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PowerPoint Graphics Complete 2024 Guide (PPT Presentation Design)

Warning: this tutorial may contain graphic content! But don't worry, it's all family friendly. We're talking about  PowerPoint graphics  and how you can use them to create your best presentation yet.

PowerPoint graphic design is an art. Ultimately, the goal of a presentation is to share information with your audience. Choosing the right PowerPoint graphics is all about  supporting  your message with the proper illustration or infographic.

You don't have to build PowerPoint presentation graphics from scratch! One thing you'll see in this tutorial is a source for unlimited PPT graphics included inside of templates. Plus, get  graphics for presentations that you can source one-by-one with the help of GraphicRiver.

What Are PowerPoint Graphics?

The term PowerPoint graphics is a bit broad. There are many types of graphics that pro presenters use. Here are three types of popular PowerPoint presentation graphics and how you can use them:

• SmartArt.  These flexible graphics are great if you aren't a graphic designer. You can create graphics that adapt to your content like org charts and flowcharts.
• Infographics . At the intersection of information and graphics are these helpful explanatory visuals. These PowerPoint presentation graphics can help drive understanding with the audience.
• Shapes . You might be surprised by how much a few simple shapes add to your slide. Try out shapes like arrows to add a bit of annotation, for example.

In this tutorial, we'll explore all three of these popular types of PPT graphics. For a complete deep dive on infographics, we've got an excellent resource for you:

How to Access Unlimited PowerPoint Graphics Templates

At the end of this tutorial, you'll be a master of working with PPT graphics. Best of all, you won't have to learn how to design all those graphics for presentations from the ground up. With the help of templates, talented designers have already created all you need.

You might have seen a few built-in templates in Microsoft PowerPoint. They're certainly an upgrade from a pure, blank slate in PowerPoint. But the bottom line is that they're simple combinations of color schemes and layouts.

There's another type of template that offers so much more. With premium templates, you'll find that powerful PPT graphics are built into the presentation file. And thanks to Envato Elements, you can download them easily.

Don't think that Elements will break the bank. For a single flat rate, you unlock unlimited downloads of the top PowerPoint presentation graphics templates. 

As a bonus, the all-you-can-download subscription includes so many extras that enhance your PowerPoint presentation. That provides access to assets like:

• Stock photos . Need to spice up a slide? Just jump to the well-organized stock photography library and download a high-resolution image for your slide.
• Graphics and illustrations . Some templates will benefit from supplementary graphics. Download those from Elements too and add them to  any  PowerPoint presentation.
• Background music . Add some looping background music for an engaging presentation that you could leave on loop in a conference room, for example.

For three outstanding examples of the best graphics for PowerPoint presentations (packaged inside of PPT graphics templates), here are our three top picks in the Envato Elements library. Remember, they're all included!

1. The X Note

Consistently topping our list of the best PowerPoint templates, The X Note is a stunning design. This template's got many PPT graphics that are to add so much to your next presentation. You'll be impressed by how easy it is to customize the included graphics. Use more than 40 unique slides in multiple color schemes to create a PPT graphics focused presentation.

2. Beauty | PowerPoint Template

Beauty might be in the eye of the beholder. But some PPT graphics templates capture it perfectly. That's certainly the case for the appropriately named "Beauty" PowerPoint template. It's one of the best PowerPoint presentation graphics options thanks to its inclusion of graphics across 30 unique slides.

3.  Groningen - PowerPoint Template

Remember, there are many types of PowerPoint presentation graphics. The best PPT graphics templates have a range of infographics, shapes, and more. This PowerPoint presentation graphics-focused template's got all the above. Plus, it's easy to edit these cool presentation graphics thanks to smartly constructed slides.

These three templates are just the start of graphics for presentations included on Elements. For infographic-focused templates and professional designs, make sure to check out these articles:

Find More PowerPoint Presentation Graphics on GraphicRiver

PowerPoint graphics templates come in all shapes and sizes. You can use Envato Elements for unlimited access to the entire library. 

But sometimes, you know  exactly  what you're looking for. in that case, the cost-effective GraphicRiver library might be perfect for you. It's a pay-as-you-go option to source single PPT graphics templates.

With the help of a template, you're on your way to the best graphics for PowerPoint presentations. Best of all, you're getting ready to see that it's easy to edit those background graphics for  your  presentation.

How to Use and Edit Graphics in PowerPoint

Sure, templates are great. But you might be wondering how to edit background graphics in PowerPoint along with other visuals. Are templates adjustable?

The answer is: yes, PowerPoint graphic design is easy to master with templates. Cool presentation graphics are easy to edit. So, use templates for practically any purpose!

In this section, I'm going to use one of the outstanding templates that we highlighted in the section above. We're going to use The X Note , which includes some of the best PPT graphics. 

The X Note is part of Envato Elements, the best source for unlimited downloads with the best PowerPoint presentation graphics . Most of the templates are built by PowerPoint graphic design experts.

Maybe you're wondering how to edit background graphics in PowerPoint. Or, you need some help inserting graphics in PowerPoint. Let's tackle all those topics (and more) in our guide to creating better PowerPoint graphics below.

How to Use SmartArt PowerPoint Graphics

The first type of PPT graphic that we'll cover in our guide is  SmartArt.  This feature is built into Microsoft PowerPoint and helps you create graphics for presentations with fewer clicks. You don't have to open a separate graphic design app.

To start working with SmartArt, click  Insert  on the ribbon. Then, click on the  SmartArt  menu option. The new window gives you many options to begin building SmartArt graphics for PowerPoint.

As you'll see in this window, SmartArt starters are divided into multiple categories. The goal here is to choose a preset that's as close as possible to what you need. For our quick example, let's work with a  cycle chart.  Specifically, I'm going to edit the SmartArt graphic for PowerPoint called  segmented cycle.

After you choose a preset and click  OK,  you'll see the graphic added to your slide. Also, you'll see an accompanying text box to the side that's got bullet points. These correspond to the text on the slide.

Think of this menu as the way to edit SmartArt graphics in PowerPoint. Type in the text box. The chart will update with your details. 

Press return to add a new bullet point. The chart will update automatically.

Here's why I love SmartArt graphics for PowerPoint: they're flexible . When you want to update a PPT graphic with a new bullet point or detail, you won't have to jump back to a design app like Illustrator or Photoshop. 

Instead, type inside the edit window. Your PowerPoint SmartArt will update automatically.

Want to learn more about SmartArt? We've just scratched the surface with an introduction in this section. read the complete guide to master the feature in our article below: 

How to Edit PowerPoint Infographics

The best way to work with PowerPoint infographics is to use ones that are already built. That's why we recommend templates as the proper starting point for PowerPoint infographics.

Take  slide 21  in The X Note .  This beautiful, arctic scene is just the tip of the iceberg for what you can do with better PowerPoint graphics. It looks great from the outset. But with a few tweaks you can make it all your own.

Right-click the graphic and choose  Group > Ungroup.  Now, the individual shapes are easy to select and edit.

The best graphics for PowerPoint presentations help you explain your ideas more easily. After you ungroup the components, you can create business graphics for PowerPoint that explain a case study or concept.

From this point forward, editing this slide is easy. You've got all the controls you usually would to reposition, resize, and update the components of the chart. Some example tweaks I made in the finished product below include:

• Clicking on the water  area  of the chart and using the fill color to change the water to blue.
• Clicking and dragging the arrows  to change the annotation on crucial items.
• Updating the text boxes  with helpful text that serves the purpose I've got in mind for the slide.
• Removing one unused  iceberg part by clicking on it and tapping "delete" on my keyboard.

When you're busy creating a presentation, you won't have time to create business graphics from the ground up. Instead, start with a pre-built option like the one you see above.

This is just one example of working with PowerPoint graphics in templates. Templates are flexible enough to help you create practically any presentation! Check out our guide below to learn more.

How to Use Shapes as Illustrative PowerPoint Graphics

For our third look at PowerPoint presentation graphics, let's check out a straightforward option.  Shapes  are PowerPoint graphics that are easy to add and can draw attention.

To add a shape, jump to the  Insert  tab on the ribbon. Then, click on the  Shapes  dropdown. You'll see an incredible variety of shapes that are easy to add to your slide. 

Just choose your shape, then click and drag to draw it on your slide. These vector graphic shapes are scalable. So, you never have to worry about the shape's quality becoming pixelated or distorted.

One of my favorite PowerPoint shape examples is a simple arrow. It's the perfect way to point to a specific slide fact.

After you add a shape, style it with the  Drawing Tools > Format  menu. Click on a shape, then check out options like  Shape Fill,  for example. Select a new color to transform the shape on your slide.

That's it! The only thing left to do is to try out many PowerPoint graphics with a deep set of shape options.

Learn More About Microsoft PowerPoint

PowerPoint graphics are just the beginning of the learning journey. With the help of more learning resources, you're on your way to feeling like a confident presenter every time you speak.

That's why we've invested time in building out the most in-depth library of PowerPoint tutorials. With the help of our resource,  How to Use PowerPoint (Ultimate Tutorial Guide,)   you're sure to conquer PowerPoint's learning curve.

Here are three tutorials from the guide that you can use to power up your learning:

Create a Presentation with PowerPoint Graphics Today

PowerPoint graphics aren't a "nice to have" in 2024 and beyond. They're a must that every audience expects. But if you're still learning how to edit background graphics and infographics in PowerPoint, you owe it to yourself to start with a pre-built template. 

Whether you use one of the PowerPoint graphics templates from Elements' unlimited library or a single graphics presentation for PowerPoint from GraphicRiver, you've got options!

Download a template, design today, and present with confidence. No matter what option you choose, cool PowerPoint presentation graphics are sure to wow the audience.

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Blog Graphic Design Visual Presentation: Tips, Types and Examples

Visual Presentation: Tips, Types and Examples

Written by: Krystle Wong Sep 28, 2023

So, you’re gearing up for that big presentation and you want it to be more than just another snooze-fest with slides. You want it to be engaging, memorable and downright impressive. 

Well, you’ve come to the right place — I’ve got some slick tips on how to create a visual presentation that’ll take your presentation game up a notch. 

Packed with presentation templates that are easily customizable, keep reading this blog post to learn the secret sauce behind crafting presentations that captivate, inform and remain etched in the memory of your audience.

Click to jump ahead:

What is a visual presentation

15 effective tips to make your visual presentations more engaging, 6 major types of visual presentation you should know , what are some common mistakes to avoid in visual presentations, visual presentation faqs, 5 steps to create a visual presentation with venngage.

A visual presentation is a communication method that utilizes visual elements such as images, graphics, charts, slides and other visual aids to convey information, ideas or messages to an audience. 

Visual presentations aim to enhance comprehension engagement and the overall impact of the message through the strategic use of visuals. People remember what they see, making your point last longer in their heads. 

Without further ado, let’s jump right into some great visual presentation examples that would do a great job in keeping your audience interested and getting your point across.

In today’s fast-paced world, where information is constantly bombarding our senses, creating engaging visual presentations has never been more crucial. To help you design a presentation that’ll leave a lasting impression, I’ve compiled these examples of visual presentations that will elevate your game.

1. Use the rule of thirds for layout

Ever heard of the rule of thirds? It’s a presentation layout trick that can instantly up your slide game. Imagine dividing your slide into a 3×3 grid and then placing your text and visuals at the intersection points or along the lines. This simple tweak creates a balanced and seriously pleasing layout that’ll draw everyone’s eyes.

2. Get creative with visual metaphors

Got a complex idea to explain? Skip the jargon and use visual metaphors. Throw in images that symbolize your point – for example, using a road map to show your journey towards a goal or using metaphors to represent answer choices or progress indicators in an interactive quiz or poll.

3. Engage with storytelling through data

Use storytelling magic to bring your data to life. Don’t just throw numbers at your audience—explain what they mean, why they matter and add a bit of human touch. Turn those stats into relatable tales and watch your audience’s eyes light up with understanding.

