Tag: PowerPoint Design

A Presentation Expert’s Guide to Great PowerPoint Ideas

business presentation

PowerPoint Design

powerpoint expert

powerpoint presentation

powerpoint presentation design

presentation expert

presentation tips

SlideGenius

Jul 15, 2015

A professional presentation takes time, not just in making the actual pitch deck, but in planning how to make it.Presentation experts (even the ones behind Apple’s and TED Talks’ presentations) recommend spending the majority of your time planning for how to make and deliver the sales pitch. According to brand communication expert, Carmine Gallo, this takes at least 90 hours, with only a third of that time used for building the actual deck.[sg-blog-modules module=one]The rest of the time needs to be spent on knowing your client’s expectations. Qualtrics’ Scott Smith presents seven customer expectations to watch out for, so make sure to dedicate your time to researching the topic, and developing an effective method of delivery.Ask yourself:

  • What problem am I trying to solve?
  • Is there an applicable solution that I can use?
  • How will I solve the problem then?
  • What advantage can I offer that the competition can’t?

A secret to getting effective PowerPoint ideas is planning ahead of time.Let’s go into detail about how to plan your business presentation.

Step 1: Write Everything You Want to Say

Make a list, sit down with your colleagues, consult your company’s production/research teams, draw quick sketches and draft a script. Just get something, anything on paper when you start.This way, you’ll have an easier time sorting through PowerPoint ideas that work from those that don’t.Both professional presenters and advertising experts talk about similar methods. Whether it’s planning on paper or, as ad veteran Luke Sullivan suggests, sticking drawings of your best ideas on the wall, the best way to get your sales pitch idea is to dump everything into an empty space and sort them out.

Step 2: Be Your Own Coldest Critic

Once you have everything you can think of in one place, be it an empty Microsoft PowerPoint file or on blank sheets of paper, start judging. Using the questions listed above can work as your guide.Everything you place in your PowerPoint deck stems from two sources: the client’s problem and the product or service you’ll use to solve it. The strategy is up to you. Consider the following questions:

  • Do you want to bank on your company’s reputation for being the best in the business?
  • Do you want to highlight one advantage you have over the competition?
  • Do you want to introduce a game-changing solution to an old problem?

[sg-blog-modules module=one]Your ideas must fit whatever strategy you choose.If you want to pitch for a car-rental service provider, or sell your electronics to a local distributor, ask yourself about the workability of your idea (for example, displaying consistent sales numbers or user testimonies). If you think it’s doable, keep it.

Step 3: Once You Have the “Eureka” Moment, Stay on It

One benefit of dumping your ideas and being your harshest critic is that you arrive at your winning sales pitch idea faster.Everything you say and write will flow by themselves if your idea and strategy are sound enough. The best thing to do is stay with it.Write down your script and slide content while your thoughts are still fresh in your mind. Delaying it will interrupt your train of thought, wasting time better spent on finalizing your PowerPoint deck.

The Lesson to Learn

Don’t be afraid to critique your own ideas. A sales presentation is all about testing ideas against the client’s problems and coming up with your best solution.If it works, come up with an appropriate strategy to sell your proposal better than the competition does. Keep at it until you find your selling idea.To help you come up with it even faster, spend time with a PowerPoint presentation expert. It’s worth the investment. (All it takes is fifteen minutes.) 

References

Gallo, Carmine. The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs: How to be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience. New York. McGraw-Hill, 2010″Plan Ahead to Avoid PowerPointless Presentations.” SlideGenius, Inc. May 27, 2015. Accessed July 15, 2015.Smith, Scott, “Customer Expectations: 7 Types all Exceptional Researchers Must Understand.” Qualtrics. Accessed July 15, 2015.Sullivan, Luke. Hey, Whipple, Squeeze This! A Guide to Creating Great Ads. Hoboken, NJ – J. Wiley & Sons, 2008 Featured Image: “Spiral Notebook Notepad Block Pen.” from pixabay

3 Effective Tips for Simplifying PowerPoint Slide Designs

deck design

PowerPoint Design

Powerpoint tips

ppt tips

Rick Enrico

SlideGenius

Jul 08, 2015

Here are three effective tips to simplify your PowerPoint slide designs, ensuring they are clear, engaging, and easy to understand:

1. Limit Text and Focus on Key Points

  • Why it works: Too much text can overwhelm the audience and make your slides harder to follow. Simplified text with a focus on key takeaways ensures that your message is clear and impactful.
  • How to apply: Use bullet points to summarize ideas and limit text to short phrases. Avoid paragraphs or long sentences. Keep each slide focused on one core idea to prevent clutter and enhance comprehension.

