You need to create a slide design that’s both informative and visually appealing. What are your options?

I have tried many templates and tools but Pitch.com is hands-down my favorite. It has a ton of choices and allows you to pick the type of template that will support your type of presentation. It also integrates with Unsplash for great visuals. This allows you to focus on the content. Remember, while crafting your presentation, to adhere to the golden 10-20-30 guideline: limit it to no more than 10 slides, keep the duration under 20 minutes, and ensure your font size is never smaller than 30 points. This approach ensures clarity and engagement.

Yes, your slide should be visually attractive. Humans are more attracted to visuals. The informative part should come from your explanation. Try not to have visuals with plenty words. It makes the audience focus on the screen and be reading as opposed to listening to you.

Choose a template with a clean and uncluttered layout for informative slides. Prioritize readability, incorporate a consistent color scheme, and select appealing visuals that complement your content.

Some years ago, I had been using PowToons, but it was very time-consuming and also sometimes gimmicky when I tried to experiment too much with the music background and got carried away with the visual elements more than should have. Nowadays, I just use PowerPoint and combine my favorite and signature colors in the same color palette with carefully chosen transparencies, overlays, and animations as well as with graphic design elements, bearing in mind that the brain of a viewer is attracted to visuals but only if they enhance the informative part. I think consistency and relevance are the keys and choosing images that are clearly defined and make sense.

Begin by selecting a template that fits the theme of your presentation. Templates offer a premade layout that can be customized to match your specific needs, saving time and ensuring consistency across your slides. Customize your chosen template to align with your topic, audience, and brand identity by adjusting colors, fonts, and images.

Incorporate visual aids like charts, graphs, diagrams, photos, icons, or videos to support and highlight your key points. Visual aids enhance engagement, comprehension, and retention. Choose visuals that are relevant and appropriate for your content, ensuring they’re clear and easy to understand, without overcrowding your slides.

Adhere to basic design principles such as contrast, alignment, repetition, and proximity to create visually appealing and coherent slides. These principles help in creating visual interest, organizing content effectively, ensuring consistency, and grouping related items, thereby enhancing the overall aesthetic and readability of your slides.

Optimize text in slides by keeping it concise, using legible fonts, maintaining consistent formatting, and incorporating bullet points or visuals to enhance understanding.

Keep text concise and to the point. Use bullet points judiciously, limit the amount of text on each slide, and select legible fonts and sizes. Emphasize important points using bold or italic types rather than underlining or using all caps. Proper spelling and grammar are essential to maintain professionalism.

Use transitions and animations to add dynamics to your presentation, making it more engaging and interactive. Select transitions and animations that complement the content and purpose of your presentation. Use them sparingly to avoid distraction, and ensure they run smoothly by testing them beforehand.

Conduct a thorough review of your slides to identify and correct any errors, inconsistencies, or areas for improvement. Solicit feedback from others to gain different perspectives. Refine your slides by adjusting elements, colors, fonts, or transitions to enhance the quality and effectiveness of your presentation.

? Incorporate Storytelling: Every slide you design can be a part of a larger story. Think beyond bullet points and facts; weave a narrative around your data. This could be the journey of your company, the development of an idea, or a case study that exemplifies your point. Stories engage audiences on a deeper level and make your information more memorable. ? Feedback Loops: Before finalizing your slides, gather feedback from diverse audiences. What might seem clear and visually appealing to you could be confusing or cluttered to others. Use this feedback to refine your slides. This iterative process ensures your design communicates effectively with a wide range of viewers.