Category: PowerPoint Tips

PowerPoint Design Ideas: Visual Storytelling

content marketing

infographics

PowerPoint Design

visual storytelling

Jul 29, 2014

Visual storytelling is gaining more and more traction in social media platforms. Users these days are more inclined towards infographics, photos, and videos than purely text-based content, especially during the advent of social media and fast information.

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Brands are wise to take advantage of this trend in their marketing strategies. And you would be too, if you learn to apply visual storytelling in your PowerPoint design.

The importance of visual storytelling

Humans are highly visual creatures. We’re naturally attracted to beautiful colors and interesting patterns. In fact, our brain is able to process images 60,000 times faster than information presented in text. It’s also easier for us to retain visual information. According to Dr. John Medina, after three days, we’re able to recall 65% of information if it was presented with images or illustrations.

So if you’re presenting information that’s bulky with data, the audience will thank you if you can integrate comprehensible illustrations. Take the usual charts and graphs a step further by weaving stories through imagery.

Integrating visuals to enhance core message

There’s more to visual storytelling than sticking random pictures to your slides. Your statistics won’t make much sense if the visuals you add only serve an aesthetic purpose. Visual storytelling is about using different media that contribute to the message you’re presenting.

As an example, here’s a small part of an interactive infographic by Collaborative Fund, Hyperakt and Start Up American Partnership:

Visual storytelling - car sharing infographic

The infographic, which you can view in full here, showcases the positive effects of car sharing to the environment. It offers a lot of statistics that are perfectly illustrated to create more impact. It’s hard to imagine the difference a vague number makes but through this illustration, you can perfectly see how much carbon dioxide emissions have diminished.

Here’s another example, this time, from a Facebook post by Intel:

Visual storytelling by Intel-Facebook
Screen cap by Social Media Examiner

Intel showcases their brand identity while adding a bit of humor at the same time. For your PowerPoint design, make sure you choose pictures with interesting narratives. There’s always a rare gem in the sea of cheesy stock photos. Especially if you know where to look.

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Your text-based, bullet point-ridden PowerPoint design isn’t helping anyone. It’s not engaging your audience, and it’s not helping you get your message across. Instead, you should consider taking inspiration from visual storytelling. Showcase and illustrate your key points with visual elements, and your PowerPoint design will have more impact.

If you need help, contact us to schedule a free consultation. Our professional PowerPoint designers will be happy to take your ideas and turn them into reality.

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Featured Image: Håkan Dahlström via Flickr

5 Simple Rules for Mobile-Friendly PowerPoint Designs

mobile-friendly

mobile-viewing

powerpoint designs

Jul 23, 2014

Sites like SlideShare and Brainshark enable you to share your PowerPoint decks online, helping you gain a larger audience.

Sharing your content online is an effective marketing technique and it’s something that you should definitely consider. However, your message could easily get garbled if your PowerPoint designs are not optimized for mobile viewing.

Here are some reasons on why you should optimize your layout for mobile, and how to do it:

Why Design Matters

According to a study conducted by Statista Dossier, worldwide mobile internet usage was at 73.4 percent in 2013. If their figures stand, 90 percent of people will be accessing online content through mobile devices by 2017.

Judging by these numbers, and perhaps your own fast-paced lifestyle, it’s likely that your presentation will be viewed through screens a lot smaller than you prepared it on. As a visual aid, your deck should always complement your key points.

Don’t get left behind on the trend. Leverage this to your advantage with mobile-friendly PowerPoint designs.

How to Ensure Mobile-friendly PowerPoint Designs

It doesn’t take a lot of work to make sure that your PowerPoint designs are presentable on mobile devices. All you have to do is follow these five simple rules:

1. Readability

The average screen size of mobile phones is 3.3 inches. That’s significantly less room than the screen on your laptop where you first built your PowerPoint presentation. Keep this in mind while building presentations that you intend to share online. Make sure that the font type and size that you use is extremely readable. You don’t want to have your target audience to squint just to read what you’re trying to say.

2. High-Contrast Colors

Another way to increase the readability of your PowerPoint designs for smaller screens is by using high-contrast colors. Use either a dark background with light-colored text or vice versa. Similarly, avoid using colors that are too bright unless you’re planning to use it as an accent color.

3. Minimal text

Don’t overwhelm your target audience with too much text. Don’t try to discuss too many concepts in 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.

4. Powerful images

Visualize your key points with powerful images, but remember to limit yourself to using only 1-2 per slide. Too many images might cause your presentation to lag.

