Presentation Design 411
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A 411 to presentation design geared towards advertising done by me for Frank Striefler. It is a compilation of thoughts from the leading presentation designers namely Garr Reynolds & Nancy Duarte. To download the original Presentation Design 411 book to print or look, go to http://www.recyclednapkin.com/presentations/Presentationdesign411.pdf
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Presentation Design 411
- 1. Presentation Design 411 Designed by :Brian Chandra For Frank Striefler 8/31/09
- 4. We are Visual Creatures Consider caveman drawings and kindergarten fingerpaints; we are hardwired to communicate visually.
- 5. 83% 1 of Retention & Occurs Visually 1 “Presenting Effective Presentations with Visual Aids,” U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA Office of Training and Education, May 1996. Visual Non-Visual
- 7. 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.
- 8. Jonathan Harris Shouldn’t all information worth sharing be worth designing?
- 9. If a business is a decision factory, then the presentations that inform those decisions determine their quality. Marty Neumeier Presentations are always high-stakes, and the clients deserve the absolute best. It is not only about helping our audience 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 cherish design and value their brand. But more importantly, presentations are often the very last impressiona client has of us before making a decision.
- 10. 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.
- 11. Table of Contents 6 Common Deadly Sins Design Story Symphony Empathy Play Meaning Thoughtful Clutter Images White Space 1 Message a Slide 3-Second Rule Quotes Background Type Size Standard Templates Clipart Bullets Competing Backgrounds Animation Effects Slideument Plan Analog Find the Central Point Understand your Audience Craft a Story 6 Principles of Presentation Planning Design Appendix Credits Line-setting Contrast Stats & Graphs Rule Thirds “Z” Rule Repetition Grids Handouts Final Thought
- 13. 6 Deadly Sins Standard Templates Clipart Bullets & Sub-bullets Competing Backgrounds Animation Effects Slideument 6 Deadly Sins
- 14. 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 1
- 15. 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 2
- 16. 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 3
- 17. 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 4
- 18. 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 5
- 19. 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. Deadly Sin 6
- 22. 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 1
- 23. 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 2
- 24. 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.” Symphony Presentation Principle 3
- 25. 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 4
- 26. 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 5
- 27. 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. Meaning Presentation Principle 6
- 29. Planning Plan Analog Find your Conclusion Understand the Audience Craft a Story Planning FAILING TO PLAN, IS PLANNING TO FAIL.
- 30. 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. Planning> Plan Analog Plan Analog 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.
- 31. 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.
- 32. Understand the Audience 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? 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. Planning> Understand the Audience
- 33. 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. Planning> Craft a Story
- 35. Design Design Thoughtful Clutter Images White Space 1 Message a Slide 3-Second Rule Quotes Background Type Size Line-setting Contrast Stats & Graphs Rule of Thirds “Z” Rule Repetition Grids Handouts Final Thought
- 36. Thoughtful Design 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.
- 37. 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> Clutter
- 38. 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. Images Design> Visuals
- 39. Design> White Space WHITE SPACE EMPTY SPACE is the purpose of it lets your content think “subtract,” not “add. ” BREATHE
- 40. 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> 1 Message a Slide
- 41. 3-second Rule Design> 3-second Rule Slides are a “glance media,” more closely related to billboards than other media.
- 42. Quote Pages Design> 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.
- 43. Background Dark Vs. Light Design> Background does not influence ambient lighting fewer opportunities for shadows objects can glow good for large venues bad for handouts brightens up the ambient illuminates the room no opportunity for dramatic lighting good for smaller venues works well for handouts
- 44. 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. Type Size DON’T BE A WIMP! Design> Type Size
- 45. Design> 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. Line-setting
- 46. 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> Contrast
- 47. 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> Statistics & Graphs
- 48. 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> Rule of Thirds
- 49. “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> Layout
- 50. Repetition Repetition simply means using similar elements throughout the design of your presentation. It gives a sense of unity, consistency and cohesiveness. Design> Repetition
- 51. 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> Grids
- 52. Handouts Design> 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.
- 53. Design> 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. Final Thought http://www.apple.com/iphone/apps-for-iphone/staff-picks/keynote-remote.html
- 54. APPENDIX
- 55. 36- 90hrs Time Estimate for Developing a Presentation Research & Collect Input 6-20hrs Audience Needs Map 1hr Generate Ideas via Sticky notes 2hrs Organize Ideas 1hr Get Colleague Critiques 1hr Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse 20-60hrs Sketch out Structure or Storyboard 2hrs Even if it is not specific to us, take note of the total hours needed to do a generic presentation.
- 56. Books to Read Written by Nancy Duarte, CEO of Duarte Design, this book is full of practical approaches to visual story development that can be applied by anyone. The book combines conceptual thinking and inspirational design, with insightful case studies from the world’s leading brands. Internationally acclaimed presentation designer, Garr Reynolds, shares his experience in a provocative mix of illumination, inspiration, education, and guidance that will change the way you think about making presentations.
- 57. Videos to Watch Guy Kawasaki illustrates a mini-set of rules to conquer typical Power Point low-legibility, visual boredom and inability to augment the presentation being delivered. Nancy Duarte, the founder of the leading presentation design firm, illustrates how to go from producing drab powerpoints to dazzling presentations. Garr Reynolds, presentation design expert, shares his experience in a mix of inspiration, education, and guidance that will change the way you think about making presentations.
- 58. Presentations to Check out Tips and tricks on how to create better stories for your next presentation. TED talks present Hans Rossling, who shows us a new way of displaying statistics and information. How do I start when creating a presentation? What are the things to focus on? How should I approach the design? This presentation tries to answer these questions. Al Gore’s presentation about global warming was very effective due to its ability to inform mass amounts of people through a simple and intuitive approach. Fighting death by Power Point... How to not make a presentation that bored your audience to death.
- 59. Web sites to Visit Blog.duarte.com is regularly updated with the latest events, competitions, and tips & tricks about presentation design. Slideshare.com is an online presentation-sharing web site that allows users to upload their presentations, share comments and exchange tips.
- 60. Workshops to Consider Presentation//reboot is a $675, 6-hour seminar about presentation design and it covers everything form slide design to delivery. It is held by presentation experts Nancy Duarte and Garr Reynolds. The slide:ology workshop is a 6-hour workshop that is held monthly and taught at Duarte’s office. It covers the presentation from conceptualization to design.
- 61. Competitions to Enter Slideshare.com holds weekly and annual presentation competitions.
- 62. Other Presentation Styles to Consider It is not an official method per se, but many people credit Stanford law professor Lawrence Lessig for making it famous. There are no limits to the 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. This is Guy Kawasaki’s rule of maximums. Every presentation should only have 10 slides, be longer than 20 minutes, and have a minimum of 30 point font size. It is a presentation style that limits each presenter to 20 slides a presentation, 20 seconds a slide, totalling 6 minutes and 40 seconds for the each presentation. This is a basic guide that should not be followed to the teeth. Following it word for word will produce disastrous results. http://randomfoo.net/oscon/2002/lessig/free.html Lessig Method 1-7-7 10/20/30 Pecha Kucha
- 63. A Friendly Reminder People are limited to a 20 minute attention span per “information venue,” be it slides, prototypes or boards.