PowerPoint Presentation: 16 Secrets for Stylish Slides

Table of Contents:

• Ditch Presentation Templates
• Maintain a Consistent Visual Style
• Choose the Right Colors
• Create Contrast Between Text and Background
• Use No More Than 3 Fonts
• Choose a readable font
• Choose the font size
• Reduce text content
• Optimize the presentation
• Choose high-quality illustrations
• Reduce the volume
• Minimize Visual Noise
• Establish Element Hierarchy
• Align Objects to a Grid
• Use Proper Layout
• Add Visualization

Ditch Presentation Templates

Creating a presentation from scratch may seem like a daunting task, but ditching templates will open up a wealth of opportunities for creativity and originality.
First, templates are often used by many companies. If your audience has already seen the same design from competitors, this may lead to a loss of uniqueness and memorability of your work. Research shows that original presentations are better received by audiences.
Second, a template may not be suitable for your specific needs. For example, if a template only includes standard charts, you'll have to spend time customizing them, which can reduce the effectiveness of your presentation.
The third reason is that high-quality templates cost 80 rubles and up. Regular purchases can significantly increase your costs. At the same time, free templates often have outdated designs or may be a copyright infringement.

Creating a unique design from scratch is not only an opportunity to stand out, but also a great way to showcase your skills. If you frequently work with presentations, it's a good idea to develop your own style that you can save in PowerPoint.

However, there are situations when the use of templates is justified. Let's consider several cases:

• If your company has established a corporate style. In most cases, such templates contain many slides for various tasks and instructions for their use.
• When the event organizer requires compliance with the corporate style. They usually provide a template that only covers the first slides and headers and footers.
• If you don't have time to develop a unique design, it's worth choosing rare templates to avoid similarity with competitors.

Maintain a consistent visual style

Designing slides in different styles is one of the most common mistakes, noted by 45% of event organizers, according to a study by VisualMethod.
Inconsistency in design style can significantly slow down the perception of information. This is because when there are different visual elements, viewers' attention is initially focused on the aesthetics rather than the content.
A consistent design style involves using repeating visual techniques—color palette, fonts, and design elements. Choose a primary color and a few secondary colors, and maintain a consistent concept for headers, footers, and borders. If you plan to use lines and patterns, make sure their thickness and shape create a unified visual rhythm.
For clarity, check out the examples: slides with different design styles and a unified approach.

To achieve harmony in design, adhere to the following recommendations:

• Choose 2-3 main colors that will prevail in the presentation.
• Use one font for headings and another for the main text.
• Pay attention to the size and location of elements - they should be are interconnected.

Choose the Right Colors

Colors play a key role in human perception of information. According to research by Apiumhub, about 93% of users claim that color is one of the main factors when making a purchase decision.
Warm shades - red and orange - have long light waves. These waves penetrate deep into the retina, requiring more energy to process, which can lead to increased tension in the viewer.
Using these colors in presentations can quickly evoke emotions: respondents associate red with dynamism and activity, and orange with positivity and joy. However, overuse of warm tones can lead to fatigue and decreased perception.

The perception of cool and dark shades—blue and gray—is influenced by the front of the retina. These colors scatter light waves, which helps relax the viewer.
Cool shades are ideal for creating an image of stability and expertise. For example, respondents associated blue with trust, security, reliability, and high technology.

Effective presentation design begins with the right choice of color palette. The optimal solution is considered to be using one primary color, complemented by two additional shades. Although you can experiment with a larger number of colors, achieving harmony will require experience.
When choosing three shades, it is recommended to use complementary combinations. This means that the colors should be on opposite sides of the color wheel. According to a study conducted by the University of Toronto, most people prefer such combinations, as they facilitate easier perception of information and reduce the level of visual strain.
To select the ideal color scheme, you can use various tools, for example, Adobe Color. This online service allows you to specify the primary color, and then automatically selects additional shades. The resulting color codes can be easily used in your presentation editor.

To achieve a harmonious perception of colors on slides, they should be used in different proportions. A simple distribution scheme looks like this:

• 60% - main color;
• 30% - additional color for headings, icons and key elements;
• 10% - second additional color for emphasis.

Note that it is better to use bright colors less often so that they do not distract attention from the main information.
If you If you want to use several colors in equal proportions, for example, to visualize comparisons, it is recommended to dilute them with neutral shades: white, black, or gray. This will create a more balanced and professional look.

