Shiny Tools Are Making Us Forget the Basics

Shiny tools are making us worse at strategic communication. AI generates slides instantly. Templates promise beauty with no effort. But when you skip from idea to Google Slides without creating an outline first, you undermine your message before you start. This lightning talk presents a three-stage process that prioritizes thinking over tools: outline in text, wireframe structure, then design. See real examples of how jumping to aesthetics buries key messages and breaks narrative flow. The basics aren’t revolutionary, they’re fundamental. And we’ve forgotten them.