do's and don'ts of visual presentation

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Visual presentation: tips, techniques, and tools for success

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Anete Ezera September 26, 2024

Through the years, communication has grown to be more visual. Presentations that are purely spoken seem to be out of date. With tools like Prezi , we can express our ideas via immersive visual stories and pass our message in a more effective way to resonate better with the audience.

That’s why in this article, we’ll explore what is a visual presentation and the best practices for turning your ideas into visual narratives. Also, we’ll display helpful examples to get inspired by. Let’s dive right in!

What is a visual presentation?

A visual presentation is one that contains visual elements that complement the message you’re conveying. This could be incorporating images, videos, graphs or charts. The reason visual aids in presentations are so effective is because they can display information or data in a way that’s visually pleasing and help to back up the points you’re making. 

There are several types of visual presentations which each serve different purposes and audiences:

• Slideshows : This is the most common form of visual presentation. It typically uses slides or frames containing images, text, and charts.
• Infographics : Infographics can display complex data in a way that’s easy to understand. They’re ideal for summerizing information and making it appear in a more engaging way. 
• Interactive presentations : Interactive presentations allow the audience to play a key role. For example, they can click through different parts of the presentation or use drag-and-drop features to move elements into different positions. This type of presentation is also great for engagement. 
• Data visualizations : These types of visuals are focused on numerical data, using charts, graphs, and diagrams to highlight key insights and trends.
• Videos and animations : These elements are often used to make difficult concepts easier to understand through elements like motion graphics or storytelling.

The importance of visuals in presentations

Visuals are a powerful component of any presentation, greatly enhancing the delivery of information. According to research by Prezi, the human brain processes visuals 60,000 times faster than text. The study also found that presentations with images, charts and other graphics are 43% more likely to be persuasive than those relying solely on text.

Beyond just conveying information, visual presentations help keep the audience engaged and improve their ability to remember key points. Studies also show that using visual aids triggers multiple areas of the brain, boosting both understanding and memory retention. This is particularly beneficial for the 65% of the population who are visual learners .

Key findings include:

• People remember 80% of what they see and do , but only 20% of what they read .
• Visual presentations increase audience engagement by 40% , making them more likely to respond and act on the message.

Creating an eye catching visual presentation isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about effectively communicating your message in a way that sticks with your audience.

Types of visual aids used in presentation

Different visual aids are used for various contents and types of presentation formats. A good selection of visual aids can make a world of difference in a presentation, from clarifying complex information, infusing an added emotional dimension, or rendering abstract ideas more concrete. So, what are visual aids? To help you understand, here are some that are widely used for presentations: 

High-quality images help explain ideas or evoke emotions, offering context or improving storytelling in a presentation. For example, in educational presentations, images of historical events or scientific concepts provide context and clarity. In business settings, images are used to evoke emotions or reinforce brand identity, such as including images of products, teams, or customer testimonials.

Example : A history teacher lecturing on World War II might use real, historical photos to drive home the topic for the students, offering them a concrete link with the events. 

2. Graphs and charts

Graphs and charts, such as bar graphs, pie charts, or scatter plots, present data in an easily digestible format. They’re perfect for comparing statistics, showing trends, or highlighting key points. These are especially useful when presenting data-heavy topics like quarterly sales performance, project progress, or scientific findings.

Example : A business leader presenting quarterly earnings might use a bar chart to compare revenue across different departments, helping the audience quickly grasp performance differences. While in scientific presentations, scatter plots can show correlations between variables, such as age and health outcomes, making abstract data more accessible and understandable.

3. Videos and animations

Videos can be used to visually explain processes or show testimonials or real-world applications. On the other hand, animations can be used to help explain complex processes or illustrate abstract concepts. This form of visual aid is very effective in training, product demos, and educational set-ups.

Example : In a corporate training session on new software, the program may be well illustrated by a short video that shows how to use it effectively, providing the participants with an enhanced perception of the interface. Likewise, in a medical presentation, an animated explainer video can show in visual detail a complex surgical procedure or how new medical equipment functions.

4. Infographics

Infographics are a blend of text and graphics and are found highly effective in summarizing and displaying vast amounts of data in a very presentable way. Such as overviews, comparison data or step-by-step processes. They enable the audience to read a lot of data quickly. 

Example : A presenter talking about climate change may bring in an infographic to summarize and give the key statistics related to worldwide temperature increases, CO2 emissions, and effects on ecosystems. This method makes very technical data readily comprehensible at first glance, especially in statistic-heavy presentations.

5. Text and quotes

Though text should be used sparingly for presentations, it can be used in visuals to drive home a point with some memorable quotes or key takeaways. It shouldn’t overshadow the message conveyed by the graphics or duplicate them, but provide an underscore of what’s being displayed visually.

Example : During a leadership presentation, a presenter might conclude by reiterating an inspirational quote from a well-known leader. Alternatively, during a sales pitch, a bold key statistic placed next to a product image can drive home the effect or benefits of what’s being discussed and reinforce the verbal message.

It’s important to pick the right kind of visuals for your presentation so that what you’re communicating is well received by the audience. They help simplify any complex ideas and help the message stick. From displaying data trends with graphs or using videos to enliven real-life examples, including appropriate visual components will further drive home your message during the presentation.

What is also known as a visual aid in a presentation?

There’s another common visual aid that often gets overlooked when it comes to visual presentations: 

Props are physical objects used to make content more tangible by providing a real-world example of what’s being talked about. They can help the audience follow or retain any points being made in the presentation.

Example : In a product demo presentation, a speaker might use the actual product as a prop to demonstrate its features and benefits. For example, a technology company could showcase the latest smartphone model, physically showing its unique features while explaining its capabilities. Similarly, a teacher demonstrating a science experiment could use lab equipment as props to visually support the steps of the process.

Props are particularly effective in fields such as education, product development, and sales, where tangible objects help bridge the gap between theory and practice.

Visual presentation examples

Here are some visual presentation ideas from Prezi that demonstrate how to effectively use visuals to create engaging and memorable presentations:

1. Why Leaders Need to Get Out of Their Own Way

This visual presentation highlights leadership challenges and personal barriers that leaders often face. It uses Prezi’s zooming and panning features to focus on key points, making the content both dynamic and accessible.

2. How to Be More Productive and Focus

This visual presentation combines data visualizations and clean design to provide practical tips on improving productivity. The use of visuals helps break down time management techniques, making the content more digestible for the audience.

3. U.S. Census: Why We Do It

This visual presentation showcases the U.S. Census, explaining its purpose and importance through strong visual elements such as infographics, charts, and historical images.

4. Creative Report

A perfect example of how to present creative concepts, this visual presentation uses interactive elements and multimedia to explore the power of creativity in communication.

5. Imposter Syndrome or Incompetence

This visual presentation discusses the psychological challenges of imposter syndrome using visual storytelling. The clear layout and zoomable sections guide the audience through the topic step-by-step.

Dos and don’ts of visual presentations

Creating a successful visual presentation requires balance. Here are some essential dos and don’ts to help you design an effective and engaging visual presentation.

Do: Use high-quality visuals

Be sure to include images, graphics, and videos that are relevant to your content. A clear message should not be easily distracted by an unclear picture.

Don’t: Overload with text

Avoid cramming too much text onto your slides. Visual presentations should rely more on images and graphics, with minimal text for emphasis.

Do: Keep it simple

Visual presentations shouldn’t contain too much information. Emphasize one idea per slide or section to prevent the audience from being overwhelmed.

Don’t: Clutter slides with unnecessary visuals

Don’t use visuals just for the sake of filling space. Every visual element should serve a purpose and support your key message.

Do: Add some interactivity

Make it interesting for the audience with some clickable parts and zoomable slides which you can create in Prezi.

Don’t: Use too many animations

While animations can add flair, overusing them can make your presentation feel chaotic. Stick to purposeful animations that enhance your content.

Do: Use consistent branding

Ensure uniform branding is used throughout. Use the same fonts, colors, and design elements. It not only looks professional but also drives brand identity home.

Don’t: Ignore the flow

Ensure your presentation has a logical flow. Disorganized content, even with strong visuals, can confuse your audience.

Do: Create a story

Apply storytelling methods to walk the audience through the presentation. This makes it more personal and easier to remember.

Don’t: Forget about accessibility

Ensure your visuals and text are accessible to everyone, including those with visual impairments. Use readable fonts and provide text descriptions for important images or graphs.

How do you give a visual presentation?

A good visual presentation isn’t only about making the presentation but also delivering it effectively. Here are some concrete steps to help you through organizing, creating, and delivering a strong visual aid presentation.

The creation process: organizing your visual presentation

Start with a clear outline.

Plan your content : Begin by outlining how the presentation is structured. What is the key message? What goal do you want your audience to take away? Break your content down into an introduction, some main points, and a conclusion. This will make the flow smooth and confirm that the message is clear and coherent. Highlight key takeaways : Zero in on 2–3 main points to emphasize and structure your visuals around these key ideas.

If you want to learn more on how to effectively structure any presentation, watch the following video here:

Choose the right visuals

Select impactful visuals : The choice of visuals underlines the whole success of a visual presentation, so choose them wisely. If you’re presenting data, then graphs or charts should be applied; for emotional impact or telling stories, use strong images or videos. They should complement your spoken message without overwhelming it.

Use high-quality visuals : Images, graphs or videos should be professional and high-resolution. Low-quality visuals can detract from your presentation.

Keep it consistent : Use a consistent design theme across your presentation, including fonts, colors, and style. This creates a polished, cohesive experience.

Use storytelling techniques

Weave a narrative : Presentations are easily remembered if told as a story . Be it a business update, an explanation of a scientific concept, or a product pitch, the story must flow naturally from beginning to end. This emotionally connects the audience to what’s being presented.

Contextualize the data : Instead of just showing numbers or statistics, use storytelling to explain what the data means and why it matters. This can help engage your audience more deeply.

Leverage interactive features

Incorporate Prezi’s interactive elements : If using Prezi, make sure you take advantage of its dynamic zooming and panning by integrating as much interactivity as possible into the experience. With Prezi, you can look at topics in a nonlinear fashion by zooming in on important details and then zooming out to see how the idea fits into the bigger picture.

Interactive visuals : Add clickable elements to your presentation to make the audience feel involved. Prezi also offers various ways to create interactive slides, keeping the audience engaged throughout.

The presenting process: delivering your visual presentation

Practice your delivery.

Rehearse transitions : Practice your presentation with the visuals several times before the event. This helps ensure smooth transitions between visuals and spoken points, making the presentation feel polished and professional.

Synchronize with visuals : Make sure your verbal presentation matches the timing of your visuals. Each visual should correspond to each point being made, without taking away attention from your speech. If you’re moving from one image or graph to another, ensure that your narration coincides with these transitions.

Engage the audience

Ask questions : Encourage participation by asking open-ended questions throughout your presentation. This can help break up the content, invite discussion, and keep the audience attentive.

Use Prezi’s features for interaction : Take advantage of Prezi’s capabilities to invite the audience to explore different sections or points of interest, ensuring the presentation remains engaging.

Respond in real-time : Allow your audience to ask questions or provide feedback throughout the presentation, rather than waiting until the end. This makes the presentation feel more like a conversation and keeps energy levels high.

Maintain eye contact and body language

Confident body language : Keep your body language open and confident. Stand tall, use gestures to emphasize key points, and move around if the setting allows it. To learn more about body language, watch the following video:

Eye contact : Make frequent eye contact with your audience to establish a connection and build trust.

End with a strong conclusion

Recap key points : Finish by summarizing your key takeaways and reinforcing the most important points you’ve made. This helps the audience retain the information.

Call to action : If your presentation is designed to encourage a particular action—such as adopting a new business strategy, supporting a cause, or purchasing a product—end with a clear, actionable call to action.

Refine your content with Prezi AI

Use Prezi AI text editing : Prezi AI can offer suggestions to improve phrasing, ensuring your content is polished and refined.

AI-generated visuals : Prezi AI can suggest appropriate visuals for your presentation, guaranteeing the visual message complements that of the core content.

By breaking down the creation and presentation processes, you can deliver a strong visual presentation that effectively communicates your message, engages your audience, and leaves a lasting impression.

Leveraging Prezi for visual presentations

Prezi is a standout visual presentation tool because of its dynamic movement, interactive features, and robust AI-driven content creation . Slide-based presentations are built on the basis of one slide following another in a linear fashion; but Prezi’s format liberates presenters to zoom in and out during the presentation, which makes the journey far more interesting for the audience. From sharing complex data to telling a story, Prezi equips presenters with effective communication tools for any type of content.

Dynamic movement and zooming

A core feature that makes Prezi unique is its seamless panning and zooming within the presentation. Users can move freely between different parts of their work, which creates a far less linear, rigid structure than typical static slideshows.

For example, if you’re delivering a presentation on leadership styles , you could zoom into individual leadership types, giving the audience an in-depth look at each one, before zooming out to provide a broader comparison. This movement keeps the audience engaged, as it visually mirrors the mental shift between different sections or ideas. It’s perfect for presentations that need to show relationships between various elements or provide a top-down understanding of complex topics.

Prezi AI: Your time-saving, creative partner

Prezi AI takes the creation process to a whole new level. It not only refines your content but also helps you craft an engaging and visually stunning presentation in minutes. Here are some of the benefits of using Prezi AI: 

AI-powered text editing

Prezi AI doesn’t just assist in generating content; it actively helps you refine it. Whether you need to polish your language, improve clarity, or adjust tone, the Prezi AI text editing tool provides smart suggestions to make your content more impactful.

Turning bullet points into animated slides

What makes Prezi AI unique is its capability to take basic bullet points and make them into fully dynamic and animated slides. This feature reduces the time you spend designing each slide and increases the time that can be put into refining your message. With a click, Prezi AI lays out content in visually interesting ways to keep your audience focused on what’s important. Start with a basic list of ideas and let Prezi AI convert them into an animated story that transitions smoothly from one point to the next.

Smart content suggestions

Prezi AI has the ability to suggest appropriate visuals and layouts while taking into account what your presentation is about. For example, in a storytelling presentations, Prezi AI may bring out the visual imagery that fits into telling the story well. This not only saves time but makes the presentation uniform in appearance for easy comprehension.

Streamlining the design process

With Prezi AI, you don’t need to be a design expert to create a professional-looking presentation. The AI automatically selects color schemes, fonts, and layouts that match your content, allowing you to deliver a visually cohesive presentation. It removes the guesswork from design, ensuring that your presentation not only looks polished but also aligns with your brand or theme.

Prezi templates: Customizable and designed for impact

What makes Prezi’s templates really good is how flexible they are. Be it a presentation on leadership or one that displays data or stories, Prezi has pre-built templates for your needs.

For example, Prezi offers finance templates that make it easy to present complex numbers or trends without overwhelming your audience. On the other hand, if you’re working on a more narrative-driven presentation, Prezi’s education templates allow you to seamlessly guide your audience through a journey. And the best part? These templates aren’t static; they’re highly customizable, allowing you to tweak them to fit your brand, message, and style.

Why Prezi AI makes visual presentations easier and better

Prezi AI is more than a simple design tool—it helps you elevate your presentations without added effort. From suggesting the best visuals to refining your content with AI text editing, Prezi AI ensures your presentation is polished, engaging, and impactful.

Prezi AI simplifies the creation process by handling the heavy lifting, allowing you to focus on delivering a presentation that resonates with your audience. Whether you’re presenting complex data, explaining a detailed process, or sharing a narrative, Prezi’s AI capabilities ensure your message comes through clearly and memorably.

Use Prezi to make your next visual presentation stand out from the crowd

Creating an effective visual presentation isn’t just about adding images on slides. It’s about careful planning, choosing the right visuals, and enthralling the audience with dynamic stories. Prezi simplifies this process by offering editable templates with AI-driven features and interactivity that enlivens your presentation.

Whether it’s a data presentation, storytelling, or explaining difficult concepts, Prezi features will make your visual presentation eye-catching for the viewer. For more ideas and inspiration on creating visual presentations, explore our guide on presentation styles and enhance your presentation skills today!

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Engage your audience with powerful visual presentations.

Visual tools are critical to have in any presentation as they’re one of the key presentation aids that will help enhance your overall presentation .

We’ll give you tips on how to develop a sense of good presentation design whether you’re using PowerPoint, Prezi, Google Slides or any presentation software under the sun. The secret to creating a great presentation does not lie in a superior software, but understanding a few universal design concepts that can applied for all types of visual presentations.

Don’t be afraid to use a few presentation templates – there are ways to make the presentation ideas in those templates your own ideas and advance it in several different ways. Let’s make your next presentation on point and designed beautifully.

