Presentation Design
411
Prepared for Frank Striefler
by Brian Chandra

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DON’T DON’T DON’T DON’T DON’T
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95% of Presentations Suck!
be the 5%

We are Visual Creatures
Consider caveman drawings and kindergarten fingerpaints;
we are hardwired to communicate visually.

&
83% of Retention
1
Occurs Visually
Non-Visual
Visual
1
“Presenting Effective Presentations with Visual Aids,” U.S. Department of Labor,
OSHA Office of Training and Education, May 1996.

Information is Power

But it is only as useful as
it is understandable
In this age of overstimulation and short attention spans, the simplest way to make
it understandable is to make it visual.
Speaking visually makes our information easy for our audience to understand,
and is critical to communicating quickly and effectively.

Shouldn’t all information worth
sharing be worth designing?
Jonathan Harris

Presentations are always high-stakes , and the clients deserve the
It is
absolute best. helping our audience
not only about to see what we are saying,
but using strong visual grammar that engages all their senses to convince them to adopt our
point of view and , help them become as excited as we are . People don’t
just digest information thrown at them. Designing a presentation is about helping them digest the information by creating
a desire for our clients to want more of what we are offering them. It is only as good
as they are designed It . is easy to tell when an
agency has design as a systemic value system. From advertising to presentation slides, you can tell which companies
often the
cherish design and value their brand. But more importantly, presentations are very last
impression a client has of us before making a decision .
If a business is a decision factory, then the presentations
that inform those decisions determine their quality.
Marty Neumeier

Table of Contents
Standard Templates Design
Clipart Story
Bullets 6 Common Deadly Sins Symphony
Competing Backgrounds Empathy
Animation Effects
6 Principles of Presentation Play
Slideument Meaning
Plan Analog
Planning
Thoughtful Line-setting
Find the Central Point Clutter Contrast
Design Images Stats &
Understand your Audience
Graphs
White Space
Craft a Story Rule Thirds
Appendix 1 Message a
Slide “Z” Rule
3-Second Repetition
Rule
Credits Quotes
Grids
Handouts
Background
Final Thought
Type Size

6 Deadly Sins
6 Deadly Sins
Standard Templates
Clipart
Bullets & Sub-bullets
Competing Backgrounds
Animation Effects
Slideument

Deadly Sin 1
Standard Templates
It’s a trap
Chances are the standard template will not suit your unique situation, and, even if
they did, they probably have already been seen more than a thousand times by our
clients. It encourages two-line titles and sub-sub-sub-sub-points and most importantly,
does not let the design help tell our story.

Deadly Sin 2
Clipart, Stock Image & Wordart
Just hurts
If the thought of using cheesy generic stock images, clipart, wordart or 3D charts
and objects crosses your mind, you need a vacation.

Deadly Sin 3
Bullet Points
A lazy man’s tool
The “traditional way” of doing presentations with slides full of bullet lists have been
going on for so long it has become a part of corporate culture. It simply is “the way
things are done.” Bullet points are a listing tool, not a storytelling tool. Despite the
fact that it is not effective, bullets are still the prevailing structure of most slides.

Deadly Sin 3
Bullet Points
A lazy man’s tool
No one can do a good presentation with slide after slide of bullet points. It creates
obstacles between our audiences and us, making our presentations formal and stiff.

Deadly Sin 4
Competing Background
Makes it messy
Backgrounds are intended as a surface on which to place elements. They are not
in themselves a work of art. Do we want our clients to see the background? Or our
message?

Deadly Sin 5
Animation Effects
It’s a distraction
Nobody wants to see how a chart is built or swirls of flying alphabets. Having the
newest effects in Power Point does not mean we have to use them. Does it add to our
story? If not, leave it out.

Deadly Sin 6
Slideument
It’s not a document
Our biggest mistake is using every inch of space on a page and filling it up with text,
boxes, clipart, charts, footers and the company logo. It becomes a slideument, not a
slide.
The slideument is not effective, is not efficient, and it is definitely not pretty.

Presentation Principles
6 Presentation Principles
Design
Story
Symphony
Empathy
Play
Meaning

Presentation Principle 1
Design
Not only function
Design starts at the beginning, not at the end; it is
not an afterthought. It is not only about decoration
and ornamentation, it is about organizing
information in a way that evokes emotion and makes
it clearer to understand.

Presentation Principle 1
Design
Not only function
It is not only about the form, or the function. It is about
how form interacts with function. It is just like a bento
box; it not only holds the right amount of food, it
places it in a way that attracts you.

Presentation Principle 2
Story
Not only argument
Stories have always been how humans have communicated, but somewhere
along the way, storytelling has been marginalized as child’s play. It is how we
imbue narratives and stories into our arguments to make our pitch both rational
and emotional.

Presentation Principle 3
Symphony
Not only focus
In an age where information is ever-increasing, being an expert in
a single subject matter is inadequate. The difference is the ability
to utilize the whole mind - logic, analysis, synthesis, and intuition to
find the “relationships between relationships.”

