Saying that you need to prepare before a meeting or presentation is an oxymoron! Of course, you do your best to make sure that everything goes smoothly, you don’t trip over your words, and none of the listeners ask a difficult question that you might not know the answer to. When it comes to PowerPoint presentations, the pressure is doubled and for good reason.
Did you know that 3 out of 5 people learn through visual aids?
The human brain processes pictures and graphs 60,000 times faster compared to any type of text. Moreover, we can retain 80% of everything. This is why your presentation needs to be perfectly designed from the text’s font and alignment to attention-grabbing visuals, highlighting relevant information, popular use of Italic, and more. The list is endless because, with a few clicks, you might end up making the presentation unfocused and non-serious, with slides entering and exiting swiftly and distracting background sounds.
“Designing a presentation without an audience in mind is like writing a love letter
Ken Haemer
and addressing it 'to whom it may concern.”
Whether you are making a business presentation or for colleges and universities, follow the dos and don’ts given below to make it impact worthy:
The Do's and Don'ts for Effective Presentation Design
// DO Use the Rule of Thirds for Composing Visuals
The rule of thirds refers to the placement of an object in the picture in the upper right or left corner. The screen is divided into three grids of horizontal and vertical lines. By placing the object in a specific box, the picture becomes visually appealing and the placement of the text has more impact.
// DO Focus on Your Key Message
Your presentation’s beginning should build curiosity and hint towards your key message. No one will sit still and be interested in what you say or show if you are just saying words. If your punch line is not impactful or memorable, your audience will think you wasted their time. So, proceed with your core message as the guiding light.
// DO Include Visuals
More images and less text ― this should be your new presentation mantra. That rate of retention increases by 42% when images are included in a presentation. According to research, people only remember 10% of a presentation and that too for just 3 days if it only included text. Do make sure that the images in the presentation are relevant.
// DON'T Use Those Pesky Bullet Points
You would probably say that bullet points help you cram more text in a line. However, that would negate the first “do,” i.e., less text on a screen. According to a study published in the International Journal of Business Communication, audiences find paying attention to bullet points and recalling them difficult.
// DON'T Over Use Transitions
Those dreaded moving texts and images distract the audience from your core message, and you don’t want that. Therefore, only use them at the beginning when you reveal your message and at the ending.
// DON'T Use Difficult Words
Unless you know how to pronounce them and are sure that your audience will know them, don’t use words that aren’t commonly used.
Creating presentations can be tricky. The good news is that if you are not a pro at creating presentations, you can hire someone to do it for you. Think of azure77as your personal affordable creative studio. We offer services such as Motion Graphics, Digital Content Creation, Photography, Presentations/Pitch Decks, and more. To get in touch with us, click HERE.