Presentations Are The Visual Communication Tool To Your Story

In the age of information, people remember facts faster through stories. Keep your bullet points and information short. You can use a rule of thumb to not put more than a paragraph and 3 points per slide to start.

Make your presentation the visual component of your story, but not something your audience has to read. Something that is short and succinct on screen will capture your audience’s attention and make sure they retain the main points of your message.

This does not mean incomplete slides. A common mistake presenters make is putting too little information on a slide in the name of simplicity when in fact they’re leaving out the main context.

A well designed visual presentation has a great story behind it and a well rehearsed voice telling it as well. Engaging the audience is also a great way to associate meaning or connection to the content of your slide decks. Ask questions and tell stories while showing off a great visual presentation! Think of writing the copy like writing for social media – you only have a certain amount of characters to use and a short audience attention span.

General Tips For Visual Presentations

Before you begin creating your presentation, you first need to know what makes effective presentations – storytelling. Such presentations target the audience’s emotions leading to a stronger connection to the audience member and the main point of the presentation.

Below are some storytelling tips for your slides, but remember to keep the presentation itself simple and practice makes perfect. And again, these are more for your spoken component that accompanies the visual component. These tips can be useful because they can be applied to all your presentations in general.

Step 1 is to ask yourself who your audience is and how to convey the key message you have in mind to them. Once you settle on your message, you can start designing your slides with that direction in mind.

You may wonder how to connect with an audience with your slides. Look to your own experiences, your own speaking style and tailor your message to what you know. Not many people want to hear others recite facts with no real meaning driving the story. Ask yourself, “Why does this matter to the audience and why should they care?”.

There is a lot of trust that can be built when the audience has a genuine connection to the presenter. Overall, if you have something that can solve a problem or teach someone complex things, that is enough to form a connection with your audience.

Think of the last app you used, the last email you read or perhaps the last business you purchased from. What was the content or visual elements that pulled you in?

Are you making a PowerPoint, Prezi or other form of visual presentation but it’s taking too much of your time? Enlist the help of Presentation Geeks and consider outsourcing your presentation design . Outsourcing your presentation slides allows you to free more of your time while still getting the results of an interesting presentation. You’ll have the support of expert slide designers who know what presentation visuals work and don’t work thanks to years of presentation feedback and background knowledge.

Color Design Tips For Presentation Slides

When designing your presentation, make sure you take into consideration the colors you’re using. We’ve listed a few background color combinations you might want to consider when developing the overall slide deck and the font to use.

Color Wheel Alignments:

Primary Colors: Red, yellow, blue

Secondary Colors: Green, orange, purple

Tertiary Colors: Yellow-orange, red-orange, red-purple, blue-purple, blue-green & yellow-green

Analogous Colors: These are any three colors which are side by side on a color wheel. (Think green, lime green, yellow)

Complementary Colors: These are colors that are directly opposite of a color wheel. (Think green vs. purple, red vs. blue)

Monochromatic Colors: This is when you use one color and various shades or hues of it. It works well for minimal looks.

Color moods:

Red/Orange/Yellow: Generally these convey a sense of energy, are warm colors and catch your attention. Yellow is a happy warm color on one end and red is very striking and can warn of danger, and symbolizes importance, passion and sometimes violence.

Blue/Purple/Green: These colors are calming, reserved, elegant and often used for corporate slides. Think of how indigo blue is used for many large corporate entities. Green often is branded with earth or medical brands. Purple often conveys a sense of royalty, money and creativity.

Use The Power Of Photography Or Video

Pictures and videos are great visuals to incorporate into any presentation. Remember the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words”? Well, it’s true! Photos help visualize complex information. You’ll often come across a lot of photos in research presentations as they help the audience understand examples better.

They can also save you from having to put a thousand thoughts into the PowerPoint presentation slide!

The first tip we can give to make a great visual presentation is to choose all your photos before you start. This way you can keep the consistency of the images across your slide deck and make sure they’re somewhat alike in terms of composition, mood and brand.

Use free stock photos

You don’t have to take the photos or videos yourself.

There are plenty of free resources and web pages for stock photos online – Unsplash , Pexels , Pixabay , Free Range , Creative Commons and some photos from Freepik are free to use with some accreditation.

Effective photo use

Make sure you pick an image that will focus on the main theme of the slide. One image is usually enough if the image choice is very relevant to the slide. If you have multiple photos, avoid poor or loose placement of photos all over the slide. Try to use a grid or gallery placement and it will immediately enhance the layout of the slide.

If you pick great images, making presentations can be faster. Instead of having to create an elaborate template with multiple elements, a photo with a couple of bullet points can go a long way in terms of capturing attention and making your presentation slides look professional. This is true on any presentation design platform – whether its PowerPoint, Google Slides, etc.

You can also embed videos whether they’re located on your computer, YouTube, Vimeo or other major video streaming sites. If you’re feeling nervous about your presentation or have a complex message that would be hard to condense in one slide, a video is a dynamic way of conveying your message in any type of presentation.

The Typography You Use Matters

Typography is how you will arrange and present the words in your presentation. An audience can engage when text is readable, functional and works well with the other elements in the presentation. Fonts and sizing are a good place to start establishing the tone of your presentation.

Overview of Font Choices

Elegant fonts often denote a sense of luxury or lifestyle tone. Use script fonts sparingly, but as titles they immediately give this polished and high-end look. This should not be used as body text or something lengthy to read. Think about if you sent an email in that text – it would be tedious to read. However, maybe if it were a title or a way to name email, the choice may be more correct.

Corporate fonts often are traditional, serif fonts or clean sans serif fonts that evoke a sense of trust and a clear message. Think of the fonts Lato, Helvetica or Arial – they’re go-to fonts that are easy to read, and work across many systems. This is especially helpful if you are working across teams when creating content or having to approve the content, idea or visuals.

Of course, you can incorporate more stylistic or playful fonts if you want to give your presentation a personal feel. Much like the scripted font, when used sparingly but in large titles, this choice of font can be very effective at conveying a certain personality.

Adding Symbols & Icons To Your Presentation

You can consolidate information by using symbols or icons to direct your eye to information such as an arrow symbol. What if you used a symbol instead of a bullet point? Think of symbols as anchors for the eye to quickly find information. You can collect symbols off free stock sites or use the built-in ones in PowerPoint that are free to use!

Depending on if your presentation is formal or informal , you may also want to consider adding emojis! Emojis are fun ways to express different emotions and can help connect with a younger demographic.

Overall Branding, Tone of Voice & Consistency

Another tool you may have at your disposal is if your brand, business or company has brand guidelines. It will be the guide and compass to your presentation’s information that goes within it. By keeping consistent you can achieve a polished look even if it looks very simple.

Use your business voice to communicate ideas and set the tone for your presentation. Are you in an investment banking business and want people to rely on the information given to you? That would inform perhaps using blues and purples, which are calmer colors and a cleaner look. Are you an influencer who’s buying power and spending choices matter to your audience? Maybe choosing bright colors with personal touches will make the connection. Are you designing an innovative app? Maybe more interactive slides would do the trick.

Use these questions to make sure your text and tone is consistent as this is a foundation of a well articulated brand or personal identity.

Consistent Hierarchy

Visual hierarchy is how you will arrange objects and text in relation to one another to guide your user and not confuse the objects and how they should read them in your slides. Setting rules helps differentiate and prioritize what’s important in order.

Look at the difference between these two.

Snoop Dogg just launched a wine and it’s coming to Canada

Daily hive branded content | aug 11 2020, 6:30 am.

Australian winery 19 Crimes recently announced that its new Cali Red wine, created in collaboration with Entertainment Icon, entrepreneur, and hip-hop artist Snoop Dogg, will be hitting shelves across Canada later this summer.

The collaboration offers a refreshing take on celebrity partnerships as the apparent shared values and history between the brand and famous rapper make for a perfectly organic pairing.

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You can see a clear distinction in the example below:

Think of hierarchy of a form of narration or story structure. Your eye goes to the title, then to the subtitle, then to the body copy in a logical manner. Where the eye travels is one of those things we don’t think about often. But you can also utilize eye lines in photos. Is your subject in the photo looking left or right? Consider placing text to where your subject is looking and see how effectively your eye travels to that text.

We’ll look at hierarchy strictly as sizing of words for now, but note you can establish hierarchy with type, white space, alignment, etc. As a general rule of thumb, you should have consistent sizing for your Header (or title slide / slide title), your subtitles and your body text. That’s it! If the sizing in your PowerPoint is consistent, your words will look uniform and clean. Everything will be much easier to read and the eye will be trained to move each slide.

Don’t Forget Your Own Style

Also don’t forget to incorporate your own style and what kind of visuals you like. Even if your early visuals may seem simple, build up that design muscle with the basics and design techniques that look clean and consistent.

You’ll find as you design these basics, you’ll probably start noticing other visuals and things you like in other mediums and presentations. Keep a note or screenshot the presentation that inspired you. Create a mood-board that you can refer to in the future for quick idea inspiration. Copying gets a bad rap, but learning how to design something you like even if it’s a clone copy will teach you many things about design. Build a collection of images that informs everything you do: for your color scheme, your designs, the cadence of images, etc.

That being said, you can also use free stock websites like Freepik for some design layouts inspiration. Creative Market is a paid website but the site offers a ton of design inspiration. This site has design templates for what’s currently in and trending. You can subscribe to an email newsletter on either site to get bite sized design influence each day that goes straight to your inbox.

However, don’t be afraid to try something new!

Once you get to a level of comfortable designing, these new ideas will be much easier to execute with the technical knowledge you amassed when you started. You could even try using a new app to design your ideas to keep your knowledge fresh! (Keep in mind that most online apps like SlideShare use cookies to improve functionality and performance.)

Ask your friends or people at your organization to give you feedback and critique, as that’s also crucial to honing your design skills. The people around you also represent different audiences!

The above image looks boring, right?

That’s because there are no visual elements!

Powerful visual presentations can engage audiences psychologically with both the presentation itself and the energy of the presenter. By understanding a few universal design concepts, you can begin your journey creating wonderful visual presentations and becoming a better presenter ! Thanks for reading this blog post, tell us your tips in the comments below.

Author:  Content Team

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14 Dos and Don’ts for an Effective Presentation

Renderforest Staff

16 Jun 2021

7 min read  

Giving a presentation can be stressful. There are just too many balls to keep in the air: an effective opening, audience engagement, body language, visual aids, anxiety management. The list goes on. 

On a positive note, public speaking and presentation skills can be learned and refined. That’s why we put together a list of 14 dos and don’ts that will help you deliver a killer presentation. If you already have your presentation idea and are wondering how to effectively develop and deliver it, this article is for you.

Let’s jump right in and explore the basic rules of making and giving a presentation.

Focus on the Key Message

From the very beginning, the audience should feel that your speech is leading to something important. This is what will spark their curiosity and keep their attention focused. 

Of course, to achieve such an effect, you should actually have something important to communicate. Otherwise, your audience will feel like they wasted their time (and would be right to think so). The material you present should resemble an arrow with a clear point, not an unending loop of words that leads to nowhere. 

But having something worth telling is only part of the job. You also need to make sure that your entire presentation is woven around that key idea. From beginning to end, your core message should be your guiding light. Each sentence should move the audience closer to it, and by the end of the speech, leave them with a sense of illumination.

Recommended Reading

• A Guide to Presentation Outline [Infographic] 
• Best Corporate Presentation Designs

Plan the Structure

Planning your speech beforehand is the only way to avoid getting sidetracked. As you think about your message, try to structure it in a way that makes its delivery most effective for the audience.

So, how do you structure a presentation? Consider both the logical and emotional implications of your structure. First, you want to give your listeners enough background information to help them get better acquainted with the topic, but not so much as to get them bored. Once all the need-to-knows are out of the way, make a seamless transition to your main message and start laying out your arguments in a convincing way.

Also, think about the emotional effect you want to achieve in each part of your presentation. The best way to go about it is to capture your audience’s attention right off the bat, which is often considered to be the hardest part of giving a presentation.

“How do I begin a presentation?” is a question you’ve surely asked yourself.  Once you’re done introducing yourself, you can jump into the presentation with a story or an intriguing question. Then, build suspense throughout the speech and release it at the end with a well-grounded closing statement.

Tell a Story

How do you present a topic? As human beings, we’re attracted to stories. This is why we go to the movies, read fiction and, yes, become all ears when hearing gossip. Thus, it’s always a good idea to begin your presentation with a story or even spice it up with one in the middle. This can make all the difference between an engaged and indifferent audience. 

Need some proof? Watch this TED talk and see how the presenter wins the audience over in less than 3 minutes using the magic of a personal story (admittedly, a relatable one).

Keep a Conversational Tone

Many first-time public speakers try a bit too hard to make their speech expressive. As a result, their presentations appear showy and even pompous to the audience.

To prevent this, simply use a conversational tone. Feel like you are communicating your message to individual people, rather than a large alien audience. This will not only ease you up but will help the audience connect to you as well. 

After all, when you really look at it, you are talking to individual people, not their aggregation.

Remember the Takeaway

What is the one thing you’d wish the audience to take away from your speech as they leave the room or the auditorium? Define it in a single phrase or sentence, using straightforward, accessible language, and present it at the end of your presentation. Keep that takeaway in mind when planning your speech, and put a special emphasis on it during the wrap-up.

Source: TED talk by Angela Lee Duckworth

Time your speech.

There’s probably a specific timeframe within which you should complete your speech. Even if it’s not rigidly set, the audience will have certain expectations as to how long your presentation will take. 

Therefore, it’s important to plan beforehand the approximate time your speech should take and set a timer during rehearsals. If your presentation lasts longer than expected, make sure to leave the inessential parts out. 

As you memorize your material, your speech will get smoother and faster. This will also shorten the time required for it. Thus, before making any adjustments to the length of your script, rehearse it a few times.

Do Your Rehearsals  

Practice your speech as many times as necessary to build confidence. This is not to say you should memorize every single word or sentence, but you should know exactly what you need to cover at every point. 

When you’re confident enough about your speech, there’s one less reason to be nervous during the presentation. You can now relax and focus on building rapport with your audience.

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Perhaps, the worst thing you can do during a presentation is to read your script. Even glancing at a paper or screen far too many times is distracting enough. What’s more, your audience will find it difficult to connect to your message, as it will all feel mechanical and staged.

The solution? It’s fairly simple: rehearse, rehearse, rehearse.

Don’t Rely on Slides

A slide should never be the main source of information for the audience. Use it as a mere extension that makes your speech more engaging or credible. Always keep in mind that your audience needs to learn from you , the speaker, not from your slide.

It goes without saying that you shouldn’t stuff any slide with text. Or include so much information (whether textual or visual) that your audience gets overwhelmed and stops following your speech. When it comes to slide design, minimalism is your best friend. 

To know if you’re relying heavily on your slides or not, ask yourself this question: “Will my presentation still make sense without the slides?” If the answer’s no, then you should rethink your script. But, there’s also a fun side to this. When you free your slides of the burden to inform, they can now be used creatively and even enhance the effect of your speech.

Notice how the presenter in the video shown above only turns to slides to highlight or demonstrate a point she made. And if you remove all the slides? The presentation will be just as complete and impactful.

Don’t Use Fancy Slideshows

How a good presentation should look like? Nowadays, there are lots of advanced presentation software and screen-sharing tools one can use to “wow” the audience. The problem with them? “Wowing” your audience with something as trivial as slides is hardly why you’re making your speech. The fewer distractions there are in your presentation, the better. Keep this in mind, and avoid using anything showy. 

Don’t Talk Too Fast (or Slow)

While presenting, it’s recommended to maintain a consistent pace that’s neither too fast nor too slow. Talking fast might cause unnecessary tension in the audience, and excessively slow speech is sure to annoy them.

While different people naturally speak at different paces, it’s still something that can be worked on and modified with enough practice. You can refine your pacing during rehearsals until the preferred pace is second nature to you.

Don’t Forget Backup Slides

You’re about to start your presentation, but the internet connection is too slow, and your slides won’t load. On top of it, you didn’t follow our advice about not relying on slideshows. What do you do?

Well, if you’re considerate enough, you will have a USB flash drive with backup slides. Next time you feel like forgoing this little step, recall this scenario.

Don’t Neglect Body Language

The way you move your body on stage tells a story. And if that story is incoherent with the one you’re telling with your words, disharmony arises. Imagine a speaker is talking about peace and tolerance, yet their every movement is abrupt, hasty, and aggressive. Sure, this might be the result of nervousness, but would you still be able to connect to their message? The answer’s likely to be no.   

