Category: PowerPoint Design

Design Ideas: How to Improve PowerPoint Templates

custom powerpoint templates

PowerPoint Design

powerpoint templates

Powerpoint tips

powerpoint tutorial

Dec 10, 2014

Using a PowerPoint template can save time and effort, but improving upon an existing template can help ensure that your presentation is unique, professional, and tailored to your specific needs. Here’s how to enhance PowerPoint templates and elevate your presentation design.

1. Customize the Color Scheme

Most PowerPoint templates come with a preset color scheme, but customizing these colors to match your brand or the theme of your presentation can make a significant difference.Why It’s Important:

  • Enhances Brand Consistency: Aligning the color scheme with your company’s branding ensures a cohesive visual identity.
  • Increases Visual Appeal: A custom color palette that complements your content will make your slides more visually engaging.

How to Do It:

  • Go to the Design tab and click on Variants > Colors.
  • Choose Customize Colors to create a color scheme that fits your brand or presentation theme.

2. Use Custom Fonts

The fonts included in templates are often generic. Replacing them with custom fonts that align with your brand or add a modern touch can improve readability and visual appeal.Why It’s Important:

  • Improves Readability: Selecting the right font ensures that your text is easy to read and fits the tone of your presentation.
  • Adds Personality: Custom fonts help differentiate your presentation from others using the same template.

How to Do It:

  • Highlight the text you want to change, then go to the Home tab and select a custom font from the dropdown menu.
  • Use sans-serif fonts for clarity and readability in body text and bold fonts for headings.

3. Incorporate High-Quality Visuals

Templates often come with generic images or icons. Replacing these with high-quality visuals, such as custom photos, branded icons, or professional graphics, can enhance the overall design.Why It’s Important:

  • Improves Engagement: High-quality visuals capture attention and make your presentation more engaging.
  • Reinforces Your Message: Relevant visuals help illustrate key points and reinforce the overall message.

How to Do It:

  • Go to the Insert tab and choose Pictures or Icons to add relevant visuals.
  • Ensure images are high-resolution and appropriately sized for the slide.

4. Simplify Slide Layouts

Some templates may have overly complex or cluttered slide layouts. Simplifying these layouts can make your presentation easier to follow and more visually appealing.Why It’s Important:

  • Enhances Clarity: Simplified layouts ensure that your audience can easily focus on the key message of each slide.
  • Reduces Distractions: A clean and organized design minimizes distractions and keeps the audience engaged.

How to Do It:

  • Remove unnecessary design elements, like background patterns or excessive text boxes.
  • Use white space effectively to create balance and focus on the most important content.

5. Add Consistent Branding

To ensure that your presentation aligns with your company’s brand identity, add consistent branding elements like your logo, taglines, and brand colors.Why It’s Important:

  • Builds Brand Recognition: Consistent branding throughout your presentation helps reinforce your company’s identity.
  • Increases Professionalism: A branded presentation looks more polished and professional.

How to Do It:

  • Add your logo to the master slide so that it appears on every slide without manual repetition.
  • Use brand-approved fonts, colors, and graphics to maintain consistency across all slides.

6. Animate Purposefully

Many templates include animations by default, but not all animations are necessary or effective. Review and adjust animations to ensure they enhance the content rather than distract from it.Why It’s Important:

  • Maintains Focus: Purposeful animation guides your audience’s attention without overwhelming them.
  • Improves Flow: Well-timed animations can help control the pace of your presentation, keeping the audience engaged.

How to Do It:

  • Use Fade or Wipe animations for a subtle, professional effect.
  • Avoid using too many animations on a single slide, and limit animation to key elements.

Final Thoughts

Improving a PowerPoint template by customizing colors, fonts, visuals, and layouts can make your presentation more engaging, professional, and aligned with your brand. Simplify unnecessary elements, add purposeful animations, and maintain consistent branding throughout to elevate your presentation from a basic template to a standout design.

Why Your Presentations Need Better Slide Headlines

presentation content

presentation tips

presentation writing

slide headlines

Nov 04, 2014

Slide headlines play a crucial role in guiding your audience through your presentation. They not only introduce the content but also highlight key messages, helping your audience quickly grasp the main points. However, many presentations suffer from vague or ineffective slide headlines, which can confuse or disengage the audience. Improving your slide headlines can make your presentation more impactful and ensure that your key messages are clearly communicated.Here’s why your presentations need better slide headlines and how to craft them:

1. Headlines Summarize the Key Point

The headline of a slide should act as a summary of the most important point on that slide. Instead of using a generic headline like “Introduction” or “Sales Figures,” use the headline to convey the key message directly.Why It’s Important:

  • Clarifies the Main Idea: A clear, descriptive headline helps the audience understand the core message of the slide without having to read all the content.
  • Keeps Your Audience Engaged: Well-written headlines allow the audience to follow the narrative of your presentation easily, keeping them engaged and focused.

