Presenting with Pizzazz….

Author: Carolyn Claridge

I wrote this article for the VETIG Newsletter Spring edition, 2015. Please visit www.vetig.com.au for more information on the Vocational Education and Training Industry Group and how to become a member of this not-for-profit organisation representing vocational training in Australia.

If your organisation has a style guide or procedure required to follow when preparing presentations, it is strongly suggested you obtain and adhere to it, wherever possible. Your design of the slides, notes and handouts required to incorporate into your presentation must be in relation to your company image and preferred style, such as use of logos or corporate colours.

The consistency of design and layout of your presentation is worthy of consideration – you don’t want it jumping all over the place but rather present a seamless, professional set of information. Finding the correct balance between visual stimulation and written information is a challenge. Having someone else go through the presentation with you offers another set of eyes (and ears) to gather feedback.

Ensuring your presentation is suitable to the audience you intend to give it to, is vital. You do not want to present a series of histographs to a Certificate One-level group, or insult a group of farmers with basic pictures of fruit you gathered from ‘ClipArt’ if you are presenting on new farming methodology and equipment. Sometimes, your presentation may be required for different audiences, which creates an even greater challenge. You may have to produce several versions according to the target group, or (and more commonly) your style of presentation, wording and balance is reflective of a more ‘generalised’ population.

The methodology following is by no means finite. It takes experience, trial and error, and research to get the right formula each time – which is not as common as you may think even with the most experienced presenters.

The 4 Basic Principles of Presentation Design

1. Balance

There are two types of balance: symmetrical and asymmetrical.

Symmetrical Balance: With this type of balance the elements on both sides of the design are in similar location and size. If you were to draw a line down the middle of a symmetrical design, it would be a mirrored image on both sides. An example of this would be the human face.

Tip: You can use this technique by making sure lettering, images, and other elements are aligned and equally weighted on both sides of a slide.

Asymmetrical Balance: Each side of the design is different, yet still balanced. For example: You could have one large box on the left side and several smaller boxes on the right. This kind of balance creates a more visually intriguing dynamic on a slide.

2. Emphasis

It is important to have some element of your design that stands out and grabs the attention of your audience. You can do this by using the size, colour or placement of the object to increase the focus on a certain part. To select the element of design to emphasize, ask yourself: What is the most important feature of this slide?

Tip: In order to add emphasis, make your text bolder, an image larger or use a colour brighter than your base.

3. Unity

Your design should always feel unified so that all of your slides are connected together visually, and your deck has a consistent look and feel. The elements on your page must relate to one another through design elements such as colour, shape, texture and so on.

For example, if the elements on the page feel like they were placed without purpose, then your design will feel scattered, and your audience will likely be confused about the tone of your message.

4. Movement

Designers often use curved lines to instill a sense of motion, and to encourage the eye to move sequentially from one point to the next. This can be an important tool when you are trying to move an audience through a story, or present a series of information on a slide.

Tip: Try using a curved line that moves through your text, from image to image or even slide to slide.

10 Tips for Designing Presentations That Don’t Suck

1. Don’t Use a Built-In Theme
2. Use Quality Photography
3. Solid Colors Rock
4. Typography (using the right fonts) Speaks Volumes
5. Watch Your Readability (can you read the words through the background design/photos?)
6. Simpler is Better
7. Avoid the Bullet Point Plague
8. Create Clear Focal Points (directing the viewer’s attention to the right spot on the slide)
9. Create a Captivating Cover (a good cover design is a great way to set the tone for the entire presentation)
10. Make ’em Laugh (be appropriate but not a try-hard, set a light-hearted tone with the use of cartoons perhaps)

The author would like to acknowledge the following references in the development of this article:

• Johnson, J. 2010. 10 Tips for Designing Presentations that Don’t Suck. Design Shack
• Schwerty, S. 2011. How to Be a Presentation God. John Wiley & Sons, New Jersey.