Presentation Design can be daunting, and recently I fell into the all too familiar trap, staring at my computer screen, struggling to make sense of what I had created as I moved my slides around as I tried to rework an old presentation for a new requirement. Before I realised what I was doing, I was completely ignoring my own teachings, and hours had passed and I was no better off than when I had started, in fact my presentation was a complete mess! So how does one avoid getting oneself into this mess, and how does one go about effortlessly designing a fantastic coherent presentation?
I’d like to share with you a lesson that changed the way we at the Presentation Clinic think not only about presentations, but all forms of written communication.
Presentation Design: Start With a Plan
“Put pen to paper before you put fingers to keyboard.”
What is the first thing we find ourselves doing when we know we need to design a presentation? That’s right, opening up PowerPoint or Keynote and creating slides! Yet this is the very worst thing you can do! Designing your slides, even if you plan to make them look amazing later, is still the very last thing you should do when designing your presentation.
If we want to construct a logical and coherent message flow we really should stay far away from a computer screen in the beginning. One of the most effective tactics to employ initially is to mind-map your message flow.
Start by writing down your presentation. This will ensure that you keep this ‘top of mind’ as you work on your message flow.
Now plan a logical sequence in which to introduce your evidence. Consider the type of presentation you are conducting and your audience’s needs. How much evidence should you include and where should you include this evidence? What is really necessary and what is of interest to your audience? Create a visual representation of the flow and content of your presentation and order it now on paper, be as messy and creative as you want.
By working on paper you are able to construct, reconstruct and deconstruct your presentation in your mind’s eye which is far easier than on a computer screen.
Once your mind-map is complete, you can calculate how many slides you require for each phase of your presentation.
You will also be able to approximate how long your presentation will be, before you even begin designing your slides! As a rule of thumb, allow for five minutes per slide if you are an experienced speaker. The more you get to know your own presentation style, the better you will know how long you spend on each slide. Inexperienced speakers tend to use more slides, spending less time per slide as they use them more as ‘queue cards’.
You will also be able to approximate how long your presentation will be, before you even begin designing your slides! As a rule of thumb, allow for five minutes per slide if you are an experienced speaker. The more you get to know your own presentation style, the better you will know how long you spend on each slide. Inexperienced speakers tend to use more slides, spending less time per slide as they use them more as ‘queue cards’.
Create module slides to separate the main themes in your presentation. Start collecting your evidence. Ensure whilst designing your presentation that you keep the paper version of your initial design by your side so that you do not get caught up into creating too many slides that will detract from your coherent message flow.
Once you have inserted content into your slides and you are satisfied that the message flow is coherent, you can start working on making sure your presentation is visually appealing.
This technique will ensure that you do not waste time, become distracted and lose focus on your core message or presentation objective.
If you require additional assistance with message flow, we are pleased to inform you that at The Presentation Clinic we employ the services of one of South Africa’s top communication strategists. We can assist you or your organisation with the strategic message flow of your presentation. We can also assist with the presentation design for those very special presentations.
We would however prefer to train YOU to create your own beautiful presentations, so please do get in touch so that we can impart the latest design fundamentals that are psychologically proven to have a maximum impact upon your audience.
