Designing a visually engaging presentation can seem overwhelming and time consuming if you’re not technologically inclined. For many presenters, the task can become so daunting that they would rather settle for a boring deck that’s less appealing and hope that their presentation skills make up for it.
However, studies show that a visually appealing slide deck increases information retention by 42%. That means that taking the time to create an engaging design is not only important, but it’s actually vital to the long-term success of your presentation.
While we can all agree it’s important, the reality is that for many of us, we have too much going on and are just downright unsure of where to start. That’s why our team put together a quick-start guide to presentation design to help you leverage the native tools in PowerPoint and bring your next slide deck to life.
Built-in Design Ideas
One of the easiest-to-use features in PowerPoint that will make your presentation look top-notch is the built-in design ideas option. This feature allows you to turn a boring template into a clean and impactful design in these 6 simple steps:
Step 1: Select your template.
Step 2: Insert all content, including text and images.
Step 3: Click the “Design” tab at the top of the screen.
Step 4: Select “Design Ideas.”
Step 5: Choose which layout or design best fits that current slide.
Step 6: Repeat steps 1-5 for the remainder of the slide deck.
This feature is a powerful tool for any presenter; it is, however, important to note that when using this tool, you must still ensure your deck looks cohesive – otherwise, you run the risk of your visuals becoming distracting rather than engaging.
Built-in Chart Maker
Many presentations require you to display data and charts. However, for a non-designer, creating these charts can be frustrating which results in low-caliber execution and lackluster designs. If that’s you, don’t worry! PowerPoint has created a built-in chart creator that can turn that boring, hard-to-read chart into an exciting display of your data in no time.
Step 1: Select the “Insert” tab.
Step 2: Select the “Chart” drop down.
Step 3: Select the type of chart you would like to insert.
Step 4: Insert chart.
Step 5: Resize your chart to fit your design.
Step 6: Select “Edit Data in Excel.”
Step 7: Input all data sets.
Before you know it, you have a clean and impactful chart that represents your data clearly and succinctly. Using your data effectively and beautifully helps your audience understand and remember your message much more easily.
A clean and well-designed slide deck has the ability to not only increase engagement but also to increase long-term information retention. As a presenter, you must do more than say the right words if you want to set yourself apart from the crowd. By using these two built-in functions of PowerPoint, you can elevate your design and, in turn, your entire presentation.
Don’t have time to worry about presentation design? Contact the team at Ethos3 to find out how we can help!