2. Use High-Quality Visuals

  • Why it works: Visual elements such as images, icons, and infographics help convey your message more effectively than text alone. They engage the audience and make complex information easier to understand.
  • How to apply: Replace unnecessary text with relevant, high-quality visuals. For example, use charts or graphs to present data and use icons to represent concepts. Avoid overloading slides with too many images or visuals to maintain simplicity.

3. Consistent Layout and Design

  • Why it works: A consistent layout throughout your presentation enhances readability and creates a cohesive, professional look. Inconsistent designs can distract your audience and make it harder to follow the flow of information.
  • How to apply: Stick to a simple color palette and font choices that align with your brand or presentation theme. Use a grid layout or pre-designed templates to ensure consistency. Avoid using more than two or three fonts and colors to keep the design clean.

By focusing on minimal text, using visuals effectively, and maintaining consistent design, you can simplify your PowerPoint slide designs and create a more engaging and polished presentation.

PowerPoint Presentations: Do You Really Need Them?

business presentation

PowerPoint Design

powerpoint expert

powerpoint presentation

powerpoint presentation design

powerpoint presentations

presentation tips

SlideGenius

Jul 06, 2015

PowerPoint is the undisputed king of all presentation software. With about 500 million users relying on it to create their visual aids, no one can deny its dominance.Aside from the contemporary presentation designs it offers, we need them to enhance and support our core message.[sg-blog-modules module=one]We still get questions from some presenters, wondering if they even need slides to go with their speech. To answer this question, let’s first examine how they benefit your presentations:

All-Around Usefulness

What helps PowerPoint immensely is its inclusion in Microsoft Office.Its similarity to Word (and even freeware Word variations) means that it’s convenient for all types of users and purposes.This software has basic photo-manipulating capabilities, whereas animations and image placement are easy to do. It’s also made it easier to edit and layout text. With these advanced features, sharing visual information has become easier to plan for and execute.According to tech guru, Aaron Parson, most presentations will benefit from PowerPoint’s versatility. It can be used for pitching, selling, teaching, and even entertaining. It lets you draw diagrams, assorted graphs, charts, and even basic illustrations, with possibilities for online sharing.

Notable Exceptions

While PowerPoint exhibits all-around usefulness, there are still some situations where you shouldn’t depend on it.Motivational speeches often don’t need accompanying visual aids. They require greater focus on the presenter’s body language and facial expressions – things that projected slides could distract from.Speeches that focus on a speaker’s personal experiences generally don’t need an accompanying deck. Better described as performances, presenters serve as their own visual aids through non-verbal communication.

PowerPoint by Default

Determine from the beginning if your presentation needs an accompanying deck. This allows you to better divide and plan your time and resources for maximizing your speech.Knowing that you almost always need a deck to back you up, it pays to know what makes for effective PowerPoint presentations.

Conclusion

PowerPoint remains a vital tool to complement your message visually because of its convenience and ease of use.Knowing from the beginning whether you need to include a PowerPoint deck will help you plan for it, or prepare to present without it.Certain types of presentations lend themselves to PowerPoint decks. If you’ll be giving a speech based on personal experience, without needing to explain complicated facts, people will focus more on your facial expressions and body language. In the instances you do need to use slides, learn the various factors that determine its success or failure.Looking for something to inspire you on PowerPoint presentations? Check out our portfolio, or contact us now for a free quote.[sg-blog-modules module=two]

References

“3 Reasons Why PowerPoint Presentations Are Still Effective.” SlideGenius, Inc. August 6, 2015.Parson, Aaron. “5 Uses of PowerPoint.” EHow. June 2, 2015. Accessed July 6, 2015.”PowerPoint Usage and Marketshare.” Infogr.am. Accessed July 6, 2015.