4. Visualize your data with charts and graphs

The right data visualization tools not only make content more appealing but also aid comprehension and retention. Choosing the right visual presentation for your data is all about finding a good match. 

For ordinal data, where things have a clear order, consider using ordered bar charts or dot plots. When it comes to nominal data, where categories are on an equal footing, stick with the classics like bar charts, pie charts or simple frequency tables. And for interval-ratio data, where there’s a meaningful order, go for histograms, line graphs, scatterplots or box plots to help your data shine.

In an increasingly visual world, effective visual communication is a valuable skill for conveying messages. Here’s a guide on how to use visual communication to engage your audience while avoiding information overload.

5. Employ the power of contrast

Want your important stuff to pop? That’s where contrast comes in. Mix things up with contrasting colors, fonts or shapes. It’s like highlighting your key points with a neon marker – an instant attention grabber.

6. End with a powerful visual punch

Your presentation closing should be a showstopper. Think a stunning clip art that wraps up your message with a visual bow, a killer quote that lingers in minds or a call to action that gets hearts racing.

7. Tell a visual story

Structure your slides like a storybook and create a visual narrative by arranging your slides in a way that tells a story. Each slide should flow into the next, creating a visual narrative that keeps your audience hooked till the very end.

Icons and images are essential for adding visual appeal and clarity to your presentation. Venngage provides a vast library of icons and images, allowing you to choose visuals that resonate with your audience and complement your message. 

8. Show the “before and after” magic

Want to drive home the impact of your message or solution? Whip out the “before and after” technique. Show the current state (before) and the desired state (after) in a visual way. It’s like showing a makeover transformation, but for your ideas.

9. Add fun with visual quizzes and polls

To break the monotony and see if your audience is still with you, throw in some quick image quizzes or polls. It’s like a mini-game break in your presentation — your audience gets involved and it makes your presentation way more dynamic and memorable.

10. Use visuals wisely

Your visuals are the secret sauce of a great presentation. Cherry-pick high-quality images, graphics, charts and videos that not only look good but also align with your message’s vibe. Each visual should have a purpose – they’re not just there for decoration. 

11. Utilize visual hierarchy

Employ design principles like contrast, alignment and proximity to make your key info stand out. Play around with fonts, colors and placement to make sure your audience can’t miss the important stuff.

12. Engage with multimedia

Static slides are so last year. Give your presentation some sizzle by tossing in multimedia elements. Think short video clips, animations, or a touch of sound when it makes sense, including an animated logo . But remember, these are sidekicks, not the main act, so use them smartly.

13. Interact with your audience

Turn your presentation into a two-way street. Start your presentation by encouraging your audience to join in with thought-provoking questions, quick polls or using interactive tools. Get them chatting and watch your presentation come alive.

When it comes to delivering a group presentation, it’s important to have everyone on the team on the same page. Venngage’s real-time collaboration tools enable you and your team to work together seamlessly, regardless of geographical locations. Collaborators can provide input, make edits and offer suggestions in real time. 

14. Incorporate stories and examples

Weave in relatable stories, personal anecdotes or real-life examples to illustrate your points. It’s like adding a dash of spice to your content – it becomes more memorable and relatable.

15. Nail that delivery

Don’t just stand there and recite facts like a robot — be a confident and engaging presenter. Lock eyes with your audience, mix up your tone and pace and use some gestures to drive your points home. Practice and brush up your presentation skills until you’ve got it down pat for a persuasive presentation that flows like a pro.

Venngage offers a wide selection of professionally designed presentation templates, each tailored for different purposes and styles. By choosing a template that aligns with your content and goals, you can create a visually cohesive and polished presentation that captivates your audience.

Looking for more presentation ideas ? Why not try using a presentation software that will take your presentations to the next level with a combination of user-friendly interfaces, stunning visuals, collaboration features and innovative functionalities that will take your presentations to the next level. 

Visual presentations come in various formats, each uniquely suited to convey information and engage audiences effectively. Here are six major types of visual presentations that you should be familiar with:

1. Slideshows or PowerPoint presentations

Slideshows are one of the most common forms of visual presentations. They typically consist of a series of slides containing text, images, charts, graphs and other visual elements. Slideshows are used for various purposes, including business presentations, educational lectures and conference talks.

2. Infographics

Infographics are visual representations of information, data or knowledge. They combine text, images and graphics to convey complex concepts or data in a concise and visually appealing manner. Infographics are often used in marketing, reporting and educational materials.

Don’t worry, they are also super easy to create thanks to Venngage’s fully customizable infographics templates that are professionally designed to bring your information to life. Be sure to try it out for your next visual presentation!

3. Video presentation

Videos are your dynamic storytellers. Whether it’s pre-recorded or happening in real-time, videos are the showstoppers. You can have interviews, demos, animations or even your own mini-documentary. Video presentations are highly engaging and can be shared in both in-person and virtual presentations .

4. Charts and graphs

Charts and graphs are visual representations of data that make it easier to understand and analyze numerical information. Common types include bar charts, line graphs, pie charts and scatterplots. They are commonly used in scientific research, business reports and academic presentations.

Effective data visualizations are crucial for simplifying complex information and Venngage has got you covered. Venngage’s chart templates enable you to create engaging charts, graphs,and infographics that enhance audience understanding and retention, leaving a lasting impression in your presentation.

5. Interactive presentations

Interactive presentations involve audience participation and engagement. These can include interactive polls, quizzes, games and multimedia elements that allow the audience to actively participate in the presentation. Interactive presentations are often used in workshops, training sessions and webinars.

Venngage’s interactive presentation tools enable you to create immersive experiences that leave a lasting impact and enhance audience retention. By incorporating features like clickable elements, quizzes and embedded multimedia, you can captivate your audience’s attention and encourage active participation.

6. Poster presentations

Poster presentations are the stars of the academic and research scene. They consist of a large poster that includes text, images and graphics to communicate research findings or project details and are usually used at conferences and exhibitions. For more poster ideas, browse through Venngage’s gallery of poster templates to inspire your next presentation.

Different visual presentations aside, different presentation methods also serve a unique purpose, tailored to specific objectives and audiences. Find out which type of presentation works best for the message you are sending across to better capture attention, maintain interest and leave a lasting impression. 

To make a good presentation , it’s crucial to be aware of common mistakes and how to avoid them. Without further ado, let’s explore some of these pitfalls along with valuable insights on how to sidestep them.

Overloading slides with text

Text heavy slides can be like trying to swallow a whole sandwich in one bite – overwhelming and unappetizing. Instead, opt for concise sentences and bullet points to keep your slides simple. Visuals can help convey your message in a more engaging way.

Using low-quality visuals

Grainy images and pixelated charts are the equivalent of a scratchy vinyl record at a DJ party. High-resolution visuals are your ticket to professionalism. Ensure that the images, charts and graphics you use are clear, relevant and sharp.

Choosing the right visuals for presentations is important. To find great visuals for your visual presentation, Browse Venngage’s extensive library of high-quality stock photos. These images can help you convey your message effectively, evoke emotions and create a visually pleasing narrative. 

Ignoring design consistency

Imagine a book with every chapter in a different font and color – it’s a visual mess. Consistency in fonts, colors and formatting throughout your presentation is key to a polished and professional look.

Reading directly from slides

Reading your slides word-for-word is like inviting your audience to a one-person audiobook session. Slides should complement your speech, not replace it. Use them as visual aids, offering key points and visuals to support your narrative.

Lack of visual hierarchy

Neglecting visual hierarchy is like trying to find Waldo in a crowd of clones. Coupling this with video transcription can make your presentation more comprehensive and engaging. Use size, color and positioning to emphasize what’s most important. Guide your audience’s attention to key points so they don’t miss the forest for the trees.

Ignoring accessibility

Accessibility isn’t an option these days; it’s a must. Forgetting alt text for images, color contrast and closed captions for videos can exclude individuals with disabilities from understanding your presentation. 

Relying too heavily on animation

While animations can add pizzazz and draw attention, overdoing it can overshadow your message. Use animations sparingly and with purpose to enhance, not detract from your content.

Using jargon and complex language

Keep it simple. Use plain language and explain terms when needed. You want your message to resonate, not leave people scratching their heads.

Not testing interactive elements

Interactive elements can be the life of your whole presentation, but not testing them beforehand is like jumping into a pool without checking if there’s water. Ensure that all interactive features, from live polls to multimedia content, work seamlessly. A smooth experience keeps your audience engaged and avoids those awkward technical hiccups.

Presenting complex data and information in a clear and visually appealing way has never been easier with Venngage. Build professional-looking designs with our free visual chart slide templates for your next presentation.

What is a visual presentation?

A visual presentation is a method of presenting information through visual aids such as slides, images, charts and videos. It enhances understanding and retention by illustrating key points and data visually. Visual presentations are commonly used in meetings, lectures, and conferences to engage and inform the audience effectively.

What is the role of storytelling in visual presentations?

Storytelling plays a crucial role in visual presentations by providing a narrative structure that engages the audience, helps them relate to the content and makes the information more memorable.

What software or tools can I use to create visual presentations?

You can use various software and tools to create visual presentations, including Microsoft PowerPoint, Google Slides, Adobe Illustrator, Canva, Prezi and Venngage, among others.

What is the difference between a visual presentation and a written report?

The main difference between a visual presentation and a written report is the medium of communication. Visual presentations rely on visuals, such as slides, charts and images to convey information quickly, while written reports use text to provide detailed information in a linear format.

How do I effectively communicate data through visual presentations?

To effectively communicate data through visual presentations, simplify complex data into easily digestible charts and graphs, use clear labels and titles and ensure that your visuals support the key messages you want to convey.

Are there any accessibility considerations for visual presentations?

Accessibility considerations for visual presentations include providing alt text for images, ensuring good color contrast, using readable fonts and providing transcripts or captions for multimedia content to make the presentation inclusive.

Most design tools today make accessibility hard but Venngage’s Accessibility Design Tool comes with accessibility features baked in, including accessible-friendly and inclusive icons.

How do I choose the right visuals for my presentation?

Choose visuals that align with your content and message. Use charts for data, images for illustrating concepts, icons for emphasis and color to evoke emotions or convey themes.

How can I adapt my visual presentations for online or virtual audiences?

To adapt visual presentations for online or virtual audiences, focus on concise content, use engaging visuals, ensure clear audio, encourage audience interaction through chat or polls and rehearse for a smooth online delivery.

What is the role of data visualization in visual presentations?

Data visualization in visual presentations simplifies complex data by using charts, graphs and diagrams, making it easier for the audience to understand and interpret information.

How do I choose the right color scheme and fonts for my visual presentation?

Choose a color scheme that aligns with your content and brand and select fonts that are readable and appropriate for the message you want to convey.

How can I measure the effectiveness of my visual presentation?

Measure the effectiveness of your visual presentation by collecting feedback from the audience, tracking engagement metrics (e.g., click-through rates for online presentations) and evaluating whether the presentation achieved its intended objectives.

Follow the 5 simple steps below to make your entire presentation visually appealing and impactful:

1. Sign up and log In: Log in to your Venngage account or sign up for free and gain access to Venngage’s templates and design tools.

2. Choose a template: Browse through Venngage’s presentation template library and select one that best suits your presentation’s purpose and style. Venngage offers a variety of pre-designed templates for different types of visual presentations, including infographics, reports, posters and more.

3. Edit and customize your template: Replace the placeholder text, image and graphics with your own content and customize the colors, fonts and visual elements to align with your presentation’s theme or your organization’s branding.

4. Add visual elements: Venngage offers a wide range of visual elements, such as icons, illustrations, charts, graphs and images, that you can easily add to your presentation with the user-friendly drag-and-drop editor.

5. Save and export your presentation: Export your presentation in a format that suits your needs and then share it with your audience via email, social media or by embedding it on your website or blog .

So, as you gear up for your next presentation, whether it’s for business, education or pure creative expression, don’t forget to keep these visual presentation ideas in your back pocket.