When rehearsing your speech, don’t neglect body language. Practice standing tall, keeping your hands open, and your movements relaxed. Avoid pacing on the stage during your presentation, as it may distract or, worse yet, annoy your listeners. 

Check out this TED talk by Emily Esfahani Smith. Pay attention to how her empathetic facial expressions and open hand gestures help to reinforce her message.

And, of course, don’t skip eye contact. Instead of glancing over the entire audience, pick a few individuals from different parts of the room, and establish your eye contact with them. This little trick will help you feel like you’re speaking to one person at a time. And that’s far more manageable than speaking to everyone at once.

To emphasize a point, sometimes, what you need is not words but their absence. Take a pause after you ask a question or make a strong statement. Spare your audience a moment to think, reflect, and ponder. Or leave a gap of silence right before you present something exciting to build suspense and anticipation.

No one expects you to go on talking for 10-15 minutes without a pause. Take a few seconds once in a while to breathe. Draw in deep breaths to collect your thoughts and calm your nerves if the situation calls for it. This is one of the most effective ways to relax when presenting.

These were the things good presentations include. Hopefully, you’ve learned enough from our tips and are now ready to get to work. Delivering effective presentations is not an easy task, but definitely, one that’s worth the effort. If you’d like to create a presentation for your speech or even online platforms, give these customizable templates a try.

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Don’t Present Without These 16 PowerPoint Dos and Don’ts

Table of Contents

Have you ever struggled to hold your audience’s interest during a presentation? Painstakingly created slide after slide only to be met with bored, disengaged faces? 

Even the most confident speakers can falter when it comes to crafting compelling PowerPoint decks. Without proper slide design best practices, it’s easy to lose your audience in a sea of dense text, chaotic graphics, and disorganized content.

You don’t have to suffer through presenting lackluster slides anymore. In fact, following simple PowerPoint best practices can totally transform your deck from meh to marvelous.

In this post, we’ll share 16 PowerPoint dos and don’ts to level up your presentations and captivate audiences. These tips will help you create professional, visually striking slides your viewers will remember.

16 Dos And Don’ts Of Powerpoint Presentations

Here are some important 16 presentation dos and don’ts you need to keep in mind while creating slides and presenting them.

PowerPoint Dos

Let’s start with the best practices and strategies to implement when designing PowerPoint presentations . What techniques should you use to create memorable, polished slides?

1. Keep It Simple With Minimalist Design

Let’s start with a common mistake – overcrowded, distracting slide design. We get the temptation to tart up slides with fancy backgrounds. But resist the urge! Fancy templates with complex colored patterns or photos unrelated to your content just make it harder to digest key information.

Instead, embrace the power of simplicity. Stick to minimalist templates and avoid template themes with extra decorations. Use neutral backgrounds and empty negative space to let your content shine. Remember, your audience came for your message, not for clip art kittens. Keep slides clean and attention stays where it should be.

2. Cut the Clutter – Follow the 6×6 Rule

Now for another slide buzzkill – mammoth blocks of dense text. You may be tempted to pack slides with long sentences and paragraphs. Don’t give in! Text-heavy slides are guaranteed to lose audiences fast.

For easy-to-digest nuggets, follow the handy 6×6 rule. Limit slides to just 6 lines of text maximum, with each line containing 6 words max. Anything more turns into an overwhelming wall of words.

Stick to concise phrases, short sentences, and bulleted lists. Use just keywords and supporting stats – leave nonessential info out. With this less is more approach, key points will stick better.

SlidesAI is a text-to-presentation add-on tool that converts walls of text into beautiful slides. It does this automatically generate condensed phrases and bullet points from your text ensuring clutter-free slides throughout your presentation.

3. Boost Engagement With Quality Visuals

Speaking of key points sticking better…you know what helps even more? Quality graphics and visuals!

Research shows we process images 60,000 times faster than text. So reinforce your points with strong visuals. Use high-resolution photos, charts, illustrations, and infographics. But avoid clipart or random stock photos – ensure every graphic clearly supports your narrative.

Well-designed visuals make presentations more memorable and engaging. Just remember to optimize graphics for high-resolution viewing and include alt-text (alternative text) descriptions for accessibility. Then watch those visual aids boost information retention and audience interest.

SlidesAI has a library of 1.5M high-quality premium stock images that you can select and include in your slides.

4. Create Brand Consistency With Formatting

Imagine a presentation where every slide had a totally different layout, colors, and font… no visual consistency at all. It would look sloppy and amateurish, right?

Formatting matters – big time! Brand your presentation by using consistent design elements throughout all your slides.

Pick one professional font combination and stick to it. Limit your color palette to 2-3 colors max. Maintain alignment and space elements consistently.

With unified branding, your deck will feel polished, intentional, and visually pleasing. Bonus – consistent branding also boosts memorability as the audience becomes familiar with your “look”.

SlidesAI ensures complete branding consistency across all presentation slides by applying your color schemes , fonts, etc to designs through artificial intelligence.

5. Check Accessibility Settings

Speaking of memorability, if some audience members can’t actually view your slides, they certainly won’t remember your message.

Ensure your presentation is inclusive and accessible to all by checking key settings. Use color contrast and legible fonts so those with visual impairments can still grasp the content. Optimize images with alt text descriptions. Verify videos are captioned.

It may take a bit more effort up front but making your presentation accessible opens your message to a wider audience. It also demonstrates corporate responsibility.

6. Create Custom Icons and Illustrations

Most PowerPoint templates come with generic icons. However, you can amplify brand personality and memorability by creating custom icons and simple illustrations.

Don’t just use a generic checkmark when you can insert your own branded indicator relevant to your company. Design illustrated characters to represent concepts. Even use emojis strategically to inject fun and improve recall.

Handcrafted visuals, even if basic in style, make presentations stand out and drive home key points better than generic clip art ever could.

7. Use Subtle Animations – But Not Too Many!

Animations, when used well, can help guide the audience’s eye and transition between ideas smoothly. Emphasize key points and important transitions with subtle animations.

Entrance and exit effects can focus attention while builds and motion path animations can demonstrate processes dynamically. Use sparingly and subtly for the best impact.

But avoid going animation crazy with sounds and excessive movement. That becomes more distracting than engaging. Limit animations so they enhance content rather than detract.

8. Pace Your Delivery

Creating stellar slides is an excellent start but don’t stop there. The live delivery is just as crucial. Invest time practicing your presentation with your slides.

Rehearse the flow and pace of your narrative. Refine and memorize transitions between slides . Nail your timing to keep the audience engaged. Get so comfortable delivering your content that the slides become natural visual aids.

With great slides and honed delivery skills, your audience will hang on to your every word from the introduction to a powerful conclusion.

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PowerPoint Donts

Just as important as the dos are the don’ts. What pitfalls should you avoid when designing PowerPoint presentations?

9. Don’t Use Distracting Backgrounds

Remember our tip to embrace minimalism? Well, the opposite is using distracting backgrounds. Avoid loud colors, complex patterns, or images totally unrelated to your content. At best, they are distracting. At worst, they make key info harder to comprehend.

Stick to simple, neutral backgrounds. If using an image, ensure it directly reinforces your narrative. Anything extra risks your message getting visually lost. Keep backgrounds clean so content remains the focal point.

SlidesAI avoids using distracting backgrounds like crowded templates or unrelated images in the presentations. It focuses on simple, clean backgrounds to keep attention on your key content.

10. Don’t Overwhelm With Walls of Text

We covered the 6×6 text limit rule earlier. But even with 6 lines and 6 words, slides can become text walls without good visual breakdown. Big blocks of text are tiring to read and make retainment tough.

Instead, thoughtfully chunk text into concise sections. Use headers, subheaders, and bullet points to organize key bits. Align text left for easier scanning. Supplement with supporting imagery. Breaking up text improves comprehension drastically.

11. Don’t Rely On Boring Bullets

Speaking of bulleted lists, bullet overkill is another issue that turns slides into snore fests. Slides crammed with back-to-back bullet points lose audiences fast. The endless text blurs together with minimal memorability.

For memorable content, limit bullets to key takeaways only. Then reinforce each point visually – a photo, icon, chart, etc. Quality visuals boost memorability way more than a slide stuffed with 11 bullet points ever could.

12. Don’t Use Inconsistent Formatting

Remember, formatting matters! Shifting layouts, fonts, and color schemes appear disjointed and sloppy. The mismatched design screams amateur hour.

Establish a visual style and stick to it slide to slide. Use the same fonts, limit your color palette, and space elements consistently. Most importantly – maintain alignment across all slides. With unified branding, your presentation will look polished and professional.

SlidesAI ensures your presentation formatting stays consistent slide to slide by applying your preferred color palette, fonts, etc through its intelligent algorithms.

13. Don’t Include Unnecessary Animations

Animations can be great for guiding the viewer’s eye and demonstrating motion. But avoid going overboard. Excessive animations, sounds, and movement become more distracting than engaging.

Use animations subtly and intentionally . Emphasize only key points and important transitions with simple builds or entrance effects. Anything superfluous, whether flying text or whooshing sounds, pulls attention away rather than enhancing content.

Keep it simple and purposeful. Let smooth, minimal animations work behind the scenes rather than take center stage away from your narrative.

14. Don’t Use Unsupported Graphics

Only include images, photos, charts, etc that directly support the ideas and messaging in your presentation. Don’t insert fluffy visuals that have no clear tie to your content.

Every visual aid you present should clearly reinforce your narrative rather than derail tangents. Unsupported graphics quickly become distractions. They also undermine your credibility if audiences can’t grasp the connection.

Keep it focused. Be intentional about every visual you include. Remove anything superfluous that doesn’t serve a purpose.

15. Don’t Plagiarize Content

While it’s fine to find inspiration from other presentations, copying chunks of text or visuals without proper attribution is unethical. Never pass off someone else’s hard work as your own.

Always credit sources directly within your presentation if incorporating external ideas, quotes, charts, images, etc. Also, avoid violating copyright laws by inserting visuals without licensing them appropriately first.

Your presentation should showcase your unique ideas, voice, and message. Ensure you create original content or properly cite anything derived from others. Your integrity depends on it.

16. Don’t Wing Your Speech

With great slides completed, don’t just wing it on presentation day. The live delivery is just as crucial. Invest time to refine your pacing, transitions, slide timing, and flow.

Practice your speech thoroughly with the deck so your narrative and movements feel natural. Nail down transition phrases between slides. Get 100% comfortable presenting your content.

With stellar slides and a well-rehearsed delivery, your presentation is sure to wow audiences from start to finish.

There you have it – 16 PowerPoint dos and don’ts for creating memorable, professional PowerPoint presentations. Apply the dos to make high-impact slides, and avoid the don’ts for mistake-free presentations.

Put these PowerPoint best practices into play and watch your ordinary slides transform into extraordinary visual stories. Your audiences will be engaged from start to finish.

But even with these tips, crafting stunning presentations can be time-intensive. Instead, let SlidesAI do the work for you using the power of AI.

SlidesAI integrates with Google Slides and PowerPoint (coming soon) to instantly generate professional presentation decks from your content. Simply input your text – SlidesAI will turn them into visually cohesive slides designed for audience engagement.

SlidesAI saves tons of time by handling slide layouts, formats, graphic design, and branding tailored to you. The AI delivers presentation-ready slides in seconds.

Take your Presentation skills from amateur to pro – try SlidesAI for free today!\

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the dos and don’ts of powerpoint presentations.

Key PowerPoint dos include simple designs, concise text, quality visuals, consistency, accessibility, custom icons, subtle animations, and practice. Don’ts involve distracting backgrounds, walls of text, boring bullets, inconsistent formatting, excessive animations, irrelevant graphics, plagiarism, and winging it.

What is the 5 by 5 Rule in PowerPoint?

The 5 by 5 rule recommends having no more than 5 lines of text per slide and 5 words per line. This keeps each slide focused and text easy to digest. Too much text overwhelms audiences.

What is the 7 Rule on a PowerPoint Presentation?

The 7 rule states that your slides should have no more than 7 bullet points. Like the 5 by 5 rule, this maintains simplicity for the audience. More than 7 bulleted items become hard to retain.

What are the 5 Rules of PowerPoint?

5 key rules are: don’t cram slides with too much text, minimize slides for emphasis, utilize quality visuals, stick to a consistent format, and limit animations. Following these makes presentations professional, clean, and engaging.

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The font you choose can make a major difference in your PowerPoint presentations. While the default fonts are okay, you might want to add your own for a more specific look. Luckily, adding fonts to PowerPoint is quite easy. This can improve the appearance of your slides and help you get your message across more clearly. In this article, we’ll show you the simple steps to add fonts in PowerPoint, letting you personalize your presentations and keep your audience engaged.

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6 dos and don’ts for next-level slides, from a TED presentation expert

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Want to prevent yawns and glazed-over eyes? Before you deliver your next speech, pitch or address, learn how to create exceptional slides by following these rules (with real before-and-afters).

Slides are an expected and crucial part of most speeches, presentations, pitches and addresses. They can simplify complex information or messages, showcase relevant images, and help hold an audience’s attention. But quite often, the best slides aren’t those that make people sit up and comment on how good they are; instead, they’re the ones that people take in without really noticing because the content is effortlessly conveyed and matches the speaker’s words so well.

These days, showing high-quality slides is more important than ever. “We’re living in a visual culture,” says Paul Jurczynski , the cofounder of Improve Presentation and one of the people who works with TED speakers to overhaul their slides. “Everything is visual. Instagram is on fire, and you don’t often see bad images on there. The same trend has come to presentations.”

He says there is no “right” number of slides. However, it’s important that every single one shown — even the blank ones (more on those later) — be, as Jurczynski puts it, “connected with the story you’re telling.” Here, he shares 6 specific tips for creating the most effective slides. ( Note: All of the examples below were taken from the actual slides of TED speakers. )

1. Do keep your slides simple and succinct

“The most common mistake I see is slides that are overcrowded. People tend to want to spell everything out and cover too much information,” says Jurczynski. Not only are these everything-but-the-kitchen-sink slides unattractive and amateurish, they also divert your audience’s attention away from what you’re saying. You want them to listen to the words that you slaved over, not get distracted by unscrambling a jam-packed slide.

“The golden rule is to have one claim or idea per slide. If you have more to say, put it on the next slide,” says Jurczynski. Another hallmark of a successful slide: The words and images are placed in a way that begins where the audience’s eyes naturally go and then follows their gaze. Use the position, size, shape and color of your visuals to make it clear what should come first, second and so on. “You don’t just control what the audience sees; you have to control how they see it,” says Jurczynski.

BEFORE: Too crowded 

After: easy to absorb.

2. Do choose colors and fonts with care

Colors and fonts are like the herbs and spices of your presentation. When used wisely and with intention, they’ll enhance your slides; but when tossed in haphazardly, they’ll make it an unappealing mess.

Let’s start with color. “Color is a key way to communicate visually and to evoke emotion,” says Jurczynski. “It can be a game changer.” Your impulse might be to pick your favorite hue and start from there, but he advises, “it’s important to use color with a purpose.” For example, if you’re giving a presentation about a positive topic, you’ll want to use bright, playful colors. But if you’re speaking about a serious subject such as gun violence or lung cancer, you’d probably go for darker or neutral colors.

While it’s fine to use a variety of colors in your presentation, overall you should adhere to a consistent color scheme, or palette. “The good news is you don’t need a degree in color theory to build a palette,” says Jurczynski. Check out one of the many free sites — such as Coolors or Color Hunt — that can help you assemble color schemes.

With fonts, settle on just one or two, and make sure they match the tone of your presentation. “You don’t have to stick to the fonts that you have in PowerPoint,” or whatever program you’re using, says Jurczynski. “People are now designing and sharing fonts that are easy to install in different programs. It’s been an amazing breakthrough.” Experiment. Try swapping a commonly used font like Arial for Lato or Bebas , two of many lesser known fonts available online. Most important: “Use a big enough font, which people often forget to do,” advises Jurczynski. Your text has to be both legible and large enough to read from the back of the room, he recommends — about 30 points or so.

BEFORE: Weak and hard-to-read font, muddy colors 

AFTER: Strong font, color that’s striking but not jarring

3. Don’t settle for visual cliches

When you’re attempting to illustrate concepts, go beyond the first idea that comes to your mind. Why? The reason it appears so readily may be because it’s a cliché. For example, “a light bulb as a symbol for innovation has gotten really tired,” says Jurczynski. Other oft-used metaphors include a bull’s-eye target or shaking hands. After you’ve come up with your symbol or idea, he advises people to resist the lure of Google images (where there are too many low-quality and clichéd choices) and browse other free image sites such as Unsplash to find more unique visuals. One trick: If you do use stock, amp it up with a color overlay (as in the pic at the top of this article) or tweak it in some other way to counteract — or at least muffle — its stock-i-ness.