5. Simplicity

Likewise, don’t complicate your PowerPoint designs with too many graphics and animation. You can still add some animations and transitions, but keep them to a minimum. Aim for a seamless viewing experience.

Conclusion

Keep your discussion simple and straight forward. You might as well make an eBook instead of a PowerPoint presentation if you’re planning on a drawn out deck.

Make sure your content is visually appealing and readable, for a better mobile experience. Not sure how to start on your deck’s mobile-friendly layout? Contact our SlideGenius experts today for a free quote!

 

Reference

“Mobile Internet.” Statista. Accessed July 23, 2014.

Five Methods to Elevate Your PowerPoint Designs

powerpoint designs

Jul 17, 2014

Unique PowerPoint designs can do a lot for your presentation. Your PowerPoint deck can be the best marketing tool in your arsenal, but only if you know how to utilize it to your advantage. Knowing the best tricks and techniques is definitely a step in the right direction.

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We’ve already discussed quick ways to enhance your PowerPoint designs in the past. This time, we’re going further into details. Elevate your message by using these five methods when working on your slides:

1.) Stop using too much text and bullet points

We’ve made this point time and again, but it’s worth repeating. A PowerPoint deck can excel with the most minimal amount of text. People are visual learners, and are inclined to retain information relayed to them through images, like diagrams or pictures.

Remember Guy Kawasaki’s 10/20/30 rule? The only thing you should be adding to your slides are information that is key to your presentation.

2.) Don’t bore your audience with the same themes and templates

Tailor fit your PowerPoint designs to the occasion or the topic you’re discussing. Learn how to customize PowerPoint templates. Chances are, your audience has heard multiple pitches, and would appreciate a more innovative deck on screen.

It only takes a bit of effort, and you get to practice your creativity. If you’re pressed for time, you can ask professional PowerPoint designers for help.

3.) Choose color schemes that create balance

Your PowerPoint designs will look polished if you’re smart about color choices. Go with a background color that contrasts with the text on your slides. Color can influence people’s perception of your presentation. Certain colors evoke different emotions in different people, so make sure you know how to use them.

If you want to play it safe, use a white or light-colored background works against black text. This may make your PowerPoint design seem too simple, so make sure you add a few color accents.

4.) Illustrate points with interesting images

The Internet is a great source for images, and you’re bound to find dozens that fit the theme of your presentation. Take the time browsing through sites like Flickr.

Don’t settle for the dated and cheesy clip arts on PowerPoint. But don’t write them off just yet, because you can take the time to redesign them into unique icons.

5.) Be mindful of fonts

You have plenty of choices when it comes to fonts, but make sure that you settle with something that complements the rest of your PowerPoint design.

There are also fonts that work better for certain types of presentations. We’ve written about this in the past. Another important point: make sure that your fonts are readable. Going back to Guy Kawasaki’s rule, make use of fonts that are no smaller than 30 points.

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3 Easy Ideas to Improve Your PowerPoint Designs

ideas for powerpoint designs

Jul 10, 2014

Great PowerPoint designs are essential for presenters looking to get their message across. We’ve offered plenty of tips to help you improve your PowerPoint designs, and we have three more tips to share.

Try these ideas to enhance your PowerPoint slides:

1. The first slide needs to stand out

powerpoint designs-first slide

It’s the first slide of your PowerPoint that will lure your audience’s eyes to attention. You won’t make a good impression if the first thing they see is a cluttered slide with too many elements.

Instead, choose a clear title that perfectly expresses what your discussion is going to be about. Enhance with an image that is similarly cohesive to your content.

2. Use high-quality images

powerpoint designs-hq image

Speaking of images, don’t think you can just do a quick Google search and use the first thing you find. The images you use in your PowerPoint designs should be of great quality and look professional and polished.

Remember, your PowerPoint deck is representing your company and the products or services that you offer. Read up on how you can find great images online here.

3. Take the time to customize everything

powerpoint desings-customization

PowerPoint is able to make designing slides easier with the help of standard templates and ready-to-use graphs and charts. But the problem with PowerPoint’s defaults is that they’ve been used to death.

Don’t worry—you don’t have to sacrifice the convenience of these one-click design tools. But you do have to take some time to customize the defaults you use.

If you need more inspiration for your PowerPoint designs, check out our extensive portfolio. We are also available for a consultation should you decide to work with our professional PowerPoint designers.

Reference

Kapterev, Alexei. “Death by PowerPoint (and how to fight it).” CUNY. Accessed July 10, 2014.

