Charts, Slides,
and Consulting Craft

Guides on consulting-quality charts, PowerPoint, and the design logic behind MBB decks.

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Actual Waterfall Charts Used by Bain, BCG, and McKinsey

Real examples with the data reconstructed so you can see exactly how they were built.

April 2025 · 7 min read

The Best McKinsey Waterfall Charts (And What Makes Them Work)

A breakdown of the structural and visual choices that make McKinsey waterfall slides instantly recognizable.

March 2025 · 6 min read

The Best BCG Waterfall Charts: Design Principles From 200+ Slides

BCG's distinctive approach to bridge charts — bolder colors, cleaner axes, and a different philosophy on action titles.

March 2025 · 5 min read

The Best Bain & Company Waterfall Charts: What Sets Them Apart

Bain uses waterfall charts differently than McKinsey or BCG. Here's what makes their approach distinctive.

March 2025 · 5 min read

How Consulting Firms Use Waterfall Charts (And When You Should Too)

McKinsey, BCG, and Bain reach for waterfall charts in very specific situations. Understanding when is half the skill.

March 2025 · 6 min read

How to Make a Waterfall Chart in PowerPoint (The Right Way)

The native PowerPoint waterfall chart is frustrating. Here's how consultants actually build them.

March 2025 · 7 min read

Bridge Chart vs. Waterfall Chart: What's the Difference?

The terms are used interchangeably, but there are subtle distinctions worth knowing for senior audiences.

March 2025 · 4 min read

The Best McKinsey Agenda Slides (And the Logic Behind Them)

McKinsey agenda slides encode the structure of the argument. Here's what makes them work.

April 2025 · 5 min read

The Best BCG Agenda Slides: How BCG Structures Navigation

BCG's agenda slides are more visual than McKinsey's and more opinionated than Bain's.

April 2025 · 5 min read

The Best Consulting Title Slides: What MBB Firms Put on Page One

The first slide in a McKinsey, BCG, or Bain deck is never an afterthought.

April 2025 · 5 min read

The Best Consulting Section Header Slides: How MBB Firms Divide a Deck

Section header slides are structural and strategic — not just navigation.

April 2025 · 5 min read

The Best Consulting Table Slides: When MBB Firms Choose a Table Over a Chart

Tables are used more deliberately than most people realize — here's the logic behind when and how.

April 2025 · 6 min read