How to Do It:

  • Think of your slide headlines as “mini conclusions” that answer the “so what?” question.
  • Be specific and actionable—use headlines that tell the audience what they should take away from the slide.

Example: Instead of using a generic headline like “Company Growth,” use “Our Market Share Increased by 20% in Q3” to clearly communicate the key takeaway.

2. Headlines Provide a Visual Hierarchy

Effective slide headlines create a visual hierarchy that helps your audience navigate through your presentation. When used correctly, they guide the audience’s attention and emphasize the most important information.Why It’s Important:

  • Improves Readability: A strong visual hierarchy ensures that your audience can easily identify the most important information on each slide.
  • Guides the Flow of the Presentation: Headlines act as markers that signal transitions between sections or ideas, helping the audience follow your train of thought.

How to Do It:

  • Use larger, bolder fonts for your headlines to make them stand out from the body text.
  • Keep your headlines concise, aiming for no more than one or two lines.

Example: Create a clear distinction between your slide headlines and body text by using a different font size or color for the headline.

3. Headlines Reinforce Your Message

Slide headlines can reinforce your overall message by repeatedly communicating your key points. Each headline should contribute to the overall narrative of your presentation, leading your audience toward the final conclusion or call to action.Why It’s Important:

  • Strengthens Message Retention: Repeating key ideas through headlines helps reinforce your message, making it easier for the audience to remember important points.
  • Keeps the Narrative Cohesive: Well-crafted headlines create a seamless narrative flow that ties your slides together, ensuring that your presentation feels cohesive and logical.

How to Do It:

  • Ensure that each headline ties back to your core message or theme.
  • Use headlines to emphasize key points that align with your presentation’s goals, such as driving sales or persuading an audience.

Example: If your presentation is focused on driving customer engagement, each headline should reinforce how your product or strategy achieves that goal, such as “Our App Increased Customer Retention by 35%.”

4. Headlines Make the Content Easier to Scan

Audiences often skim through presentation slides, especially when there’s a lot of information to process. Effective headlines make it easier for your audience to scan and understand the key points, even if they’re not reading the entire slide.Why It’s Important:

  • Enhances Comprehension: Clear and concise headlines help the audience grasp the main idea of each slide, even if they don’t read every detail.
  • Improves Audience Focus: Headlines draw the audience’s attention to the most important information, ensuring that your key messages are not missed.

How to Do It:

  • Use short, punchy headlines that communicate the essence of the slide in just a few words.
  • Avoid vague or overly complex language—keep your headlines simple and direct.

Example: Instead of “Marketing Performance Review,” a more effective headline might be “Q2 Marketing Campaign Delivered 50% ROI.”

5. Headlines Help You Stay Focused

Clear slide headlines also benefit you as the presenter by helping you stay focused on your key messages. If your headlines are clear and well-defined, it’s easier to maintain a logical flow throughout your presentation.Why It’s Important:

  • Keeps Your Presentation Organized: Well-written headlines act as a roadmap for your presentation, ensuring that each slide supports your overall narrative.
  • Helps with Timing: Clear headlines keep you on track, preventing you from getting sidetracked or spending too much time on less important points.

How to Do It:

  • Review your slide deck to ensure that every headline aligns with your core message and moves the narrative forward.
  • Use your headlines as cues to remind yourself of the key points you need to cover on each slide.

Example: If you’re presenting a proposal, headlines like “Next Steps for Implementation” or “Expected Outcomes by Q4” can help you stay focused on actionable points.

Final Thoughts

Better slide headlines make your presentation clearer, more engaging, and easier for the audience to follow. By summarizing the main point, reinforcing your message, and providing a visual hierarchy, well-crafted headlines can transform your presentation from average to outstanding. Take the time to review and refine your slide headlines to ensure they convey the right message and guide your audience through your presentation with ease.

Visual Storytelling: How Stories are Told in Pictures

Marketing

presentation design

visual storytelling

Oct 28, 2014

Are pictures really worth a thousand words? Let’s take a look at some facts.According to a whitepaper published by NewCred and Getty Images, the following statistics are proof:

  • 40% of people will respond better to information presented visually
  • 83% of human learning is visual
  • 44% of users are more likely to engage with brands on social platforms if they post pictures
  • Articles and blog posts that contain images get 94% more views than those without

Aside from all that, there’s also proof in the way our mind works. The human brain can process visuals 60,000 times faster than information presented through text. In fact, we’re all highly attuned to our sense of sight. According to Dr. John Medina, vision trumps all of our other senses.With these facts laid out, it’s easy to see why images are important to presentations and marketing materials. Through visual storytelling, you can use pictures to create stronger emotional impact. Pictures can tell a story that immediately allows your audience to connect with the message you’re sharing.So whether you’re delivering a presentation or revamping your social media profiles, visual storytelling is the best way to go. When selecting pictures to use, try to keep in mind the four key characteristics of visual storytelling:

Authentic

The best stories come from candid moments. It’s why photo sharing has become so prevalent in the age of social media. Replacing the super-polished stock photos are snapshots that allow others to see the world through a more personal perspective. Take, for example, Dove’s Real Beauty campaign. Instead of featuring models that are photoshopped to perfection, Dove featured everyday women and challenged today’s absurd beauty standards.To find images that are more authentic to your story, focus on what your brand stands for. Look for images that convey your identity and experiences as a brand. Next, look for something that will resonate with your audience. Think about the people you’re addressing and what might be authentic for them.

Relevant

Visual storytelling should also take into account what’s happening in the world. After all, your message doesn’t exist in a bubble. It’s contextualized in a milieu—a world where billions of individuals are discovering new things every single day. Make sure your visual stories are relatable and relevant to the audience you want to target. Consider what Oreo did to make the most out of a blackout that interrupted the Super Bowl. For your own visual story, choose images that evoke a sense of time and culture.

Sensory

The only thing better than a picture is the real thing. But since you can’t have real situations on a PowerPoint slide, you’re going to have to settle for the next best thing. Visual storytelling thrives on imagery that can heighten emotions and senses.Close-up and macro shots are great for showing textures that audiences can almost touch. On the other hand, a long shot can also take your audience into a particular scene, allowing them to experience it through a wider perspective.

Archetypal

Lastly, the best of visual storytelling alludes to narratives that are practically as old as time. If you think about it, you’ll notice that all your favorite stories are tied together by recurring themes and archetypes. These are universal symbols—called such because they can be found across many different countries and cultures. For your visual stories to be a success, you need to take these symbols and turn it into your own.Find an archetype that relates to your brand and make it your own. Get to know your own new character and find images that correspond to this new version of a well-loved symbol.Visual storytelling is great technique to use in presentations and marketing efforts.  By weaving imagery together, you can create a story that speaks volumes about your core message.READ MORE: The Power of Visual Storytelling – NewsCred + Getty Images (Whitepaper) Featured Image: Ravinder M A via Flickr

Go With the Flow: 5 Tips for Structuring Your PowerPoint Deck

PowerPoint Design

Powerpoint tips

presentation structure

Oct 20, 2014

A well-structured PowerPoint deck is crucial to delivering a presentation that flows smoothly and effectively communicates your message. Proper structuring ensures that your audience stays engaged, understands your points clearly, and can follow along effortlessly from start to finish. Whether you’re preparing for a business pitch, a team meeting, or a client presentation, following these five essential tips will help you craft a PowerPoint deck that flows seamlessly.

1. Start with a Strong Introduction

First impressions matter. Your opening slides set the tone for the entire presentation and should immediately grab your audience’s attention while laying the foundation for what’s to come. A clear, concise introduction will help establish your key message and ensure that your audience is prepared for the main content.

How to Do It:

  • Title Slide: Include the title of your presentation, your name, and the date. Make sure it reflects your presentation’s purpose.
  • Agenda Slide: Use an agenda slide to outline the key points or sections you’ll cover. This gives your audience a roadmap of what to expect and helps them follow the flow.
  • Opening Hook: Start with a statistic, quote, or story that draws your audience in and highlights the relevance of your topic.

Example:

For a sales pitch, start with a title slide followed by a powerful statistic that addresses a common industry challenge. Then, introduce an agenda slide that outlines the key areas you’ll cover: Problem, Solution, Benefits, and Call to Action.

2. Organize Content into Clear Sections

Dividing your content into clear, distinct sections makes your presentation easier to follow and digest. Each section should focus on a single theme or idea, and the flow between sections should be logical and smooth.

How to Do It:

  • Create Section Headers: Use clear headers or divider slides to mark the start of a new section. This helps signal to the audience that you’re transitioning to a new topic.
  • Follow the “Rule of Three”: Group your content into three key sections or takeaways. This approach is psychologically appealing and easier for the audience to remember.
  • Maintain a Logical Sequence: Arrange your sections in a logical order, whether it’s chronological (for timelines) or hierarchical (from high-level ideas to detailed explanations).

Example:

For a project update presentation, organize your slides into three sections: Project Overview, Key Milestones, and Next Steps. Each section should have a clear header slide that transitions smoothly into the next topic.

3. Simplify the Visuals

Cluttered slides can overwhelm and confuse your audience. Keep your visuals simple and focused on supporting your narrative, not distracting from it. The best PowerPoint slides enhance your message rather than overload it with unnecessary details.

