How to Design an Impressive Presentation
Focus on understandable and readable text
The text is used for delivering information, which is the obvious thing. However, sentence structure matters. Each phrase should be readable and understandable. Sentences shouldn"t be long and should not contain repetition and complex structures. Try to express your main idea with 5 to 7 words. Here"s a bad example: "the product, which is offered by our company, will be very useful for you, as it may save up to 7% of the money you spend, which is quite good for your company". In comparison, here"s a good example of a well-structured sentence: "our product may reduce your expenses by 7%".
You can always use the extra help and hire an editor to proofread your presentation and make a text readable. Another advice is to ask your friend to watch the presentation and ask if everything is understandable.
Keep schemes and diagrams simple
A diagram or a scheme should reflect the general idea. Usually, people don"t remember all those numbers they see on diagrams (except the cases, when those numbers are the key part of diagrams). A diagram is an exceptional way to show how numbers are "contacting" with each other. We can write 30% — A, 60% — B and 10% — C, but a diagram will give you the image so you can see how big the "B" is in comparing with "A" or "C".
Do not overload presentation with numbers and stats
The presentation is not the best place for statistics. You should use it but keep statistics to the minimum level possible. Numbers will turn your presentation into a boring report and audience will lose interest in it. A bad presentation is full of statistics, which takes too much time to be studied.
Choose one style for all slides
A good presentation shouldn"t look like a rainbow. Choose your style and follow it. The audience should be focused on information and data but not a design of slides. It"s highly recommended to watch your own presentation a couple of times to make everything perfect.
Don"t use too many fonts
The fonts should be chosen according to the presentation style. It"s a good idea to use different fonts to mark some parts of a text, but you should avoid using too many fonts in your presentation. Moreover, some fonts may not be appropriate for the style you have chosen. Here"s a tip for you: use "business style" fonts.
Pay attention to colour gamma
Colour gamma is extremely important. To understand how important it is, try to imagine a slide with a bright red background and a bright yellow font. Is it readable? — Maybe. Is it good? — Definitely no. Your task is to deliver correct information and do not burn eyes of your audience. Colour shouldn"t be too bright and the whole slide should not be too contrastive. It"s necessary to keep the balance between black and white and colour slides. Try to define your colour gamma before you start preparing your presentation.
Express the main idea with slide titles
The slide title should be clear and it doesn"t have to cause questions. Of course, the title shouldn"t be too long and it should tell the audience about specific information or data. If a person can understand what your presentation is about only by reading titles — it"s a good sign.
Avoid long presentations
Time is the only irretrievable resource and audience don"t like to waste it. A good presentation shouldn"t take too much time. Moreover, people will lose interest if your presentation is long and boring. Even if the presentation is enjoyable and all information is engaging and it is expressed in an understandable way. Try to focus on the main ideas and facts.
The presentation is a great way to tell your story. However, it"s graphical content and you should deliver it in a proper way. When it comes to graphical content, you should understand that it is hard to satisfy everyone. That"s why you need to try to satisfy as more audience as possible. You need to find the balance and keep it, make a presentation short, but cover everything you need. A good presentation should not be too bright and colourful. A good presentation will interest people and give them the necessary information, which is what you need. Moreover, it is graphical content, which makes content consumption a lot easier.