Presentation Design 411

Presentation Design 411 Designed by :Brian Chandra For Frank Striefler 8/31/09

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

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

With media being any space between idea & audience, and with us wanting to use each medium to its full potential, our presentations should reflect the agency in terms of design.

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

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. 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. 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 AN, TO PLTO FAIL . FAILING NING I S PL A N

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 lighting brightens up the ambient 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 regularly dilutes the impact. DON’T BE A WIMP!

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.

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, and especially because we are an Apple agency, we should use the Keynote remote app as it demonstrates our products and 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 us, take note of the total hours needed to do a generic presentation. 36- Research & Collect Input 6-20hrs Audience Needs Map 1hr Generate Ideas via Sticky notes 2hrs Organize Ideas 1hr Get Colleague Critiques 1hr Sketch out Structure or Storyboard 2hrs Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse 20-60hrs 90hrs

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

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

Presentations to Check out Tips and tricks on how to create better stories for How do I start when creating a presentation? Fighting death by Power Point... How to not make a your next presentation. What are the things to focus on? How should I presentation that bored your audience to death. approach the design? This presentation tries to answer these questions. TED talks present Hans Rossling, who shows us a Al Gore’s presentation about global warming new way of displaying statistics and information. was very effective due to its ability to inform mass amounts of people through a simple and intuitive approach.

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

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

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 credit Stanford law This is a basic guide that should not be followed to the teeth. Following it professor Lawrence Lessig for making it famous. There are no limits to the word for word will produce disastrous results. number 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 10/20/30 Pecha Kucha This is Guy Kawasaki’s rule of maximums. Every presentation should only It is a presentation style that limits each presenter to 20 slides a presentation, 20 have 10 slides, be longer than 20 minutes, and have a minimum of 30 point seconds a slide, totalling 6 minutes and 40 seconds for the each presentation. font size.

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

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Presentation Design 411

by Brian Chandra

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