3 Expert Tips on Making Your Ideas PowerPoint-Friendly

design and templates

friendly powerpoint

PowerPoint Design

powerpoint designs

powerpoint expert

ppt tips

presentation tips

Rick Enrico

SlideGenius

Jun 29, 2015

Here are 3 expert tips to make your ideas PowerPoint-friendly and more impactful:

1. Simplify and Streamline Content

  • Why it works: PowerPoint slides are meant to complement your verbal presentation, not overwhelm the audience with text. Simplifying content helps keep your slides clean and easy to understand. Experts suggest using bullet points, short sentences, or key phrases to ensure the audience can follow along without getting lost.
  • Tip: Limit the amount of text on each slide. A general rule is the 6×6 rule—no more than 6 bullet points per slide and no more than 6 words per bullet.

2. Use Visuals to Communicate

  • Why it works: Visuals like charts, graphs, icons, and infographics help convey complex information quickly and effectively. According to presentation experts, images can enhance retention and understanding by making abstract concepts more concrete.
  • Tip: Replace large blocks of text with visuals that explain or reinforce your message. Use high-quality images, icons, or graphics that are relevant and aligned with your brand.

3. Design for Engagement

  • Why it works: Good design makes your presentation visually appealing and keeps the audience engaged. This involves consistent fonts, color schemes, and layout. Experts recommend maintaining a balance between text and visuals, using white space to reduce clutter.
  • Tip: Keep a consistent visual theme throughout the presentation. Avoid overuse of animations and transitions, and ensure that any animations used enhance the message, rather than distract from it.

By following these tips, you’ll create a PowerPoint presentation that’s clear, visually appealing, and engaging for your audience.

Are You Looking for a Pitch Deck?View Our Amazing Pitch Deck Examples!

Ad Agency PowerPoint Visual Design Tips: Making Your Point

deck design

PowerPoint Design

presentation tips from advertising

Rick Enrico

SlideGenius

visual design

Jun 19, 2015

Visual designs contribute the most benefits in PowerPoint presentations, letting audiences visualize exactly what you want them to imagine, be it the client’s current problem, the seriousness of a situation, or a different perspective.Once you paint a clear picture in your audience’s minds, support that with facts and guide them to the outcome you want: investing in your idea.[sg-blog-modules module=three]While deck designs don’t only impose mental images, they help clients remember enough of your pitch to take a second look at it after you’re done presenting.Many TED Talks or three-subject pitches rely on simplicity for catchy PowerPoint visuals. But how do you emulate these works?Advertising agencies make their ads focus on one main idea and show it in an interesting way.Here are three PowerPoint visual design tips on simplicity:

Make Your Idea Straightforward Enough to Be Flexible

There’s only room for one main idea in your visuals.According to ad veteran Luke Sullivan, if you know what your pitch is about and make it straightforward, you’ll have a number of great ways to visually represent your ideas.In the MINI Cooper ambient ads, the ad agency highlighted one main feature of a small yet spacious car.Some of the MINI Cooper ambient ads focused on how spacious the small vehicle was, while others went the opposite route and focused on a small vehicle’s benefits. An example of the latter: a billboard that had the tagline “cops hide here,” complete with an arrow pointing to a bush under it.Whatever the execution, the idea in each was clear. All that was left was to come up with interesting ways to show it.

Focus on One Consistent Style

The early Volkswagen print ads showed a big or small vehicle, then focused the text on a main idea. Renowned author Jim Aitchison cites these ads and taglines as those which highlight the main theme of practicality:“How to save up for a Porsche.”A picture of a moon-landing craft with the caption “It’s ugly but it gets you there”A small Volkswagen beetle with the tagline “Think small”There’ll always be a consistent style of showing the vehicle, a headline and the body text, all centered on a straightforward idea.

Show a Common Message with Different Elements

Combining your images and text to illustrate a situation is effective, but even more so when you disrupt normal perspectives and present familiar things in a new and interesting way.The award-winning French anti-illiteracy ads’ visual elements posed as advertisements for different things: cars, computers, even resorts and makeup.These ads focused on one main message: there’ll always be people who’ll misinterpret the advertisement because they can’t read.All these three tips rely on one thing: strategy, a single effective path to bringing your message out in the image.Do you want to highlight how much space your Cooper can have? Do you want to show that your product does what it’s made for? Do you want to show how serious a problem is?The key to simplicity is making your viewers focus on one dominant element in your visuals. Make your main message clear in both the text and the image, then find interesting ways to consistently prove your point.It takes an award-winning visual design method to make an award-winning PowerPoint Presentation. To help you get that edge, get in touch with a presentation designer from SlideGenius today![sg-blog-modules module=two]