One potential source of pictures is much closer at hand. “If it fits the storyline, I encourage people to use their own images,” says Jurczynski. “Like one TED Talk where the speaker, a doctor, used photos of his experience treating people in Africa. That was all he needed. They were very powerful.” Major caveat: Any personal photos must support your speech or presentation. Do not squander your audience’s precious time by showing them a gratuitous picture of your children or grandparents — beautiful as they may be.

BEFORE: Fake-looking stock photo to illustrate teamwork 

After: eye-catching photo of nature to illustrate teamwork.

4. Don’t get bogged down by charts and graphs

Less is also more when it comes to data visualization. Keep any charts or graphs streamlined. When building them, ask yourself these questions:

What do I want the audience to take away from my infographic?

Why is it important for them to know this?

How does it tie into my overall story or message?

You may need to highlight key numbers or data points by using color, bolding, enlarging or some other visual treatment that makes them pop.

Maps are another commonly used infographic. Again, exercise restraint and use them only if they enhance your talk. “Sometimes, people put a map because they don’t know what else to show,” says Jurczynski. He suggests employing labels, color schemes or highlighting to direct your audience where to look. He adds, if you have the skill or know an artist, “you may even consider a hand-drawn map.”

BEFORE: Yikes! What’s important?!? AFTER: The takeaway is clear

5. don’t be scared of blank slides.

It may seem counterintuitive, but at certain points in your speech or pitch, the best visual is … no visual at all. “At the beginning, I was not a fan of blank slides,” says Jurczynski. “But the more talks I’ve seen, the more a fan I am of them, because sometimes you want all the attention on yourself and you don’t want people distracted by what they see in the slides. Or, you might use them to give the audience a visual break from a series of slides. Or maybe you want to shift the mood or tempo of the presentation.”

The blank slide is the visual equivalent of a pause, and most stories could use at least one. And with blank slides, Jurczynski has one main “don’t”: “You cannot use white blank slides, because if you do, people will see it and think something is broken.”

6. Do remember to practice

The easiest way to figure out if your slides really work? Recruit a colleague, friend or family member, and run through your entire presentation with them. Sometimes, people can get so carried away with rehearsing their delivery and memorizing their words that they forget to make sure their slides complement and synch up with what they’re saying.

“Even if you have the best visual s in the world, you need to practice in front of someone else. Once you start practicing, you may see, ‘I’m talking about a sad story, but on the slide behind me, I have something funny and that doesn’t make sense,'” says Jurczynski. “Or, ‘Oh, this could be a good place for a blank slide.’”

About the author

Amanda Miller manages curation for partner events at TED.

• business advice
• data visualization
• idea visualization
• presentation literacy
• public speaking

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.css-1qrtm5m{display:block;margin-bottom:8px;text-transform:uppercase;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5714285714285714;-webkit-letter-spacing:-0.35px;-moz-letter-spacing:-0.35px;-ms-letter-spacing:-0.35px;letter-spacing:-0.35px;font-weight:300;color:#606F7B;}@media (min-width:600px){.css-1qrtm5m{font-size:16px;line-height:1.625;-webkit-letter-spacing:-0.5px;-moz-letter-spacing:-0.5px;-ms-letter-spacing:-0.5px;letter-spacing:-0.5px;}} Best Practices The #1 rule for improving your presentation slides

by Tom Rielly • May 12, 2020

When giving presentations, either on a video conference call or in person, your slides, videos and graphics (or lack of them) can be an important element in helping you tell your story or express your idea. This is the first of a series of blog posts that will give you tips and tricks on how to perfect your visual presentations.

Your job as a presenter is to build your idea -- step-by-step -- in the minds of your audience members. One tool to do that is presentation graphics, such as slides and videos.

Why graphics for your presentation?

A common mistake is using slides or videos as a crutch, even if they don’t actually add anything to your presentation. Not all presentations need graphics. Lots of presentations work wonderfully with just one person standing on a stage telling a story, as demonstrated by many TED Talks.

You should only use slides if they serve a purpose: conveying scientific information, art, and things that are hard to explain without pictures. Once you have decided on using slides, you will have a number of decisions to make. We’ll help you with the basics of making a presentation that is, above all, clear and easy to understand. The most important thing to remember here is: less is more.

Less is so much more

You want to aim for the fewest number of slides, the fewest number of photos, the fewest words per slide, the least cluttered slides and the most white space on your slides. This is the most violated slide rule, but it is the secret to success. Take a look at these examples.

As you can see in the above example, you don’t need fancy backgrounds or extra words to convey a simple concept. If you take “Everything you need to know about Turtles”, and delete “everything you need to know about” leaving just “turtles”, the slide has become much easier for your audience to read, and tells the story with economy.

The above example demonstrates that a single image that fills the entire screen is far more powerful than a slide cluttered with images. A slide with too many images may be detrimental to your presentation. The audience will spend more mental energy trying to sort through the clutter than listening to your presentation. If you need multiple images, then put each one on its own slide. Make each image high-resolution and have it fill the entire screen. If the photos are not the same dimensions as the screen, put them on a black background. Don’t use other colors, especially white.

Your slides will be much more effective if you use the fewest words, characters, and pictures needed to tell your story. Long paragraphs make the audience strain to read them, which means they are not paying attention to you. Your audience may even get stressed if you move on to your next slide before they’ve finished reading your paragraph. The best way to make sure the attention stays on you is to limit word count to no more than 10 words per slide. As presentation expert Nancy Duarte says “any slide with more than 10 words is a document.” If you really do need a longer explanation of something, handouts or follow-up emails are the way to go.

Following a “less is more” approach is one of the simplest things you can do to improve your presentation visuals and the impact of your presentation overall. Make sure your visuals add to your presentation rather than distract from it and get your message across.

Ready to learn more about how to make your presentation even better? Get TED Masterclass and develop your ideas into TED-style talks.

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• Presentation Design

Presentation Do’s and Don’ts: What You Need to Know

Camille del Rosario

Giving a presentation can be a nerve-wracking experience, especially if you’re not fond of public speaking. Luckily, there are ways you can improve your talk and give maximum value to your listeners. Your public speaking skills — like speaking clearly and minding your body language — are important. But you also have to complement this with good and effective presentation design .

There are a lot of things that you can do to improve your presentation design and delivery method, from using attention-grabbing images and PowerPoint graphics to enhancing interactivity with the audience. In this article, we list all the important do’s and don’ts when giving a presentation to amplify the value that listeners will get from your pitch.

Presentation Do’s 

1. plan the structure.

You might have a lot of information you want to share with your audience. The first part of your preparation should be planning your structure.

• You can’t deliver a huge load of information at once, so create an organized guide for you to follow throughout your talk.
• Start with providing your listeners with background information about you and the topic.
• Next, highlight your main message or key point and then supplement it with data-based arguments backed by verified sources.
• Finally, plan your concluding thoughts or CTA to maximize your presentation’s impact.

With all the points that you need to make, it’s easy to get sidetracked and lose your train of thought. If there’s one thing you can take away from these tips, it’s to never give a presentation unprepared.

2. Use the Rule of Thirds

Have you ever seen a presentation deck so rife with information that it becomes too much? There’s a reason minimalism is good practice when designing your slides. If there are too many things going on on your presentation deck, you run the risk of distracting your listeners and overloading their brains with too much information.

Generally, you should keep it simple by using centered or symmetrical layouts. But sometimes, your content doesn’t allow for a strictly symmetrical layout. Your slide may end up looking unbalanced or unfinished.

Using the rule of thirds is a good principle to counter that. Imagine that your slide is divided into three equal parts vertically and horizontally. Place text, images, or other objects on each section of the grid to make the slide as balanced and aesthetically pleasing as possible. This helps you align the objects in your deck in a way that’s easy on the eyes and gives room for white space.

3. Use Negative Space Generously

Negative space is the “blank” part of a design — no elements whatsoever. But just because they’re blank doesn’t mean they don’t serve a purpose. Negative space, also known as white space, is an important functional element of your design. They help clear up the layout so that the audience’s eyes are drawn only to the most important parts.

Using negative space will greatly improve your audience’s ability to absorb and retain information. It’s a common beginner design mistake to fill up every corner with text and graphics, but don’t give in to the temptation!

4. Think Twice When Choosing Stock Photos

Overcrowded layouts and big blocks of text are off-putting for audiences. If you saw walls of text in a PowerPoint presentation, most likely, you wouldn’t be motivated to read every single line from start to finish. That’s why you need to add attention-grabbing visuals.

When adding visuals to your presentation, stock photos are a good resource. But make sure that you maintain a selective attitude when using them. Instead of settling with the first photo that pops up after a query, conduct a more specific search and find photos that are relevant to your topic.

Images have been shown to increase retention by up to 24%, so adding them to your presentation will keep your listeners engaged. Try to keep the text as minimal as possible and instead incorporate more images or visuals that are captivating, high-resolution, and relevant to your presentation.

5. Choose Your Fonts & Colors Carefully

The fonts and colors you use in your presentation deck can make or break its ability to engage your audience and provide important information. In line with keeping your slides simple, choose fonts that are readable and use only colors that are easy on the eye.

Make sure your color choices are on-brand — or at the very least, relevant to your topic. Pastel colors and monochromatic palettes are a trendy choice these days. So are neon elements on dark backgrounds. But as long as they provide enough clarity and contrast, it’s totally your choice!

When it comes to fonts, go for the simplest choices. But your font doesn’t have to be boring! A great way to tell if a font is appropriate for a presentation is to do a size test. If a font is easy to read at a very small size, then it’s workable. (But that’s just a test — in your actual presentation, remember to keep your font sizes big and friendly!)

6. Let Your Passion Shine Through with Storytelling and a Conversational Tone

Even if you’re speaking about a formal or technical topic, it doesn’t mean that you can’t be casual in your presentation. People appreciate listening to someone who’s human and who they can relate to, making story-telling a valuable skill in public speaking. Stories also help people retain information better!

Engage your audience by telling a story that’s related to your main point. You can start your presentation with a backstory or capture attention halfway through. And while you’re story-telling and providing value to your audience, make sure that you’re showing them how interested and passionate you are about the topic at hand.

7. Use Audience Engagement Strategies

As much as possible, you want to keep your audience engaged from start to finish. Aside from adopting the best practices in speech delivery and presentation design, you may also want to make your talk more interactive. Here are a few ways you can do this:

• Involve your audience in the conversation. Ask them questions every couple of minutes or tell a short story or two to keep their eyes and ears on you.
• Make eye contact with your audience and pay attention to your own nonverbal cues like gestures, posture, and facial expression.
• Rehearse and time your speech. It’s easy to lose track of time during a presentation, so make sure you know how much of your audience’s time you’re taking by conducting a timed rehearsal. As a bonus, this will also help you gain clarity about the flow of your talk or even help you anticipate questions and reactions.

Information is not hard to come by, especially in the digital age. Your audience can easily get access to and learn about the topics you’re going to talk about from other resources. So what makes your presentation special? In the end, there’s still nothing that can compare to hearing it from a professional who can deliver this information in a more intimate and engaging manner.

8. End Your Presentation With a Key Question or Call to Action

You can’t always guarantee that your audience will remember everything you discussed in your presentation. So it’s important that you identify your main point — the one thing that you want to leave your audience with.

So before presenting, make sure you’ve identified “the one idea to rule them all.” Summarize what you discussed in a single statement, which can be in the form of an insight, question, or action. Doing this will get your audience thinking and allow them to appreciate what your presentation was really about.

Presentation Don’ts

1. don’t use too much text.

You’re not writing a book — your slides are meant to be observed for several seconds with minimal effort from the viewer. You have a limited hold on your audience’s attention. Don’t risk being boring via information overload and keep text at a minimum.

For more complex information, use short sentences divided into three to five bullet points per slide. You can also use data visualizers like charts and graphs, but remember to simplify these as well by only using a few variables at a time.

And if you really want to provide lengthy content, consider providing your audience with presentation aids like printed handouts or links to digital documents that they can study at their leisure after your presentation.

2. Don’t Just Read the Slides Out Loud

If your slides contain absolutely everything you want your audience to know, then what are you there for? Trust us — you don’t want your audience sitting there thinking, “This could have been an email.” Make the most of their time by making your presence valuable.

Giving a presentation is more than just about relaying information. It’s also about engaging with your audience by provoking wonder, emotion, interest, and action. Your presence is needed to lend credibility and authenticity to the information you’ll provide. So refrain from reading your slides out loud! You’re a human talking to humans. Make your front-and-center moment matter.

3. Don’t Talk Too Fast or Too Slow

If you’ve ever attended a talk where the speaker spoke too fast, you were probably tense the whole time only to end up without a single takeaway from the presentation. Or if the speaker spoke too slowly, you might have found yourself dozing off halfway through.

Speak at a moderate, conversational speed to help your audience understand you clearly. Don’t forget to modulate your pitch and volume. It’s okay to get excited — but don’t let emotion get in the way of your delivery. Even when you’re at your most passionate, avoid bellowing, screeching, or whispering.

Basically, clear speech is a matter of avoiding all extremes. You can do it with practice, practice, practice!

4. Don’t Overuse Charts and Graphs

Charts and graphs are valuable visual cues that help you express important numbers or statistics — but there is such a thing as overusing them. Sure, your audience will be able to absorb information from one to two charts, but if you use them more than ten times in your entire presentation, for example, the chances of your audience being able to understand and retain that information are slim.

Again, if you really think your audience should have a truckload of information at hand, then email or print out the relevant documents for them. If you manage to capture their genuine interest during your simplified presentation, they are more likely to seek out additional information later on.

5. Don’t Use Hard-to-Read Fonts

Your audience will rely on your presentation to guide them through understanding the topic you’re discussing. Make sure that your points are readable and clearly state the key points. You don’t have to use the most aesthetic font available. Stick to basic and easy-to-read options.

Broken fonts can really ruin a presentation, so here’s a little secret. For maximum portability, use easily accessible web fonts like Google Fonts . This way, you’ll be able to have access to them no matter what device you use to present — all you need is an internet connection.

6. Don’t Use a Low-Contrast Color Palette

Contrast is one of the main principles of design. It can be expressed in different ways — through size, shape, texture, and most commonly, color. Contrast helps establish hierarchy, effectively informing viewers what they are looking at.

With low contrast, it’s difficult to tell the difference between two colors that are side by side. The highest contrast possible is black and white, which is why many presentations simply use black text on white backgrounds (or vice versa).

But plain black and white presentations can get really old, really fast. Using a more diverse color palette will add interest to your presentations. Just make sure to amp up the contrast by using dark colors on light colors and light colors on dark colors.

7. Don’t Use Too Many Effects

One of the exciting features of presentation software is your ability to add transition effects to your slides. While these were fun in high school, they’re not necessarily at home in formal pitch decks and corporate presentations.

Using too many effects can distract your audience and deter them from absorbing the more important points of your presentation. Keep the dazzling effects to a minimum and make your slides as simple as possible.

8. Don’t Use Irrelevant and Low-Resolution Images

Stock or custom images are a very good way to keep your audience engaged, but you have to make sure to use good-quality images that are actually relevant to the topic at hand.

Using blurry, pixelated, or low-quality photos will set you up for a negative impression. And irrelevant images make it pretty obvious that you didn’t spend enough time on your deck. Weird or off-topic image choices can really impact your credibility. Fortunately, there are loads of creative resources available online today, many of them free or affordable.

Ready to Put Your Presenter Hat On?

These tips will definitely help you position yourself as an expert in your subject matter. You don’t need to be a graphic designer to create truly engaging presentations that are easy on the eye.

But we know that the fear of public speaking is one of the most common phobias — this means that for most people, having to design and present slideshows can feel like a little too much work! So if you need a boost, we’re here to help. With Design Pickle’s Presentation Design services, you can win over your audience with engaging, well-designed, and on-brand presentation designs that stand out from the competition. No sweat!

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Presentation Do’s and Don’ts for a Winning Deck

• October 2, 2023

Presentations have long been a powerful medium for conveying information, engaging audiences, showing information in visual ways, and leaving a lasting impact.

However, there’s something of an art to creating effective slides that takes careful consideration of design, content, and delivery. Here are some of the main presentation do’s and don’ts to keep in mind for the next time you’re in front of an audience.

Contents Toggle 1. The do’s 2. The dont’s

1. the do’s.

Know what you’re doing

Before diving into slide creation, clarify to yourself what the purpose of the presentation actually is. Think about what you want to achieve, who’s going to be presented to, and the key messages you wish to convey. This may seem obvious, but having a plan before diving in can really create a better flow of information.

