Assign each slide a visual purpose
A visual brief tells a designer or editor what each slide needs to show and which asset may be used. Start with the approved slide copy and reader task, then identify the visual evidence needed. Do not make an invented interface look like an actual product screenshot.
The following is a fictional planning exercise for a notes product with a project call note and a next-step section. The asset descriptions are instructions, not a claim that approved assets already exist.
Build a five-slide brief
Slide 1, “where did the next step go?”: use an owned or licensed post-call visual with clear space for the words. Slide 2, “find the action you agreed on”: show an illustrative work moment, avoiding private messages. Slide 3, “open the project note”: use an actual sanitized product screenshot if permissioned.
Slide 4, “check the next-step section”: show the real section clearly, retaining enough surrounding interface for context. Slide 5, “start with the next action”: use a simple visual and an accurate destination. Replace these assumed screens with your own verified feature and interface.
| Slide | Visual intent | Required asset check |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Post-call situation | Owned or licensed visual |
| 2 | Reader task | No private information |
| 3 | Open the project note | Sanitized real screen |
| 4 | Find next steps | Readable verified interface |
| 5 | Next action | Accurate destination |
Specify crop, hierarchy and rights
For every slide, record the asset source, permitted use, intended crop, main text and one focal point. Check whether screen labels remain legible at phone size. If a screenshot contains customer names or confidential information, use a sample account or remove the content before capture.
An AI-generated illustration may support a mood, but it must not be represented as proof that the app contains a particular interface or customer result. Obtain the appropriate permissions for any third-party image, font, icon or identifiable person.
Approve the actual asset before export
Compare each finished slide against the brief. Verify the copy and product facts, the source of each visual, the legibility of the interface and the destination on the final slide. If the approved asset is not available, mark the slide as incomplete instead of substituting an unsupported screenshot.
Review the actual exported sequence in order on a phone. The brief is a plan; it does not establish that screenshots were captured, rights secured or the creative tested.
Copy the planning worksheet
Use this worksheet in your own notes. Fill it with verified product details and actual review observations before sharing an asset.
Slide number: __. Approved text: __. Visual purpose: __. Asset source and rights: __. Crop and focal point: __. Phone review: __.Browse the founder guide library for the next task in your workflow.