Feel free to experiment and fine-tune your approach and let your passion and expertise shine through in your presentation. With practice, you’ll not only build presentations but also leave a lasting impact on your audience – one slide at a time.

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PowerPoint Graphics: How to Improve Your Presentations w/ Graphics

• PowerPoint Tutorials
• Pictures, Icons, Videos, Etc.
• Presentation Design
• August 21, 2018

If you’ve ever touched a PowerPoint slide, chances are that you’ve already used PowerPoint graphics already.

But you may have questions: How do you find good graphics? How do you manipulate them correctly? And how do you customize them?

That’s what this article will answer for you.

What is a PowerPoint graphic?

There seems to be a wide range of things that people label as a graphic for PowerPoint.

Here at Nuts & Bolts, we define a graphic in PowerPoint as any image that is not a picture. This includes SmartArt, which is a type of native PowerPoint graphic and has special attributes.

A PowerPoint graphic most typically refers to a grouping of shapes into an image, commonly referred to as vectors.

From PowerPoint’s perspective, vectors are considered to be shapes – and that means that you can customize them as you would any rectangle, circle, or freeform shape… giving you complete freedom to create the visual you need.

Vector graphics can come in the following file types:

• EPS (Encapsulated PostScript – create by Adobe – this is perhaps the most common vector image format)

However, PowerPoint will only accept certain file types. To see which ones, go to the section on how to use vectors in PowerPoint below.

Why use a graphic in PowerPoint

As the representation of an idea, a graphic is the perfect way to help your audience immediately visualize and grasp a concept you are sharing with them.

On top of that, it’s a great way to add some flair to any presentation and a quick way to take it up a notch.

Graphics can be better than pictures in some situations, when you need to be able to edit elements in a visual. For example, maybe you need to remove, add or re-color a certain item.

You cannot do this with pictures – but with the right graphic (and in particular a vector graphic), you could potentially customize it to your heart’s content.

Where to get free graphics for PowerPoint

Getting free graphics for PowerPoint is easy – you just have to know where to look.

Here are our favorite 2 places to find free vector graphics for PowerPoint:

• Freepik – Great database with tons of very high-quality and modern icons, flat icons, vectors, and PSD files to use. Freepik does require you to give them credit if you use their material, but they make it very easy with a simple html code.
• Pixabay – Awesome site for 100% free and Creative Commons CC0 licensed images, illustrations, vectors, and videos.

To learn where to get more free PowerPoint graphics, images, videos, etc. check out this list of  our favorite PowerPoint resources . Another way to get free vector graphics is to create them from scratch. There are two tools that can help you do this:

• Text-to-Outline by YouPresent – Allows you to convert text into vectors/shapes, which you can then format any way you like in PowerPoint.
• Vector Magic – Creates a vector out of any image…truly magic!

Keep in mind that because these are all free methods for finding vector graphics for PowerPoint, you will be limited in what you find or create. If you want a very specific and professional-looking vector, you may have to go to a paid service to purchase well-designed graphics that suit your need better.

Where to buy graphics for PowerPoint

By far the easiest way to get professional & unique graphics onto your slides (especially now that ClipArt is gone) is to use a service like GetMyGraphics .

They are custom-built graphics designed for PowerPoint. All you need to do is download and insert them onto your slide and then tweak them like you would SmartArt.

Although this is a paid service, we’ve found that we’ve reused these graphics again and again, so we see it as a good investment in sharper looking slides.

How to use vector graphics in PowerPoint

Using vectors in PowerPoint depends on what file type you have. If you have an older version of PowerPoint (2013 and earlier), you can insert the following vector files types into PowerPoint:

If you have Office 365, you can no longer insert EPS files. However, you can still use EMF files, and you can also insert SVG files (except for on a Mac).

If you have an EPS file and can’t import it into your version of PowerPoint, check out our article on how to import EPS files into PowerPoint .

Note:  If you’re trying to use a file type that is not supported by your version of PowerPoint, you can try converting your file into the correct file type.

For a really good tutorial on how to convert vectors into usable PowerPoint objects without Adobe software, check out Microsoft MVP  Dave Paradi’s post on finding and using vector images in PowerPoint.

Once you have an SVG file downloaded onto your computer, you’ll want to insert it into your presentation.

There are two ways to insert a vector file onto your PowerPoint slide:

Method #1: Drag the file from wherever it is sitting on your computer and drag it onto your slide.

Method #2: Go to the Insert tab in the Ribbon and select ‘Pictures’ (make sure to select the ‘Pictures’ icon and not the ‘Online Pictures’ icon). Then find your vector file and click on ‘Open.’

Note: If you have PowerPoint 2016 with Office 365, you have a new object class, called Icons. These are also vector files (SVG).

You can insert them by going to the Insert tab in the Ribbon and selecting ‘Icons’ (or using this shortcut: Alt, N, Y1). You can learn more about the icons feature in this Office blog article .

Once you have a vector file inserted on your slide, you can manipulate its various pieces.

To do that, you’ll need to ungroup it twice. To ungroup a vector image, select it and then use one of the following methods:

• Hit the ungroup shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + G
• Right-click the vector and select ‘Group’ and then ‘Ungroup’
• Go to the Drawing Tools > Format tab in the Ribbon, select ‘Group’ and then ‘Ungroup’

A pop-up box will appear, asking you if you want to ungroup it. Click on ‘Yes.’

And now you have a series of shapes (instead of a picture) that you can edit and format however you like, just like for regular PowerPoint shapes.

Note:   Keep in mind that some things might come out strangely as vectors in PowerPoint:

• Gradients and shadows
• Lines (the lines will likely come out as one object and may lose their original weight)
• Complex artwork, such as sketching and other artistic effects

Some things you can do with your vector images now include:

• Change the fill color
• Add an outline with a custom weight
• Move and resize pieces of the vector
• Edit the points of certain pieces to change even the shape of it

And much more!

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1000+ Really Good Powerpoint Graphics for Every Project (Free and Premium)

By Sandra Boicheva

3 years ago

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Design plays a great role in creating amazing PowerPoint presentations. No matter how amazing the content and your presenting skills, the way you visualize your concept is equally important when it comes to winning the audience’s attention. Depending on the topic, you will need appropriate high-quality visuals and the good news is, these often come for free. With this in mind, we did a lot of digging and collected a huge variety of PowerPoint graphics (most of them free for personal and commercial use) that you can download and add to your library. 

In this article, you will find everything you need in order to visualize your concepts and design a presentation worthy of your topics. Below we added a quick overview of the types of PowerPoint graphics you will find.

1000+ Free and Premium PowerPoint Graphics from all over the web: 

• Editable Templates
• Backgrounds
• Icons and Badges

Data Visualization Graphics

• Elements (Pointers, Arrows, Bullets)
• Speech Bubbles

PowerPoint Templates

Instead of starting designing your presentation from scratch, you can work with a pre-made template and customize it to suit your concept and topic. Usually, pre-made templates are editable, come with text and image placeholders, and additional icons you can use. For this section, we collected pre-made templates with different themes, suitable for multi-purpose presentations, business, marketing, branding, analysis, technologies, and more specific topics like educations, food and restaurants, and software. Most templates are free for personal and commercial use, there are some premium ones with animations as well. 

We listed the numbers of slides, price and license below each template.

Free Educational Presentation Template

• Theme: Education, online teaching, lessons
• Pricing: Free
• License: Free for Personal and Commercial Use│Do Not Sell or Redistribute

Free Hand-Drawn Presentation

• Theme: Multi-purpose, branding, marketing

Free Corporate Presentation Template

• Theme: Multi-purpose, branding, business

Futuristic Free Template

• Theme: Technology, Science, Hardware, Future technologies

Spaceship Free Powerpoint Template

• Theme: Technology, Science, Business, Marketing

5G Technology Free Template

• Theme: 5G, Technology, Science, Business, Marketing

App Startup Free Template

• Theme: Multi-purpose, Startup, Business, Marketing

Startup Corporation Free Template

Smart City Free Template

• Theme: 5G, Technology, Business, Software, Future technologies

Food Taste Free Template

• Theme: Food and restaurants
• License: Free for Personal Use│Do Not Sell or Redistribute

Free Business PowerPoint Template

• Theme: Multi-purpose, business, marketing, startup

Free Minimalist Presentation Template

Special Burger Free Presentation 

• Theme: Food and restaurants, fast food, marketing

Opened Book Cute Free Template

• Theme: Multi-purpose, business, education, marketing

Technology and Design Template

• Slides: 110
• Pricing: $29 full presentation, 0$ 6 sample slides
• License: Standard

Smash Animated Presentation

• Slides: 100+
• Theme: Multi-purpose, business, marketing
• Pricing: $17 full presentation, 0$ 20 sample slides

Blanc Free Minimalistic Presentation

• Theme: Multi-purpose, business, marketing, fashion

Ultimate 3D PowerPoint Presentation Template

• Theme: Multi-purpose, business, marketing, branding
• Pricing: $31.84
• License: Standard│Royalty-Free

Ultimate Black and White Presentation 

• License: Standard│Royalty Free

Natuna Business Template

• Pricing: $16
• License: Regular│For one product

Massive X Fully-Animated Template

• Slides: 1500+
• Pricing: $15

Backgrounds PowerPoint Graphics

With templates out of the way, let’s go to the smaller PowerPoint graphics and elements. In some cases, you might want to customize your existing templates further by adding your own background. This is also a great hack when you’re building a short presentation with just a few slides of topic titles. You can easily do this in PowerPoint by selecting your slide and hitting Design> Format Background . For this section, we selected quite a lot of modern and trendy high-quality background PowerPoint graphics from over the web, all suitable for PowerPoint presentations.

Abstract Wave Gradient Liquid Background

• Files : PNG, SVG, AI
• Price: Free
• License: Free for Personal and Commercial Use with Attribution │Do Not Sell or Redistribute

Halftone Background with Circles

• Files : PNG, EPS

Wavy Abstract Background

• Files : JPG, AI, EPS

Grunge Paint Background

• Files : JPG

Flat Geometric Background

• Files : JPG, EPS

Neon Fluid Background with Geometric Shapes Free Vector

Hand-Drawn Minimal Background

Gradient Abstract Background

Half-Tone Lined Background

Isometric High tech Background

Abstract Technological Background

Black and Gold Luxurious Background

Set of Vector Liquid Shapes for Presentation Design

Neon Fluid Abstract Background

Liquid Gradient Color Background

Abstract Creative Background with Multicolored Flow

Glowing Particles Dynamic Background

Abstract Colorful Background

Modern Gold Background Free Vector

Geometric Black and Gold Background

• Price: Subscription

Abstract Shapes Gradient Background

Pink Luxury Rose Gold Gradient Background

Abstract Wave Colourful Background

Abstract Backgrounds – Mega Bundle

• Files : PNG, AI, EPS, PDF 
• Graphics: 66 
• Price: $31.84
• License: Standard │ Royalty- Free

Holographic 3D Background

• License: Standard 

Abstract Holo Shapes Background

Hi-Tech Futuristic Background

Neon Frame Sign Background

Icons for PowerPoint

One of the best ways to direct attention to certain parts of your presentation is through icons. They not only look great but also represent entire concepts and can replace a lot of text. We found a lot of sets in various styles that you can use in your own presentations to give them the homebrew personal touch.

Huge Hand-Drawn Doodle Free Icon Set

Web and Tech Development Themed Icon Free Set

Web and Tech Development Themed Icon Free Set v.2

Multimedia Icon Set for Presentations

Business and Finances Themed Icon Set

Set of School Stationery Icons

School and Education Icons Set

Cartoon Icons of Designer Work Process

Business Icons Free Set for Presentations

Modern Business Free Icon Set for Presentations

Set of Business People Icons for Presentations

Set of Business People Icons v.2

Free Business Scheduling Icon Set

Digital Marketing Thin Line Icons Set

A huge part of standard presentations covers a lot of data. In order to visualize it in a comprehensive and intuitive way, you will need editable charts, bars, graphs, and other infographics. This is why this section includes free and premium packs of data visualization PowerPoint graphics that you can edit and add to your presentation.