Featured Image: Martin Abegglen via Flickr

Tech Talk: Mastering PowerPoint for Product Launch Presentations

software product announcements

technology powerpoint tips

Jul 01, 2014

Many companies have been opting to announce upcoming products at major events. This is especially prevalent in the technology and software industries.

Earlier this month, Apple introduced everyone to iOS8 and OS X Yosemite at WWDC 2014. Similarly, several video game developers announced details of their forthcoming titles at E3 2014.

A software product announcement is crucial to generating buzz around your pending release. It’s a type of presentation that’s similar to a product pitch. Previously, you pitched in board rooms to potential investors. Now, you’re introducing your big idea out to the public.

Just like any other presentation, software product announcements need to be both engaging and informative.

Do that by tapping into your audience’s visual sense with technology PowerPoint slides. Keep these pointers in mind when making a technology PowerPoint for the occasion:

1. Create a slide that hooks your audience

The beginning of your technology PowerPoint should have a slide that perfectly summarizes the product you’re presenting to the market.

This slide should have a sound bite that reporters and potential users can easily relay. When Steve Jobs first introduced the iPhone in 2007, the sound bite was, “iPhone: Apple reinvents the phone”. Make the slide even more appealing by adding visuals of your software at work.

2. Tell a short but meaningful story

You’ve heard this tip before. It’s important for almost every type of presentation you can give. And it’s especially crucial for creating technology PowerPoint presentations meant to introduce new software to the masses.

Skip long-winded explanations about the unique technological positioning of your product. Instead, get to the heart of it. What is your new software for? How is it important to people?

But don’t get too carried away with the story-telling, as well. Make it meaningful, but short enough to be memorable.

3. Describe your product creatively

Of course, your product should feature heavily throughout the technology PowerPoint presentation.

But more than just explaining the hypothetical nuts and bolts behind your software, you should describe your software in a way that’s relevant to your target market.

4. Choose color schemes that are consistent with your product

It’s important to choose color schemes that are consistent with your software.

This way, your audience can easily become with your product, even if it’s just on an aesthetic level.

Other basic presentation design rules you should follow include using easy-to-read fonts and high-contrasting colors for text and background.

5. Show-off with demos

This is the part of your technology PowerPoint that matters most. Back up all your previous slides by showing a video clip that demonstrates how your software works.

The best way to explain your new product is by showing everyone how it works. Amp up the anticipation around your software by showing only a quick peek at the software.

If you still need help coming up with creative and professional designs for your presentation, don’t hesitate to contact us for a quick consultation. You can view some of our software and technology PowerPoint slides in our portfolio.

Reference

“Vision.” Brain Rules. Accessed July 01, 2014.

Feature Image from Wikimedia Commons

Charting the Course: A Comprehensive Guide to Unleashing the Power of PowerPoint Charts

bar charts

charts

line charts

pie charts

Jun 24, 2014

Many presenters are often guilty of what young people nowadays call “TMI,” or Too Much Information. They tend to include too many details in their presentations, making the slides look cluttered and incomprehensible. Fortunately, there are several ways to present your data in a more organized manner. You can use images or other visual aids such as charts.

Below are the different types of PowerPoint charts that you can use along with some tips on how to maximize them for your presentations:

Pie Charts

These charts are commonly used to show percentages. For better visual impact, limit the pie slices to 3-5. Limiting the number of slices can keep the pie from looking really messy when you need to show a lot of different data points. Instead of showing every little detail, you can turn your pie chart into something like this:

powerpoint charts

Apart from making it larger than the others, contrast the most significant slice with the use of color.

Vertical Bar Charts

Vertical bar charts are useful for showing changes in quantity over periods of time. Limiting the bars to around 4-8 can make your vertical bar chart easy on the eyes. Vertical bar charts show how variables are affected as each of them rises or falls.

bar-chart

Horizontal Bar Charts

This type of chart is used for comparing quantities. One example is when you compare sales figures of your products on a given period. Horizontal bar charts can be used in the same manner as  vertical bar charts, although it uses the y-axis for labeling. It is usually preferred when the labels (the names of the cities, in the example below) are too long for the x-axis.

bar chart

 

Line Charts

Line charts are great for displaying trends. For example, you can use this to show how your company’s sales have gone up each year. You may also use an upward arrow to emphasize the positive trend.

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Most people would rather use tables instead of charts. After all, it’s easy to prepare them when all you need is a side by side assessment of numerical data. Tables, however, do not have the same visual impact as charts. You can even make your chart 3-D to increase its appeal. Regardless of how you present your data, though, make sure that they are accurate and relevant to your presentation.

