So, you want to stand out from your competitors and really sell yourself as an expert in your field? You need a killer presentation design.
The key is to create a presentation that not only gets your audience’s attention. When a presentation company creates a design, they also aim to create a need to act on what you have to say.
Table of Contents
Keep It Simple, Keep It Focused
This doesn’t mean you have to be boring and use a single font. It’s easy to overcomplicate things and end up with an ugly slide deck that’s distracting and hard to read, even if it looks pretty at first glance.
It can also tempt you to create something extremely artistic or “cool” just because we think we’re showing off our design chops. Often those designs are so busy that no one can really figure out what they’re looking at by the time they’ve finished reading one paragraph of text!
When the stakes are high and a lot is at stake, it may seem like the right strategy to pack your presentation with as much information about your product or service, or yourself, as possible. However, more isn’t always better: it can be overwhelming for viewers.
Keep the key messages of your speech in mind as you write it. Do what a presentation design company will always do. Tell your story; inspire interest by connecting your product’s story with the audience.
Pictures And Video Show Thousands Of Words Clearly
How many times have you been in a meeting and heard something like “I’m going to show the results of our campaign using slides.” Once the slide deck rolls, it becomes apparent that there is nothing on the screen besides some bullet points.
No pictures. No icons. Not even an infographic!
All tell, no show.
The presenter has just wasted his or her precious few minutes with this audience by boring them to death with bullet points instead of showing them results.
Too often, presentations are entirely made of text that’s formatted into neat columns and rows. While there’s nothing wrong with having text in your presentation, adding pictures and icons can help add interest to your slides while also making them more memorable for those watching your presentation.
Two slides need to nail it here:
- The Product Overview slide – this describes your product and its purpose, the most important one in your presentation. This is where you should show off what makes your product special. Use imagery, not bullet points.
- The Product Features slide – Innovative designs and an explanation of what makes your product different from the competition can help you stand out. Give your presentation a polished look by using bold text, colourful icons and consistent design.
Have a look at these tips on how to prepare images for a professional presentation design.
Avoid using too many colours! At most, use two different colours per slide so as not to overwhelm anyone who’s watching them. Think about your target audience, and then make sure that all of your content and messages appeal to their needs.
If you’re designing a presentation for a room full of executives, then you want to make sure that it’s professional and clean. If your presentation is going to be shown on a projector or video screen in front of a large audience, you’ll want the text to be easily readable from any distance.
Present Data Through Graphs And Charts Not Verbose
Present your data in a way that’s easy for people to understand. Charts and graphs are perfect within data driven presentations for this purpose. Create one using the tools available on PowerPoint. All you need is some simple data, some basic charts and graphs, and a bit of formatting magic!
The key is knowing what kind of information your audience wants from the presentation. Know what will get their attention without distracting from that information.
In The Best Presentation Designs, Another Key Is Typography
What is the best font for your slide? The one that will help tell your story.
Consider these primary considerations when choosing a font:
- Is it too large or too small? If a font is too small, people will have trouble reading it. If it’s too large, it becomes distracting and takes away from the message of the slide.
- Is it easy to read? Several factors can measure this, including line length (the maximum width of all text on each line) and word spacing (how far apart words are spaced).
- Is it legible? The most legible fonts are sans serif and have a large x-height (the height of lowercase letters). Is it appropriate? Consider the message you’re trying to convey. If you want your audience to feel inspired, then perhaps an expressive font will be more effective than one that’s formal and serious.
Remember: A Killer Presentation Design Is Not Just About How Your Slides Look, But Also How They Feel And Sound
You can use colour theory to evoke emotion in your audience. Create visual interest with typography choices like font size and weight, and make use of high quality imagery to make things more memorable.
These are your keys to how good design can help you deliver an amazing presentation that sells!