Create contrast between text and background

Contrast is an important aspect of design that determines how readable your text will be. The most noticeable contrast is achieved by a combination of white and black, which ensures ease of perception.
Low contrast is a common mistake made by many conference organizers. As research by VisualMethod has shown, such mistakes can significantly hinder the perception of information. Text with low contrast looks blurry and causes eye strain.

To achieve high contrast, it is desirable that the colors of the text and background be as different as possible. The most popular option remains black text on a white background. But you shouldn't limit yourself to this combination; You can also use other high-contrast combinations.

There are online services, such as ColorScheme and In Color Balance, that can help you choose unusual but high-contrast color schemes for your presentation. The key is to ensure that the colors are as far apart as possible on the color wheel.
Lifehack:If you plan to show your presentation during daylight hours or in good lighting, choose a light background and dark text. At night or in darkened rooms, the opposite is true: a dark background and light text.

Use no more than 3 fonts

Using more than three fonts on a single slide can lead to confusion and loss of audience attention. It's important to remember that emphasis—bold, italics, or caps lock—can make text difficult to read. For example, text written in all capital letters is perceived as shouting and can make it difficult to read.

To achieve harmony and ease of perception, it is recommended to limit yourself to two or three fonts. For example, you can use one font for headings, another for the main text, and a third for supporting comments and footnotes.

Ready-made font pairs are convenient for creating a harmonious visual style. They are designed with various parameters in mind: proportions, letterforms, and line thickness. You can search for such combinations on platforms like Google Fonts, but keep in mind that the number of Cyrillic fonts there is limited. An alternative is fonts from studios that offer a wide selection.

Choose a legible font

The aesthetics of non-standard fonts can add uniqueness to your presentation. For example, handwritten fonts help create a sense of personal touch and hint at handmade elements. However, such fonts often make information difficult to perceive, which can negatively impact your presentation.
There are two main reasons why non-standard fonts can be problematic. First, reading text written in a non-standard font requires more time and concentration. Secondly, fonts that are not installed on the recipient's computer may not display correctly, which leads to confusion in interpreting the text.

Unless you're sure your presentation recipients will use the same font, it's best to stick with more familiar and readable options. Calibri and Arial are excellent choices because they provide high readability. Montserrat and Geometria can be considered as very popular recently.

If you must use a non-standard font, do so with caution. It is best to use it sparingly to maintain overall readability. Send your presentation in a non-editable format, such as PDF or PowerPoint Demo mode. This will help avoid unwanted changes in the text display.

Choose the font size

Small font size is a common mistake that can cause viewers to have difficulty retaining information and lose interest. Research shows that 70% of viewers experience discomfort when reading text that is too small.
To avoid such problems, conduct the "last row test." Start your presentation and stand as far away as possible to read the text on the slide. If it is difficult or impossible to read, increase the font size.
Here are some universal recommendations for choosing a font for presentations that will be shown on a large screen:

• Body text: choose a font size from 24 to 30 pt - a smaller size will make the text illegible from a distance.
• Headings: the optimal size is from 50 pt or more, but avoid very large fonts so as not to disrupt the rhythm of perception.
• Service information and footnotes: a font size of 16 pt is suitable.

For presentations sent by e-mail, it is recommended Use different font sizes. It's best to set body text in 12-22 font sizes, and headings in 24-36 font sizes.
Remember that different fonts take up different amounts of space. For example, 24-point Times New Roman may appear smaller than Arial of the same size.

Reduce Text Content

Optimizing the text content on your slides is important for successful public speaking. If there is too much text on a slide, the audience will become distracted and stop listening to the speaker. In turn, when attention is focused on speech, the perception of text information is significantly reduced.
An analysis conducted by the communications agency PowerLexis revealed that the optimal amount of text on a slide should not exceed 290 characters, including spaces. This corresponds to approximately one paragraph of text or 30-40 words.
To avoid overloading slides with information, highlight key findings in headings and break the text into logical blocks. It is better to place burdensome data, such as tables and studies, in appendices to the presentation. This will allow those interested in the details to study them without distracting the rest of the audience.

Optimize Your Presentation

Stick to effective visualization techniques. SmartArt elements, for example, are often perceived as outdated. They can take up a lot of space on a slide and distract the audience’s attention instead of making key ideas easier to understand.
Using color fills, shadows, and gradients can make slides look cluttered and difficult to read. In fact, such elements can not only take up your time creating, but also negatively affect the perception of information.

Focus on simplicity and clarity. Use minimalist visualizations and leave plenty of white space on the slide.