References

Aitchison, J. (2004). Cutting Edge Advertising: How to Create the World’s Best Print for Brands in the 21st Century. Singapore; New York: Prentice Hall.Great V Ads. Accessed June 19, 2015.”Maximize the Rule of Three: Brand-Building for Presentations.” SlideGenius, Inc. 2015. Accessed June 18, 2015.Sullivan, L. (2008). Hey, Whipple, Squeeze This: A Guide to Creating Great Ads (3rd Ed.). Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons.”The World’s Best Print Ads, 2012-13.” AdWeek. Accessed June 19, 2015.

Great PowerPoint Presentations Need Great Main Ideas

Custom Designed Presentations

PowerPoint Agency

PowerPoint Design

Apr 30, 2015

Every effective proposal begins with a main idea. Brand communication expert Carmine Gallo (2010), recommends identifying that idea and explaining why it matters.This grounds your presentation on a specific topic and keeps you from straying too far from what you want your audience to remember.Getting to that point is tricky, but don’t worry, every problem has its own unique solution.[sg-blog-modules module=three]If your company needs to introduce a new product in a technology expo, how will you go about explaining this new device? Will you start with its specs, or elaborate on how it stands above your competitors?All great PowerPoint presentations begin by asking these kinds of questions. Regardless of the specific problem and approach, there are three things that can flesh out your main ideas:

Identifying the Problem

A sales pitch is directed to address an issue. It could be anything—low sales returns, re-branding, or it could simply be the need to introduce a new product.Find the root of your client’s dilemma to keep your pitch focused on presenting an on-strategy solution.Once you have this information, the next question is: “Why?”Why is the product necessary? Why do your clients have to listen to you? Why shouldn’t you let that issue go unsolved?Addressing the whys define the gravity of the situation.It also establishes the relevance of your idea, helping you find the necessary insights to back up your claim.

Target Audience

An idea can affect people, especially if it agrees with what their beliefs. This is why it’s crucial to know exactly who you want to talk to.These people are the ones looking for the cures to their headaches. You have to show them that you share something in common.Try to remember the last product you bought. It could be a gadget, a car or even a pair shoes. If you bought these from specific brands, think about why these companies gain the most attention from consumers.According to Chuck Brymer’s article on Marketing Magazine, the reason the best brands stay the best is because they give you what you need and strive to stay relevant.They also use common values their customers relate to.Every company stands for something. Some want to provide a fun experience by creating superior products while others may believe in making things more convenient by engineering easy-to-use technology. As long as a brand lives, its values should never change. It needs to keep itself relevant as time passes.When pitching an idea, always keep your company’s beliefs in mind—make sure these beliefs match those of your client’s.

Aligning with the Client’s Strategy

Insights work both ways. While your insight inspires strategies, make sure that whatever solution you come up with doesn’t conflict with your client’s corporate values.For example, would Apple accept a cheaper but less reliable supplier? Since Apple offerings are known for being stylish and easy to use, they probably wouldn’t if it compromises their overall product quality.Compare your proposals with your client’s business goals. Propose alternative insight to an idea that might negatively affect your client’s business.This part of the process is arguably the strictest of them all. It tests whether your offer is resilient but flexible enough to adapt to your client’s needs.Once you satisfy this condition, you’ll have an easier time outlining your topic in PowerPoint form.–Offering answers won’t do any good if you can’t justify them. That’s why simplifying your pitch ensures clearer communication between you and your audience.To better remember these techniques, condense this three-step process into a single formula—find the root cause of the client’s dilemma, and find the insight that will lead to the answer.If this is in line with the client’s corporate beliefs, it’s a valid solution. If not, consider an alternative.Once you consider these questions when pitching a topic, you’ll be more likely to get on-point with your target market’s needs.Understanding the main reason people need your company’s work makes it easier for you to convince others that they should get on board with your idea.[sg-blog-modules module=two]

References:

“A Presentation Expert’s Guide to Knowing the Audience.” SlideGenius, Inc. Accessed April 28, 2015.Brymer, C. “What Makes Brands Great.” Marketing Magazine. 2004. Retrieved from:Gallo, Carmine. The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs: How to Be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010.”Using Common Values in PowerPoint Presentations.” SlideGenius, Inc. Accessed April 21, 2015. Featured Image: Stock Photography of A businessman working on modern technology on fotosearch.com

A Guide to Making a PowerPoint Style Guide

PowerPoint Design

powerpoint style guide

Powerpoint tips

Mar 06, 2015

Corporations and organizations often use a style guide to ensure that all their visual materials maintain a consistent and cohesive look.Because it’s impossible to keep track of every PowerPoint deck created in such an environment, a style guide guarantees that every presentation will correspond to your organization’s brand identity.[sg-blog-modules module=one]Before starting on your style guide, familiarize yourself with PowerPoint’s Slide Master function to create and customize templates first. This makes it easier to accomplish once you begin distributing it throughout the organization.Here are areas you need to focus on:

Leverage branding

Every design rule or suggestion that you put down should contribute to your branding efforts. As we’ve discussed in the past, an easy way to integrate branding into PowerPoint design is through the clever use of colors.Set down some rules on the color scheme that everyone should use for presentations. Keep your brand’s logo and overall aesthetic in mind, making sure your rules for the color scheme goes well with both. Let your colors stand out so that the audience can see that your slides are part of a larger, unified whole.Another way to leverage branding is by using visual metaphors that correspond to your brand identity. Include suggestions for images and illustrations people should use in their PowerPoint designs.

Establish rules following best PowerPoint practices

Aside from branding, a PowerPoint style guide also helps you maintain the quality of all the slide decks presented in your organization’s name.As such, it’s important that you establish key rules that follow the best PowerPoint practices. Be strict about the use of bullet points and the amount of text included in a single slide. Establish pointers on how data should be presented. There are different ways to do it, but all in all, you should make sure that charts and graphs don’t get too overwhelming by inputting only the content that matters to your pitch.Something else you can consider is making suggestions that can help manage the length of your company’s presentations.In this PowerPoint style guide from the American Marketing Association, there’s a suggestion that a PowerPoint deck should match its length in number of slides. For example, 10-minute presentations should have no more than 10 slides.

Add reminders for presentation delivery

It might seem unnecessary, but you can also include a few reminders on how presentations should be delivered.While a PowerPoint style guide may be focused on design, its overall objective should touch on improving presentations delivered throughout your organization. Also remind others to be more careful with the way they present their slides. After all, the point of creating PowerPoint slides is to enhance the message people are delivering with their presentations.At the end of the day, what matters is what audiences are left with. If the delivery is improved, you can expect outcomes to improve as well.–A PowerPoint style guide is a way you can make sure presentations are organized and consistent with the company’s overall message. Have a clear vision on how you want these presentations to look like, and what kind of impact you want them to leave on audiences.These are the things you need to have defined and clarified in your PowerPoint style guide:

  • Use of logo
  • Color scheme
  • Font type and size
  • Use of bullet points
  • Use of images, icons, and illustrations
  • Presenting data in charts and graphs
  • Editing and cutting back on slides
  • Pointers on presenting slides to make the most of the visual aids

Keep these in mind and start establishing some rules and pointers to maximize your use of effective visuals.[sg-blog-modules module=two]

References:

Chapman, Cameron. “Why Your Brand Needs a Style Guide, and How to Create One.” Webdesigner Depot. Accessed March 6, 2015.”Design Ideas: How to Improve PowerPoint Templates.” SlideGenius, Inc. December 9, 2014. Accessed February 4, 2015.”Improve Your Presentations with the Power of the Metaphor.” SlideGenius, Inc. November 17, 2014. Accessed January 12, 2015.”PowerPoint Style Guidelines.” American Marketing Association. Accessed March 6, 2015.”The Top 10 Best PowerPoint Design Practices.” SlideGenius, Inc. November 18, 2014. Accessed March 6, 2015. Featured Image: Death to the Stock Photo

Sound Slides: A PowerPoint Tutorial on Music and Sound Effects

PowerPoint Design

Powerpoint tips

powerpoint tutorial

Mar 05, 2015

Adding background music or sound effects to your PowerPoint presentation can enhance the mood, create emphasis, and keep your audience engaged. PowerPoint allows you to add various audio files to your slides, which can be played automatically, on a loop, or triggered by a click.Here’s how to add music or sound effects to your PowerPoint slides:

Step 1: Prepare Your Audio File

Before adding music or sound effects, ensure that your audio file is ready. PowerPoint supports audio formats such as MP3, WAV, and WMA.How to Do It:

  • Save the audio file to a location you can easily access from PowerPoint.