How to Do It:

  • Limit Text: Avoid long paragraphs or too much text on your slides. Stick to bullet points or key phrases, and elaborate verbally during your presentation.
  • Use High-Quality Visuals: Incorporate relevant images, charts, or infographics that reinforce your message and make your content more engaging.
  • Follow the “One Idea per Slide” Rule: Each slide should focus on a single point or concept. This keeps the presentation clear and easy to follow.

Example:

Instead of listing multiple data points on a single slide, create a series of slides where each one presents a single data point, supported by a visual graph or image. This makes the information easier to process.

4. Use Transitions to Guide the Flow

Transitions help guide your audience from one point to the next, creating a natural flow that maintains their engagement. Well-placed transitions provide visual cues that you’re moving to a new idea or section, helping to keep the presentation cohesive.

How to Do It:

  • Use Consistent Transitions: Stick to simple, consistent transitions between slides. Avoid flashy or distracting effects that can take away from your message.
  • Signpost Major Changes: Use transitions to clearly signal when you’re shifting from one topic to the next. For example, you might introduce a summary slide or a question to mark the end of one section and the beginning of another.
  • Fade or Zoom: Subtle fade or zoom transitions can be effective for maintaining a smooth, professional flow without being disruptive.

Example:

In a presentation about business growth strategies, use a fade transition between your discussion of challenges and solutions. This signals to the audience that you’re moving from problem identification to problem-solving.

5. End with a Strong Conclusion and Call to Action

The way you end your presentation is just as important as how you begin it. A strong conclusion reinforces your key points and leaves a lasting impression on your audience. A clear call to action (CTA) helps guide them on what to do next, whether it’s visiting your website, signing up for a service, or approving a proposal.

How to Do It:

  • Summarize Key Points: Recap your main takeaways in a concise manner. Use bullet points or a simple slide that reminds your audience of what you’ve covered.
  • Use a Call to Action: Include a CTA slide that specifies the next steps you want your audience to take, such as contacting you, visiting a website, or making a decision.
  • Finish with Impact: End with a memorable closing slide, such as a powerful quote, an inspiring image, or a final statistic that resonates with your key message.

Example:

For a product launch presentation, end by summarizing the product’s benefits, followed by a CTA encouraging the audience to pre-order or visit the product website. Use an impactful final slide with the company’s tagline or a customer testimonial to leave a lasting impression.

Final Thoughts

Structuring your PowerPoint deck effectively is crucial to delivering a smooth, engaging, and successful presentation. By starting with a strong introduction, organizing your content into clear sections, simplifying your visuals, using transitions to guide the flow, and ending with a strong conclusion and CTA, you ensure that your message is conveyed with clarity and impact.Remember, the goal is to keep your audience engaged from start to finish, so focus on delivering content in a logical, well-paced manner that aligns with your objectives. When your PowerPoint deck flows smoothly, your presentation will leave a positive and lasting impression on your audience.

The Creative Process: 4 Steps to Presentation Success

creative process

creativity

presentation preparation

presentation tips

Presentations

Oct 15, 2014

Creating a compelling presentation is both an art and a science. Whether you’re pitching a new idea, delivering a keynote, or simply sharing information, the creative process behind a successful presentation can be broken down into four essential steps. These steps will help you craft a narrative that captivates your audience and delivers your message effectively.**Step 1: Ideation**The first step in the creative process is ideation. This is where you brainstorm and generate ideas for your presentation. Start by identifying the core message you want to convey. What is the main takeaway for your audience? Once you have a clear understanding of your message, you can begin to explore different ways to present it.Consider using mind maps, lists, or even sketches to organize your thoughts. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and explore unconventional ideas. The goal at this stage is to generate as many ideas as possible without judging them. Quantity over quality is key during ideation.**Step 2: Structuring**Once you have a pool of ideas, the next step is to structure your presentation. This involves organizing your ideas into a coherent and logical flow. Start by creating an outline that includes an introduction, main points, and a conclusion.Your introduction should grab the audience’s attention and set the stage for what’s to come. The main points should be organized in a way that builds on each other, leading to a natural progression of ideas. Finally, your conclusion should reinforce your core message and leave a lasting impression.Consider using storytelling techniques to make your presentation more engaging. Stories have a way of connecting with people on an emotional level, making your message more memorable.**Step 3: Design**With a solid structure in place, it’s time to focus on the design of your presentation. This step involves creating visual aids that complement your message and enhance the overall experience for your audience.Choose a consistent color scheme, font style, and layout that align with your brand or the theme of your presentation. Use high-quality images, graphics, and charts to illustrate your points. Remember, less is more when it comes to design. Avoid cluttering your slides with too much text or too many visuals.Pay attention to the flow of your slides. Each slide should transition smoothly to the next, creating a seamless narrative. Practice good design principles such as alignment, contrast, and balance to create a visually appealing presentation.**Step 4: Rehearsal**The final step in the creative process is rehearsal. This is where you bring everything together and practice delivering your presentation. Rehearsing helps you become more familiar with your content, refine your delivery, and identify any areas that need improvement.Start by practicing in front of a mirror or recording yourself. Pay attention to your body language, tone of voice, and pacing. Make sure you are speaking clearly and confidently. Next, practice in front of a small audience, such as friends or colleagues, and ask for feedback.Rehearsing also helps you manage your time effectively. Make sure your presentation fits within the allotted time frame and adjust as needed. The more you practice, the more comfortable and confident you will become.In conclusion, the creative process behind a successful presentation involves four key steps: ideation, structuring, design, and rehearsal. By following these steps, you can create a presentation that not only conveys your message effectively but also captivates and engages your audience. Remember, a great presentation is not just about the content; it’s about how you deliver it. So take the time to prepare, practice, and perfect your presentation, and you’ll be well on your way to success.”