Steps/ Timeline Free Infographic

• Graphics: 1

Ultimate Infographic Template Collection – Mega Bundle

• Files : AI, EPS, PDF, PNG, PSD, PPT
• Graphics: 539
• License: Standard │Royalty-Free

16 Free Infographic Templates for Presentations

• Files : EPS, PDF
• Graphics: 16
• License: Free for Personal and Commercial Use │Do Not Sell or Redistribute

Data Visualization Elements Set

• Graphics: 40+

Data Visualization Elements Set v.2

Creative Modern Business Infographic

• Files : EPS, JPG

Bundle Infographic Tools

• Graphics: 15+

Free 6 Steps Startup Infographics

Internet Trading Vector Infographic Template

Marketing Diagram Infographic Template

Step by step From Research to Goal Infographic

Free Vector Infographics Elements

• Graphics: 6

Free 6-Steps Infographic Design

Essential PowerPoint Graphics and Elements (Pointers, Arrows, Bullets)

Using icons will help you replace a lot of text with visuals. However, you will still have a lot of text to organize and structure on your slides. Bullet points and arrows are a standard type of PowerPoint graphics to present your plan, list parts of your concepts, or indicate processes. As the original bullet points might be too simple, here we have custom, more colorful, and interesting-looking elements that will do the job in style.

Free Colorful Geometric Bullet Points

Colorful Arrow Bullet Points Collection

Arrow Aign Icon Set for Presentations

Green Arrows Set for Presentations

Arrow Neon Icon Collection

Colorful Arrows with Different Shapes

Vector Flechas Arrows Set

Circular Bullet Points Collection

Map Legend Vector Icons

Square Bullets with Labels

Marker Location You Are Here

Cutout Number Bulletpoints

Colorful Pin Bulletpoints 

Infographic Bullet Points

Colorful Pencils Bulletpoints

Gradient Pin Bullet Points

Traditional Bullet Points Collection

Bullet Paragraphs Set

Bullet Point Labels

Crystal Bullet Points

Vector Paper Progress 

Speech PowerPoint Graphics 

Speech bubble PowerPoint graphics and stylish testimonial boxes can make your design pop. This is a fun addition to have and it’s always worth taking the extra mile to use them in some of your slides. 

Hand-Drawn Doodle Speech Bubble Set

Comic Bubble Speech Set

Collection of Colorful Speech Bubbles

Silhouette Speech Bubbles

Cartoon Speech Bubbles

Paper Cutout Speech Bubbles

Testimonial Speech Bubble

Infographic Speech Bubbles

Abstract Gradient Speech Bubbles

Quote Boxes

Testimonial Quote Boxes

Futuristic Sci Fi Style Labels

Artistic Blue and Purple Speech Bubbles

Colorful Origami Speech Bubbles

That’s it

In conclusion, PowerPoint presentations don’t have to be plain, simple, and predictable. You can always make them special by putting an extra effort to customize them. It is much simpler to accomplish if you already have a library with valuable PowerPoint graphics and assets that will help you quickly build a presentation that will inspire interest and communication. We hope you found the right graphics for your projects and feel inspired to deliver your best presentation.

In the meantime, why not take a look at the related articles to get some more inspiration or grab a couple of freebies:

• 60+ Free Images of Cartoon People for Your Future Projects
• 70 Free Arrow PNG Objects, Illustrations and Vectors to Download Now
• 20 Really Good PowerPoint Examples to Inspire Your Next Presentation

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Other Free Design Resources

60 free cartoon sky illustrations to give more vibe to your designs 60 free cartoon sky illustrations to give more vibe to your designs.

20 Really Good PowerPoint Examples to Inspire Your Next Presentation 20 Really Good PowerPoint Examples to Inspire Your Next Presentation

Free Infographic Templates

20 free timeline infographics to visualize your data 20 free timeline infographics to visualize your data.

30 Presentation Design Ideas & Tips to Impress Your Audience in 2022

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By Iveta Pavlova

in Inspiration

7 years ago

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Update March 2022: Fixed broken links and added new presentation design idea examples

PowerPoint and its alternatives are multifunctional tools that serve a wide variety of purposes for both marketers and non-marketers. The popular software for presentation design holds unlimited powers of influence, as long you know how to use it right.

Today we’ll share valuable presentation design ideas and tips, so you can make the most out of your presentation. Before moving on to the actual design process, put your ideas on paper. This will help you clear up your concept and is crucial for building a high-quality presentation. Now, let’s begin!

1. Make Sure Your Eye-Catching Visuals Don’t Steal the Spotlight

The design of a presentation is supposed to support your information in more than one way. Overlooking your presentation design means throwing away all of your efforts to prepare a presentation in the first place. No matter the topic, you need to convey value. This means you need to make your presentation eye-catchy but try not to let your visuals steal the spotlight from the information itself.

• Presentation: Digital 2020 Global Digital Overview (January 2020) v01 by DataReportal

2. Go Simple and Witty

Simplicity is a highly advocated practice simply because it gives results. Now, there are simple and boring presentations, and there are simple and witty ones. The second one will win your audience to your side.

• Presentation: Marco Gold Standard by MarcoTechnologies

3. Prioritize Clarity Over Complexity

Push the boundaries but not too far. Obviously, clarity is a factor that definitely works in favor of your presentation’s success. A familiar pattern is a better approach than presenting the information in a completely new arrangement.

• Presentation: 10 Things your Audience Hates About your Presentation by Stinson

4. Turn your Presentation Design into a Story

We all know that design can provoke powerful emotions. But do you know which technique provokes even a stronger emotion? That’s right, stories. Use this double power for your presentation to influence your audience on a deeper level.

• Presentation: Apple Inc Case Study by Shail Daswani

5. Don’t Underestimate Power of Pop Culture References

Use the power of association to your advantage. When people connect new information with things they already know, they are more inclined to listen to you and accept your message.

• Presentation: The Art of the Presentation by Jeffrey Stevens

6. Leverage the Power of Whitespace

This is a blank space left between design elements in the composition. It is a great tool when you want to make a point and focus the viewer’s attention on a particular part of the design.

7. Apply the Rule of Thirds

3 stages, 3 steps, 3 points, 3 ideas… People tend to accept, understand and memorize these things better if they are narrowed down to 3. The audience simply loves this number, so all that’s left for you is to make the best out of this rule.

• Presentation: Achieving digital maturity: Adapting your company to a changing world from Deloitte United States

8. Use Minimum Text In Your Slides

A presentation design is created in order to help the presenter communicate certain information. Moreover, a presentation in front of an audience is meant to be listened to, and not read. This is why some professionals advise not to use more than 6 words per slide. Use more visual content, instead.

• Presentation: How to think like a startup by Loic Le Meur

9. Don’t Forget the Mobile Users

Mind this tip when designing a presentation that will also be watched on mobile devices. Big sections of text in presentation design are hard to read on small screens.

• Presentation: How to Master Difficult Conversations at Work – Leader’s Guide by Piktochart

10. Match the Presentation Design with the Topic

The topic of the presentation often dictates the theme of the design. For instance, a wedding-themed presentation suggests a soft, romantic color scheme, a business presentation is often designed in brand colors, etc.

• Presentation: How To Have Your Dream Wedding Without Burying Your Budget by DesignMantic

You’d probably like to learn  4 Invaluable Presentation Design Tips You Wish You Knew Earlier

11. Use Semi-Transparent Gradient Graphs

Different tools are used to present data. However, presenting it in a visually appealing way will bring more positives for you. Semi-transparency and partial overlapping are super trendy when it comes to presenting graphs. Choose different colors complementing each other, and apply semi-transparency increasing to the top.

• Presentation: Achieving digital maturity: Adapting your company to a changing world by Deloitte United States

12. Be Trendy with Gradient Overlays

Gradients and color transitions are still trendy. This means you can use them bravely in all of your designs including presentation design. White text on top works amazing for this kind of overlay.

• Presentation: 10 Insightful Quotes On Designing A Better Customer Experience by Yuan Wang

13. Use a Partial Overlay to Put an Accent

We already established that white lettering goes well with a colored semi-transparent background. Another technique is to use this background as an element and not a full background, so you can draw the eye to a certain area.

• Presentation: 500 Demo Day Batch 19: Gluwa by 500 Startups

14. Use Brand Colors

Choosing a presentation design style according to your brand is a smart move. This way, you will certainly differentiate your work from other presentations. Also, it’s wise to include your business’s branding – your logo in all of your slides.

• Presentation: How to Market your Charity in the Digital Age by Michael Horton

15. Try Bright Colors

Bright colors still rule the web in 2022, so there will be a lot of them in presentation design, as well. With these colors, it’s more than easy to catch the attention and make a statement. Combine them with 3D or flat illustrations and flattering text color (white works amazing) to make the presentation design pleasant for the eye.

16. Choose One Popping Color

If you want to keep the vibe of the bright colors but still make the presentation design elegant and classy, use just one popping color (it can be even neon) over a black-and-white themed background (or simply over muted colors).

• Presentation: 24 Design Tips from Real Designers by Edahn Small

17. Try Sticking to Black and White

Going black-and-white has always been trendy. This look can provoke a variety of moods depending on how you use it. The Black and white duo provokes nostalgia, drama, mystery. But it could also make your concept look elegant and simple.

• Presentation: A Guide to User Research (for People Who Don’t Like Talking to Other People) by Stephanie Wills

18. Use Trendy Pantone Colors

This presentation uses the Ultra Violet Pantone color of the year 2018 , but you can go with any annual Pantone color to vibe with the current. Now is the time to try Very Peri Color of the year 2022 .

• Presentation: Top Productivity Working Hacks by Jan Rezab

19. Use Simple Outline Illustrations to Explain a Concept

Using illustrations instead of pictures can help you emphasize a point. Illustrations are great conceptual tools, so when it comes to presenting, they can help you get your message across with ease. Flat outline illustrations, on the other hand, are simplistic enough to explain a concept and attractive enough to catch the viewer’s attention in a presentation design.

20. Flat Illustrations are Always a Good Choice

Flat has been the king of illustration in the graphic design world for so long, that we can’t make this list without it. The multifunctional simplistic shapes make this style suitable for both icons and conceptual illustrations in a presentation design.

• Presentation: The 12 Characteristics Of A Horrible Boss by Debra Ulrich

21. Mix Styles

You don’t have to limit yourself to using only one style throughout the whole presentation. Feel free to combine gradients with flats, outlines, and other styles to achieve a more attention-grabbing look.

• Presentation: 5 Storytelling Lessons From Superhero Stories by HighSpark | Visual Storytelling Agency

22. Use Art Illustrations

A fully illustrated slide is a move that pushes the boundaries of the ordinary presentation design. This approach, especially used as an opening slide, will certainly nail your audience’s attention from the very beginning, so it’s worth giving it a shot.

• Presentation:  Achieving digital maturity: Adapting your company to a changing world by Deloitte United States

23. Try Modern Low-Poly Illustrations

Low-poly is a style of illustration that has become modern in recent years. The style brings a futuristic vibe and makes the design look edgy. This style can be applied to the presentation design elements or even the background for a bolder look.

• Presentation: One Point Per Slide – Why It’s Important and How to Do It by Stinson

24. Use Geometric Shapes

Geometric shapes can totally make a design look modern, elegant, and more interesting. Whether circles, triangles, diamonds, or else, geometric shapes provide a wide field for experimenting. This means your opportunities are endless and the result could be an absolutely unique presentation design.

• Presentation: Designing For Emails: 8 Hacks To Design Emails That Are Eagerly Awaited by DesignMantic

25. Give Each Concept a Different Color

Colors are a perfect way to distinguish different ideas and concepts. Plus, they help the audience follow your thought more easily. Distinguishing your ideas from each other by using colors is a great way to focus on different messages in the same presentation. Just make sure to keep the style consistent.

