IMAGE STYLES
Flat slide illustrations that support the point instead of decorating it
A slide illustration earns its place when it makes one idea easier to grasp: growth, a handover, a risk, three options. Flat style fits slide decks because it matches clean templates, leaves room for a headline and does not distract from the speaker. ImageQuarry lets you describe the illustration a slide needs, refine it in follow-up requests, and keep every version so the images across a deck share a palette and a drawing style.
Describe the idea the slide makes, use your deck colors, and keep each illustration simple enough to read from the back of a room.
Last updated October 2026
How to illustrate a deck in flat style
- 01
List the slides that need an image
Not every slide does. Mark the ones where a picture explains faster, such as a process, a comparison or a metaphor, and write one sentence describing what each image should show.
- 02
Use the deck's palette
Copy the template colors into each request: the primary, the secondary and the background. Illustrations in the same colors as the template look like part of the deck rather than clip art.
- 03
Describe metaphors as objects
Abstract ideas need a concrete image: a bridge for a partnership, a staircase for a roadmap, a magnifying glass for research. Describe that object in flat shapes and generate it.
- 04
Collect the set in one project
Keep all the slide illustrations for a deck in one project, so you can return to them for the next version of the presentation.
Slide illustration requests
Requests you could write for common slide types. They describe what to ask for, not results.
Roadmap slide
Steps or a path communicate a sequence.
Partnership slide
Two connected shapes stand in for two organizations.
Research or insight slide
A familiar symbol helps the audience read the slide.
Risk slide
Caution can be shown without alarm.
Three options slide
Parallel choices need matching shapes.
Matching a previous image
Later slides should look like earlier ones.
What slide illustrations need
Projected and on laptops
Slides are seen on a projector in a bright room and on small laptop screens in video calls. Flat shapes with strong contrast hold up in both situations.
Room for the headline
Most slides have a title and maybe one line of text. Leave a plain area in the illustration so the words do not sit on busy shapes.
Wide slide layouts
Most slide templates are wide rather than tall. Describe the layout you need, keep the main object away from the edges in case the image is cropped into a placeholder, then check the result against your template.
One idea per slide
An illustration with four metaphors confuses the audience. Each image should carry the single idea of its slide.
A consistent set
Illustrations that share palette and stroke style make a deck feel designed. Use an approved slide image as a reference for the next one. References guide the result; review each version to see how closely it follows them.
Versions for last-minute changes
If the message of a slide changes, select its image and describe the new version you need; the earlier image stays available in case the old wording comes back.
Slide types and illustration ideas
| Slide type | Visual metaphor | What to ask for |
|---|---|---|
| Roadmap or timeline | Path, staircase, train track | A path with a few milestone shapes, wide layout |
| Problem statement | Knot, wall, puzzle piece missing | One object showing the obstacle, muted colors |
| Solution | Key, bridge, open door | One object showing the way through, brighter palette |
| Data or results | Simple chart shape, upward arrow | Abstract chart shapes without numbers |
| Thank you or close | Wave, handshake, sunrise | A warm simple scene in the deck colors |
What is a flat presentation illustration?
A flat presentation illustration is a simple image drawn with solid colors and geometric shapes to support one idea on a slide. It typically uses the deck's template colors and leaves room for a headline, so it reads as part of the presentation design.
It is not a chart or a diagram with real data, which should be built in the presentation software, and it is not stock clip art in unrelated colors.
Questions about flat slide illustrations
Should the illustration include the slide text?
No. Put the words in the slide itself, where they stay editable and readable. Ask for a plain area in the image instead.
Can I show real data in the illustration?
Use the illustration for the idea and build real charts in your presentation software, so the numbers are exact and easy to update.
How do I make every slide image match?
Use the same palette and style words in each request and attach your first approved image as a reference when describing the next. References guide the result; review each version to see how closely it follows them.
Can I change an image when the slide message changes?
Yes. Select the image, describe the new version you need, and compare it with the earlier one, which stays in the workspace.
Where should I keep a deck's illustrations?
Group them in a project. Each image stays with its prompt and versions, so you can reuse or update them for the next presentation.
More flat business visuals
Create an image. Edit it with words. Keep refining.
Illustrate the slide that needs it most
Describe the one idea the slide makes, use your deck colors, and build a matching set version by version.
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