Every time Apple releases new software or hardware, the presentations look the same. A black screen with a few images highlighting the new exciting features they’re bringing to market. As a brand, they have chosen to embrace a minimalist presentation style to highlight their presenters and the technology rather than showcasing the slide deck itself. While minimalist presentations are not for every presenter or every audience, there is power in the simplicity and minimalism of a black or white screen with a contrasting color.
In order to embrace the minimalist presentation, there are a few things you need to know when to use a minimalist presentation deck.
Your presenter is animated.
There are some presenters that have the uncanny ability to hold the attention of their audience with very minimal slide support. They are animated and engaging and can captivate a crowd with their stories. With this style of presenter, it is often best to keep the deck minimal because it places all of the focus on the presenter. Using simple colors and fewer slides will allow the presenter to do what they do best and wow the audience with their skills rather than get bogged down trying to follow along with their slide deck.
Your content is simple.
Engaging visuals are perfect for turning data-heavy presentations into an easy-to-understand presentation. However when your presentation is less data heavy, you require less flashy designs to make your presentation engaging. When using a minimalist-style presentation deck in this scenario, it’s important to keep the words on the screen to a minimum. You may use more slides with this scenario, because each slide should have just a few words emphasizing what you want your audience to focus on.
Your audience calls for it.
Recently I attended the STORY Conference. It was a 3-day conference with 2,000 creative storytellers in attendance. What I realized in those few days was that even though these presenters were some of the best creatives and storytellers in the world, their slides were remarkably minimal. As I dug in deeper to why this is, I think it had to do with the fact that their audiences’ creativity did not require fancy slides to be wowed. Instead the simplistic nature of their slides elevated their storytelling and allowed the audience to use our imaginations to fill in the scenery. In regard to minimalism, there are certain audiences that will enjoy it more than a flashy design. Creatives, entrepreneurs, and millennials are a few specific categories that take to this style of presentation.
Minimalism is a powerful tool for a presenter. Not only does it put the focus on what matters – you and your content – but it takes the pressure of a fancy design off your shoulders. At Ethos3, we believe that in the right setting, a minimalist presentation deck can set you apart and break up your routine of using the same design over and over.
Just because your design is minimalist, doesn’t mean you should skimp on the content, and our team at Ethos3 would love to help. Contact us today to find out more about our content services.
