In Rooms Where Decisions Are Made, Attention is the Scarcest Resource

At the dinner table last night, my husband, an analyst, shared how much of his day was spent building a PowerPoint deck for senior policymakers. Hours combing through data. Hours formatting slides. Hours making sure every chart was legible and every takeaway was airtight.

And that struck me: his job isn’t to be a designer. It’s to interpret data, find the signal in the noise, and deliver insights that shape critical decisions. But the way those insights are packaged can make or break whether they land.

In the rooms where decisions are made, attention is the scarcest resource. Leaders aren’t just reading a slide; they’re weighing trade-offs, preparing for the next crisis, and trying to make sense of an overwhelming stream of information.

A poorly structured presentation wastes time. A cluttered chart buries the story. And every minute a decision-maker spends trying to decode a message is a minute lost to acting on it.

Design as a Force Multiplier

This is where design and strategy come together. A well-crafted graphic doesn’t just look nice. It guides the eye, prioritizes information, and builds trust. It respects the audience’s time by making the point clear on the first pass.

When designers work hand-in-hand with analysts and strategists, they turn raw data into a narrative that decision-makers can act on. It’s not decoration, it’s acceleration.

At its core, thoughtful design is about respect. Respect for the people in the room, their limited bandwidth, and the gravity of the choices they have to make. Good design reduces cognitive friction, allowing the conversation to focus on what matters most: the decision.