 

Featured Image: by Chris Potter via flickr.com

Captivating Presentations: Tailoring Your PowerPoint to Engage and Inspire Your Audience

audience

Powerpoint

Jun 20, 2014

When it comes to live presentations, connecting with your audience is everything. Apart from providing you with the right push to carry on, being able to engage your audience means you have somehow earned their trust. Whether you are pitching an idea, selling a product, or sharing a lesson, that connection will make it possible for your call to action to get the appropriate response. So how do you connect with your audience? Try tailoring your message to them.

Know Your Audience

It pays to learn some information about your audience in advance. If you have access to such info, take note of the following:

Do the members of the audience belong to the same age bracket? Are children going to be present?

Is your potential audience a formal or informal crowd?

What are their levels of education?

What are their common interests (business, recreational activities, political belief, etc.)?

Most importantly: Why are they attending the presentation? Did they volunteer or their bosses sent them?

Take into consideration the answers to these questions so you’ll be prepared to adjust to any scenario.

Use Visuals That Appeal to Them

Make use of images, diagrams, and chart designs are familiar to your audience. (This is where the info you have of them would be very useful). If majority of the audience members is composed of business executives, for example, then it is safe to say that you won’t be using images of Pokemon or Little Pony. The point is, select images that your audience will be able to relate to.

You may also want to use the colors that is most associated with your audience. If you’re pitching to a company, incorporate the colors of their logo. Or if you are presenting to a group of students, make use of their school colors.

Watch Your Language

Certain groups of people have their language or jargon. Techies have their own and so as business professionals. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to speak like them. Just be mindful of your choice of words and make sure that they fit your audience.

Designing your PowerPoint for your audience gives you the edge you need to establish rapport with them. It allows you to sort of condition their mind before you go in for the kill.

Four Elements of a Successful Presentation

content

delivery

design

elements of a successful presentation

venue

Jun 17, 2014

What makes a successful presentation? When delivering a presentation, being a strong and confident speaker can help in engaging the audience.

The quality of your slides – the content and overall design – is another matter. You also have to consider other elements such as the venue and its effect on your delivery.

If it’s your first time to deliver a presentation, it’s okay to feel nervous. To help you overcome the jitters and ensure the success of your presentation, here are some tips that you may want to keep in mind:

Quality Content

Regardless of your topic, avoid making its scope too broad. Try to be specific by focusing on three or four important points. It would be great to tackle them in such a way that the first point flows logically to the next and so on.

Make sure that your information is clear and logical. Present what your audience is expecting to learn and stick to your agenda. In case they want to know more about your topic, they will ask for sure. Just be prepared for their questions, though.

Engaging Slide Design

Use appropriate colors when designing your slides. Avoid too many color combinations to maintain a clean and professional look.

The same goes for the text. Keep it to a minimum by aiming for one point for each slide. Be sure that the text is large enough to be read even by people at the back of the room.

To enhance readability, the slide’s background color and the text should have great contrast. Resist the urge to use fancy fonts. Plain and simple font types would do for better readability.

Don’t forget to use images. You can always use pictures or graphics to enhance your presentations, not to decorate the slides but to support your points. So make sure to use relevant and high-quality images.

Prepared Venue

When it comes to the venue, some variables can either enhance or reduce the impact of your presentation. If possible, visit the place in advance and check for the following:

Is the presentation going to be held indoors?
Will it be in a hall or a boardroom?
Will it be darkened?
Is the room carpeted? Or will the sound bounce off bare floors, instead?

To further get the feel of the place and be more confident on the big day, you may want to rehearse your presentation in the actual venue.

Impressive Delivery

Your delivery can make or break your presentation. Make sure you have practiced your speech and the timing of your slides.

If possible, practice in front of a colleague and ask them to give genuine feedback. Recording your presentation using the record function in PowerPoint is also a great idea.

It can help you hear how you actually sound. If you notice anything off with your pitch or enunciation, make the necessary adjustments.

Mastering the Art of Healthcare Presentations: 3 Practical Tips for Captivating Audiences

healthcare presentations

powerpoint presentation for healthcare

Jun 16, 2014

Effective and engaging presentations can be a challenging achievement to attain. But the challenge doubles with healthcare presentations, when details of the topic at hand sound alien to the general public.

Whether you’re about to give a lecture in a seminar, inform the market about a new medical breakthrough, or pitch to potential investors, you can prevent your audience from nodding off to sleep. Here are three practical tips to make your healthcare presentations engaging.

Here are three practical tips to make your healthcare presentations engaging.