• Presentation: 125 Clickass Copywriting Tips by Barry Feldman

26. Try Creative Typography

You should absolutely step outside your comfort zone and experiment with attractive new ways of presenting your lettering.

• Presentation: 14 Inspiring Paul Rand Quotes! by DesignMantic

27. Try Unconventional Fonts

With the huge diversity of fonts available online, don’t be afraid to try out new looks. A new font stands out and makes the presentation design feel completely different.

• Presentation: GAME ON! Integrating Games and Simulations in the Classroom by Brian Housand

28. Use Numbers to Mark Progress

Numbers are a great way to help your audience keep track of your thoughts. They help you take the viewer through the whole process and they boost the clarity. Numbers also give the feeling of a step-by-step process. They can simplify any idea and make it easier to be understood. In the following example, each slide is a numbered step. This is a provenly effective practice but you can experiment with expanding each number over a few slides.

• Presentation: 21 Hottest Productivity Hacks for 2016 by HubSpot

29. ABC of Anything

The ABC is a cool way to make your audience follow a list. Unlike numbering which could be infinite, this type of alphabetical bulleting does have an end obviously.  This technique engages the viewer a lot because, first of all, the viewer sees something familiar – the alphabetical order. Secondly, people like the feeling of completion which helps them keep their interest till the end of the alphabet.

• Presentation: The ABC’s of Living a Healthy Life by Dr. Omer Hameed

30. Call to Action

Don’t be afraid to tell your audience what to do next. A CTA button is rewarding your efforts spent on the presentation.

• Presentation: 4 Biggest Challenges for Creative Teams by Wrike

Presentation design doesn’t have to be boring. These 30 presentation design ideas and tips will help you breathe life into your presentation and win your audience’s attention. You are welcome to share more ideas in the comments below, so we can discuss what works and what doesn’t. Happy designing!

You may also be interested to read these related articles:

• The Best Free PowerPoint Templates to Download in 2022
• How to Calm Down Before a Presentation: 10 Practical Tips and Techniques
• Top Graphic Design Trends 2022: Raising the Game

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Iveta Pavlova

Iveta is a passionate writer at GraphicMama who has been writing for the brand ever since the blog was launched. She keeps her focus on inspiring people and giving insight on topics like graphic design, illustrations, education, business, marketing, and more.

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.css-1qrtm5m{display:block;margin-bottom:8px;text-transform:uppercase;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5714285714285714;-webkit-letter-spacing:-0.35px;-moz-letter-spacing:-0.35px;-ms-letter-spacing:-0.35px;letter-spacing:-0.35px;font-weight:300;color:#606F7B;}@media (min-width:600px){.css-1qrtm5m{font-size:16px;line-height:1.625;-webkit-letter-spacing:-0.5px;-moz-letter-spacing:-0.5px;-ms-letter-spacing:-0.5px;letter-spacing:-0.5px;}} Best Practices The #1 rule for improving your presentation slides

by Tom Rielly • May 12, 2020

When giving presentations, either on a video conference call or in person, your slides, videos and graphics (or lack of them) can be an important element in helping you tell your story or express your idea. This is the first of a series of blog posts that will give you tips and tricks on how to perfect your visual presentations.

Your job as a presenter is to build your idea -- step-by-step -- in the minds of your audience members. One tool to do that is presentation graphics, such as slides and videos.

Why graphics for your presentation?

A common mistake is using slides or videos as a crutch, even if they don’t actually add anything to your presentation. Not all presentations need graphics. Lots of presentations work wonderfully with just one person standing on a stage telling a story, as demonstrated by many TED Talks.

You should only use slides if they serve a purpose: conveying scientific information, art, and things that are hard to explain without pictures. Once you have decided on using slides, you will have a number of decisions to make. We’ll help you with the basics of making a presentation that is, above all, clear and easy to understand. The most important thing to remember here is: less is more.

Less is so much more

You want to aim for the fewest number of slides, the fewest number of photos, the fewest words per slide, the least cluttered slides and the most white space on your slides. This is the most violated slide rule, but it is the secret to success. Take a look at these examples.

As you can see in the above example, you don’t need fancy backgrounds or extra words to convey a simple concept. If you take “Everything you need to know about Turtles”, and delete “everything you need to know about” leaving just “turtles”, the slide has become much easier for your audience to read, and tells the story with economy.

The above example demonstrates that a single image that fills the entire screen is far more powerful than a slide cluttered with images. A slide with too many images may be detrimental to your presentation. The audience will spend more mental energy trying to sort through the clutter than listening to your presentation. If you need multiple images, then put each one on its own slide. Make each image high-resolution and have it fill the entire screen. If the photos are not the same dimensions as the screen, put them on a black background. Don’t use other colors, especially white.

Your slides will be much more effective if you use the fewest words, characters, and pictures needed to tell your story. Long paragraphs make the audience strain to read them, which means they are not paying attention to you. Your audience may even get stressed if you move on to your next slide before they’ve finished reading your paragraph. The best way to make sure the attention stays on you is to limit word count to no more than 10 words per slide. As presentation expert Nancy Duarte says “any slide with more than 10 words is a document.” If you really do need a longer explanation of something, handouts or follow-up emails are the way to go.

Following a “less is more” approach is one of the simplest things you can do to improve your presentation visuals and the impact of your presentation overall. Make sure your visuals add to your presentation rather than distract from it and get your message across.

Ready to learn more about how to make your presentation even better? Get TED Masterclass and develop your ideas into TED-style talks.

© 2024 TED Conferences, LLC. All rights reserved. Please note that the TED Talks Usage policy does not apply to this content and is not subject to our creative commons license.

• Presentation Design

PowerPoint Graphics to Enhance Your Presentations

Camille del Rosario

Preferred by 89% of users , Microsoft PowerPoint is still the most popular presentation platform in the world. After almost four decades of existence, it’s the most familiar presentation platform on earth, and almost every other similar platform is based on its user interface.

What is PowerPoint Graphics?

PowerPoint Presentations cannot live on text alone. Sure, you can have an ultra-minimal PowerPoint presentation with titles, subtitles, and bullet points only, and call it a day — but that’s not very exciting, is it? That’s why most engaging and effective presentations include relevant, professionally designed visuals that help your audience understand strong ideas and digest complex information.

Some of you may remember the earlier days of Microsoft Office, with WordArt, Clip Art, and Clippy the Office Assistant. In those days, there was a limited range of images and shapes you could select from and drop into presentations — unless you created your own custom photos, charts and graps from scratch with design tools such as Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator.

Today, the internet is chock-full of free and premium resources and Powerpoint templates you can easily customize, so you’ll never run out of creative material for whatever kind of corporate presentation you want to create.

Advantages of Using PowerPoint Graphics in Your Presentation

A single graphic can take the place of many words which can improve your PowerPoint presentation greatly. For example, to get your audience’s attention, instead of a bulleted list or paragraph explaining a process, you can show a photo, an animated video, or infographic instead.

PowerPoint graphics are not only informative and explanatory — they can be thought-provoking and mood-changing as well. If you’re trying to send a message, communicate strong ideas or evoke emotion in your audience, the right graphic will take you much farther than any words can.

Finally, your audience will appreciate any extra effort that has gone into creating your dynamic presentations and will be impressed by their strong visual impact.

It’s not about visuals or vanity — a well-designed slideshow presentation shows that you are passionate and professional. This implies that you have deep knowledge and authority when it comes to your subject.

How to Insert Graphics into PowerPoint

How do you insert a graphic into your PowerPoint Presentation? According to this guide from Microsoft corporation, there are three ways to do it if you’re a Microsoft 365 subscriber:

Use an image from your computer.

Go to Insert > Images > Pictures , and in the popup that appears, select Insert Picture From > This Device . Alternatively, you can simply right-click and copy the image then paste it on the desired slide.

Use a Microsoft stock image.

Go to Insert > Images > Pictures , then click Stock Images . Microsoft 365 subscribers have built-in access to thousands of royalty-free images!

Use an image from the web.

Go to Insert tab > Images > Pictures , then click Online Pictures . In the search box that appears, type a keyword or two, press enter, and select images from the results.

You can use the Format Picture tools to edit an image’s size, position, and more. And if you want an image to appear in every single slide, you don’t have to copy-paste it one by one — simply add it to the Slide Master under the View menu!

Keep all this in mind for your next project.

Where to Get Free PowerPoint Graphics

Welcome to the internet, where you can actually get things for free! The following websites are extremely helpful, fully customizable resources for amateur and professional designers alike.

Vecteezy is a high-quality resource for vector graphics, photos, and even videos. Their well-curated collections include trending graphics and team favorites. There are free and paid options on their website, but with millions of free options, you don’t have to worry about pulling out your wallet anytime soon!

Also, all resources are licensed for personal and commercial use, so you can use Vecteezy graphics for marketing and advertising purposes as well.

Unsplash hosts more than two million high-resolution images from “the world’s most generous community of photographers.” Unsplash alone can really level up your zero-budget presentation design game!

With patrons like BuzzFeed, Squarespace, and Trello, you don’t have to worry about industry-standard quality when it comes to Unsplash.

Photos from Unsplash are free to download for personal and commercial use, and while photographer attribution is appreciated, it isn’t required. It’s the perfect image library for great PowerPoint Presentations!

Freepik provides vector graphics, photos, editable mockups. They’re also affiliated with graphic resources Storyset (customizable and downloadable illustrations), Slidesgo (presentation templates), and Flaticon (vector icons) — all of which you can use to boost your presentation designs.

Attribution is requested, but not required if you’re a premium user. Free downloads are limited to around 30 resources a day — maybe not enough for professional PowerPoint design work, but absolutely perfect occasional presentation designers who just need to get a deck done.

Where to Buy Graphics for PowerPoint

For battle-ready PowerPoint power users, free resources may not be enough. If you’re looking for an intense level-up and no limitations when it comes to visual resources, these are for you!

Envato Elements

Envato Elements provides a wide range of creative assets, from images to audio to website templates. You can download full presentation templates, or get illustrations, photos, PowerPoint infographic templates, animations and fonts for a more personalized experience.

Adobe Stock

Like Envato, Adobe Stock offers a wide range of assets, such as photos, videos, illustrations, and vector graphics. High-resolution and royalty-free, you can use Adobe Stock assets for any project with full confidence that you have industry-standard quality at your fingertips.

Getty Images

Getty Images provides world-class images, illustrations, and videos with highly customizable plans. They take a data-driven approach to creativity concepts, generating and curating visuals based on what consumers really respond to.

A Getty subscription can also give you access to royalty-free video clips from the BBC Motion Gallery and the NBC News Archives. This is great for presenters who discuss highly technical topics, like science, history, business, and more. You can even license assets exclusively if that’s something you feel your brand needs.

Need Unique PowerPoint Graphics and Design?

Whether you choose free PowerPoint graphics, pre-designed layouts (check out these free presentation layouts that you can download), Google slides themes or a paid resource for your presentation graphics, you might still end up with some work to do — the presentation design itself.

At Design Pickle, you can focus on your pitch and we can take care of the deck. A Graphics Pro subscription includes unlimited access to custom graphics , illustrations , and PowerPoint presentation design services.

If you can imagine it, we can design it! Schedule a free consultation today!

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How to Design a PowerPoint: A Visual Guide to Making Slides with Impact

Home > Speaking > How to Design a PowerPoint

A quick Google Images search for “worst PowerPoint slides” proves two very clear realities: 1) anybody can create a PowerPoint; and 2) many don’t know how to do them well.

That’s understandable, though. Unless you’ve recently taken courses or training in design, data visualization, and public speaking, you likely haven’t had any more education on how to create an effective slide deck than a ten-year-old.

And you’re not alone.

Bad PowerPoints are everywhere: professor lectures, science conferences, human resources trainings, team meetings, sales review gatherings, thesis and dissertation defenses, product pitches, job interviews, you name it. Some of the brightest people in the world have created some of the most awful PowerPoints. For most, it’s just not a natural skill.

