How to make Awesome Diagrams for your slides

How To Make AwesomeDiagrams u r F o r yo slides

MeEnrique García CotaI do software at Splendeo@otikik

© http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrimperial/121370739/ Disclaimer● Im not a designer.● Ive just done lots of diagrams in presentations.● These guidelines work for me.● “Right” and “Wrong” are used in that context. Dont take them personally.

1. Lines © http://www.flickr.com/photos/twinysam/4988273864/

Never use 0pt line width Wrong Right Visible from the far end of the room

Have consistent line width Wrong 0.06 0.32 0.10 Right 0.06 0.06 0.32 Maybe two very different widths; not more

Use only one line ending Wrong Right People at the far end wont see the difference

Use one dashed style Wrong Right Guess

Arrows instead of lines vs. When? See example on next slide

Use connectors, not straight lines With lines With connectors

Shapes instead of lines (sometimes) Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 vs. Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 They look better on simple workflows

Colors instead of outlines (sometimes) vs. Useful to reduce the number of colors

2. Shapes © http://www.flickr.com/photos/alessandropinna/1423128740/

Use a grid Wrong Right

Align when possible Wrong Right

Size means Importance Wrong Right Not Very Not VeryImportant Important Important Important

Size means Hierarchy Wrong Right Face FaceEyes Nose Mouth Eyes Nose Mouth

Size means Relative Size Wrong RightElephant Duck Elephant Duck

Size doesnt mean “long name” Wrong A Long Name Right A B* A A ...* Long Name Long Name Long Name

Different Shape = Different Type OK Better ? ?Yes No Yes No

Maximum number types: 4

If you need more, use images OK BetterA B C Warning! Finding appropriate images takes time

Transparencies, Shadows & Gradients Dont They take a lot of time to get right, and most projectors wont show them anyway

One nesting level per slide Wrong Unique slide

One nesting level per slide Right Slide 1

One nesting level per slide Right Slide 4? Is this level really needed?

But, wont adding slides increase the presentation complexity?Yes, it will.But less than nested shapes.

Complexity → → ting Nes Sli d es → 1 slide / 1 nesting level

If you need everything in one place You are not making a presentation Consider other formats

Color count Fill + Text + Lines - Background Fill = Green + Red = 2 Hi Text = White = 1 Lines = Black = 1 Background = White = -1Bye! 2+1+1–1=3

Color count should be ≤ 3

The magic of combinatoryIm only using threestill but here colors combi-can make many nations

When in doubt, use Primary colors Red Yellow Green Blue #c5000b #ffd320 #008000 #0084d1 In LibreOffice: Chart 11, Chart 3, Green, Chart12 These are awesome for diagrams

Color is great for Stress or Status Wrong Right OK OK Alert OK OK Alert Alert Alert OK OK Alert Alert OK OK OK Alert OK OK Alert Alert OK

Color is not great for lines Wrong Right More easily seen from far away

Use bright background colors Wrong Right Some projectors dont handle dark slides well

Dont use pale colors in foreground Wrong Right Gray 10% Gray >20% To projectors, any pale color = white

Printing: Black and WhiteOK OK Alert OK OK AlertAlert OK OK Alert OK OKOK Alert OK OK Alert OK Black and White = information loss

Printing: Graceful DegradationOK OK Alert Alert OK OK Alert AlertAlertAlert OK OK Alert Alert OK OKOK Alert Alert OK OK Alert Alert OK Use contrast and borders to compensate

First and foremost: Are you anoptometrist?

Smallest font size:20px Otherwise its impossibly difficult to read from far away

Only one font Wronga a a a Righta a a a

Exception: Typographic diagrams Nice Yuck

Bigger shape ⇒ Bigger or equal text Wrong Right Letters LettersA A Otherwise text size contradicts shape size

Italics: Dont bother Wrong Right a a No one will notice the difference

Bold: Dont mix itWrong Right a aa a a a Again, the difference is hard to notice

a hard to re d, n te of esp is ec iall Oblique text when y Use horizontal text up font. sid l al d e ow sm n and with a© http://www.flickr.com/photos/cobalt/1156232979/

GoNow And Make Some Awesome Diagrams!

Now Go Make Some Awesome Diagrams!

http://presentazioniefficaci.wordpress.com	42269
http://lifehacker.com	20139
http://www.vijayforvictory.com	4626
http://bcho.tistory.com	3962
http://www.allaboutpresentations.com	3389
http://amos-tsai.blogspot.tw	3161
http://www.presentacionesnegocio.com	3067
http://www.shopify.com	2956
http://www.labnol.org	2448
http://blog.ideatransplant.com	2242
http://www.ideaxidea.com	1812
http://www.cbsnews.com	1762
http://www.bnet.com	998
http://lifehacking.pl	955
http://www.profitablehospitality.com	954
http://pliroforikiatschool.blogspot.com	779
http://www.pbfluids.com	769
http://boris.bikbov.ru	709
http://knight76.tistory.com	677
http://artpp.ru	619
http://ejvyas.blogspot.com	602
http://www.globalnerdy.com	538
http://mohmdfthy.blogspot.com	536
http://beatt.wordpress.com	491
http://www.24point0.com	476
http://www.lifehacker.com.au	439
http://www.elearningpro.ru	385
http://community.dpgplc.co.uk	385
http://www.hr-portal.ru	366
http://pliroforikiatschool.blogspot.gr	339
http://www.scoop.it	319
http://slideshowclub.ru	313
http://www.reussirsespresentations.com	301
http://www.beautifulppt.com	294
http://hr-portal.ru	285
http://feeds.feedburner.com	283
http://www.edikon.com	281
http://partrita.blogspot.kr	265
http://www.yanyhbash.ru	231
http://techno-phil.blogspot.com	230
http://tlearn.trinity.edu	222
http://mcise.uri.edu	219
http://www.pinkertonsclass.com	204
http://paper.li	194
http://www.splendeo.es	192
http://www.lcding.com	169
url_unknown	166
http://www.soooshial.com	156
http://amos-tsai.blogspot.com	147
http://m.lifehacker.com	133
http://www.georgiev.me	126

How to make Awesome Diagrams for your slides

by otikik

Accessibility

Categories

Upload Details

Usage Rights

295 Embeds 111K

Statistics