6 Presentation Design Dos and Don

6 Presentation Design Dos and Don’ts
By Scott Schwertly on April 7, 2014 | 1 Comment
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Great presentation design can be difficult to

master because it requires the coordination of many elements, including colors, fonts, images,
icons and background. While there are a lot of pieces to the presentation design puzzle, don’t be
overwhelmed. Let the design principle of “less is more” guide your presentation design choices
to keep your slides uncluttered.
Not sure where to begin? Follow these design dos and don’ts to make sure your presentation is
minimal, harmonious and clear.
1. Background Images
Avoid: A bold, multi-colored, and patterned background with text on top. This will make your
text hard to read, and consequently you will lose the audience’s attention.
Instead Do This: Patterns can be a great addition to your presentation when used correctly. Use
a light, subtle pattern in the background so that your text is readable. If you want a bolder
background, be sure to place a solid shape over it to separate your text from the background
design.
2. Text Alignment
Avoid: Center-aligning all of your text and images. This is particularly true when large chunks
of text are center-aligned, which can be chaotic and difficult to read.
Instead Do This: Only align some of your text in the center. Move the supporting text to the left
side for a more balanced look.
3. Font Size
Avoid: Making all of the text on a slide the same size. Some points of your presentation are
more important than others. Your presentation should be designed in a way that emphasizes the
most important parts of your message. If you make all the text on your slides 12-point, the
audience will not know where to focus their attention.
Instead Do This: If you must have a lot of text on a slide, make the most important words larger
than the other words on the slide. This simple technique ensures that the audience connects to the
most valuable information first before moving on to the supporting content.
4. Shadowing
Avoid: Drop shadows on all of your text. Some people use drop shadows on their text to make it
stand out. However, when you use thin, dark type on a white background, the text looks blurry
and dirty.
Instead Do This: If you are going to use drop shadow on text, only use it on the header and
never in the body. Also consider using a dark background with white bold text, which will help
your text “pop.”
5. Photos & Images
Avoid: Low resolution images. Simply put, they make it look like you don’t care. Low-
resolution images may look decent in the outline version of your presentation, but we promise it
will be blurry when projected or viewed in full screen mode. Also, low-resolution images are
often taken from the Internet without purchasing rights to use them. Stealing images is illegal
and can also damage your credibility as a presenter.
Instead Do This: Only use images that are in the size range of 1000 pixels. If you have an image
between 300 to 500 pixels, keep it small on the slide so that it stays the right size. The same rule
applies to icons and illustrations. High-resolution images, icons, and illustrations can be
purchased from a variety of reputable sites on the internet, including ThinkStock and Can Stock
Photo.
6. Typeface
Avoid: Crazy typeface. If you choose Curls or Comic Sans for your presentation, not only will
you not be taken as seriously, but it will be hard to read your text. Pick something simpler. You
can still have a fun presentation without using a “fun” font.
Instead Do This: When choosing a typeface, pick something that has multiple weights. For
example, select a font that includes bold, regular, light, and medium variations. This way you can
have multiple effects with the same face and still be consistent. Also, a simpler face will reduce
the likelihood it will clash with your backgrounds and images.
Great slide design should aim for three goals: readability, simplicity and enjoyability. Be sure to
review your presentation to ensure it isn’t committing any of these design sins

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6 Presentation Design Dos and Don’ts

By Scott Schwertly on April 7, 2014 | 1 Comment

Great presentation design can be difficult to

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