That’s unfortunate, too, because a well-designed slide deck can make a tremendous difference in the reception of the message you’re trying to convey.

To start designing excellent slide decks right away, follow my quick guide to designing better PowerPoints right after this paragraph. To get a whole workshop’s worth of information about how to design better slides, scroll below. 🙂

Click image to enlarge.

The question is, does designing a nice PowerPoint actually matter?

Well, if you’ve made it this far, you already know my opinion. But the short answer is, YES! Effective slide decks can make a HUGE difference in the outcome of your presentation. Why? Because slides—which should be used to supplement and enhance your well-prepared script (not be the presentation, as we often see in slides that are nothing more than bulleted lists)—significantly improve engagement during the presentation and recall after the presentation.

Basically, if you want people to both pay attention AND remember what you said, good slides can make all the difference. Plus, research has shown that people trust information more when it’s well-designed. In sum, good slides will cause your audience to:

• Pay attention more and stay more engaged;
• Remember the key messages from your presentation better;
• Trust you and your information more; and
• Believe you are super smart and awesome. (I mean, you already are, but good slides will seal the deal.)

Bad slides, on the other hand, are not only distracting, but they can actually damage a person’s ability to understand and follow your message.

At best, poorly designed slides will make you look less professional. At worst, they’ll encourage people to not listen to anything you have to say. Bad slides (which are caused by a whole range of things, including being too text-heavy, too busy, too inconsistent, or too color crazy, etc. [see my article on 40 Ways to Screw Up a PowerPoint Slide ]), overwhelmingly distract from your presentation.

If a slide has too much text, people try to read it and listen to you at the same time—which damages their ability to do either well. If your slides are too busy, your audience won’t be able to understand the information quick enough. If it’s ugly, well…people just tune out and ignore (and judge you, to boot).

Okay, so enough of the why . Let’s get to making better slides!

The 9 Steps to Designing a Better PowerPoint Slide

Step 1: empathize with your audience.

The term “empathy” in this context comes from a relatively new theory called “design thinking,” in which you can apply the mindset of a designer to a variety of contexts. So, whether you’re creating a toothbrush, a video game, an automobile, or…a PowerPoint, you need to be thinking a like a designer—which starts with empathy.

Empathizing with an audience is like applying the Golden Rule: present unto them as you would like to be presented to. Of course, the content of presentation itself comes first and foremost, but the design of your slides should support and enhance your content, so you’ll be thinking of your script and your slides at the same time. To begin, it’s best to start with a few concrete questions about your audience:

• Why are they there? Are they at your presentation because they want to be, or because they have to be? Is your presentation the only one of the day, or is it one of many (like at a conference)? Are they expecting to learn, be entertained, be inspired, be trained? In essence, you want to know their state of mind before coming so you can plan to accommodate that as best you can.
• Why would they care? Dig deep here. Does your audience actually care about the topic as much as you do? And…if you don’t care, why don’t you? If the topic isn’t meaningful and you can’t make it feel that way, then why even present? But…if they do care, know why they do. What will they hope for and expect out of it? What can you do to meet and exceed their expectations?
• What do they need to know? And what DON’T they? How much about your subject do they already know? Are they novices, experts, or a blend of both? Does it make more sense to break your topic into separate presentations on separate days, rather than giving it all at once? Is it focused and narrow enough to make an impact? Can you leave anything that is irrelevant out?
• What will keep them engaged? Consider your content and your big takeaways. Consider the personalities and knowledge base of the audience? What can you do to keep them engaged? Now…remember that “engaged” doesn’t mean “entertained” (though it can). If you’re a scientist presenting on bacterial infections in the liver, entertainment is obviously not appropriate. But…if you don’t engage them, they may not appreciate your research, no matter how valuable it is. What will they want to see, hear, and know and how can you display that to them in a way that will keep them interested?

Once you have clear idea about your audience’s needs and desires, you can begin to develop slides (along with the content of your script) that will give them exactly what they’re looking for rather than wasting their time (and yours).

Step 2: Define the Story

Think of your presentation as a story and you, the presenter, as an author in real time. As you deliver a presentation, you are creating the tone, setting, and plot for what happens. Your execution of the presentation will, if done right, create a climax/conflict and an important resolution. Consider how your slide development functions like the five components of a story, then write down how you plan to control (define) that story:

• The Setting. You create a mood and presence by the way you enter the room, interact with the audience, and display your title. While you may not have full control over who comes and what the room looks like, you do have relative control over the tone and ambiance and how they will react to your message. Consider the title of your presentation. Does it capture your message while also creating a buzz about your topic? Can you add a photo on the title slide that will intrigue your audience? What colors will you use? How do you plan to interact with the slides and how will you keep the audience involved?
• The Characters. You may not know all the people in the room, but you should know as much about them as possible (start with Step 1). Still, you have a way to shape their interest and engagement in this topic. Characters in this story are stakeholders. Your ultimate goal for giving should be one of three things: help them think about something in a new, meaningful way; learn something valuable they didn’t know before; and/or act as a result of what they learned. If you can’t get them to one of those three points, you’ve never really developed the characters.
• The Plot . A plot in storytelling is a series of events that build towards a conclusion. A plot needs to have direction, with clear and meaningful series of events. As you develop your script, you should be thinking about your rhetorical progression of ideas—your building towards a final outcome or conclusion. The development of slides can help you with this and they can help your audience stay on track. The key is, you need to make sure your audience is following the plot. If the plot starts to feel loose, disconnected, fragmented, or…all over the place, you’ll lose them faster than a 0-star rated movie.
• The Conflict. There must be some reason why everyone is there to see you presentation. It’s possible they don’t fully understand it themselves, but you, as the presenter, must make their purpose evidently clear. You must make them care. The more and more you pull them into your subject matter, the more you have effectively built a climax, which is the key to any successful story.
• The Resolution . The resolution is the takeaway—it’s what resolves the conflict. If you’ve built a strong climax, you now need to make sure your audience leaves with something valuable. If they leave thinking in a new, meaningful way; if they have learned something valuable that they can apply today; or if they are ready and knowledgeable about how to act, then the resolution is there and you, the author, have done your job.

Step 3: Brand Your Message

Jeff Bezos is famous for having said, “Brand is what others say about you when you’re not in the room.” You might think similarly about your presentation. How will your audience feel about your presentation afterwards, when you’re not around?

That can be an intimidating question to ask. And, it may seem a little odd to think about your message as a “brand.” But…applying brand theory to messaging makes a lot of sense. You want people to get on board with what you have to say. To do that, you have to establish what they value, what motivates them, and what you’ll have to do meet or exceed their expectations.

Brand experts use a lot of terms to describe and define brands. Let’s address a few, and apply them to slide design:

• Differentiation. How yours is different from the rest. What can you do to make your message stand out from a world of clutter and information? What makes yours unique? Is it your approach, the stories you tell, your language, your humor, your ideas, something else?
• Authenticity . How much you genuinely care. Audiences can tell if you’re passionate or not. They know if you care about both your topic and them learning it. If you fake it, the message gets diluted. Use your slides to help showcase how much you care.
• History . What people already know about you, your topic, or your experience. Do you need to establish credibility, or do you already have it? Do you have experience you can lean into? Does your audience already like/agree with this topic? Is it totally new and unfamiliar to them? How can you bring the history of your topic and yourself into the presentation? Will you audience need a primer on the history or does it matter?
• Simplicity. Making the most important things stick. Good brands almost always have simple logos, simple taglines, and simple brand positioning statements. Many also focus on limited products—they focus on what they do well. Your message can work the same way. Can you simplify your entire message into 2 – 5 key points? Can you reduce the amount of information that has to be taken in all at once? Can you help organize and chunk information to be clearer and simpler to follow? People generally have a hard time remembering complex information all at once—determine what the real purpose of your presentation is and what your audience can reasonably get out of it, then simplify to make sure that happens.
• Visual Identity . Your message, like a brand, can be enhanced if people resonate with the overall look and feel. Just like with buying a brand of shoes, people will be drawn to the design of your information. If it looks static, cliche, poorly design, or just plain ugly, you’ve created an undesirable visual identity and people will have a harder time buying into it. But if you can take your message and harmonize with strong design and imagery, people will be more likely to be attracted by, latch onto, and “buy in” to what you have to say. What should your visual identity look like, considering your topic?

Step 4: Select Your Fonts

The choice of your font may seem a small thing, but it can make the difference between a sleek, professional presentation and one that is static, boring, or, worse, painfully obnoxious.

If you’re not a professional designer, being font savvy may not come natural. Fortunately, there just a few rules you can follow to help you make your choices:

• Avoid the Defaults . In PowerPoint (as in MS Word), the default font is Calibri. Before 2010, the default was Times New Roman. Other programs use Arial or Myriad Pro as the default. What’s wrong with defaults? The fonts themselves are actually fine fonts—that’s why Microsoft went with them. BUT…because they’re the defaults, they are so widely used that they’ve become dull. If you just leave the defaults, your audience will subconsciously feel that you didn’t design your PowerPoint (because you probably didn’t). Just changing the font can bolster your PowerPoint’s professionalism quickly.
• Stick to Simple, Modern Fonts. Okay, so you don’t want to use the defaults, but what DO you use? Something simple. Don’t go crazy. Find something that is similar to the default, with just a little variation. Find something that is super easy to read and looks clean, simple, and sleek. Nothing distracting. Remember: you want people to focus on your story and message, not the lettering. Look at the graphic above for a list of some good, simple, modern fonts. Avoid, at all costs, the notoriously ugly or cliched fonts: Comic Sans; Chiller; Papyrus; Algerian; Curlz MT; and so forth.
• Make Sure Your Fonts Are on the Computer(s) You’re Presenting On. Remember: fonts are installed on individual computers, not attached to a program. A misunderstanding that many people have is that a font comes with PowerPoint (or any other program you’re working on). That’s NOT accurate. Fonts are installed on your computer. So…if you use a cool font that was on your desktop PC, but you are presenting your slides on a MacBook laptop, you’ll want to check that both computers have the font you’re using. Some fonts are pretty standard and you’ll find them on pretty much all computers: Palatino Linotype, Century Gothic, Segoe UI, Garamond. Others, however, are proprietary and may not be on other computers: Acumin Pro, Raleway, Helvetica. If you know you’ll be presenting on multiple different computers, find a standard font. One I’ve always liked to use is Century Gothic.
• Consider Using Two Fonts . The “two-font rule” suggests that designs will be more attractive if they use two fonts—one for headings and titles, the other for body text. You can get away with just one font if you make your headings stand out in some way—by size, weight, or color—but it’s often a nice aesthetic to use two. Just be sure that the two fonts are obviously different from each other (don’t use both Arial AND Century Gothic—they’re too similar, which will look like an accident) and that they harmonize well together. It’s often good to use a serif font (the type with little “feet” like in Palatino Linotype) paired with a sans serif font (the kind without “feet,” like Century Gothic).

Step 5: Narrow Your Colors

A hallmark of any good design is a simple, consistent color scheme. Keep your slide designs to fewer than four colors. Often, it’s good to use black, white, gray, and then one or two accent colors. Years ago, when I was new to design, I had someone tell me that a brochure I created looked like a clown exploded on the page. You DON’T want your slides to look like a clown exploded! To avoid that, find your color scheme in advance and stick to it.

Color can be tricky. If you work for a company that already has a pre-established style guide and color scheme, definitely use it! Not only is that important for your company’s brand, it makes your life a whole lot easier. If you do have to choose colors yourself, though, consider going to this website first: color.adobe.com . You can type things into the “explore” bar and you’ll be led to color schemes that look nice.

What you want to look for are colors that are a bit muted and won’t overwhelm the eyes of your viewers. Remember that you want to keep a high contrast so it doesn’t strain your audience members’ eyes. So…stick to black or really dark gray for text. Keep a white or very light background. Use the accent color for headings or important pieces of content. And…just make sure the colors match your topic or industry.