Use visuals

Presentations come with the advantage of having space for images, charts, tables and so on. Not only will they help bring different colours and shapes to the content, they will break up the text and keep attention spans as high as possible. Keep in mind that any visuals you use are of high-quality, well-sized, and properly aligned with the content. As stated by The Presentation Training Institute , visual content has a lasting impact on the audience’s memory. Three hours later, they can recall 85% of what they saw, compared to 70% of what they heard. Three days later, the gap widens: 60% vs. 10%.

Stay consistent

Consistency in design elements across slides creates a cohesive and professional visual identity. Use a consistent color scheme, typography, and slide layout throughout your presentation to keep things looking smooth. Consider utilizing Master Slides or templates to ensure consistent formatting and design across all slides.

Remember visual hierarchy

Establish a clear visual hierarchy to guide your audience’s attention and emphasize key points. Use font size, bolding, color contrast, and layout to distinguish between headings, subheadings, and body text to make sure that the information flow is logical and easily digestible.

Tell a story

This one is a bit of a cliché, but is still important! Structure your slides in a narrative format that begins with an attention-grabbing introduction, presents supporting information, and concludes with a memorable takeaway. Remember to use common storytelling techniques, anecdotes, and examples to make your content relatable and engaging.

Practice and keep time

One of the most important things ahead of your presentation is to practice, practice, practice. Make sure your slides flow smoothly and fit within your time limit. Nobody wants a presentation to go on forever, so keep a decent pace and remember to leave room for questions and discussion at the end.

Use white space

White space is the empty space on your slides, which you shouldn’t consider as ‘wasted’. It makes your slides easier to read, gives them a clean look, and highlights the important parts. Don’t cram your slides with too much information, as this will end up being confusing or distracting.

Know your audience

Think about who you are talking to and what they need to know. Do they like deep dives into data, or do they prefer to know the headlines only. Use phrases and visuals that they can understand and relate to, with plenty of examples and references that matter to them.

Connect with the audience

If appropriate, make your presentation fun and interactive (within reason). Ask questions, do polls, or use other features to get your audience involved. You can also use slides to start group discussions, brainstorming sessions, or reflection exercises. Here’s a fantastic resource from Icebreaker Speech on h ow to connect with audiences before and during a presentation .

Get feedback

Every presentation is a chance to grow and get better, so if its an internal presentation, ask for feedback to find out what worked, and what didn’t. If you’ve been working on it for too long, you’ll not notice mistakes, or sections that can be edited down, so if you can, get feedback before the presentation itself to make sure it’s as good as it can be.

2. The dont’s

Only rely on text

Slides can do more than show words: They can also show images, videos, audio clips, or animations that make your presentation more exciting and memorable. Use different media to appeal to different senses and make your presentation more lively and varied, or risk losing the attention of your audience.

Forget to proofread and edit

Even if you’re proofread your presentation 12 times, there will still likely be typos or formatting errors that can be embarrassing when shown in front a bunch of people – especially if they are clients, or you’re doing a job interview task. After using spellcheck and the usual tools to check it, ask someone else to give it a good read as well. They will have fresh eyes and will be much better placed to spot any problems you missed.

Overwhelm with too much data

Resist the temptation to include every detail on your slides, and instead focus on key points, essential data, and impactful visuals. Your slides should provide a framework for your narrative, prompting discussion and elaboration, rather than bombarding your audience with too much data. If needed, you can print and hand out supplementary materials that go into more depth.

Overuse bullet points

Bullet points can be handy for listing key facts, but they can also be boring and dull when used slide after slide. Mix it up with short sentences, impact statements, quotes, images, charts and infographics. Otherwise, you might as well be showing them a completely plain and unworked word document.

Read from your slides

Your slides are there to help you, not do all the work. Don’t just read what’s on the screen or use your slides as a script. Instead, look at your audience and talk to them, using the slides as visual guides and summaries of the information you want to get across.

Forget about readability

Readability is paramount in effective slide design, so avoid using small fonts or complex typefaces are difficult to read. Stick to legible fonts, and ensure a sufficient contrast between the text and the background – for instance, yellow text on a white background.

Overload the text

One common mistake is cramming slides with excessive text that goes on for paragraphs. Instead, use concise and impactful phrases or keywords to convey your message, with any extra information being expressed verbally.

Overuse Transitions Or Animations

While animations and slide transitions can add visual interest, excessive use can be distracting and detract from your message. Opt for subtle and purposeful animations that enhance the flow and comprehension of your content, instead of having your words and images spin, zoom or bounce into view.

Use low-quality graphics

Low-resolution images, pixelated graphics, and stretched visuals can detract from the professionalism of your slides. Invest time in finding high-quality visuals or create custom graphics to maintain a polished appearance. Also, avoid using using clip art or generic stock images, as these can be easily spotted, lessening the impact of your work

You’re good to go

A good presentation can go a long way if done correctly. Of course, the human element of nerves plays its part, but if you know that you have a great deck, it will help with your confidence, and will get your messages across in engaging and professional ways. All of the above presentation do’s and don’ts can be achieved with OfficeSuite Slides , built to create beautiful presentations, allowing you to easily create decks that get the job done, and then some.

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11 Dos and Don'ts of Using Images in Presentations

Anuj Malhotra

Many presenters are using images horribly in their presentations!

From pixelated visuals to copyright images with watermarks clearly visible on them to many other disasters, presenters are coming up with unique ways to kill all the fun. Are you guilty of poor selection of visuals? Are your experiments at creating visual slides turning into disasters?

Lucky for you, we have put together a complete list of dos and don’ts for adding images to slides. You won’t believe how a little care while handling images can make your presentation a visual success. Ready for some introspection? Compare yourself with these 11 yardsticks to determine your visual literacy:

Visuals in Presentations: Best and Worst Practices

Sin 1: Using pixelated or blurry images

It’s not that presenters do not see that the image in their slide is of poor quality but that is the last desperate move they make when they can’t find any better visual in its place. Sorry folks, you have to search harder for that high quality image. If you have to shell out a few dollars, then do. But a blurry image casts a very poor impression.

Sin 2: Tiny Images

Don’t use tiny images that require audience to carry binoculars. A high quality image lets you play up that visual on your slide, so go for it. For instance, in the Don’t slide below, the presenter has killed the action picture of football by using it up in such small space.

WHAT TO DO: If you have lots of text to incorporate, allocate half the slide to text and half to the image as you can see in the Do slide below:

Sin 3: Overuse of visuals

These presenters are the ones who have taken the use-image-advice a bit too seriously. They collect as many images as can be fit into a slide and squeeze their content into the space left. Why do they do this? They find several relevant visuals for a single slide. For instance, in the Don’t slide below, the presenter has a slide on business goals and objectives of a start-up. All visuals used in the slide are pretty relevant and the slide would have been great if the presenter went with a single, big image.

WHAT TO DO: Choose one high quality image that sums up the main theme of the slide. Choose any visual that represents Goals and Objectives; it’s not necessary to pick an image for each of those goals. If you want to show each goal visually, dedicate a complete slide to each. Check out the difference:

Sin 4: Multiple pictures arranged poorly

Yes, there are times when the slide warrants multiple pictures. A campus view, various benefits of a product, trip collage, etc. require you to arrange multiple visuals aesthetically. This, however, requires basic design knowledge such as giving frames or borders to each image. The Don’t slide below is a bad way to arrange your images.

WHAT TO DO: Place your image along grids using the Gridlines feature ( View tab) in PowerPoint. Or give them a frame using the default frames in PowerPoint ( Format tab). The Do slide below is a good way to arranged multiple pictures in a single slide.

Sin 5: Cliparts that add no value, except shock value

If you haven’t heard so many presentation experts screaming their heads off calling clipart crappy and tacky, hear us now. These cartoonish characters add absolutely no value to your slide and make you look a tacky presenter too. An exception is always there, say designing a cartoonish slide is your purpose, but they don’t stand a chance in a corporate presentation. In the Don’t slide below, the clipart of suited professionals can still be forgiven but why not show your awesomeness like the Do slide shows.

WHAT TO DO: Nothing, just forget about clipart. Any visual would look better than it.

Sin 6: Watermark Images

This is the worst sin of all. Even if you make the image small enough to hide the watermark, many in the audience would be quick to spot it and trust us, it’s the worst thing that can mar the reputation of a presenter.

WHAT TO DO: Need we say anything here? Please buy the image; don’t attempt to blur or remove the watermark even if you know how to do it.

Sin 7: Pictures with headache-inducing backgrounds

Unless your objective is to perform a hypnosis session or cause excruciating pain to audience’s eyes, never choose a visual that has swirls, rainbows and other distracting elements in the background. Moreover, the content fails to stand apart from the background making it very difficult (practically impossible) for the audience to read the content. The Don’t slide below is a perfect example of what not to do.

WHAT TO DO: Choose an impressive visual that covers the whole slide. If you want to show growth, there are hundred options you can choose from- towering building, bar diagram, growth of a plant from sapling to tree, ladder steps, etc. If you have lots of text to accommodate within the slide, add a transparent layer over the complete image and then place your content. As you can see in the Do slide below, the image and content complement each other to create a professional, sophisticated presentation slide.

Sin 8: Amputating people while cropping images

Don’t be merciless while cropping images. Place yourself in the shoes of the person you are cropping. Would you like to see your photo with one arm missing? Obviously not. But yes, cropping an image to make it fit within the slide and to accommodate text at the same time is indeed tricky. As a presenter, you have to cut off portion of an image without making it look awkward. How do you that?  

One tip that all professional photographers give, while composing an image or cropping it post production, is to “never crop at joints”. Don’t cut off the person’s feet, fingers, and at the points dissecting any body part. See the Don’t slide below; the image composition doesn’t give due respect to the CEO.

WHAT TO DO: If the image itself is poorly composed, you need to take it again or choose a different picture. In the Do slide below, a different image has been taken and it’s taking up the same area without any need for cropping.

But what do you if you have a large-sized image that covers the complete slide space? Chop off all body parts left and right so that you can show the faces? Let’s take another example. Check out the Don’t slide below which has been brutally cropped to fit the content. Even the head and the crucial handshake signifying partnership has been hacked for convenience.

Now, check the Do slide- you only need to minimise the photo, crop the unnecessary portions (not the limbs, please), give it a nice frame (Go to the Format tab and check out the default Picture Styles) and tilt the photo to make it stand out and relevant to the slide. Not bad, uh?

Sin 9- Badly stretched photos

This sin is unforgivable and makes your slide an eyesore of the worst kind. Even if the stretched photo is of a high quality! What was the presenter thinking? We know. The presenter has a picture of a certain dimension, say in a portrait style, but wants to display it in the landscape format. So he stretches it to accomplish his mission knowing the damage he is doing to the image and the complete slide.

The Don’t slide below is an adaptation of a similar slide I came across on a presentation sharing platform. This also happens when a presenter chooses a shape and uses the Picture fill option in PowerPoint to fill the area with an image. If the image has a different aspect ratio than the area of the shape, PowerPoint will stretch the photo to fill the area, distorting the image in this process.

WHAT TO DO: If you use the Picture Fill option in PowerPoint and the image gets stretched, follow these simple steps:

• Click the stretched photo
• Go to the Format tab on PowerPoint ribbon
• Under the Crop dropdown menu, choose the Fill option (see the screenshot below)

PowerPoint will resize the image while maintaining the original aspect ratio of the image:

You can now drag the photo to adjust the required portion within the area. This might not work in your favor because you can’t have the teacher, student as well as the book within the small rectangular shape.

Check out what we did in the Do slide again. We cropped the photo and removed the white space in the image, chose a white background so that the image gels in smoothly, drew a circular outline around the image and placed our content alongside the image. You can try this or some other design trick, but stretching won’t do. Even a slight stretching distorts the image and is easily noticeable casting a bad impression on the presenter.

Sin 10: Using irrelevant silhouettes or other images

Silhouettes aren’t all that bad. They can be used if you want a visual element in your presentation but don’t want the audience to be distracted by the details. But adding silhouette just for the sake of it distracts the audience even more.

In the Don’t slide, the silhouette of a businesswoman doesn’t say anything. In a slide already having one visual element- a line chart- adding the silhouette is unnecessary and makes it difficult for the audience to read the chart values.

WHAT TO DO: Choose an image that adds value to your content. If it doesn’t, simply scrap it. The Do slide looks much better and cleaner with simply the graph:

Sin 11: Image with a thick outline

Creativity sometimes misfires and gives an unpleasant look and feel to your slide. One such creative effort is giving very thick border line to an image. The frame becomes as heavy as the image itself making one wonder what is more important- the image or the frame. Even if you picked the same from PowerPoint’s default Picture Styles, it doesn’t mean it is suitable for your presentation. In the Don’t slide below, the frame seems to be jumping from the slide and is too harsh on the eyes.

WHAT TO DO: If you wish to give it an outline, don’t keep the width of the line more than 1 point. Pick a light color for the outline if the background is dark. In the Do slide below, we encapsulated the image within a circle so that it doesn’t look jutting out of the slide. The outline was also chosen white and the width was kept at 1 point. The color of the text was picked as white to have a soothing contrast and not as jarring as black and red.

BONUS TIP 1: Characters in the image should look within the slide

Now this is a small error that dilutes the impact of a slide. It’s a basic human behavior to look where others are looking. This knowledge of eye movement should guide you while choosing images for your PowerPoint presentation too.

If you have an image looking out of the slide, the audience tends to look there too and returns to the slide to read the content. For a brief second or so, you disconnect with the audience. If the image, instead, looks into the slide towards the content, the audience first looks at the image and then reads the content, their attention focused within the slide. This is exactly what you want. The Don’t slide below is an example how you should not be placing your image.

WHAT TO DO: You can move the image to the other side of the slide like we did in the Do slide below. Else, you can flip the image within PowerPoint using the Rotate feature. Select the image, go to the Format tab, locate the Rotate dropdown menu and click Flip Horizontal . That solves the problem too!

BONUS TIP 2: Maintain consistency of images throughout the presentation

You should not be using a clipart on one slide, an image on another and an illustration in a different slide. Avoid too much variation as it breaks the smooth flow of a presentation. It makes you look like an amateur presenter.

There can be countless other ways to screw your slides. To save your skin, show your presentation to your family member or close friend before putting it online or broadcasting it before an audience. Trust us, you’ll be saved from many embarrassing mistakes with this exercise. If you have come across any other visual disasters, share with us in the comments below.

Spread the visual literacy by sharing this article with your friends and followers. Here’s a pre-populated tweet to get you started!

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Elevate Your Presentations: Mastering the Art of Dynamic PPT Design for Impactful Delivery

PPT designs are critical for businesses and professionals to communicate their ideas, products, and services. A well-designed presentation can help you engage your audience, persuade them to act, and achieve your goals. However, creating a successful PowerPoint presentation requires careful planning, thoughtful design, and attention to detail. In this post, we’ll cover the dos and don’ts of PPT design to help you create compelling and engaging presentations.

Why is presentation design critical?

Before understanding the dos and don’ts of ppt design, we need to understand why presentation design is critical because it significantly impacts the effectiveness and impact of your message.

Here are a few reasons why presentation design plays a crucial role:

• Visual Appeal: A well-designed presentation captivates the audience and grabs their attention. Visual elements such as color schemes, typography, images, and layout contribute to the overall aesthetics of the presentation, making it visually appealing and engaging.
• Enhances Understanding: Effective presentation design helps convey complex information clearly and concisely. Well-structured slides, visual cues, and graphical representations can make it easier for the audience to understand and retain the key points of your message.
• Supports Storytelling: Presentation design helps to tell a compelling story. Through the strategic use of visuals, text, and animations, you can create a narrative flow that guides the audience through your content, making it more memorable and impactful.
• Builds Credibility and Professionalism: A well-designed presentation reflects your professionalism and attention to detail. It enhances your credibility as a speaker and creates a positive impression on the audience, signaling that you have put effort into crafting a high-quality presentation.
• Engages the Audience: Effective presentation design keeps the audience engaged and focused. Visual elements, such as eye-catching images, infographics, or videos, can evoke emotions and connect with the audience, increasing their interest and involvement in your presentation.
• Emphasizes Key Points: Design elements can be used to highlight and emphasize important information or key messages. Strategic use of color, font size, and visual hierarchy draws attention to critical content, ensuring that your key points are effectively communicated and remembered.
• Facilitates Retention: A well-designed presentation enhances information retention. People remember visuals more effectively than text alone. By incorporating visuals, diagrams, and other graphical elements, you can help the audience better understand and retain the information you present.
• Supports Branding: Presentation design provides an opportunity to reinforce your brand identity. You can create a cohesive and recognizable visual identity that aligns with your brand image by using consistent brand colors, fonts, and imagery.

