Presentation Design

411

Designed by :Brian Chandra

For Frank Striefler
8/31/09

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

SUCK

DONT
SUCK

DONT
SUCK

DONT
SUCK

DONT
SUCK

DONT
SUCK

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
Occurs Visually

Non-Visual

Visual

Presenting Effective Presentations with Visual Aids, U.S. Department of Labor,

OSHA Office of Training and Education, May 1996.

Information is Power

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.

Shouldnt all information worth

sharing be worth designing?

Jonathan Harris

high-stakes

Presentations are
It is
helping our audience
always

absolute best.

, and the clients deserve the

not only about

but using strong visual grammar that engages all their senses to convince them to

point of view and

,

to see what we are saying,

adopt our

help them become as excited as we

are

. People dont

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

as good

only

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

impression

a client has of us

last

often the
before making a decision

cherish design and value their brand. But more importantly, presentations are

very

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
Clipart
Bullets
Competing Backgrounds
Animation Effects

Design

6 Common Deadly Sins

Story
Symphony

6 Principles of Presentation

Empathy
Play

Slideument
Plan Analog

Meaning

Planning

Find the Central Point

Understand your Audience
Craft a Story

Design
Appendix
Credits

Thoughtful

Line-setting

Clutter

Contrast

Images

Stats & Graphs

White Space

Rule Thirds

1 Message a Slide Z Rule

3-Second Rule

Repetition

Quotes

Grids

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
Its 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 mans 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
Its 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

Its 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.

Presentation Principle 2

Story
Not only argument
Stories have always been how humans have communicated, but somewhere along the
way, storytelling has been marginalized as childs play. It is how we imbue narratives
and stories into our arguments to make our pitch both rational and emotional.

Presentation Principle 3

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.

Presentation Principle 4

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 5

Play
Not only seriousness
Play allows you to start with a childs 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 6

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, IL .
L
P
O
T
FAILINAGNNING TO FA
I S PL

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
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

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.

DONT

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 audiences 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 presenters 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

APPENDIX

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.

Research &
Collect Input

Audience
Needs Map

Generate Ideas
via Sticky notes

Organize Ideas

Get Colleague
Critiques

Sketch out Structure

or Storyboard

Rehearse, Rehearse,
Rehearse

6-20hrs

1hr

2hrs

1hr

1hr

2hrs

20-60hrs

3690hrs

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 worlds 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.

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.

Presentations to Check out

Tips and tricks on how to create better stories for

your next presentation.

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.

TED talks present Hans Rossling, who shows us a

new way of displaying statistics and information.

Fighting death by Power Point... How to not make a

presentation that bored your audience to death.

Al Gores presentation about global warming

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

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.

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 Duartes office.
It covers the presentation from conceptualization
to design.

Competitions to Enter

Slideshare.com holds weekly and annual

presentation competitions.

Other Presentation Styles to Consider

Lessig Method

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.

1-7-7

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

10/20/30

Pecha Kucha

This is Guy Kawasakis 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.

A Friendly Reminder
People are limited to a 20 minute attention span per information venue, be it slides, prototypes or boards.