Coming Up with a Presentation Design Concept

design concept

design resources

PowerPoint Design

presentation design

Oct 13, 2014

Designing an effective PowerPoint deck involves plenty of preparation. There’s obviously more to it than choosing a random template and then putting together a bunch of slides. Each color, picture, and font type you choose should be governed by a plan. In other words, every single element that goes into your slide should correspond to a specific concept.

This concept will direct all your design choices, leading you to a PowerPoint deck that elevates your core message. Think of it this way: If great design is the destination, a design concept is the map you’ll need to get there.

Conceptualizing Design

According to Vanseo Design, we can think of design concept in two different ways. The first is the verbal concept, where you let a particular message dictate your aesthetic. For example, you might want your PowerPoint deck to exude innovation and professionalism to match the software you’re pitching. This gives you a more abstract starting point nbut allows you to focus more clearly on the message of your presentation.

The next is the visual concept, where you start with a specific image or “look” in mind. For example, you might want to work around the different shades of blue or feature geometrical shapes prominently. While it may give you a concrete picture of your design, it might also be incoherent with the presentation you’re about to deliver. To be effective, a visual concept needs to be grounded by a specific message. It needs to be enhanced by a verbal concept to become a cohesive design plan.

With that in mind, take note of the following tips to come up with a full-bodied presentation design concept:

1. Determine the purpose of your presentation

Before you start sketching away, figure out the main purpose and message of your presentation. Why were you asked to deliver this presentation in the first place? What do you hope to accomplish? What’s the one thing you want your audience to remember? All these questions will help you draft the main message or “take away” of your presentation—a crucial element in the verbal aspect of your design concept.

2. Turn to your brand for inspiration

As you know, your brand is representative of your company identity. It gives clients and consumers insight on your story and experience, as well as the goals you want to achieve in the future. But aside from that, it can also reveal how you can go about your design concept. Look to your brand story to inspire the verbal component of your concept, and then use your logo to sort out the visuals.

3. Do your research

Of course, you can also branch out and look for inspiration elsewhere. Do your research and read as much as you can about design. It doesn’t have to be particularly related to presentations. Try to read about the basic design principles, or look through graphic design tips. You can even browse through some infographics to see best practices on condensing  and illustrating data. Immerse yourself in the world of design by exploring different blogs and websites. Here are our top picks to help  you get you started:

4. Think of what your audience might want to see

It’s also important to consider the audience. After all, it’s them that you will need to impress. Try to think about what they might want to see during your presentation. The more you consider their point of view, the more you can be sure to create an engaging and memorable experience. Like you would when working on content, use these four questions to guide your presentation design concept.

Conclusion

Your presentation can thrive if you have powerful visuals that help highlight the core message. A design concept is a way to do that. In order to come up with an effective PowerPoint deck, you’ll need a concrete plan to follow.These 4 steps are a crucial part of presentation preparation. Don’t forget to develop a complete design concept before you start working on your slides.

Reference

Bradley, Steven. “Thoughts on Developing A Design Concept.” Vanseo Design. December 23, 2010. Accessed October 13, 2014. Featured Image: Cultura de Red via Flickr

Your Quick 7-Step Plan for Better PowerPoint Design

The success of your presentation relies so much on how well you prepare. That’s why the days leading up to a big speech can be quite stressful. There’s just so much to accomplish in order to deliver an engaging presentation. First, you’ll need brainstorm and figure out everything you have to say. After drafting your ideas, you have to carefully choose which points are the most significant to your core message. And after all that, there’s still the challenge of designing a memorable PowerPoint deck.If you’re running the last mile of presentation preparation, we’re here to make things easier for you. Here’s the PowerPoint design process condensed to 7 quick steps:

1. The Internet is the best source for inspiration

If you’re not sure how you want your slides to look like, you can find some inspiration by browsing through these links:

  • Top SlideShares – Browse through presentations that were featured in SlideShare’s homepage
  • Prezi Staff Picks – Look at the uploads curated by the Prezi staff
  • Note & Point – Find inspiration in a gallery of user-uploaded PowerPoint and Keynote presentations

2. Presentation experts have great ideas to share

You can also read the advice of presentation design experts. Read these blog entries for a creativity booster:

3. Figure out a general style for your slides

Once you’ve absorbed the best presentation ideas, it’s time to decide what PowerPoint design style to use. You can go for a minimalist design, which focuses on the use of typography and white space. On the other hand, you can choose to have a more image-based PowerPoint deck. Learn more about design basics by reading our Design 101 posts here and here.

4. Start with an analog approach

Take the time to sketch out how you want each slide to look. It doesn’t have to be neat. Just draft out where you want to place different elements to see if everything works nicely. In other words, create a rough storyboard first.

5. Think of what your audience wants

You should also consider what your audience wants to see. Try to look at your presentation through the eyes of the audience by asking these four questions.

6. Focus on a single task at a time

You might think multitasking is an efficient way to finish your presentation, but it’s not. When designing your slides, focus on one thing at a time. If you have to look for images, do it before typing your content and arranging the layout.

7. Remove any distraction

Aim for an uninterrupted PowerPoint session. The less you bother with other things, the faster you’ll finish designing your slides. But since you’re working on your computer, distraction is easy to access. Stop yourself from checking your email or social media accounts. Switch off your phone if you can. If you need extra help, you can make use of tools like StayFocused to block distracting websites.

You can ensure a great outcome if you take the time to prepare all the details of your presentation. Follow these 7 tips to create PowerPoint designs that are effective and memorable. You can also work with a PowerPoint design expert to get the best results.

Featured Image: UVF Graphic and Digital Design program via Flickr

Designing PowerPoint Decks for the Smartphone

interactive presentations

mobile-viewing

online presentations

PowerPoint Design

smartphones

Sep 24, 2014

Millions of Americans are glued to their smartphones. According to data gathered by Statista Dossier, there are currently around 163 million smartphone users in the US. The numbers are also expected to rise to 220 million by 2018. This comes as no surprise, considering that industry giants like Apple and Samsung release innovative new designs almost every year. In fact, Apple just released the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.Luckily, it doesn’t take a lot of work to make sure that your PowerPoint decks are compatible for viewing on smartphones. All you have to do is follow these four basic rules:

1. Big and bold text

Matthew Smith / Note&PointEven if the iPhone 6 Plus has a screen size of 5.5 inches, that’s still a lot less room than where you’d commonly show a PowerPoint deck.  Make sure that the font type and size that you use is extremely readable. Go for 30 points or higher. Stylized fonts should always be larger than your usual sans serif text. You don’t want the audience to squint just to read what you’re trying to say.

2. High-contrast colors

Idan Gazit / Note&PointAnother way to increase the readability of your PowerPoint designs is through high-contrast colors. Use either a dark background with light-colored text or vice versa. Similarly, avoid using colors that are too bright. Try for a more muted palette with only a few vibrant pops of color every so often.

3. Powerful images over bullet points and paragraphs

Stephen P. Anderson / Note&PointDon’t overwhelm your target audience with too much text. Visualize your key points with powerful images instead. This will help keep your PowerPoint deck simple and straightforward. Don’t try to discuss too much concepts at one go. Explaining complicated concepts will require more sentences and paragraphs. If you feel like there’s something in your content that needs further explanation, simply link to other resources instead. You can also try to make a flowchart or an infographic using free online tools like Piktochart.

4. Simplicity

Stephen P. Anderson / Note&PointDespite the need for visuals, it’s also important that you don’t complicate your PowerPoint designs. Remember, you don’t have much space to work with. Always be mindful of white space and maintain balance in your design. You can still add some animations and transitions, but keep them to a minimum. Aim for a seamless viewing experience. Having too many elements will cause your presentation to lag.

The Takeaway

Smartphone users love the flexibility and convenience it offers. From your phone, you have access to a host of information. If you want to settle a silly argument, you can simply ask Siri for the answer. If you want to keep your work on track, there are plenty of apps that help you organize your ideas and to-do-list.Among the other things you can do on a smartphone is deliver and view a presentation. You can share your PowerPoint deck through SlideShare or Brainshark.In the boardroom, you won’t have to set-up a laptop and projector. With interactive apps like SlideShark and SlideKlowd, you can share your presentation directly to your audience’s devices.

Reference

“Smartphone Users in the US 2010-2019.” Statista. Accessed September 24, 2014.