Step 6: Divide into Sections

Good presentations are well organized. Your slides should visually reflect your organization by using different slide “types” for different parts of your presentation or content.

All presentations should have at least three slide types: a title slide, a body slide, and a closing slide. Most presentations will have a fourth: a section slide. Section slides are used to transition your presentation from one major topic to the next. Many presentations can also benefit from callout slides, which are used to designate unique types of content that show up periodically—like for direct quotes or polling questions to audience members.

If you’ve ever taken a college course on public speaking, you probably remember your professor telling you to use “signposts.” A signpost is a metaphor for visual or oral cues that let your reader know where they’re at in the journey. Signposts keep your audience oriented. Sectioning your slides provides a visual signifier to your audience that you are shifting gears—plus, it just makes your slides feel cohesive, professional, and organized.

Take the time to design your slide types first. Then, fill in the content from your presentation script.

A quick note about body slides, though. These are going to be the most frequently used slides, the ones that you put the majority of your content on. Note that body slides don’t all have to look identical. They need to be consistent in design—repeating the same fonts, colors, photography style, highlights, etc.—but the layouts can change. Providing some visual variation is good for your audience.

Step 7: Visualize Every Slide

One of the biggest errors inexperienced presenters make is believing that audience members need to be able to read a lot of text to understand the message.

The reality is, when you put a lot of text on the screen—even if it’s in a bulleted list—you end up creating more difficulty for your audience. They’ll try to read while also trying to listen to you, creating a conflict of noise that will eventually cause them to only catch about half of what you wanted them to. Plus, a lot of text is boring and not efficient for the human brain.

Research has actually shown (and there is significant evidence to prove this) that making information visual is good for humans for four reasons: engagement, cognition, trust, and recall.

• Visual information is more engaging . Most all people will tell you that they are “visual learners.” The reality is that pretty much all humans are. We pay attention to visual information because our brains are designed to process visual information faster. When you provide visuals—photographs, charts, diagrams, icons, etc.—people will pay far more attention than if you just have text. In fact, if you just have text on a screen, people will likely zone out.
• Visual information is easier to understand. If designed well and related to the topic, people will understand visual information faster than they will from reading. Even as you read this article (assuming you’re still here!), the information that is really going to help you are the visual examples and explanations I’ve added for each section. That’s the stuff where you’ll say, “aha! now I know what Curtis is telling me to do.” All this text—it’s just ancillary stuff to provide more detail. But the photos/graphics are what you’ll really learn from.
• Visualized information builds trust. For better or for worse, humans are wired to trust information more when it has been visualized, especially when it looks professional. If you take a table of data and turn it into a data visualization that is professionally design, people will tend to trust it more. Something about taking the time to visualize information makes people assume you know what you’re talking about. Now, that said, you have to make sure your data visualizations are accurate. The real pitfall here is that people will tend to trust it more, even if it’s misleading. If they discover any flaws, your entire argument (and credibility) will go out the window.
• Visual information is easier to remember . Research studies have shown that visual information will be retained more than six times better if visuals are attached to it. If you actually want people to remember your presentation you must do two things: tell stories and use pictures. If you simply regurgitate information and make it very text-heavy, your audience will forget almost everything you said within three days. If you add pictures, though, they’ll have mental images to trigger memory, helping them retain your message much longer.

Find ways to visualize every chance you can, making sure that your visuals emphasize, clarify, or enhance the content you are talking about. Look at the examples above. Find ways to reduce text and enlarge graphics; turn bullets into images or icons; and use simple, easy to understand graphics that draw attention to the most important point.

Step 8: Play with Photos and Layouts

This is the one that takes the most practice, but it can be the most fun and rewarding. Recognize that your body slides can take multiple forms and that there are endless ways to organize, crop, and adjust visualizations, photos, headings, and designs. As long as you keep your color scheme, fonts, and highlighting techniques consistent, the slides will still feel uniform and professional, while giving variety to your slides.

Some things to think about as you play with the design of your slides:

• CONTRAST: Make sure you use high contrast in colors, especially for areas where you have text (black text on white backgrounds almost always work best). In addition, make sure that things that are different actually look significantly different. If two fonts are different sizes, make them obviously different sizes. If you’re using two colors, make them completely different colors. When two things look similar, there isn’t much contrast, which looks accidental and/or visually dull.
• REPETITION: Repetition is all about consistency in design. Repeat design elements throughout: fonts, colors, highlights, logos, shapes, styles, etc. Repeat the same visual feel for photos. Use the same types of icons and graphics. The more unified the design, the strong the appeal and the more professional you look.
• ALIGNMENT: Make sure everything on your slide is aligned with something else. Nothing should be “floating,” or placed arbitrarily. Align photos to titles, words to other words, rules/lines to other elements. Keep it all tightly aligned and crisp.
• PROXIMITY: Put things that are related close together and things that aren’t apart from each other. The brain will automatically assume that, if two things are next to each other (like a photo and a caption) that they are connected. Avoid confusing your audience by separating things that are different and connecting things that go together.
• Move Photos to the Bleeds . The term “bleed” is a graphic design principle that describes moving photos to the edge of page (where the ink “bleeds” off) in order to reduce visual noise. An old design principles developed by Josef Albers, 1+1=3, suggests that when you insert two objects, you automatically create a third—the space between. When you insert a photo, you end up creating a margin of white space around the edges. If that white space isn’t necessary, just make the image larger and push clear to the edge of the screen. This will remove the margin and the noise. Plus, it just makes slides look simpler and more professional and it really draws the eyes to the photo.

Step 9: Orient Your Audience

In addition to creating section slides (see Step 6 above), you can help your audience—and yourself—stay organized by giving visual cues and textual information in footers, slide counts, and headers or sidebars.

These orienting features of a slide deck can be especially valuable if you’re giving a long presentation, workshop, or training.

Start by creating a footer. These aren’t required and you don’t need them on every slide, but in most costs, presentations will benefit from some information in the footer. Some of the most common things to include in a footer:

• Company logo
• Company name
• Name of presenter
• Name of event or conference
• Title of presentation
• Copyright information

Beyond the footer, you can also include a slide count (in example above, look at the bottom right of the slide). While some argue that this can be distracting, most would say that a slide count will help audience members know how much more to expect, putting their “I’m being held hostage by this presenter!” fears away.

If your presentation is particularly long (like, say, 45 minutes or more) or you’re giving a workshop, you can really help your audience by giving them a sort of contents or guide, so that they know where they’re at in relation to everything else. You might, for example, create a small sidebar on the left that includes the section they’re in with the subsection. Or, as in the example at the top (see top left of example), you might just include which section you’re on and a summary title of that section.

There is no one or perfect way to orient your audience members. Just make sure it’s on the forefront of your mind as you work to build empathy into your slide design. The presentation is for them, after all, not you. Give them as much as you can to help them appreciate the message you’re delivering.

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Graphics & Tables in PowerPoint: A Guide for Clear and Impactful Presentations

• December 1, 2023
• Uncategorized

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Graphics and tables are crucial tools in PowerPoint presentations for presenting complex information in a visually appealing and comprehensible manner. This guide offers valuable tips and strategies for effectively using graphics and tables to create clear and impactful presentations.

Why Simplifying Complex Data is Crucial

In creating a presentation, it’s important to simplify complex data to make it understandable for your audience. No one wants to analyze numbers and diagrams for hours. By simplifying your data and presenting only the most crucial information, you can ensure your message is conveyed clearly and precisely.

A key aspect of simplifying complex data is choosing the right graphics and tables. Select charts that represent your data well and are easy to understand. Avoid cluttered graphics with too much information, as this can overwhelm the audience. However, simplifying complex data is not only relevant for presentations but also for everyday life. In a world where we are constantly bombarded with information, it is crucial to filter and understand relevant information. Simplifying complex data allows us to analyze it better and make informed decisions.

Another reason why simplifying complex data is important is that it facilitates communication. When we transform complex data into simple and understandable information, we can share it more effectively with others. This is especially important in professional environments, where sharing information and understanding data can be critical to the success of a project. Moreover, simplifying complex data can also help prevent misunderstandings and errors. If data is presented too complexly or unclearly, there’s a risk of misinterpretation. Simplifying the data ensures clarity and precision, leading to better communication and accuracy.

There are various methods to simplify complex data. One way is to transform it into visual representations such as diagrams, graphics, or infographics. These visual representations can make the information more understandable and accessible at a glance.

Another approach to simplifying complex data is breaking it down into smaller, more digestible sections. By organizing the data into clear segments and presenting them sequentially, you ensure your audience can absorb and understand the information better.

Overall, simplifying complex data is a crucial step in making information comprehensible, improving communication, and making informed decisions. Whether in presentations, daily life, or professional settings, the ability to simplify complex data is a valuable skill that helps us understand the world around us better.

Communicate Effectively: Tips for Presenting Complicated Data

Presenting complicated data can be challenging, but with the right techniques, you can convey your message effectively. A key tip is to use visual hierarchies. Utilize different sizes, colors, and symbols to clarify the importance and relationships of your data. Another important tip is to integrate your data into contextual stories. Tell a story with your data to engage your audience’s interest and deliver your message effectively.

The use of visual hierarchies is a proven approach to clearly and comprehensibly presenting complex data. By using different sizes, colors, and symbols, you can highlight the significance and relationships of your data. For example, you could display key information in a larger font size to visually emphasize it. Colors can also be used to mark different categories or trends. Symbols can further highlight specific aspects of your data.

Another effective approach is integrating your data into contextual stories. Rather than just presenting numbers and facts, embed your data within a narrative structure. This allows the audience to connect with your data and understand it better. For instance, present a case study showing the impact of your data on a particular scenario or situation. Or tell a story that demonstrates the development and progress of your data over time.

Additionally, it’s important to tailor your presentation to your audience. Consider their prior knowledge and interests to ensure your message is relevant and engaging. For example, if speaking to a technically savvy audience, you can use more detailed information and technical terms. However, if presenting to a general audience, you should communicate your data and messages in simple, understandable language.

The use of visual aids like charts, graphics, and infographics can also help make complex data more comprehensible. These visual elements can visualize your data and ease understanding. However, ensure your visual aids are clear and uncluttered to prevent confusion in the audience.

Presenting complicated data can be challenging, but with the right techniques and approaches, you can effectively convey your message. Use visual hierarchies, integrate your data into contextual stories, and adapt your presentation to your audience. These tips will enable you to present complex data clearly and comprehensibly, impressing your audience.

The Role of Graphic Design in Making Complex Information Understandable

Graphic design plays a crucial role in making complex information understandable. With the right design techniques, you can transform your data into attractive and easily comprehensible graphics and tables. Choose suitable color palettes, fonts, and symbols to make your presentation professional and cohesive.

Besides the aesthetic aspect, graphic design can also help highlight important information and direct the audience’s focus to key points. Use visual elements like arrows, highlights, and info boxes to emphasize key information. Another important aspect of graphic design is choosing the right chart types. Depending on the nature of the data, different charts like bar, pie, or line charts can be used to present the information clearly and understandably. It’s crucial to select the chart type that best communicates your data.

Moreover, the arrangement of information plays a critical role. By strategically placing texts, graphics, and charts, you can control the flow of information and ensure your message is conveyed clearly and precisely. For example, use headings and subheadings to segment different sections, providing a clear guide for the audience.

Another important factor in making complex information understandable is considering your target audience. Depending on who is viewing your presentation or graphics, you might need to use different design elements. For instance, choose a detailed and technical presentation for a scientific audience, while preferring a simplified and easily understandable graphic for a broader audience.

When designing your graphics and charts, consider accessibility. Ensure your information is accessible to people with visual impairments by using alternative texts for images and optimizing contrasts for better readability. Overall, graphic design is an indispensable tool for presenting complex information in an understandable and appealing manner. By choosing the right design elements, chart types, and information arrangement, you can ensure your message is communicated clearly and effectively.