Step 2: Insert the Audio File

Inserting audio into a PowerPoint slide is a simple process.How to Do It:

  • Go to the slide where you want to add the audio.
  • Click on the Insert tab in the PowerPoint ribbon.
  • Select Audio, then choose Audio on My PC from the dropdown menu.
  • Navigate to the location of your audio file, select it, and click Insert.

Step 3: Customize Audio Playback Settings

Once the audio is added, you can customize its playback options.How to Do It:

  • Select the audio icon that appears on your slide.
  • In the Audio Tools tab, go to the Playback section and choose how you want the audio to play:
    • Start Automatically: The audio will play as soon as the slide is shown.
    • Start On Click: The audio will play when you click the icon.
    • Play Across Slides: The audio will continue to play even as you transition to different slides.
    • Loop Until Stopped: The audio will keep playing on repeat until you manually stop it.

Step 4: Hide the Audio Icon

If you don’t want the audio icon to appear during your presentation, you can hide it while still allowing the sound to play.How to Do It:

  • Select the audio icon.
  • In the Playback tab, check the box next to Hide During Show.

Step 5: Preview the Audio

Before presenting, make sure the audio plays correctly by previewing the slide.How to Do It:

  • In the Playback tab, click the Play button to test the audio.
  • If you’re playing music across multiple slides, test the transition to ensure it flows smoothly.

Final Thoughts

Adding music or sound effects to your PowerPoint slides can make your presentation more engaging and dynamic. Just make sure the audio enhances your message without overwhelming or distracting the audience. Test the sound quality and volume before your presentation to ensure it’s balanced with your spoken content.

Make an Impact and Deliver Better Business Presentations

business presentations

PowerPoint Design

presentation design

presentation tips

Feb 26, 2015

For most professionals, typical business presentations include having to sit through monotonous discussion while trying to decipher the small text projected in front them.While these scenarios are common, bland business presentations shouldn’t be the norm.[sg-blog-modules module=three]For your big presentation, turn the situation around and deliver something memorable that will leave a lasting impact on your audience. That’s why we decided to review the different things you can change and emphasize for your business presentations.Take note of these essential characteristics and learn to apply them to your work:

Authenticity

The problem with most business presentations is that they often lack emotional impact.Because they’re delivered in formal settings, presenters think that business presentations need to focus on the hard facts.While data is obviously important to help build the credibility of your presentation, you still need to add a human element in order to create a connection with the audience. What better way to capture their attention and keep them engaged than by building this important rapport?Of course, this doesn’t mean that you have to try and move your colleagues to tears or leave them rolling on the floor with laughter. Your goal is to build an authentic experience for them. Instead of presenting overwhelming amounts of charts and data, try to integrate a story to your presentation.

Thorough

Following our previous point, you’ll know that business presentations commonly suffer from information overload.Without setting a clear goal, presenters tend to add too much to their content and end up prolonging the discussion with repetitive details. That’s why business presentations need to be thoroughly prepared. Solve the dilemma of an unorganized discussion by defining a clear objective.From there, meticulously curate your content to make sure everything is aligned with your goals. Cut back on the data you present and include only the numbers that are most important to help drive home your key takeaways.

Compelling

To make an impact with your business presentations, you also have to focus on how well you face the audience and deliver your speech. If you want the audience to sit up and listen, focus on creating a compelling and engaging atmosphere.As you start your presentation, catch their attention through nonverbal cues. It’s not enough to speak with confidence, you also have to exude the same amount of credibility in the way you dress and carry yourself. Avoid slouching or gestures that make you seem closed off or aloof.Don’t be too stiff—try to strike a balance between both feeling comfortable and commanding authority in front of an audience.

