make discovery more interesting.
• Non-linear design still requires structured approaches like hub-and-spoke menus, layered depth, and role-based journeys that respect audience time while tailoring the experience.
• Audience psychology drives engagement; things like predictability, reward, and rhythm matter more than the tools used.
• Strong foundations win. Clarity, consistency, accessibility, and testing are what make interactive presentations professional and impactful.

Watching an audience take control of an interactive presentation for the first time says a lot. At first, there’s hesitation, like navigating an unfamiliar rental car. Then there’s the curiosity, followed by the moment of excitement when the realization hits: this is working—the audience is responding to the content. That simple shift reveals something important. Interactivity isn’t about flashy visuals or overly complex pathways. It’s about creating a sense of control and discovery.

That’s why some interactive decks energize a room while others collapse under their own weight. The difference lies in the methods used, including the practical processes, design psychology, and the small decisions that shape how people experience the presentation.

What makes an interactive presentation feel professional

When people ask how to create an interactive presentation, they usually expect a list of software or plugins. But here’s the thing: a proper interactive presentation starts with the mindset, not tools. You need to treat the presentation like a product, not a slideshow. That helps you think about the user journey, friction points, and what kind of choices make sense for your audience.

A linear slide deck is like a speech. An interactive one is like a conversation. That shift changes everything about how you design and deliver it.

Non-linear presentation design

Non-linear doesn’t mean chaotic. It means structured flexibility, where every path is carefully curated to get you to the right message.

Here’s how you can think about it:

• Hub and spoke: There’s a central menu, and each section branches out, but you always come back home.
• Layered depth: The core slides are short and sharp, but you can click for more data, examples, or visuals.
• Role-based journeys: Different audience members (for example, executives vs. analysts) can click into the level of detail that matters to them.

Done right, nonlinear presentation design respects people’s time and attention.

Have an audience engagement strategy

Most interactive presentations fail because they neglect the basics of audience psychology. Although people love control, they hate confusion. They want the thrill of clicking, but they don’t want to work hard to figure out where to go.

So to balance freedom and guidance, focus on three key principles:

Using design psychology

If you’ve ever used a poorly designed app, then you’re familiar with how frustration can interfere with any curiosity you might have initially felt. The same thing applies to interactive presentations. Applying design psychology and presentation storytelling is about creating frictionless paths and little dopamine hits along the way.

Here are some practical principles:

• Chunk information into bite-sized slides that reveal progressively.
• Use contrast to signal choices (buttons that look like buttons, distinct menus).
• Anchor the story with visual cues so people never feel lost.

For example, a training module could have users “unlock” case studies by answering short scenario questions. Simple, but it helps transform passive reading into active engagement. 

Making presentation technology work for you

There’s always a temptation to chase the newest tech. Prezi, HTML5, and embedded microsites inside PowerPoint. But, we iterate: the tool is secondary. If the story or structure is weak, no tool will save it.

With that being said, tech choices do matter. When selecting platforms, make sure to look at:

• Ease of navigation for presenters and audiences
• Device compatibility (desktop, tablet, mobile, offline)
• Design freedom (can it support custom visuals, animations, branding)
• Sustainability (will the client actually be able to maintain and update it)

Pick the one that balances your story needs with practical delivery.

Testing the experience

Unfortunately, no matter how excited you are, playing around with new tools or platforms will always require a learning curve. Links misfire. Animations lag. Buttons overlap. To be safe, test, test, test. 

The way to handle it professionally is by testing early and often. First with the internal team, then with a small external group. Refine after each round until the experience feels invisible, especially since the best interactivity is the kind people barely notice.

The backbone of any interactive presentation

So what’s the standard? It comes down to this:

• Clarity over complexity
• Consistency across every interaction
• Accessibility so it works for every audience, every device
• Maintainability so the client isn’t locked into something they can’t update

Think of it like building codes. Nobody cares about the wiring when the house looks good—but if the wiring is bad, the whole thing burns down.

Interactive presentations are exciting, no doubt. But they’re also tricky. The professionals who make them work aren’t the ones who cram in the most buttons or effects. They’re the ones who consider things like psychology and design pathways with care, test relentlessly, and pick technology that serves the story.

If you’re thinking of creating an interactive presentation, start with the story. Sketch the pathways. Then worry about design and tech. Create something memorable, not just clickable.