Be accessible

It’s easy to lose your audience to technical terms and concepts, so it’s important to keep your healthcare presentations accessible. You can do this in three simple ways:

1.) Use PowerPoint slides

Well-designed PowerPoint slides can help your audience visualize the structure of your presentation, preventing them from feeling lost or confused. Use large font sizes (at least 30 points, according to keynote speaker and renowned venture capitalist, Guy Kawasaki) and keep the number of slides to a minimum. Create an attractive but simple PowerPoint design by using color schemes, backgrounds, and fonts consistently.

2.) Explain difficult concepts with illustrations, stories, and metaphors 

Healthcare presentations are informative in nature, so it’s impossible to completely eradicate the use of technical terms. Illustrate difficult concepts with flowcharts or graphs. You can also try to relate these concepts through stories from your own experience or clever metaphors.

3.) Explain jargon in layman’s terms

Similarly, try your to avoid using jargon. If you have to, explain them in a language that’s easy to understand.

Get straight to the point 

Condense your talk into concise points that are pertinent to your audience’s needs. Don’t waste your time explaining a complicated concept, because it can easily lead you off tangent.

Keep your talking points short but significant by answering What’s, Why’s, and How’s.

Prepare a complete handout

Presenters often make the crucial mistake of giving out printed copies of their slides as handouts. While this may work sometimes, remember that there is a difference between the two:

Your PowerPoint slides are visual aids that help enhance your presentation. Handouts are for your audience to refer back to after your presentation.

A complete handout has all the information you discussed organized into neat sections, plus the handy illustrations you used to explain complicated concepts.

You can also use it as a ‘footnote’ section by expounding on some details you edited out of your pitch.

Conclusion

Each presentation type is unique. Healthcare presentations may be more technical and specific than others, but that doesn’t mean it should be less engaging.

Make your pitch and your deck more accessible to your audience, be as straightforward as possible to keep your content compact, and don’t forget to prepare a handout that delineates each key point.

Deliver an effective healthcare presentation with these tips!

Pigment of the Imagination: How to Choose PowerPoint Color Schemes

color combinations

colorschemer

colourlover

powerpoint color schemes

Jun 14, 2014

A color scheme makes a huge difference in your PowerPoint design. You might not give it much thought, but colors evoke psychological responses in your audience, that may either make or break your presentation. Using the appropriate combinations can win people over and visually engage them.

But with such a wide selection to choose from, how can you know which colors work together?

A little research and experimentation can help you choose the perfect PowerPoint color schemes. Here’s a little nudge in the right direction:

You can find inspiration everywhere

Inspiration for color combinations can be found anywhere. Because color is so integral to our everyday lives, you’re bound to come across something that will work out for you.

Observe the colors on your favorite website.

2016-02-10-Replace_Pigment_of_the_Imagination_2014

Copy the colors that decorate your favorite outfit.

ffce912852754f8946d9f415b0f0ed9b
Image: ModCloth

What colors are on the cover of the book you’re currently reading?

gabriel-garcia-marquez-one-hundred-years-of-solitude-04
Image: Goodreads

The best way to go about it is to consider the subject and core message of your presentation, and then find something related to what you want to say. If you’re not one for spontaneity when it comes to your deck, going with your company colors is a safe way of using color combinations on your deck will remind the audience of your brand.

Resources and tools

There’s also a rich trove of resources online that you can tap into for some professional, matching schemes. You can visit sites such as COLOURlovers to find the latest trends in colors, palettes, and patterns. Below are some of their expertly arranged palettes for your use:

Color palettes from COLOURlovers

Another option is ColorSchemer.com. The website has an extensive ‘scheme gallery’ composed of color combos created by the website’s community through its free software.

Palettes from ColorSchemers

Inspiration comes in everywhere, but remember that having a tried and tested color scheme to apply on your deck can ease some of the trouble for you.

Other things to keep in mind

Once you’ve made the initial color choices, there are still other factors to keep in mind.

It’s important that your presentation is legible, so the colors you choose for font and background should contrast. Similarly, make sure that the pictures you use do not clash with the color scheme you’ve chosen.

iPad-2-Keynote-by-Steve-Jobs
Image: designsojourn.com

You may also have to cut a few of the colors from your final palette. It’s best to use a few different colors in your PowerPoint presentation in order to avoid overwhelming your audience. You don’t have to limit yourself to only two colors, but don’t go with 10!

If you don’t have time to pore over a deck right before an important presentation, you can always ask the help of professional PowerPoint designers to whip up an amazingly color-coordinated deck just for you.

Featured Image: Carmelo Speltino via flickr