Let us now understand the dos and don’ts of ppt design that can affect your presentation significantly.

Here is the list of dos and don’ts of ppt design:

The Dos of PPT Designing:

• Define your objective : Before starting your PPT designing process, define your presentation’s objective. Determine what you want to achieve with your production and the audience’s needs, preferences, and pain points.
• Keep it simple : Use straightforward language, avoid jargon, and keep your presentation visually clean and uncluttered. Use only essential text and images to convey your message, and avoid using too many animations, transitions, or effects that distract your audience.
• Use high-quality images : Images are a powerful way to communicate your message, emotions, and ideas. Use high-quality and relevant images that support your message, and avoid using low-resolution, stock photos or generic images.
• Use consistent design : Consistency is crucial in PPT design. Use the same font, color scheme, and design elements throughout your presentation. This creates a cohesive and professional-looking presentation and helps your audience focus on your message. Understanding the presentation dos and don’ts will give better insights and help in enhancing the overall presentation.
• Use charts & graphs : Use charts, graphs, and diagrams to convey complex data or statistics in a visually appealing and easy-to-understand way. This helps your audience grasp your message quickly and also supports your credibility.
• Proofread and edit: Avoid spelling and grammatical mistakes by thoroughly proofreading and editing your slides.
• Test your presentation: Run a test presentation to ensure everything displays correctly and smoothly.

The above-mentioned are a few dos in PowerPoint presentations that should be considered and implemented to improve the effectiveness and engagement of your presentation.

The Don’ts of PPT Designing:

Now let us look in-depth into the Don’ts of PPT Design

• Use only a few bullet points : Bullet points help summarize information, but too many can overwhelm your audience and make your presentation boring. Use bullet points sparingly, and focus on the essential issues.
• Use only a few fonts or colors : Using too many fonts or colors can make your presentation look more cohesive and professional. Stick to one or two fonts and a color scheme that complements your brand identity and supports your message.
• Don’t use too many animations : Animations can add visual interest to your presentation, but too many can distract your audience and make your presentation look childish. Use animations sparingly and only when necessary to support your message.
• Don’t use copyrighted images : Using copyrighted images without permission can lead to legal trouble and damage your reputation. Use only photographs you have the rights to or licensed under Creative Commons.
• Don’t read your slides : They should support your message, not replace them. Avoid reading your slides verbatim and use them to guide your presentation. Engage your audience with eye contact, body language, and storytelling.

These dos and don’ts of ppt designs are to be considered to ensure that the content reaches the audience effectively and is kept engaging.

You can also check the do’s and don’ts ppt template free download . Also, there are multiple do’s don ts formats available on the internet that you can utilize to enhance your overall quality.

Here are a few tips to improve your presentation skills:

It is necessary to consider several other parameters mentioned below, along with the dos and don’ts of ppt, so as to improve the overall content relevance and effectivity.

• Know your audience: Understand your audience and consider their level of knowledge, interests, and expectations.
• Body language is the key: Maintaining good posture, making eye contact with your audience, and using hand gestures will improve the overall effectiveness of your presentation.
• Engage with the audience: Interacting with the audience and involving them will create a great atmosphere, and you will understand how well they grasp the content.
• Practice thoroughly: Rehearse your presentation multiple times to become familiar with the content and delivery. Practice in front of a mirror, record yourself or present it before your colleagues or friends and ask for feedback.

Remember, a well-designed and well-delivered PowerPoint presentation can effectively convey your message and engage your audience.

These tips become effective if you thoroughly understand the dos and don’ts of ppt design and implement them together.

Effectiveness of verbal communication in PowerPoint presentation:

Along with the dos and don’ts of ppt design, here are some key points to consider for enhancing the effectiveness of verbal communication during a PowerPoint presentation:

• Clarity and Enunciation: Speak clearly and enunciate your words to ensure your audience understands you. Pay attention to your pronunciation, and articulate your words with proper emphasis. Avoid speaking too fast, making it difficult for the audience to follow your message.
• Tone and Inflection: It is a good practice to vary your tone and inflection to keep your audience engaged and interested. Use a conversational and engaging tone to create a connection with your audience. Emphasize key points, use appropriate pauses, and modulate your voice to convey enthusiasm and the importance of your message.
• Eye Contact: Maintain eye contact with your audience to establish a connection and build trust. Look at different sections of the room and make eye contact with individuals to create a sense of engagement. Avoid solely focusing on your slides or notes, as it can create a disengaged atmosphere.
• Body Language: In addition to understanding the dos and don’ts of PPT design, your body language can greatly impact how your message is received. Stand tall, maintain an open and confident posture, and use appropriate gestures to support your verbal communication. Non-verbal cues such as facial expressions and hand movements can help convey emotions and engage the audience.
• Engagement and Interaction: Encourage audience participation and engagement throughout your presentation. Pose questions, ask for opinions, or encourage discussion to involve the audience in the topic. This keeps the audience actively engaged and helps create a more interactive and dynamic presentation.
• Pace and Timing: Along with the dos and don’ts of ppt, paying attention to the pace and timing of your speech is necessary. Speak at a moderate pace, allowing the audience to process the information. Avoid rushing through the content or speaking too slowly. Use pauses effectively to emphasize important points, give the audience time to absorb information, and create a sense of anticipation.
• Adaptability: Be adaptable and responsive to your audience’s reactions and feedback. Pay attention to their level of understanding and engagement. Adjust your communication style, provide additional explanations, or clarify any points to ensure effective comprehension and engagement.
• Confidence and Authenticity: Project confidence and authenticity in your delivery. Believe in your message and express it with conviction. Be genuine and authentic in your communication, allowing your personality to shine. This will help you establish credibility and connect with your audience more deeply.

Remember, effective verbal communication in a PowerPoint presentation combines clear and articulate speech, engaging delivery, audience interaction, and adaptability. By focusing on these aspects, you can enhance the impact of your verbal communication and deliver a successful presentation.

These points, if considered along with the dos and don’ts of ppt design, will surely improve the overall power point presentation and can keep the audience engaged throughout.

In conclusion, PPT designing requires a strategic approach, creativity, and attention to detail. Following the dos and don’ts of PPT design, you can create practical and engaging presentations that help you achieve your objectives and connect with your audience. A well-designed PPT with good presentation skills will help in delivering the content effectively.

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17 “Do’s” and “Don’ts” for Giving a Great Presentation

Public speaking is the #1 fear for a huge percentage of people .  It’s above the fear of dying for many people.  How can you think about giving a great presentation when you’re worried about even giving a basic presentation?

I’ve been doing public speaking events for over a decade, but it definitely wasn’t an easy journey.  It’s hard to get comfortable talking in front of groups of 10 people, let alone a hundred or a thousand.  Still, this is a skill that you can learn and even master with some study and practice.

Let’s look at some major “do’s” and “don’ts” for creating a great presentation.

11 “Do’s” for Giving a Great Presentation

1. believe that giving a great presentation is a learnable skill..

Giving a good presentation is a learnable skill.   Even true introverts can give excellent presentations.   In fact, introverted people actually tend to plan better presentations though they may be more afraid to give them.  Extroverts are more likely to “wing it” but are more naturally comfortable being on a stage.

Both approaches have value, but both have their pitfalls.  Learning to give a great speech isn’t like putting a hammer to a nail.  It’s an organic process, and it takes time to get good at it.  But, through practice and repetition, you can be an amazing presenter !

2. Prepare for the presentation!

It takes a tremendous amount of work to make something appear effortless.  My general rule of thumb is to allocate 45-60 minutes of preparation time for every 5 minutes of speaking time .  So, for an hour-long presentation, I may prepare 10-12 hours ahead of time.

One important question is whether script the entire speech.  It depends on what you’re speaking about, but it’s generally advisable to not script 100% of your remarks.  It’s good to rehearse but not “sound rehearsed.”  Outline the presentation, make notes of any stories you want to tell and major points to drive home.  But, it’s not critical that you script every single word.

You can also prepare by having great-looking slides that will impress your audience.  That will give you more confidence going into the presentation.

3. When you’re with your peers, it’s ok to “speak your geek.”

Know your audience!  If you’re speaking to a group of colleagues, you don’t need to “dumb things down.”  It’s good to speak in layman’s terms with patients and audiences who are unfamiliar with your work.  However, with peers, feel free to use technical jargon that’s widely understood.

4. Use stories to transform your communication.

Listeners will only remember data 5% of the time, but they’ll remember stories 60% of the time .  That’s because stories are how we naturally communuicate !  Our brains are wired to think that way.

Listen to the podcast episode with Nancy Duarte to learn the formula for creating the most memorable story.  

Every presentation is more memorable with stories.  In fact, stories may be the only parts of your presentation that anyone remembers.  One thing you can do is build a “story library” for yourself.  Basically, that’s a collection of 10-20 stories that are memorable/impactful to you that you can pull out and use in a variety of different presentations when the need arises.

5. Develop a good “pre-talk ritual.”

Immediately prior to your presentation, what are you doing to get yourself ready to go up on stage?  Some people like to “pump themselves up,” and others prefer to “calm themselves down.”  I’m more of a calm-yourself-down kind of presenter.

If I’m presenting at a conference, for example, I like to sit in on the presentation right before mine and just listen.  I shut my brain off and don’t think about my presentation at all.  It’s helpful for me to be calm and just relax.  Otherwise, I find that I “get in my head” too much and I start getting anxious.

I know other people that prefer to listen to some Rocky music and box an imaginary punching bag.  Whatever your needs, pick a pre-talk ritual that helps you get in the right frame of mind so you can go out on that stage and crush it!

6. Follow the structure of a great presentation as outlined in Nancy Duarte’s podcast episode.

Jump to 19:52 to hear Nancy eloquently express the formula of a great presentation.  This is backed by thousands of analyses from the greatest speeches in history.

7. Use repetition, familiar phrases, imagery, and metaphors to help transport the audience.

If you’ve ever listened to Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, you’ll hear him use a lot of references that would have been familiar to his audience.  These references include Scriptures, hymns, and cultural references.

He also used repetition to great effect.  The phrase “I have a dream” appears 8 times in his speech.  That repetition made the speech more memorable and helped transport the audience to a new plane of comprehension.

8. Have the right level of emotional appeal to fit your audience.

Passion and emotion are good, but it needs to fit the “mood” of the audience to some degree.  You’re probably not going to do well giving a eulogy if you’re yelling and pumping people up like it’s halftime at the Super Bowl.

Emotional appeals are good and can help audience members  feel  the weight of your words in a more high-impact way.  Just make sure to “read the room” as you consider how to bring emotion into the presentation.  Sitting in the presentation before yours can be a great way to gauge how the people in the room are feeling.

9. Use your presentation to translate to real growth in your business.

If you’re doing public speaking, what’s the point?  That is, what value does the speaking engagement bring to your business?  If you’re just in it to make money or get some experience, that’s fine as far as that goes.  But, a speaking engagement could be more valuable in propelling your business growth forward.

Are you going to a conference ?  You can network with other presenters and look for opportunities to collaborate.  You could meet the attendees and perhaps earn some new clients.

Speeches can also help establish you as a thought leader.  If your speech is being recorded, a great presentation can even be an opportunity for free promotion.

Whatever your plan, be intentional!  If you get invited to speak at an event, take that opportunity and use it for real business growth!

10. Use a speaking coach.

I haven’t used a speaking coach before, but I’ve definitely been considering it since my interview with Nancy Duarte .  Even the most seasoned veterans can benefit from coaching.

A good speaking coach can show you how to change your inflection, insert pauses and places to emphasize your points, and help you craft the structure of your speech.  You might not be able to afford one when you’re first starting out, but it’s worth considering if you’re going to be doing public speaking on a regular basis.

11. Use data to support your presentation.

Data are important to support the validity and authority of your talk, but you’ve got to weave it effectively into the story structure.  Don’t just spout random bits of data with no context.  Offer the data as supporting evidence within your story narrative.

6 “Don’ts” for Giving a Great Presentation

1. don’t be the hero in your story..

Always be the guide in your story !  The  audience is the hero.  You don’t want to be Luke Skywalker!   You want to be Yoda!!  The hero is the lead character in the story.  If you make yourself the hero, the audience who already thinks of themselves as the hero sees you as competition in the story.

If you play the guide instead, the audience looks to you to help them solve their problems.  Always be the guide, not the hero!!

2. Don’t be afraid to speak “off the cuff” occasionally.

I don’t generally advise “winging it,” but sometimes a little extemporaneous speaking is called for.  This is where the “story library” idea can come in handy.  You may be able to tell the same story in a variety of settings and emphasize different aspects of the story each time.  This strategy can give the feel of spontaneity but with the confidence of you generally knowing what you’re going to say.

3. Don’t create slides in a “linear fashion.”

When you’re creating a slide deck, don’t just do it in a linear fashion (e.g. slide 1, slide 2, etc).   Start with the “guiding light” or main central point, and then every slide serves to drive home that central point.  You should be constantly driving your audience towards that central point.  All slides support that central point because it may be the only point your audience remembers.

4. Don’t read directly off the powerpoint slides.

I have gotten up and left in the middle of lectures when the lecturer was reading directly off the slides.  It’s so boring!  I can read faster than they talk.  They aren’t saying anything new by the time I’m finished reading, so I’m ready to move on to the next thing.

Powerpoint slides are fine, and you can even use it as a sort of teleprompter, but just don’t read directly off it!  Did you know you can hit the “B” button to turn your screen black or “W” to turn the screen white?    Then, you could use the powerpoint as a teleprompter and the audience doesn’t see it.

Put one central point on each slide and use it as a way to jog your memory for what you want to say.  You can have a couple of hundred slides with only one point or image per slide and it’s better than having 20 that are jam-packed with too much info.

5. Don’t use the podium as a crutch.

Move around the stage!   It projects confidence and keeps the audience engaged.  The best way to feel comfortable moving around the stage is spending a lot of time preparing the presentation beforehand.  Then, you’ll feel more confident breaking away from the podium.

6. Don’t be so afraid of public speaking that you never give it a try!

Public speaking is a genuine fear for a lot of people, but it’s so much fun!  You can do it!  Just give it a shot!

Final Thoughts

Public speaking isn’t an innate talent, and it’s not limited to extreme extroverts and “naturally charismatic” people.   Anyone can learn to be a public speaker.   If you’re worried about how it’ll go, start small.  Join the Toastmasters or similar club in your area.  Get with a speaking coach.  Read, study, and learn the tips and techniques of the best speakers.

Then, start looking for opportunities to speak to others.  Start with yourself, your friends, and your family.  Move up to local clubs and organizations, then gradually step it up from there.  There’s so much value in being good at public speaking, and I think it’s worth it to step out in faith and try!

Further Reading

• Listen to the companion podcast episode with Nancy Duarte
• 5 Big Mistakes Physicians Make with Social Media
• What Makes a Great Physician Leader?  10 Lessons from a Surgeon General.

Please leave a comment below!  What’s your top tip for someone interested in public speaking?

Full Disclosure: Some of the links to the resources listed above may be affiliate links, which means that I will receive a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. But it doesn’t cost you anything extra—it’s just a way to show you appreciate what we do here. Thanks for this.

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Presentation Guru

5 dos and don’ts of presentation design.

Three out of every 5 people are visual learners. The human brain processes visuals 60,000X faster than any amount of text. And we remember 80% of what we see , compared to 20% of what we read and only 10% of what we hear. That’s why presentation design – from the intentional stringing together of text into a compelling narrative to the precise selection of relevant and attention-grabbing visuals – should be an essential aspect to any presenter’s agenda. There is a science, an art, a simple list of best practices to designing a presentation with impact. Below are five Do’s and Don’ts of presentation design that every presenter needs to know:

1. Do use the Rule of Thirds

The effective employment of this design tactic doesn’t involve experience with design software, much less a background in design.

Envision an image or slide as a grid, which is split up into three chunks of equal size horizontally and vertically . If you want to elevate yourself from amateur to professional presenter, utilize the vertical Rule of Thirds and place the object of an image to the left or right side. With an image of an animal or a person, always put the eyes in the horizontal upper third of the imaginary grid.

This design principle helps a presenter effectively harness the influence of their deck’s visuals, while creating opportunity for more white space.

2. Do include visuals

Minimal text, more images – every presenter’s new design mantra. Rightly so, considering that images increase retention by 42%.

To enhance whatever message you are trying to get across to an audience, always incorporate a relevant visual . Research has determined that if you present a piece of information with just text or in a verbal manner, your audience will only remember 10% of it three days later. However, include a relevant image and members will remember 65% of the information a few days after the presentation.