Presentation Principle 4
Empathy
Not only logic
It allows us to see and feel from our audiences’ perspective. It makes sure how and
what we say is perceived the way it was intended to be. It involves not just standing
in their shoes, but also the way we build our presentations.
A winning pitch does not only make a rational argument or an emotional sale, it
does both.

Presentation Principle 5
Play
Not only seriousness
Play allows you to start with a child’s mind, where there are vast possibilities rather
than vast limitations. Each presentation is different, and should be approached from
a different angle. But in many, playfulness and humor, from creation to execution, go
a long way in not only keeping out clients entertained, but interested in our ideas.

Presentation Principle 6
Meaning
Not only accumulation
Our clients did not come to our presentation to see us, they came to find out what we
can do for them. It is not about the solutions we could provide, but the right solutions
we should offer.

Planning
Planning
Plan Analog
Find your Conclusion
Understand the Audience
Craft a Story
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Planning> Plan Analog
Plan Analog
Presentation software was never intended to be a brainstorming or
drawing tool. By using pen and paper, you are freed from the limits
of the software.
Sticky Note Architecture
Using sticky notes to plan out the structure of your
slides may be old-school, but it allows you to see
the big picture as you build your slides digitally.
It allows ideas to be captured, sorted, and
rearranged as needed.

Planning> Find Your Conclusion
Find Your Conclusion
To communicate our information effectively, we must first articulate the
conclusions we want our audiences to adopt. It is about knowing our
story so well that, if we have 30 seconds to “sell” our message to the
CEO in an elevator, we could.

Planning> Understand the Audience
Understand the Audience
This is similar to the target market. Knowing the demographics &
psychographics of who our intended audiences are plays a part in the
storytelling planning as well as the visuals we would choose.
Audience Needs Map
What are they like?
Why are they here?
What keeps them up at night?
Can you solve the problem?
What do you want them to do?
How might they resist?
How can you best reach them?

Planning> Craft a Story
Craft a Story
Good stories have interesting, clear beginnings; provocative, engaging content and
a clear conclusion.
We have to craft a story - which is the most effective, memorable, and appropriate
for our particular audience. Make them aware that they have a gap in their
knowledge and then fill that gap with the answers to the puzzle.
Take them on a journey.

Design
Design
Thoughtful Line-setting
Clutter Contrast
Images Stats & Graphs
White Space Rule of Thirds
1 Message a Slide “Z” Rule
3-Second Rule Repetition
Quotes Grids
Background Handouts
Type Size Final Thought

Design> Thoughtful Design
Thoughtful Design
Design is thoughtful, and at its core, is about solving
problems, whatever the problem is, from squeezing oranges to
communicating effectively. Designers strive to solve the problems
and communicate it in the most effective and efficient way.
Every decision is intentional while reason and logic underpin the
placement of every element on the slide.

Design> Clutter
Clutter is the Failure of Design
The more we add, the more diluted and less effective the design of our slides are.
How much does it cost to add a slide? $0.00. If you have a lot of content, break it
down into different slides.

Design> Visuals
Images
Images tell a thousand words, but are those thousand words
the ones we want to share? They can also serve as both the
background and foreground, making the overall visual more
dynamic and unified with a clearer and more dramatic look.

Design> White Space
WHITE SPACE
is the purpose of
EMPTY SPACE
it lets your content
BREATHE
think “subtract,” not “add.
”

Design> 1 Message a Slide
1 Message a Slide
Our audiences will read the first 1-2 points but by the time we are
on our third point, they would have zoned out. If all our points are
important, should they not warrant their own slide?

Design> 3-second Rule
3-second Rule
Slides are a “glance media,” more closely related
to billboards than other media.

Design> Quote Pages
Quote Pages
Audiences like to get beyond the spoken word and see a simple reminder
of what we are saying. They add credibility to our story and are useful
springboards to the next topic.
Remember to keep it short, they do not want to read an entire paragraph
from a screen.

Design> Background
Background
Dark Vs. Light
does not influence ambient brightens up the ambient
lighting
fewer opportunities for shadows illuminates the room
objects can glow no opportunity for
dramatic lighting
good for large venues good for smaller venues
bad for handouts works well for handouts

Design> Type Size
Type Size
Size 30 is a rule of thumb, but always stand in the back of your venue and click
through all the slides so you know what people in the back row will see.
There is a minimum size limit, but no maximum limit. Do not be afraid to use the
power of big fonts. They have a big impact, but use them with restraint. Using them
DON’T
regularly dilutes the impact.
BE A

Design> Line-setting
Line-setting
It is the details that separate bad design from good design. Related items should
be grouped together so that audiences will not need to “work” to figure out which
caption goes with which visual. Line-setting the text aids the audiences in figuring out
where their eyes should go next.
T

Design> Contrast
Contrast
By contrasting an object against the others, you automatically create
attention and bring the audience’s eyes to that object. Contrast can be
created by a change in color, size and even object.

