How can you design a presentation that everyone will understand?

2 Choose your format

Depending on your goals, your audience, and your resources, you can choose different formats for your presentation. For example, you can use slides, videos, podcasts, infographics, or interactive tools to deliver your message. Each format has its own advantages and disadvantages, so you need to consider what works best for your situation. For example, slides can be useful to summarize key points and visuals, but they can also be boring and distracting if they are too text-heavy or cluttered. Videos can be engaging and persuasive, but they can also be hard to access or follow if the sound quality is poor or the subtitles are missing. Whatever format you choose, make sure it is compatible with the devices and platforms that your audience will use.

3 Simplify your content

One of the biggest challenges of designing a presentation is to simplify your content without losing its meaning or value. You want to avoid jargon, acronyms, and technical terms that your audience may not understand or care about. You also want to avoid unnecessary details, statistics, or examples that may confuse or overwhelm your audience. Instead, focus on the main idea, the key messages, and the action steps that you want your audience to take away from your presentation. Use clear and concise language, simple sentences, and active voice. Use stories, anecdotes, or metaphors to illustrate your points and connect with your audience emotionally.

4 Use visuals and audio

Visuals and audio can enhance your presentation by adding interest, variety, and clarity to your content. They can also help your audience retain and recall information better. However, you need to use them wisely and sparingly. You don't want to overload your presentation with too many or too complex visuals or audio that may distract or confuse your audience. You also want to make sure that your visuals and audio are relevant, accurate, and consistent with your content and message. Use colors, fonts, images, charts, graphs, icons, or animations that are easy to read, understand, and remember. Use sound effects, music, or narration that are appropriate, clear, and audible. And don't forget to check the accessibility and functionality of your visuals and audio before and during your presentation.

5 Engage your audience

A presentation is not a one-way communication. You want to involve your audience and make them feel part of the conversation. You can do that by asking questions, soliciting feedback, conducting polls, quizzes, or games, or inviting them to share their opinions, experiences, or ideas. You can also use humor, gestures, eye contact, or pauses to create rapport and interest with your audience. Engaging your audience will help you capture their attention, build trust, and motivate them to take action.

6 Practice and revise

The final step of designing a presentation is to practice and revise it. You want to make sure that your presentation is clear, coherent, and compelling. You also want to make sure that your presentation fits the time limit, the venue, and the occasion. You can practice your presentation by yourself, with a colleague, or with a test audience. You can record yourself, use a timer, or ask for feedback. You can also revise your presentation based on the feedback, the results, or the changes that may occur. Practicing and revising your presentation will help you improve your confidence, delivery, and impact.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?