3. Do choose stock photography wisely

Have you ever witnessed a presentation where most every slide looked like the designer was trying to choose an even stockier photo than the one before it? Selecting the most appropriate stock image for each slide can seem like a daunting task. The ability to spot the differences between an insanely hokey stock image and a professional and alluring one separates the savvy from the lazy.

When searching for a stock image, you will likely have to revise your search terms until you receive a solid search query. Instead of searching for office desk, try office desk black and white or office desk modern.

To find stock images, check out iStock and Fotolia and purchase photos for under $10 per image. Or, make a compromise on library size and image options for free resources such as Pexel or Flickr .

4. Do continue learning

Just because you may not have adequate presentation design skills now, doesn’t mean you can’t ever obtain them. Take advantage of low-cost online education opportunities like those offered through Lynda.com and enhance your design software capabilities.

Start small by learning how to precisely crop an image in Photoshop. Or start big and learn how to design a data visualization in Illustrator. Virtually anything you desire to know is literally at your fingertips.

5. Do update old presentations

Busy professionals and presenters likely don’t have gobs of time to devote to producing embellished, wholly unique content for every media channel that exists today. The good thing is, all of the time spent on one deck isn’t in vain if you continue to revisit it in the months and years following a presentation. Update the design to reflect current trends. Then, use the deck and elements of it to distribute quality content on social media and LinkedIn.

1. Don’t overload slides with text

Take a cue from human psychology and minimize the amount of text you put on any one slide. According to Cognitive Load Theory, the more complex information a presenter places on a slide, the more easily our brains will become overloaded as we try to process the information chunk.

A simple way to cut down the extraneous load of content starts with providing an overview of what your audience can expect to hear throughout your talk. According to Matt Abrahams of the Stanford Graduate School of Business, audiences can retain structured presentations 40% easier than freeform presentations. Other strategies include presenting one idea per slide, eliminating jargon from your deck, and of course, utilizing visuals.

2. Don’t use bullet points

The whole premise of bullet points is that an individual is attempting to display more than one piece of information on each slide. Therefore, if you are adhering to the guidelines outlined in Don’t #1, you should have no use for the dreaded bullet points at all. If that isn’t enough to persuade you away from those little dots, take into account this 2014 study , which discovered that audience members experience enhanced difficulty paying attention to bulleted lists, as well as agreeing with and recalling them.

A relevant, high-quality visual will relay whatever point you want to make more effectively and efficiently than any bulleted list could even dream of accomplishing. Friends don’t let friends use bulleted lists…and we consider you our friend.

3. Don’t rely on templates

Presentation templates are tempting. But don’t give in to their ease and conveniency. Once you get started working within one, you’ll swirl into a rabbit hole of bullet points and lackluster slide designs.

On top of that, templates convey one ugly truth to your audience. That you don’t care about the presentation you are giving. That you didn’t even try. Swap the restriction of a template for a bold background image and a little bit of large text.

4. Don’t use low-resolution images

Spreading low-resolution images and subpar photography throughout your presentation will only set a negative tone. Primarily, it will project unprofessionalism, a lack of expertise, and an altogether lack of enthusiasm in your own ideas and thoughts.

All of that to say… Put the time and effort into selecting high-resolution images and well-intentioned photography. Because the majority of your audience will be visually-driven, the clarity and quality of your images is paramount to the ultimate success of your presentation and message.

5. Don’t abuse charts and graphs

You’ve seen it before. Some presenter has shown you an atrocity of bar and line graphs and pie charts (oh my!). Despite their best intentions, you probably didn’t retain the message they hoped you would from that slide. According to a recent study conducted by Harvard and MIT researchers, people prefer unique data visualizations over traditional formats. Consider displaying information with a clean, crisp, creative data visualization .

You can design an engaging, professional, and elegant presentation – whether you graduated with a degree in graphic design or have never opened up an Adobe Creative Suites program. If you keep these 10 tips and tricks in mind, you will be one step closer to delivering a compelling, creative, and timeless deck.  

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• The 8-Step Guide to Approaching Presentations with a Journalistic Mindset - 21st June 2016
• 5 Dos and Don’ts of Presentation Design - 12th May 2016

18th June 2016 at 7:08 pm

Good basic tips that anyone can put into practice. Taking charts out of ppt and into illustrator is a sure way to improve the quality of them and having a limited colour palette immediately makes them look more professional…oh and not too many different type sizes.

27th July 2016 at 11:57 pm

Just keep the context and audience of the presentation in mind. While overloaded graphics are bad either way, simply putting one number on the screen will have an academic audience ask “Where’s the data?” and unique visualizations have to be finely tuned so as not to generate the impression as to be an effort to distract with high quality visuals from low quality data… Us scientists are a suspicious lot 😉

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10th August 2021 at 4:24 pm

Hello, this post has valuable information. Appreciate the efforts you put into writing this, and sharing with us.

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18 PowerPoint Dos and Don’ts

• Presentation design /
• Visual communication

While there are many who advocate for this new app and that great new program, Microsoft Office’s PowerPoint remains the lifeblood of many marketing presentations and documents. It’s our old friend who knows our needs and wants better than we know them ourselves, who’s always there for us in times of big campaigns and important reports.

For those looking to improve their presentations, these PowerPoint dos and don’ts will not disappoint –  we’ve put all our research and experience into it to ensure that. If you’re just discovering PowerPoint’s endless capabilities, these tips will help you master it in no time.

We’ve also included some Pro Tips that might hold the answers to some of the questions you’ve been having. Let’s get started.

PowerPoint Dos

1. know your audience.

All marketing actions should start here. It’s the same for presentations, regardless of their intended purpose. Your information, design and style should be based on what your audience will understand and respond to.

Nancy Duarte, Principal of Duarte Design and author of “ Slideology ”, recommends asking 7 questions to know your audience and build an audience persona slide to place at the front of your presentation.

Download this PPT template from Duarte Design

2. Create a structure

Things can quickly spiral out of control if you dive head on to designing the document, without a structure in place. Even if you’re creating a presentation to illustrate an existing piece of content, you’ll still need to tailor it to PowerPoint specifics regarding quantity of information, succession of ideas, verbal details used when presenting it etc.

If you’re halfway through the presentation and don’t remember what comes next, go back to your structure. This will help maintain a cohesive train of thought and message flow.

For instance, we usually start our presentation creation process by putting together a structure of the presentation, then we add content to fill-in the structure and, finally, we design the content.

3. Use keywords

This will help you convey a clear message and keep your audience’s attention. It’s also of great help to you when creating the flow of the presentation.

Start with the topic of your presentation, your principal keyword will derive from that and will most likely be comprised in the presentation title. The structure of your presentation will give you another set of keywords.

For example, this presentation starts with 2 main longtail keywords: search content and social content. If you browse through the presentation you’ll notice that certain keywords that are essential to the topic at hand are distributed recurrently throughout the presentation, such as: content marketing, social media, digital channels and content strategy.

Search Content vs. Social Content von SEMrush

4. Organize your information clearly

Be brief and clear. Don’t crowd your slides. Instead, opt for no more than 2-3 sentences per slide and keep in mind your keywords. Think of them more like statements than sentences.

Treat your slides like billboards .

If you’re using lists, 6 bullets/points per slide should cover it. Make sure to leave enough space between lines of text.

Limit the number of slides. A good case practice is using 20-30 slides or one slide per minute.

Use section divider slides; this will help break up content into memorable chunks.

5. Use a legible font

Opt for a legible font and type size. Don’t use eccentric fonts that will make it impossible to make out the actual words. Stick to standard, easy-to-read fonts, preferably sans-serif (fonts such as Arial or Helvetica). This will also minimize the risk of having your fonts substituted when sending to other people.

Titles should be at least 28 to 48 points, bulleted text or body copy at least 24 points. Only use caps in headlines and section titles, not in paragraphs.

6. Ensure design consistency

Create a template based on your brand guidebook, using the company logos and colors. This will make it so much easier to create consistent presentations and maintain design unity across your work.

Create different layouts for different occasions, within the same template; this way, your presentations will be unified from a design point of view but still have original elements given by the different layouts used.

Featured Download:  An Easy Guide To Repurposing Content

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7. Be smart about colors

If your brand book already has a color palette you’re all set. If you’re doing something different, you’ll want to make sure you’re using the appropriate colors: not too bright, high contrast, consistent. A color that looks good on your monitor does not necessarily look good on the big screen you’ll be using to present.

The relationships between the colors you’re using are also important. Limit the use of color to 2 to 4 colors/shades. Use colors that will stand out and will be easy on the eyes (dark backgrounds and light text is a good case practice.) Try Paletton to experiment with different combinations and see what would work best for what you have in mind.

Get inspired by this year’s Pantone color palette to design visually attractive presentations:

Presentation Design Tips – Pantone Best Colors To Use In 2017 from Visual Hackers

8. Use visual elements to illustrate your ideas

Graphs and charts can help show relationships, comparisons, and change. Illustrate your point by verbally discussing each element. Only include 1 to 2 images per slide. You can also use shapes to illustrate complex topics.

Make sure to use these visual graphics to enhance your message and increase understanding. Too much of anything can lead to over stimulating your audience and losing their attention.

9. Save, save, save

It’s best to prevent any technical mishaps and save your work every 5-10 minutes. Even though the program has an automatic save and recover function, there have been plenty of instances when it was too late or something went wrong. CTRL+S is your mantra.

10. End with a summary slide

It’s a good case practice to go through your key points and list the final benefits in a summary slide, at the end of your presentation.

The most important sections of your presentation are the beginning and ending. The beginning is when you will grab the attention of the audience. The summary ending will make it easier for them to remember your ideas.

Here’s an example from one of our clients’ presentations:

11. Keep your presentations well-organized

Store each presentation and its associated files in its proper folder, together with all the visual elements you’ve used.

12. Use animation and sound carefully

Like graphics, animations can be used to enhance your ideas. Abuse them, and you have information overload again. You can also integrate sounds into your presentation, if that’s something that supports your ideas or is needed.

For example, this animation emphasizes that the solution offered by the client is much faster and prevents higher losses:

13. Use transitions for a more dramatic impact

Transitions between slides can help your presentation make more of an impact. However, they can also be quite distracting. A good case practice is to keep transitions to a minimum and use the same transition or a variation of the transition.

Transitions can help when you want to break up content over several slides while still keeping a sense of continuity. Think of it as creating movie scenes rather than individual slides.

With the help of more complex animations and transitions, you can replicate modern effects you typically see on websites, such as parallax scrolling. This type of transition can help the narrative of your presentation and enhance it’s storytelling.

PowerPoint Don’ts

1. put everything on one slide.

It’s not as obvious as you might think. We’ve all done it, at one point. For those situations when there is still something to say, illustrate or include, take a step back and ask yourself “If I can’t see this slide and I can’t read off of it during my presentation, will I still be able to convey its essence?” And there you have your answer.

Only put the essence down. It’s recommended that you don’t use more than eight words per line or eight lines per slide. Start with creating the slides you want and then go back and edit them – remove all non-essential information, remove unnecessary words, and take out slides you can live without. Cut your presentation by as much as half to get to the core if it.

2. Overuse transitions, animations and sound

These effects are meant to be used scarcely, to increase the impact of one idea. They can become a distraction very quickly.

Keep your message front and center and spice up your presentation with enhancing elements at the end. Most presentations are just a visual aid; if you overload them, the audience will end up trying to read the slides and not paying attention to you.

3. Use hard-to-read color combinations and fonts

Stay away from red/green, brown/green, blue/black, blue/purple combinations. Instead, aim for a high contrast between background and text. Also, don’t use bright background colors that will strain your audience’s eyes.

You should also try not to use different colors and fonts on every single slide. Your template will help with this.

4. Use generic graphics and (very) stock photos

If you’re going to opt for visual elements, make sure they are well-designed and suited for your audience. Don’t use generic clipart you found on Google, that’s just offensive to your audience.

The same goes for stock photos that look the same and have been used by everyone. Chances are someone has seen or used that image as well, so instead of helping, it actually hurt your point.

5. Think the slides are for you

Too many people seem to think PowerPoint is just a speech handout. Your presentation is meant to help the audience follow you and to give the clues to organize the information you are sharing, it’s not a substitute.

Pro Tips and Tricks

Choose a story archetype to structure your presentationCreate custom slide sizes – for example, if you want to show a quick presentation to someone on your smartphone, you can create slides the size of your actual screenAlign objects to get a clean design – try this tool for slide proofingGet more control over objects’ designs using “Format” menus Create custom shapesCrop images into custom shapesEmbed your font files to make sure they don’t changeEmbed multimediaCompress images to reduce the size of the presentationUse Touch Bar shortcuts Use a black background for scientific presentations Convert vectors to editable shapes in PowerPoint

Whatever your choice of presentation creation program, remember that your ultimate goal is to convey a message. Follow the principles above and make sure everything you’re including in it supports your message and enhances it, without distracting the audience.

If you need help with creating a last-minute report or presentation, we’ve got just the team for you. Drop us an email and request a quote and we’ll make sure to help you deliver a successful presentation!

Image credit: Mind Blown – Liana Azwa via Behance.net

Are you ready to take your presentations to the next level?

Our team can help with everything from researching your project, writing the content, designing and building your slides, and even creating handouts.

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I really like it

That’s great! Thanks!

Thanks for the info. I really appreciate it

This is really great! It helps a lot!

Lol I love this but it could use some more donts

Thanks for the appreciation and feedback Mike. We’re actually working on an updated version of this article and it will have a few more Don’ts 😉

i agree more don’ts would help a lot

thanks for the insights. They are very helpful. I hope to benefit more in the future presentations

Great tips there Paula! Definitely gonna apply some of these to my upcoming presentations especially embedding visual media and adding touchbar shortcuts. I also found this article https://slideuplift.com/blog/powerpoint-hacks-you-did-not-know-for-effective-presentations/ helpful for some more dos and don’ts to create effective presentations.

Great tips for PPT makers. This certainly helps, will share the articles with my PPT design team. Thanks

Excellent article! Congratulations on the information. 57439559

Great PPT Dos and Don’t s

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Presentation Training Institute

A division of bold new directions training, the do’s and don’ts of presenting.

Giving a presentation can be a challenging and nerve-wracking experience, especially for those who aren’t comfortable with public speaking. In addition to overcoming those fears, you have to be knowledgeable about your topic while also being able to connect with and engage your audience. This is no easy feat, particularly when you are not a seasoned presenter. That said, good presentation skills are vital to your success both personally and professionally. Fortunately, this is a skill that you can learn and master with plenty of patience and practice. Let’s take a look at some of the most common “do’s” and “don’ts” for giving an effective presentation.

“Do’s” for Giving a Great Presentation

1. do prepare.

It takes a tremendous amount of work and preparation to make something look effortless. So, be sure and allot plenty of time for your presentation preparation. Start by researching your topic thoroughly and then plan the structure of your presentation. It is helpful to create an outline to organize your information and key points. 

2. DO Know Your Audience

Take the time to analyze your audience and learn as much as you can about them and their interests. What prior knowledge do they have on the topic? What is their age and professional experience? What are their attitudes and beliefs? What do they hope to gain from your presentation? The more you know about your audience, the better you will be able to tailor the information to their needs and interests. 

3. DO Engage Your Audience

As a presenter, you want to keep your audience engaged from start to finish. Aside from providing them with important information, you also want to keep the presentation entertaining enough that they maintain interests. You can do this by starting off with a catchy hook that captures attention right away. You can also tell stories, include visuals, incorporate humor, and even interact with the audience. 

4. DO Be Mindful of Body Language

Before you have even spoken your first word, the audience is already forming opinions based on your body language. Nonverbal communication is made up of facial expressions, hand gestures, posture, and body movements, and this form of communication is just as important as spoken word. Strong body language is essential for building credibility, expressing emotion, and connecting with your audience.

5. DO Rehearse

It is so important to rehearse your presentation plenty of times before standing in front of your audience. This will help you make adjustments and corrections, perfect your timing, and ultimately build confidence. 

“Don’ts” for Giving a Great Presentation

1. don’t read from a slideshow.

You want to avoid “death by powerpoint” at all costs. Nothing will lose an audience faster than a boring slideshow. While there is nothing wrong with supplementing your presentation with a visual PowerPoint, your slides are simply meant to be observed for a few seconds as a means to further elaborate on what you are saying. Therefore, keep text to a minimum and don’t rely too heavily on your slides. 

2. DON’T Use Technical Jargon or Filler Words

You want to stay away from using too much technical jargon, as this may be confusing to your audience. You have to keep in mind that they are not experts on the topic, and therefore may not be as familiar with such terminology. Likewise, you want to be mindful of not using filler words like “um” and “uh,” as this can make you appear nervous and cause you to lose some credibility. 

