The numbered rules of presentation design, 5/5/5, 6x6 and 10-20-30, look like arbitrary numerology. They are not. Every one is a guardrail against the single most common mistake in presentations: cramming a slide so full of text that the audience reads instead of listening to you.
What these rules are really for
When people read your slide, they stop hearing you. The rules exist to keep slides sparse enough that you, the speaker, stay the focus. Learn the intent behind each and you can apply them by feel rather than counting words. Here is what each rule means, when it helps, and when to set it aside.
The rules compared
- 5/5/5: max 5 words per line, 5 lines per slide, 5 dense slides in a row. Core intent: prevent text walls and vary rhythm. Best for text-forward talks.
- 6x6: max 6 bullets per slide, 6 words per bullet. Core intent: keep bullets scannable. Best for bullet-based content.
- 10-20-30: 10 slides, 20 minutes, 30pt minimum font. Core intent: force focus and legibility. Best for pitch and sales decks.
- 1-6-6 and 7x7: variants that tighten the bullet limits. Same anti-clutter goal, down to personal preference.
The 5/5/5 rule
Keep each line to about five words, each slide to about five lines, and avoid more than five text-dense slides in a row. The first two numbers fight clutter; the third fights monotony, prompting you to break up long text stretches with a visual, a chart, or a full-bleed statement slide. Use it as a rhythm check for talk-heavy presentations.
The 6x6 rule
No more than six bullet points per slide, and no more than six words per bullet. It is a close cousin of 5/5/5, aimed squarely at bullet-based content. The value is scannability: a slide that obeys 6x6 can be understood in a glance, which is exactly what you want while you are speaking over it. If a bullet needs more than six words, it is probably two ideas, so split it or cut it.
The 10-20-30 rule
Guy Kawasaki's rule for pitch decks: no more than 10 slides, no longer than 20 minutes, and no font smaller than 30 points. The slide count forces you to cut to the essentials. The time limit respects the audience. And the 30-point minimum is the sneaky-important one, because it makes it physically impossible to overload a slide with text. If your point size has to drop below 30 to fit, you have too much on the slide. This rule pairs naturally with a disciplined pitch deck structure.
The variants worth knowing
You will also see 7x7 (seven bullets, seven words) and 1-6-6 (one headline, six bullets, six words). They are the same idea with different dials. Do not treat any of them as sacred numbers. Treat them as reminders of one principle: strip the slide down so the audience listens to you, not reads ahead of you.
The one rule underneath all of them
Every rule on this page is a proxy for a single idea: one clear idea per slide, expressed with as little text and as much visual clarity as possible. If you internalize that, you rarely need to count words. Big, legible type. Generous white space. A visual instead of a paragraph wherever possible. A single message per slide that your spoken words expand on.
The rules are training wheels for that instinct. They are also why professional presentation design is worth it on high-stakes decks: a specialist applies these principles automatically, plus the harder-to-name craft of hierarchy, data visualization, and pacing. PitchWorx handles presentation and PowerPoint design with a team carrying 13+ years designing decks for Fortune 500 brands, so your slides read clean and land hard.
Frequently asked questions
What is the 5/5/5 rule in presentations?
Limit each line to about five words, each slide to about five lines, and avoid more than five text-heavy slides in a row. It keeps slides sparse and the delivery varied so the audience listens instead of reading.
What is the 6x6 rule?
No more than six bullet points per slide and no more than six words per bullet. It keeps slides scannable at a glance, which is what you want while speaking over them.
What is the 10-20-30 rule?
Guy Kawasaki's pitch rule: 10 slides, 20 minutes, and a 30-point minimum font size. The font floor is the key part, because it makes overloading a slide with text physically impossible.
Which presentation rule should I follow?
Follow the intent, not the exact number. Use 10-20-30 for pitch decks, 6x6 for bullet-heavy content, and 5/5/5 as a general rhythm check. All three enforce less text and bigger type.
Can I break these rules?
Yes, deliberately. A single data-dense appendix slide or an intentional full-text quote can be fine. The rules are defaults to prevent accidental clutter, not laws for every slide.
Do these rules replace good design?
No. They prevent the worst mistakes but do not create hierarchy, strong visuals, or clean data display. That craft is why high-stakes decks benefit from specialist presentation design.
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