Choose high-quality illustrations

Not all visual elements are created equal. Some images can quickly build trust in the audience, while others can trigger negative associations or reminders of competitors. This is especially true for hackneyed styles - Memphis people and 3D graphics with unnatural smiles.

When choosing illustrations for presentations, pay attention to those that can resonate with viewers. Actual photographs of your products or services are the most effective. By placing them on the entire screen with text on top, you create an immersive effect.
You can also use visual elements that will support your idea:

• A prototype or render demonstrating what your product will look like.
• A photo of a potential buyer - a natural look is important.
• Simple infographics reflecting key processes and numbers.
• On-brand illustrations that align with your brand book.
• Metaphors in images — try to choose unique images rather than hackneyed clichés.

If you don't have your own illustrations, use stock resources such as Shutterstock, Flickr, Unsplash, or Everypixel. Choose high-resolution images, preferably without watermarks. The optimal size is more than 1000 pixels in width and height for good display on all devices.

Reduce the volume

A common mistake is overloading your presentation with slides, which reduces user engagement.

To ensure maximum attention on a slide, it is worth adhering to the principle: one slide - one main idea. Clean design and conciseness will help make the information more accessible. Highlighting the key idea in a subheading or with graphics plays an important role in its perception.
For example, instead of overloading a slide with a multitude of statistics, it is better to focus on the key findings. If you need to demonstrate a process, focus on its main stages, and not on all the details.

Minimize visual noise

Visual noise is elements that distract attention from the main information without adding value. These can be excessive stickers, icons, or bright backgrounds that, instead of improving perception, only hinder it.

Each slide in your presentation should be treated as a blank canvas. Your goal is not to fill it with useless elements, but to highlight the key idea. The fewer visual elements on a slide, the clearer the meaning will be and the higher the quality of the presentation.

Establish a hierarchy of elements

When creating slides, it is extremely important to consider the hierarchy of visual elements. If all text and graphic components are formatted identically, this will make the information difficult to perceive. The reader or listener will not be able to pick out the main points, which can lead to confusion.
To successfully create a hierarchy of elements, pay attention to the following aspects:

• Position: In many cultures, information is perceived from top to bottom, so elements located at the top of the slide will attract more attention.
• Size: Larger objects are easier to notice, so emphasize key points with a larger font or size.
• White space: By leaving more white space around an important element, you make it more noticeable.
• Color: Use contrasting colors to draw attention to important aspects. More saturated colors always stand out better.
• Shape: If most objects are presented in one shape, and one in another, the latter will stand out and attract attention.
• Position: Elements arranged in a grid are easier to perceive, but if one of them is tilted, it will immediately attract attention.
• Images of People: Illustrations with people activate emotional responses, so they are more noticeable than simple graphic elements.

Focus on highlighting one key element and two or three secondary ones to maintain clarity and structure.

Align objects to a grid

Using a grid or guides in your slide design is an important step to creating a neat and harmonious layout. Without these tools, elements are placed haphazardly, making the presentation visually unappealing.

A grid helps structure elements and create conventional "columns," similar to how it is done in printed publications. In presentation design, a 3x3 grid is most often used, which helps create a successful composition and maintain balance.
The placement of objects on the grid should not be limited to the center of the slide. It is much more effective to place elements at the intersections of the grid lines. Such compositions are perceived as more attractive and harmonious.

Use the Right Layout

Proper slide layout helps focus your audience's attention and makes each slide more appealing and neat.
For optimal text layout, we recommend using headers and footers, structuring the text into paragraphs, and applying left alignment. These simple techniques will significantly improve the readability of your presentation.
Headers and footers are used to place additional information, such as footnotes, your company logo, or page numbers. However, placing them on the slide itself can distract from the main content, so it's best to leave them at the bottom of the page.
While breaking text into paragraphs isn't always necessary, it can be justified when there's a lot of information. If you decide to break the text, be sure to leave an indent or a blank line between paragraphs—this will make the text much easier to read.
Left-aligned text is a modern standard that ensures natural flow. Centered texts are harder to read, while justified texts create unsightly large spaces between words.

Add visualizations

According to research, the average person can remember only 10% of the information they hear. However, this figure increases significantly to 65% if the information is presented visually.
When preparing presentations or describing projects, try to actively use visual elements. For example, instead of verbally explaining how you plan to invest money, show photographs of equipment or use graphs to illustrate statistics. Simple visual data can significantly speed up the perception process.

The quality of your presentation depends not only on the design, but also on the content you put into it.