3. DON’T Make Your Slides Too Fancy

These days there is an abundance of presentation software and it can be tempting to add all the bells and whistles. However, while your intent may be to “wow” the audience, it can actually end up being very distracting and even appear unprofessional. Stay away from cheesy clipart, animations, transitions, and fancy effects. When it comes to creating a presentation slideshow, remember that  clean, simple, and uniform slides will look the most professional.

4. DON’T Talk Too Fast

When some people get nervous, they tend to talk at a much faster pace. Talking too fast, however, can make you appear nervous and anxious. It also makes it difficult for the audience to follow along. Practice pacing yourself and maintaining a consistent pace that’s not too fast or too slow. 

5. DON’T Fidget

The way you move your body on stage says a lot about how you are feeling and you don’t want to convey nervousness to your audience. Avoid fidgeting with your hands, crossing your arms, or looking down while presenting. 

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PRESENTATION DESIGN

The DO’s and DONT’s of PowerPoint Animation

From a simple slide transition to complex builds, PowerPoint is capable of rendering a huge range of animations that can do almost anything. But most people have never even experimented with PowerPoint animations, let alone mastered the art.

So to get you started with this powerful (but advanced) PowerPoint feature, check out our list of the most important DO’s and DONT’s of PowerPoint animation.

What to do before adding animations

Before you even click on the Animations tab, start out by thinking about the presentation you are working on.

Start with questions like:

Who is the audience for this presentation?

What is the format? Is it online or in-person?

Does the content need animations?

The reason to start with some background is to help assess if you should even add animations, and if so, the best way to do it.

For example, if the audience is a board of directors, flashy animations may be seen as getting in the way of core content, or cause unnecessary challenges in a presentation that's more about the conversation than anything else. In this case, you might want to skip animations altogether.

If it's a virtual presentation, you may want to dial them back to their most basic format, as complex animations can render slowly over stream, causing your carefully plotted animations to look choppy and rough.

If your content is weighty and serious, animations might be seen as too lighthearted to be appropriate.

In each of these cases, a little upfront thinking can save a lot of time on the back end.

Now that you've decided if and how you want to use animations, let's get into some more detailed questions.

PowerPoint Animation DOs

Do start with slide transitions.

As we discussed in a previous article , slide transition effects are intuitively named to do just what they say – animations between slides. They are the first thing that will animate on your slide, and the first place most people should look when starting with PowerPoint animations, so it makes sense for them to be at the top of our list.

This oft-overlooked feature instantly adds polish and sophistication to your deck, even if you don’t animate anything else. We’re particularly fond of the fade transition for the way it subtly dissolves between your slides, even fading your first slide in. While this may not seem like much, try comparing a deck with a fade transition applied to every slide versus the same deck with no slide transition at all, and you’ll see that the stiff changes in the one without fades starts to feel more like clicking through the pages of a PDF compared to the polished feel the fade deck provides.

To apply slide transitions, simply click “Transitions” from the top menu, highlight the slides you wish to apply the transition to, and choose your effect.But be careful, a lot of the slide transitions can be heavy-handed and will make your audience weary if they have to view them on too many slides in a row.

If you want to take your slide transitions to the next level, check out our blog on the Morph animation .

DO punctuate with emphasis

PowerPoint animations are great for adding emphasis to important moments. In particular, choosing one “AHA” moment and giving it some punch will leave an impact on your audience, without the fatigue that comes with too much motion.

For example, if you have a slide with a main idea or key takeaway, you can remove any animation from the preceding slide, then animate in a word, phrase, or mark to subtly reinforce that “if you remember nothing else, take note of this.” Like any other design element, assigning drama to an object with PowerPoint animations lets you create moments of contrast.

DO add meaning with animations

Maybe your slide doesn't end with a bang, like an infographic meant to communicate some kind of flow and process. Instead of wowing them at the end, using movement or emphasis throughout a slide can add a layer of communication that you get to show, rather than explain. This can even sometimes free up superfluous text or other elements from cluttering your visual design. This is also a great example of visual storytelling, where the elements on your slide help communicate your message without explicitly saying something.

PowerPoint Animation DONTs

Don't overdo it.

Between this and our other blogs about PowerPoint animation, we’ve mentioned many times that it’s best to go easy on the number of animations and slide transitions you use. Another way to say this is that the animations you add should be very intentional: they should serve specific purposes within your design, rather than something you add purely for visual flair.

If you’re adding animations (or other design elements) because you are worried your audience might get bored, you’d be better off looking at your content rather than adding more things to look at. The act of simply keeping track elements flying in and out can tire your audience as much as anything else. A small bit of animation at the right moment will feel so much more considered, and leave a stronger, more confident impression.

DON’T let animation sabotage you

Imagine this: you worked hard animating the perfect slide. The animation is tasteful but impactful, you’ve even learned how to group objects on your slide together to cut down on the total amount of elements animating in. But then you hand the slide to a teammate to finalize the content, and they (accidentally) ungroup your text boxes. Now, your boss is giving a presentation with broken animations and none of the sizzle she wanted in the PowerPoint slides.

Essentially, think about who is working on the presentation and how it will be delivered before you get too bogged down in animations. If others will be working on the slides, you need to keep that in mind as you design your slides. If it’s printed, the printer will show your slide the way it looks in regular design mode, with all the elements sandwiched together. And if it’s a remote presentation, animation can appear choppy when shared over many of the popular online meeting platforms.

Each of these cases requires a different approach to using animation. So before you go too far, make sure you take the time to ask how the deck will be presented.

DON’T be afraid to experiment

We’ve spent a lot of time telling you a little animation goes a long way, which is absolutely true. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t click around and explore all the possibilities that PowerPoint animation offers. PowerPoint has a few animation tricks that, when mastered, can enrich your story beyond simply adding visual flair. Essentially, think about ways that PowerPoint animations can enhance your story, not just the visual appeal of your slides. But most importantly, practice and see what feels right, rather than peppering your team’s deck with new effects and seeing how they react in the moment.

PowerPoint animations are an essential storytelling tool

PowerPoint animations tend to be 1) never used or 2) overused. As a result, they are seen as ineffective and too often overlooked. But the fact is that adding some simple PowerPoint animations can be a great way to elevate any presentation into something that stands out. Used with care and intention, animations can also be a great way to help tell your story. So the next time you are designing some slides, try out a few of our PowerPoint animation DOs (and remove the DONT’s), and see for yourself just how much of a difference they can make.

Update (03/24): we’ve revised this article to add some new details on best practices for PowerPoint animations

Looking for more information about presentations and beyond? Check out our resources for expert advice and tested strategies.

Presentation Design 101

Presentation Training

Storytelling

PowerPoint design

PowerPoint tips and tricks

About the author

Danielle John is the founder of VerdanaBold. She has more than 25 years as an award-winning designer and creative lead, directing the visual expression and production of thousands of high-value new business pitches, C-level presentations and internal presentations for major global brands. When she's not busy at VerdanaBold, she can be found antique shopping and spending time with her husband and two kids.

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More From Forbes

Dos and don'ts for delivering compelling virtual presentations.

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You might be a seasoned speaker in real, face-to-face environments. But in this new—albeit temporary—world where virtual presentations are a must, a different approach is essential.

We need to avoid a re-package to both best engage audiences and uphold our reputation and professionalism (after all, no one wants to be the person speaking with their head half cut off, poorly lit, and with a background from yesterday’s trivia game and empty bottle of wine still in full view).

At the same time, it’s important to remember that virtual presentations are still live. They require virtually (no pun intended!) the same amount of preparation and are still delivered to a discerning audience who look to us for an engaging, interactive experience.

Here are some of the practices we have developed and shared with our teams in order to improve their virtual presentations:

What to wear to virtual presentations? New rules apply

• Do   keep it simple. Avoid busy patterns and overly bright or dark colors—you want the focus to be on you, not your outfit!
• Don’t   wear hats, t-shirts, or hoodies. Or opt for a crazy hairdo. You might be at home, but you’re still in a professional setting.

Perfect the tech

• Do   check which mode you need to capture your virtual presentations in. It’s usually best to do this in horizontal or landscape mode, but requirements will vary depending on the platform. Instagram’s IGTV, for example, works best in vertical or portrait mode.
• Don’t   position your camera too close to your face, or at strange angles. Find a flat surface and adjust your laptop, monitor or other recording equipment so it’s 12 to 18 inches away.
• Do   make sure your Wi-Fi has strong signal. It’s obvious but essential, especially during this time when we’re all working from home and our networks are under more pressure. Test your audio and mic levels beforehand, too.

Set the scene

• Don’t   deliver a presentation on-the-go or in a loud space. It’s important to treat a virtual presentation as you would a physical one—there’s still a live audience on the other end of the camera.
• Do   opt for either a plain white background—this will be the least distracting and ensure viewers focus in on what you’ve got to say. Alternatively, use a custom background to enhance brand exposure and recall, and create bespoke backgrounds that incorporate client or partner logos.

Present like a virtual pro

• Do   take 
pauses to check in with your audience like you would if you were delivering a presentation in a real-world environment.
• Don’t   slouch—it’s unmissable on camera. Sit up straight. A comfortable seating (or standing if you choose) arrangement is therefore essential.
• Do   act natural. Make direct eye contact into the camera like you would with your physical audience. And even if you’re reading from a screen placed directly behind your camera, rehearse your key talking points and refer to the script only when necessary.
• Don’t   talk at your audience. Instead, take pauses, check in with them and read the room. Importantly, weave opportunities for interaction in wherever possible. Think live Q&As, polling, or enabling the audience to send in their own short spiels on a particular topic, which are then used to help shape the presentation.
• Do   stay non-verbally engaged in the conversation when you’re not presenting. An occasional smile and nod will do the trick.

None of us are certain when the coronavirus pandemic will come to an end, but what we do know, is that people crave live experiences. We’re working with clients to pivot their face-to-face experiences to live phygital or virtual ones, which means compelling speakers with inspiring stories to tell or in-depth knowledge to share are still essential. The one key change is that it’s paramount speakers have a proven ability to deliver this information in a compelling way—in real time—across virtual platforms.

So, rehearse and capture your virtual presentations over and over. Then save your best work and add it to your portfolio like you would a face-to-face presentation.

We were already leading phygital lives—co-existing in real and online states before this all happened. As we temporarily spend more time in our virtual worlds, its essential speakers adjust and adapt their approach accordingly. And remember, what you’re doing is   still live.

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The dos and don'ts of using visual aids.

1. The Dos of Using Visual Aids

Visual aids are essential to helping your audience better understand the key points of your presentation. Visual aids will also help to improve the attention span of audience members during the presentation. However, it is important that presenters use visual aids that do not distract from the overall presentation.

• Easily seen or heard by the audience
• Easily handled
• Aesthetically pleasing
• Easy to understand the key point
• Acts as a supplement to the speaker's message and not a replacement

1a. Easily Seen or Heard by the Audience

Presentation aids must be easily understood by the audience, even those sitting at the very back of the room.

Graphic elements in presentation aids must be large enough to be easily seen and read. Similarly, audio elements must be loud enough to hear.

1b. Easily Handled

Your presentation aids should be easy to transport. In addition, you should make sure you know how to use presentation equipment ahead of time.

You should seamlessly incorporate presentation aids into your speech. You don’t want your audience to be distracted by these elements.

1c. Aesthetically Pleasing

Your visual aids should not detract from the content of your speech. Keep your presentation simple so people can focus on the content rather than the aesthetics.

The decisions you make when you design your visual aids should be very deliberate. If you add color to a visual aid, use it for a clear purpose.

1d. Easy to Understand the Key Point

If your PowerPoint slides or handouts have too much extraneous information, then the audience may not be able to understand the takeaway message of the presentation.

A way to test if your visual aids are addressing the key point is to ask someone who is unfamiliar with your presentation if they can understand what the key point is.

If they cannot determine the key point, it may be a good idea to revise your visual aids to include less nonessential information.

term to know Extraneous Not essential or intrinsic.

1e. Supplement, Don't Replace, the Presentation

Visual aids are useful to help the audience better understand your topic if they are used as a supplement to, and not a replacement for, your presentation.

While this will be an accurate presentation, it will likely bore the audience members, who will not gain much from the presentation. However, if the visual aid acts as a supplement, it will enhance the audience member's understanding through diagrams, graphs, charts, and summaries.

term to know Verbatim A word-for-word report of a speech.

2. The Don'ts of Using Visual Aids

Visual aids can be effective at enhancing your presentation and helping the audience better understand the key points of your presentation. However, if visual aids do not help your message or are too confusing, they may actually detract from the presentation and hinder understanding.

• Inconsistency in color scheme or theme
• Small or complicated font or overwhelming text or graphics
• Too much information or too many slides
• Distracting animation or noises

2a. Inconsistency in Color Scheme or Theme

If your visual aid has inconsistencies in color scheme or theme, the audience may become confused, since color change may indicate a change in topic.

Consistency in theme and color will help coordinate all of the information in your presentation and will help the audience understand the topics in relation to one another.

There are a number of default themes that Microsoft PowerPoint offers that can help unify your color scheme and theme.

2b. Small or Complicated Font or Overwhelming Text and Graphics

Avoiding small fonts is essential to making sure that the audience can read your visual aids.

A general standard is to make sure that all PowerPoint slides use at least 18-point font to ensure that audience members in the back row will be able to read your presentation.

Additionally, you should avoid overwhelming text and graphics as they will distract from the main topics and points of your presentation.

2c. Too Much Information or Too Many Slides

Try to keep the amount of information on each slide to a minimum and use only what is necessary to convey the key point of the visual aid or slide. Additionally, try to keep the number of slides or visual aids in your presentation to a minimum.

A rule of thumb is to use each slide in a PowerPoint for 30 seconds to a minute of your presentation. Remember that the majority of your presentation should come across in what you are speaking about rather than through the text on your visual aids.

2d. Distracting Animation or Noises

Avoid distracting animation and noises. These will take the focus of the audience away from your presentation and shift it toward noise or animation instead.

3. The Role of Color

When properly used, colors should draw attention to the important terms or concepts in your presentation. They can also create emotion. Color should be consistently used throughout the design of the visuals to achieve these goals.

Learners and audiences are more attracted to colors and may find presentations without color to be boring. Some presenters change their color schemes regularly to prevent their presentations from becoming too monotonous. You can also change the shades of your colors.

One disadvantage of using color is that individuals who are colorblind may miss out on some information in certain colors. Using certain shades, and using them consistently, can eliminate this problem.

3a. Suggestions for Using Color

• Be consistent with the use of color.
• Use color to highlight a difference or change.
• Try to keep color use to a minimum; each color should communicate necessary information.
• Make sure that there is a good contrast between the background and the color of the text to allow the learner to read the text easily.
• Use color for clarity and emphasis, not for decoration.

3b. The Psychology of Colors

It may also be useful to apply some color psychology when choosing which colors to use. Back in the 1940s, a study by Faber Birren provided radical insight into human emotional reactions to color.

Something else to consider is that on flip charts, blue, black, and green inks have the best visibility. People say that blue is the most pleasing color to view. Red comes in second, even though it is not the most visible. But too much red can be too strong. Avoid using purple, yellow, pink, and brown, which can be more difficult to see.

When creating graphs, bright colors will bring focus to a small graph, while subtle colors will keep a large graph from overwhelming the audience.

summary In this lesson, you learned about the dos and don’ts of using visual aids . Visual aids must be easily understood by the audience . Graphic elements should be large enough to be easily seen and read. Your visual aids must also be easy to transport and handle . In addition, you should make sure you know how to use presentation equipment ahead of time. The design of your presentation should not detract from the content of your speech, but it should still be aesthetically pleasing . Consider whether you can understand if each visual aid is addressing and furthering the key point of your presentation . Visual aids are useful to help the audience better understand your topic if they are used as a supplement to your presentation. If your visual aid has inconsistencies in color scheme or theme , the audience may become confused, since color change may indicate a change in topic. Avoiding small fonts is essential to making sure that the audience can read your visual aids. Try to keep the amount of information on each slide to a minimum and use only what is necessary to convey the key point of the visual aid or slide. Avoid distracting animation and noises . These will take the focus of the audience away from your presentation and shift it toward the distraction instead. Use a font color that is readable and stands out against the background. One of the disadvantages of using color is that individuals who are colorblind may miss out on some information in certain colors. Thus, do not "waste" information by using unnecessary colors. It may also be useful to apply some color psychology when choosing which colors to use.

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Take away the value of.

Not essential or intrinsic.

A word-for-word report of a speech.

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