Presentations make up a large part of many careers; however, presentation design can often be overlooked. For the audience, a poorly designed presentation can make it difficult to understand what is being said.
If you are used to making presentations for your job, you will know how difficult it can be to create a compelling business presentation. Choosing fonts, deciding what information is worth including, and selecting visuals are all key elements that could make or break your presentation.
Before your next big presentation, here are some dos and don’ts to keep in mind.
Do: Include Numbers and Figures
Depending on the type of presentation, numbers and figures can be helpful for audience comprehension. For example, if you are explaining an increase in sales by a certain percentage, having a graph that shows this increase will be much more impactful than simply stating the number.
Don’t: Have Too Much Text
One of the most common mistakes people make when creating a presentation is flooding their slides with text. While you may think that this is helping your audience by giving them as much information as possible, it is actually highly distracting.
Instead of listening to what you, the presenter, are saying, the audience will be focused on reading all the information on your slides. Additionally, you aren’t leaving yourself any room on the slides to add helpful images, graphics, or charts.
Do: Stay Consistent with Your Branding
Your presentation should utilize the same fonts and colors throughout the entire presentation. This will help create a more cohesive presentation and will make sure your audience doesn’t get distracted by changes in design.
Presentations are also a great opportunity to incorporate any brand colors your business may have. This will help your business stand out and be more memorable to your audience.
Don’t: Abuse Transitions and Animations
Transitions and animations can be fun elements to include in your presentation to make it more interactive and engaging. However, overusing them can distract from the presentation and make it seem juvenile. Your audience should be excited by the occasional effect, not annoyed by them.
Do: Tell a Story
Like a good story, your presentation should be organized in an order that makes sense. Take your audience on a journey with a beginning, middle, and end. For example, start your presentation off with some backstory or by defining any terms you’ll be using throughout your presentation. The middle is where the meatof your presentation will be, and you can finish off by summarizing your key points.
Organizing your presentation into sections will help create structure for your audience.
Don’t: Use Poor Quality Visuals
Poor quality visuals may not seem like a big deal, but they will leave your audience with the impression that you put little time or care into your presentation. Take your time when searching for visuals to ensure that they aren’t pixelated and make sense in the context of your presentation.
For video components, make sure the audio is clear and that subtitles are included so that everyone can access the information.
