Session Flow · 10-minute talk to 60-minute keynote

Duarte Sparkline

Nancy Duarte's presentation shape, drawn from analysing great speeches such as King's and Jobs'. A talk keeps alternating between the present and a better possible future, which builds tension and desire for change, and casts the audience as the hero with the speaker as their guide.

When to use Duarte Sparkline

Keynotes, vision and change talks, town halls and launches where the audience must want a different future.

How Duarte Sparkline works

Use the phases as the blocks of a keynote, vision talk or town hall: one opening block on the present, several alternating contrast blocks, then the call to action and the closing picture.

Phases of Duarte Sparkline

  1. What Is: Open by describing the audience's current reality in terms they recognise.
  2. What Could Be: Contrast it with a better future your idea makes possible.
  3. Contrast Middle: Move back and forth between what is and what could be, each swing adding a point, story or piece of evidence.
  4. Call to Action: Ask the audience clearly what they need to do to reach the better future.
  5. The Better Future: End with a vivid picture of how much better things will be when they act.

Key principles

  • Audience as hero, speaker as mentor
  • Alternate between present and future
  • Build tension with contrast
  • A clear call to action
  • End on the better world, not a summary

Best for

  • Keynotes
  • Vision and change talks
  • Town halls
  • Product or strategy launches

Considerations

  • Needs real stories and evidence; contrast alone feels like hype
  • Overkill for short informative updates
  • Phase labels follow the book's what is / what could be pattern; Duarte's own turning-point terms vary by source

Attribution & sources

Developed by Nancy Duarte, 2010 (Resonate)

Primary source

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