Presentation design

Presentation Design
411

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

SUCK SUCK SUCK SUCK SUCK SUCK SUCK SUCK SUCK SUCK









DON’T DON’T DON’T DON’T DON’T

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.

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.


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.


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.”


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.


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.


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

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.

Presentation design

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