Less is More: The Design Principle That Elevates Executive Communication
Early in my career, I worked with some of the most brilliant engineers in the toy industry - experts in sound, movement, and electronics. In one-on-one meetings, they were clear, concise, and deeply insightful. But in quarterly executive reviews, the message got lost. Slides overflowed with data. Every technical decision had to be justified. Instead of building clarity, they buried the story.
And I realized something: brilliance doesn’t influence if it’s buried.
That’s when I first understood the power of visual restraint - not just in design, but in executive communication. As marketers, we know that good design uses space to draw the eye, create balance, and emphasize what matters. According to Alex White in his book The Elements of Graphic Design, “Effective use of space is not simply about absence; it’s about strategic placement and emphasis.”
That same principle applies in the boardroom.
Too many presentations are visually and verbally dense; loaded with what we did instead of why it matters. When we over-communicate, we don’t build credibility, we lose it. Strategic omission isn’t withholding. It’s making room for your message to land.
Three Ways to Apply Design Thinking to Executive Communication:
Design for Emphasis: One message per slide. Use space to focus attention. Ask: What does this slide need to say? Then cut everything else.
Reduce to Clarify: Strip out the deep background unless it changes the decision. Add context only when it serves strategy. Think signal, not noise.
Structure for Flow: Guide the audience visually. Top-left to bottom-right. Use contrast and spacing to create hierarchy. Let them absorb before they ask.
This was the shift that changed how I communicated, and how I led. I stopped trying to prove how much I knew. I started communicating what others needed to decide. When engineers began adopting these practices, our influence grew. We gained executive trust not because we shared more, but because we shared what mattered.
“Clarity isn’t about what you add. It’s about what you leave out.”
Want to go deeper into how storytelling improves clarity, buy-in, and revenue? Read this post next.
Ready to refine your leadership communication with intention? Let’s sharpen your message, so your influence speaks volumes, even in silence.
