Revisiting Presentation Design

SlideRocket recently sent me this e-book on The Secrets of Compelling Presentation Design.  It was worth the read and a good reminder of some of my favorite tips.

  1. Keep it Simple – your background, fonts, content should all be straightforward so your audience can easily assimilate information
  2. Use Images – a picture is really worth 1,000 words and can convey a concept much more succinctly than bullet points
  3. Keep it Relevant – only use design elements (color, transitions) and multimedia (video, sound) that add meaning to your presentation
  4. Be Repetitive – you know your material well, but the audience doesn’t and they will only remember your message if you repeat it frequently
  5. Close Strong – your presentation doesn’t end after your last point, but rather after you’ve summarized all your points and given the audience clear instruction on what to do with the information they just learned

The underlying factor in every presentation tip is the audience.  Keep your audience in the forefront of your mind through the entire process and you will be more likely to satisfy them and, therefore, reach your presentation goal.