Images for PowerPoint: 5 Tips to Improve Your Design

images for powerpoint

pictures

PowerPoint Design

presentation design

Aug 27, 2014

Using images in PowerPoint presentations can significantly enhance visual engagement and help convey your message more effectively. However, selecting and incorporating images in the right way is crucial to maintaining a professional and impactful presentation. Here are five tips to improve your design with images in PowerPoint.

1. Choose High-Quality, Relevant Images

The images you use should not only be visually appealing but also relevant to the content of your presentation. Avoid generic stock photos that don’t add value or context to your slides.Why It’s Important:

  • Enhances Credibility: High-quality, relevant images make your presentation look more professional and polished.
  • Supports the Message: Images should reinforce the points you’re making, helping the audience understand the information more clearly.

How to Do It:

  • Use high-resolution images to avoid pixelation, especially on larger screens.
  • Choose images that align with the theme of your presentation or that directly illustrate key points.

2. Use Images to Break Up Text

Slides packed with too much text can overwhelm your audience. Incorporate images to break up the text and make your presentation more visually engaging.Why It’s Important:

  • Improves Readability: Images break up large chunks of text, making it easier for the audience to follow along.
  • Engages the Audience: Visuals are more likely to capture attention and keep your audience engaged throughout the presentation.

How to Do It:

  • Use relevant images in place of bullet points or to complement a brief summary of your text.
  • Alternate between text and image-heavy slides to maintain balance and flow.

3. Maintain Visual Consistency

Your images should have a consistent style, color scheme, and tone to avoid making the presentation look disjointed. This cohesion ensures that your design is polished and professional.Why It’s Important:

  • Creates Cohesion: A consistent visual theme makes your presentation look more structured and professional.
  • Enhances Brand Identity: Maintaining a consistent style with your images helps reinforce your brand’s visual identity.

How to Do It:

  • Stick to a specific color palette or filter for all images to ensure visual harmony.
  • Choose images that match the overall tone of your presentation, whether formal, casual, or creative.

4. Optimize Image Placement

The placement of images on your slides should be intentional and strategic. Avoid cluttering slides with too many visuals, and ensure that your images are balanced with other content.Why It’s Important:

  • Improves Focus: Proper image placement directs the audience’s attention to key points without overwhelming them.
  • Maintains Aesthetic Balance: A well-designed slide should have balanced spacing between text, images, and white space.

How to Do It:

  • Align images with the most important points on the slide, ensuring they don’t compete with text for attention.
  • Use PowerPoint’s alignment tools to maintain consistency and proper spacing.

5. Use Images to Tell a Story

Images are powerful storytelling tools. Instead of using images just as decorative elements, use them to build a narrative that enhances your presentation’s message.Why It’s Important:

  • Enhances Storytelling: Images that support your narrative can evoke emotions and help the audience connect with your message.
  • Makes Content Memorable: Visual storytelling makes your content more memorable and impactful.

How to Do It:

  • Select images that illustrate the problem, solution, or journey in your presentation.
  • Use sequential images to walk the audience through a step-by-step process or concept.

Final Thoughts

Incorporating images effectively into your PowerPoint presentation can significantly enhance the visual appeal and engagement of your slides. By choosing high-quality, relevant images, maintaining consistency, and using visuals strategically, you can create a presentation that is both visually stunning and impactful. With these tips, you’ll be able to communicate your message more effectively and leave a lasting impression on your audience.

Design 101: Basic Elements of a PowerPoint Deck

design 101

PowerPoint Design

slide design elements

Aug 13, 2014

Creating a visually appealing and effective PowerPoint deck involves more than just placing text on slides. Good design ensures that your message is clearly communicated, your audience remains engaged, and your presentation looks professional. To achieve this, it’s essential to understand the basic elements of PowerPoint design and how to use them effectively.Here’s a guide to the basic elements of a PowerPoint deck and tips on how to design your slides for maximum impact.

1. Slide Layout

The slide layout refers to the arrangement of text, images, and other elements on your slides. A clear and well-organized layout makes it easier for your audience to understand your message and follow along.

Key Tips:

  • Consistency: Use consistent layouts throughout the deck. PowerPoint offers various pre-made slide layouts (e.g., title slides, content slides) that help maintain visual consistency.
  • Alignment: Ensure that elements on the slide are properly aligned. PowerPoint’s alignment guides help position text, images, and graphics in a balanced way.
  • White Space: Don’t overcrowd your slides. Leave enough white space around elements to avoid clutter and give the design room to breathe.

Example:

Use a Title and Content layout for most of your slides, with a large header at the top and content (text, images, charts) placed beneath it in a structured, easy-to-read format.

2. Typography

The typography (font style, size, and color) you choose plays a crucial role in making your presentation readable and engaging. Choosing the right fonts ensures that your text stands out, remains legible, and enhances the overall design.

