Even with several design tools in front of us, it can still be difficult to conjure up a visually appealing presentation. There are a few good principles that need to be considered when applying visual hierarchy to your slides. These principles will help make your presentation look uniform in format, while emphasizing important information. The goal is to make your presentation visually appealing while also enabling your viewer to follow along clearly.
Negative space is your friend when designing your slide deck
One of the most important aspects to consider before putting anything on a slide is to understand the power of negative or white space. Too little white space will make everything look cluttered. This could result in you losing your message through visual noise. The proper use of white space is a key foundational consideration when designing your deck.
Sizing
People often naturally go to the largest font size that they can get away with first. A larger font size can appear clearer, and you can deem it as a more critical point, but make sure that the information you want to be highlighted first or is the most important is largest, followed by other information on your slide. Use size wisely. The point is not to over clutter your page using the largest font possible, but to use sizing to help tell your story and create emphasis.
Font
You can use heavier text or even bold text to showcase important areas in a presentation. Keep in mind to use easily readable font throughout your deck, regardless of the options presentation tools offer.
Minimize color and effects
Use color sparingly and appropriately as it can cause contrast and polarize the visuals. Keep colors within a palette and only use a few. Too many colors will distract the viewer from the core concept of the overall deck and key points. Color is a good way to draw attention to key points or as a separator between topics.
Keep it consistent
Now that you’ve got a more improved comprehension of spacing, sizing, fonts, and colors, keep the slides consistent throughout your deck. This helps establish and maintain a brand identity, while making sure there is no loss of focus. Creating visual systems by maintaining the same typographic treatment for titles, or body copy for example will help provide visual flow throughout your deck.
Work with a professional when designing your slide deck
You may have the temptation to try to create your own presentation or work with numerous templates that come with these presentation tools. The issue is that these also look and feel templated and may not always be the right choice to represent your company and the image you’re trying to go for.
Always consider working with a professional who can help build out a template that’s customized for you and will speak visually about what your company is all about. This will help keep your presentations professional and unique every time.