Visually Stimulating

Finally, business presentations also need to break out of the “Death by PowerPoint” mold.Instead of undecipherable PowerPoint slides, you need to come up with a presentation deck that is visually stimulating and interesting.This will elevate the message presented in a presentation. That said, it shouldn’t overshadow the core message with walls of text and misused bullet points.Appeal to the visual sense of the audience. Apart from carefully curating your content to make sure you don’t end up with too much text, choose high-quality images to visualize your points.Don’t forget to pick out a striking color palette and a few interesting fonts as well.Looking for inspiration from design experts? Take a look at our design portfolio or contact us for a free quote today!–Your business presentations do not have to lull the audience to sleep. Keep your colleagues engaged by making an impact they won’t soon forget. Take note of these 4 essential tips and deliver the best business presentations they’ll ever see.[sg-blog-modules module=two]

References:

“3 Lessons on Choosing Fonts for Your PowerPoint Design.” SlideGenius, Inc.. January 14, 2015. Accessed February 26, 2015.”Hook, Line, and Sinker: What Makes a Great Presentation Story.” SlideGenius, Inc. December 11, 2014. Accessed February 26, 2015.”Non-Verbal Communication.” Skills You Need. Accessed February 26, 2015.”Understanding Information Overload.” Infogineering. Accessed February 26, 2015.”Where to Find Unique Images for Your Presentation Design.” SlideGenius, Inc. December 18, 2014. Accessed February 26, 2015.  Featured Image: Startup Stock Photos

3 Ways to Cut Back Your Text-Heavy PowerPoint Slides

PowerPoint Design

powerpoint slides

Powerpoint tips

presentation content

presentation tips

Feb 24, 2015

The most effective PowerPoint slides are often simple and concise. As branding experts TRAY Creative put it: cluttered slides will only put your audience to sleep.Effective decks help the presenter discuss a topic with memorable and arresting visuals. In other words, a PowerPoint presentation isn’t there to act as your script or teleprompter.[sg-blog-modules module=one]If your presentations are always burdened by text-heavy PowerPoint slides, it’s time to dial back and strip your deck bare.Try the following suggestions to make sure you don’t have walls of text blocking the audience’s interest in your discussion:

Strip your content down to its essentials 

Cutting back on text-heavy PowerPoint slides rely on your ability to edit your own content.Before you start making your PowerPoint deck, review the draft you’ve prepared and see how you can simplify your points even more. Your goal is to strip down your content to the bare minimum.You don’t have to waste space on your slides to elaborate particulars. Your slides are there to highlight the main points and takeaways.Everything else that needs to be discussed or described is for the presenter to do on his own.

Use multiple slides to split up bullet points

Bullet points are often maligned in PowerPoint design because of constant misuse. A lot of presenters insist on presenting text through a bullet point list, even if the text requires a lengthy paragraph description.Bullet points are meant to simplify content and list down key information. If you’re going to use it to cram several paragraphs on a single slide, you’re not utilizing bullet points properly.Split up your content across multiple PowerPoint slides. Even if you end up with 10 more slides than you originally planned, your deck won’t look poorly designed.Spreading out your PowerPoint to tackle one point at time will help you make sure your slides aren’t dragged down by too much text.

Represent content visually

I’m sure you’re familiar with the saying, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Remember to keep it in mind when making PowerPoint slides, because it’s extremely crucial to presentation design.Sometimes, it can be hard to cut back on content because there are things that require several sentences to describe.Luckily, PowerPoint is a visual tool. Instead of using up slide space on lengthy descriptions, you can represent certain parts of your content through pictures or graphics instead.Turn a discussion on a particular process into a flowchart. Find pictures that represent your brand values. Think visually and use images to relay what might need several sentences to say.–In general, try to keep your PowerPoint slides visual. Use text to enhance the meaning of particular images or graphs, and do it by using the simplest sentences or phrases. Remember, a PowerPoint deck is a visual aid. It shouldn’t overwhelm your audience with too much information. As the presenter, it’s your job to take the stage and discuss your presentation accordingly.[sg-blog-modules module=two]

References:

“Visual Storytelling: How Stories Are Told in Pictures.” SlideGenius, Inc. October 27, 2014. Accessed February 24, 2015.”PowerPoint Insight: Reconsidering the No Bullet Points Rule.” SlideGenius, Inc. August 21, 2014. Accessed February 24, 2015.”7 PowerPoint Mistakes That Put Audiences to Sleep.” TRAY Creative Seattle Marketing Branding Web Design. Accessed February 24, 2015. Featured Image: Hernán Piñera via Flickr