Key Tips:

  • Font Choice: Stick to simple, clean fonts like Arial, Calibri, or Helvetica for body text. For headings, you can use a bolder, more distinctive font.
  • Font Size: Use a large enough font for readability. Generally, 24–32 points for headings and 18–24 points for body text works well in presentations.
  • Consistency: Keep your font choices consistent throughout the deck. Use one font for headings and another for body text to create hierarchy without overwhelming the viewer.
  • Limit Text: Avoid heavy paragraphs. Aim for short, punchy bullet points or key phrases to keep the slides easy to read.

Example:

Use Bold Arial 28pt for slide headings and Regular Calibri 20pt for body text, maintaining a consistent font size throughout the presentation.

3. Color Scheme

The color scheme of your PowerPoint deck sets the mood and tone of your presentation. A well-chosen color palette helps create visual harmony, draw attention to key points, and strengthen your message.

Key Tips:

  • Limit Colors: Stick to 3–4 primary colors. Too many colors can overwhelm the audience. Consider using your brand’s colors or a predefined PowerPoint color scheme.
  • Contrast: Ensure there is enough contrast between the text and background. Dark text on a light background or light text on a dark background improves readability.
  • Purposeful Use of Color: Use colors intentionally to highlight important points, differentiate sections, or emphasize key data points.

Example:

Use a dark blue background with white text and yellow or orange accents for emphasis or to highlight important figures.

4. Visuals and Graphics

Visual elements such as images, icons, charts, and graphs help break up text and provide a more engaging, visually stimulating presentation. They also help illustrate points more clearly than text alone.

Key Tips:

  • Use High-Quality Images: Always use high-resolution images to avoid pixelation. Ensure that the images are relevant to the content and don’t distract from the message.
  • Icons for Clarity: Simple icons can replace bullet points and add a modern, clean look to your slide. PowerPoint offers a built-in icon library that you can use for free.
  • Data Visualization: For data-heavy presentations, use charts, graphs, and infographics to visualize numbers and trends. Avoid overcrowding these visuals with too much data.
  • Balance Text and Visuals: Maintain a balance between text and visuals. Avoid too many images on a single slide, as it can clutter the design.

Example:

Use a bar chart to visually represent financial data or a large, high-quality image with minimal text to reinforce a key point in your presentation.

5. Transitions and Animations

Transitions (how you move from one slide to the next) and animations (how elements appear on a slide) add movement to your presentation. When used sparingly, they can make your slides more engaging. Overuse, however, can be distracting.

Key Tips:

  • Use Subtle Transitions: Stick to simple transitions like Fade or Appear to maintain a professional look. Avoid flashy or excessive transitions like Spin or Bounce.
  • Limit Animations: If using animations, apply them to key elements that need emphasis. Use them to reveal bullet points one at a time or to draw attention to important data points.
  • Keep It Consistent: Maintain consistent animation and transition styles throughout your presentation to avoid jarring shifts in pacing.

Example:

Use a Fade transition between slides and a subtle Appear animation for introducing new bullet points or images.

6. White Space and Balance

White space, also known as negative space, is the empty space between design elements. It’s one of the most critical aspects of design, as it helps keep your slides clean, organized, and easy to read.

Key Tips:

  • Avoid Overcrowding: Don’t feel the need to fill every inch of your slide with content. Leaving space around text and visuals helps guide the viewer’s eye and emphasizes important points.
  • Create Balance: Distribute elements evenly across the slide to achieve visual balance. Use PowerPoint’s alignment tools to ensure that text, images, and shapes are properly aligned and spaced.
  • Focus Attention: Use white space strategically to focus attention on specific elements or key messages on your slide.

Example:

For a quote slide, center-align the text with plenty of white space around it, allowing the message to stand out without distractions.

7. Slide Numbers and Branding

Including slide numbers and branding elements like logos helps maintain professionalism and makes it easier for your audience to follow along or reference certain slides later.

Key Tips:

  • Add Slide Numbers: Include slide numbers on every slide (except the title slide) to keep your presentation organized. This is especially helpful during Q&A sessions when referring back to specific slides.
  • Incorporate Branding: Add your company logo and use your brand’s color scheme and fonts consistently throughout the presentation.
  • Avoid Overdoing Branding: Place branding elements like logos in subtle places, such as the footer or corner of the slide, so they don’t overpower your content.

Example:

Place your company logo in the lower-right corner of each slide and include slide numbers in the footer to ensure consistency and professionalism.

Final Thoughts

Designing a PowerPoint deck involves carefully balancing text, visuals, and other elements to create an engaging and clear presentation. By focusing on slide layout, typography, color scheme, visuals, transitions, white space, and branding, you can create a professional and visually appealing PowerPoint deck that effectively communicates your message. With these design principles in mind, your presentation will not only look polished but also be more impactful and memorable for your audience.