Design> Statistics & Graphs
Statistics & Graphics
Data slides are not really about the data, they are about the
meaning of the data. It is better to use just parts of the data that
truthfully and accurately support your point. It is just laziness on the
presenter’s part to put everything on one slide.

Design> Rule of Thirds
Rule of Thirds
The rule of thirds is a simplified version of the golden mean that
photographers use to frame their shots. Divide the slide into thirds
vertically and horizontally. The 4 points (called “power points”) where
there lines intersect are the points where your focus is drawn.

Design> Layout
“Z” Rule
Since young, we have been taught to read from top left to bottom
right. Consequently we have trained our eyes to “naturally” look in
this way.

Design> Repetition
Repetition
Repetition simply means using similar elements throughout the
design of your presentation. It gives a sense of unity, consistency
and cohesiveness.

Design> Grids
Grids
Create a simple grid where you can adapt all your designs. This way, you
can align elements throughout your presentation giving it a clear design
balance, flow, focus, natural cohesiveness and aesthetic quality that is not
accidental but purposefully designed.

Design> Handouts
Handouts
Many presenters design their slides so that they can simply use their presentation
as a handout. Slides are speaker-support material and are thus completely
incapable of standing by themselves. Handouts on the other hand have to work
by themselves. They are two very different mediums.
By creating a proper handout, you will not feel compelled to include everything in
your slides. It should be distributed after your talk, you do not want the audience
to be reading the material instead of listening to you.

Design> Final Thought
Final Thought
For those who have Keynote, , we should use the Keynote remote
app as it demonstrates our tech-savvyness.
http://www.apple.com/iphone/apps-for-iphone/staff-picks/keynote-remote.html

APPENDIX

Time Estimate for Developing a Presentation
Even if it is not specific to your industry, take note of the total hours
needed to do a generic presentation.
36-
Research
& Collect
Input
Audience
Needs
Map
Generate
Ideas via
Sticky notes
Organize
Ideas
Get Sketch out
Colleague Structure or
Critiques Storyboard
Rehearse,
Rehearse,
Rehearse
90hrs
6-20hrs 1hr 2hrs 1hr 1hr 2hrs 20-60hrs

Books to Read
Written by Nancy Duarte, Internationally acclaimed
CEO of Duarte Design, presentation designer,
this book is full of practical Garr Reynolds, shares his
approaches to visual story experience in a provocative
development that can be mix of illumination,
applied by anyone. The book inspiration, education, and
combines conceptual thinking guidance that will change the
and inspirational design, with way you think about making
insightful case studies from presentations.
the world’s leading brands.

Videos to Watch
Guy Kawasaki illustrates a Nancy Duarte, the founder Garr Reynolds, presentation
mini-set of rules to conquer of the leading presentation design expert, shares his
typical Power Point low- design firm, illustrates how experience in a mix of
legibility, visual boredom to go from producing drab inspiration, education, and
and inability to augment the powerpoints to dazzling guidance that will change the
presentation being delivered. presentations. way you think about making
presentations.

Presentations to Check out
Tips and tricks on how to How do I start when creating Fighting death by Power
create better stories for your a presentation? What are Point... How to not make a
next presentation. the things to focus on? presentation that bored your
How should I approach the audience to death.
design? This presentation tries
to answer these questions.

Presentations to Check out
TED talks present Hans Al Gore’s presentation about
Rossling, who shows us a new global warming was very
way of displaying statistics effective due to its ability
and information. to inform mass amounts of
people through a simple and
intuitive approach.

Web sites to Visit
Blog.duarte.com is regularly Slideshare.com is an online
updated with the latest events, presentation-sharing web site
competitions, and tips & tricks that allows users to upload
about presentation design. their presentations, share
comments and exchange tips.

Workshops to Consider
Presentation//reboot is a $675, The slide:ology workshop is a
6-hour seminar about presentation 6-hour workshop that is held
design and it covers everything form monthly and taught at Duarte’s
slide design to delivery. It is held by office. It covers the presentation
presentation experts Nancy Duarte from conceptualization to design.
and Garr Reynolds.

Competitions to Enter
Slideshare.com holds weekly
and annual presentation
competitions.

Other Presentation Styles to Consider
Lessig Method 1-7-7
It is not an official method per se, but many people This is a basic guide that should not be
credit Stanford law professor Lawrence Lessig for followed to the teeth. Following it word for
making it famous. There are no limits to the number word will produce disastrous results.
of slides and they usually move very fast. Below is a
great example where there are over 243 slides but the
presentation is 15 minutes long.
http://randomfoo.net/oscon/2002/lessig/free.html

Other Presentation Styles to Consider
10/20/30 Pecha Kucha
This is Guy Kawasaki’s rule of maximums. It is a presentation style that limits each
Every presentation should only have 10 presenter to 20 slides a presentation, 20
slides, be longer than 20 minutes, and have seconds a slide, totalling 6 minutes and 40
a minimum of 30 point font size. seconds for the each presentation.

A Friendly Reminder
People are limited to a 20 minute attention span per “information venue,” be it slides,
prototypes or boards.