Finding the Right Balance Between Understandability and Detail Accuracy

When creating graphics and tables, it’s important to find the right balance between understandability and detail accuracy. While it’s important to simplify complex data, you should also ensure your graphics contain enough information to fully convey your message. A good approach is to display the most important information prominently and present additional details in smaller font size or footnotes. This way, you can ensure your audience grasps the main message while also having access to detailed information if needed.

There are various ways to achieve a balance between understandability and detail accuracy. One way is to present the information in layers. You could, for instance, create a basic chart showing the main points, then add additional layers for more detailed information. This approach ensures your audience can quickly grasp the key information while also having the option to delve deeper into the topic if desired.

Another important aspect is using visual elements to simplify complex data. Charts, graphics, and infographics can help present information in a visually appealing and easily understandable way. Using colors, shapes, and other visual elements, you can present complex data in a manner that’s easier to grasp than plain text.

It’s also important to keep your target audience in mind. For example, if creating a graphic for experts, you can use more technical details and jargon. However, if presenting information to a broader audience, you should ensure your graphics and tables are understandable to everyone. This might mean explaining technical terms or adding additional explanations to ensure your message is clearly communicated.

Ultimately, it’s about finding the right balance to present your information clearly and precisely, without overwhelming your audience. By harmonizing understandability and detail accuracy, you can ensure your graphics and tables are effective and successfully convey your message.

Clarity vs. Precision: Finding the Right Balance

When creating graphics and tables, it’s crucial to strike the right balance between clarity and precision. While it’s important to simplify complex data, you should also ensure that your graphics contain enough information to fully convey your message. A good approach is to display the key information prominently and present additional details in a smaller font size or in footnotes. This way, you can ensure that your audience understands the main message, while also providing access to detailed information if needed.

There are various ways to achieve a balance between clarity and precision. One way is to present information in layers. For example, you can create a basic graphic that shows the main points, and then add additional layers to display more detailed information. This ensures that your audience can quickly grasp the most important information while also having the opportunity to delve deeper into the topic if they wish.

Another key aspect is the use of visual elements to simplify complex data. Charts, graphs, and infographics can help present information in a visually appealing and easily understandable manner. By using colors, shapes, and other visual elements, you can present complex data in a way that is easier to comprehend than pure text.

It’s also important to keep your target audience in mind. For instance, if you’re creating a graphic for experts, you can use more technical details and jargon. However, if you’re presenting information to a broader audience, you should ensure that your graphics and tables are understandable to everyone. This might mean explaining technical terms or adding additional explanations to ensure that your message is clearly conveyed.

It’s about finding the right balance to present your information clearly and precisely, without overwhelming your audience. By aligning clarity and precision, you can ensure that your graphics and tables are effective and successfully convey your message.

How to Highlight Your Expertise Through Clear Visualisations

Clear visualisation of your data can not only help convey your message but also emphasise your expertise in the field. By transforming complex data into clear and precise graphics, you demonstrate your understanding of the information and your ability to present it in an understandable way.

Use appropriate graphic and design techniques to make your visualisations look professional. By highlighting key information and skillfully combining text and images, you can make your expertise visible and gain your audience’s trust. Visualisations are a fundamental part of data analysis and presentation. They allow you to present complex information in an appealing and easily understandable manner. By visualising your data in charts, graphs, or infographics, you can reveal patterns, trends, and correlations that might remain hidden in pure text data.

Another advantage of clear visualisations is the ability to grasp large amounts of data at a glance. Instead of sifting through endless tables or blocks of text, your viewers can quickly and efficiently process the information. This saves time and allows them to focus on the most important aspects of your presentation.

To highlight your expertise through visualisations, it’s crucial to use the right tools and techniques. Choose software or a program that offers you the ability to create appealing and user-friendly visualisations. Experiment with different types of charts, colour schemes, and layouts to find those that best suit your data and message.

Remember that clear visualisation is not just an aesthetic element but must also be substantively correct. Ensure that your data are accurate and meaningful and that you draw the right conclusions from them. Incorrect or misleading visualisation can undermine your credibility and shake your viewers’ trust.

Clear visualisations are a powerful tool to showcase your expertise and effectively convey your message. By using suitable graphic and design techniques, you can make your visualisations look professional and gain your audience’s trust. Ensure that your visualisations are substantively correct and draw the right conclusions. With these tips, you can highlight your expertise through clear visualisations and take your presentations to the next level.

The Art of Conveying Complex Data in a Few Minutes

In presentations, time is often limited, and it can be challenging to convey complex data quickly. However, with the right techniques and strategies, you can create a meaningful presentation even in a short time.

One way to quickly convey complex data is through the use of infographics. Infographics combine text, images, and symbols to communicate information swiftly and effectively. By presenting your data in concise and visually appealing infographics, you can capture your audience’s attention and effectively convey your message.

Another approach to conveying complex data in a short time is the use of storytelling techniques. By wrapping your data in a story, you can emotionally engage your audience while simultaneously conveying information. Stories have the power to make complex connections understandable and to spark the listeners’ interest.

Additionally, you can use visual aids such as charts and graphs to present complex data quickly and clearly. By visualising data, you can grasp complex information at a glance and make it understandable. Charts and graphs allow your audience to better understand relationships and process information faster.

You can also use comparisons and examples to convey complex data quickly. By linking your data with familiar situations or examples, you can make abstract information more tangible and easier to understand. Comparisons and examples help your audience better visualise the information and place it in a relevant context.

Another effective approach is to break down the data into small, digestible chunks and present these sequentially. By dividing the information into manageable units, you can ensure that your audience can better absorb and understand the data. This approach also allows you to maintain your audience’s attention throughout the presentation.

There are various techniques and strategies to convey complex data in a few minutes. The use of infographics, storytelling, visual aids, comparisons, examples, and breaking down the information into small units are just a few ways to make your presentation effective and meaningful. Experiment with different approaches and find out which method best suits your topic and audience.

Visualisation Strategies: Making Your Data More Accessible

An essential task in creating presentations is making your data accessible to your audience. Visual strategies can help you present complex data in a more understandable and engaging way.

Some strategies you can use include color-coding to distinguish different data categories, using charts or tables to present numerical data, and using visualisations to illustrate relationships and trends. By making your data accessible, you can ensure that your audience can easily understand and interpret the information.

Using color-coding is an effective method to highlight different data categories. By assigning a different color to each category, you can visually separate the data and help the audience better grasp the information. For example, in a presentation on a company’s revenue, you could represent income in green and expenses in red. This color-coding allows the audience to recognize at a glance which data category is being depicted.

Charts and tables are also useful tools for presenting numerical data. A bar chart, for instance, can be used to illustrate the revenue of various products over time. Visualising the data in a chart form can make it easier to identify trends and patterns. Tables, on the other hand, are suitable for displaying detailed information, such as the number of units sold per product category. Visualisations can also be used to clarify relationships and trends in the data. One way to do this is by using line or area charts to show the progression of data over a certain period. By visualising the data in this manner, you can show the audience how certain values have changed over time and if there are any potential correlations.

By making your data accessible, you can ensure that your audience can easily understand and interpret the information. Visual strategies like color-coding, charts, and visualisations are effective tools for presenting complex data in a more understandable and engaging way. Utilize these strategies to make your presentations even more impactful and to impress your audience.

Collaboration with Graphic Designers: A New Approach to Your Presentations

Another way to elevate your presentations is by collaborating with professional graphic designers. Graphic designers can assist you in transforming complex data into attractive and professional graphics and tables.

By sharing your ideas and data with a graphic designer, you can ensure that your presentations are visually appealing and meaningful. An experienced graphic designer can also help you find the right balance between aesthetics and understandability, effectively conveying your message.

A well-designed chart or infographic can help present complex information in an easily understandable manner. Using colors, shapes, and symbols, graphic designers can visualize your data, thereby enhancing the understanding and attention of your audience.

Moreover, graphic designers can help make your presentations look more professional. They can assist you in selecting fonts, color schemes, and layouts to create a cohesive and appealing appearance. Using professional design elements can convey your commitment to quality and precision.

Collaborating with graphic designers also offers the opportunity to customize your presentations uniquely. An experienced designer can take into account your specific requirements and preferences, developing tailored solutions. This allows you to make your presentations unique and tailored to your target audience.

In addition to visual design, graphic designers can also support the optimization of your presentations for various media formats. They can ensure that your graphics and images look good and function well in different presentation programs and on various devices. This ensures that your message is consistently and effectively conveyed across all platforms.

Overall, collaborating with graphic designers can provide significant added value to your presentations. With their expertise and creative skills, they can help ensure that your presentations are visually appealing, meaningful, and professional. So, the next time you create a presentation, consider collaborating with a graphic designer to fully realize the potential of your presentations.

Feedback from Your Audience: How to Know If Your Presentation is Working

Feedback from your audience is a crucial indicator of whether your presentation is effective or not. Pay attention to your audience’s reactions and behavior during the presentation to gauge how well your message is being received.

Ask questions to your audience to test their understanding and interest. Request constructive feedback after the presentation. By collecting and analyzing feedback, you can continuously improve your presentations and ensure that your message is effectively conveyed.

The effective use of graphics and tables in PowerPoint presentations is key to presenting complex data in an understandable and engaging way. By applying the right techniques, showcasing your expertise, and considering the feedback of your audience, you can create clear and impactful presentations that impress your audience.

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Home » Presentations » 5 Ways Graphics Improve PowerPoint Presentations

5 Ways Graphics Improve PowerPoint Presentations

• June 14, 2021
• Presentations

Microsoft PowerPoint is one of the most used software when it comes to presentations. You can use its essential functions to put your message across at a conference. But then, the software does not limit you to its basic functions, so you can explore different ways of making the best of it.

One way to do this is to add graphics to your PowerPoint presentations. We all know how important graphics are for communication. They are some of the things you can use to attract an audience’s attention quickly as they help demonstrate ideas better.

There are a few things to understand before you start using graphics in your presentations. You should know the reason why people use them and whether they add real value to your presentation. This article looks into how graphics can improve PowerPoint presentations .

Let’s read on.

Why use graphics in powerpoint.

As mentioned earlier, the best way to deliver a presentation is by making it visually appealing with graphics. Although only a few benefits can be evident immediately, some may take time to see. But there is no doubt that adding graphics to a presentation is a brilliant idea.

Here are some ways graphics can improve your presentation.

1. Make Your Presentation Attention-Grabbing

The first thing that every presenter wants to do is grab their audience’s attention. It is easy for people’s minds to drift off quickly if they find a presentation uninteresting. That’s why presenters use storytelling, cognitive dissonance, surprises, and other techniques to grab attention.

Infusing graphics in a presentation then combining the techniques mentioned above can help you grab your audience’s attention. Texts tell a story while graphics show it, and that makes a combination of the two grab everyone’s attention right from the very beginning of a presentation.

2. Illustrate Relative Amounts

You will find graphics very useful if your presentation involves showing your audience that one thing is more significant than another. Describing relative amounts with words or numbers may not help you deliver the message well. In short, you risk losing your audience as they will have to calculate to confirm the numbers.

The best way to avoid this is by using graphics for a visual representation of values. It is easy to compare one thing with the other using graphical infographics.

3. Make Text Easier to Understand

Another way that graphics improve presentations is by making them understandable. Texts can be challenging to understand, especially for people who are not keen or patient enough. This is because text requires someone to read keenly, especially if the message they carry isn’t straightforward.

This is different when it comes to graphics. You can infuse graphics into your presentations to make them comprehendible. Many people think graphics are too tricky to create and opt to use text only in their presentation. However, graphics are easy to develop, especially with the availability of templates.

You do not need to start creating graphics from scratch. The internet has a variety of free marketing templates that you can add to your PowerPoint presentation. You can also customize the templates to fit your presentation needs, but they come primarily ready for use.

4. Make Information More Memorable

Graphics and visuals, in general, have a higher retention rate than texts. But that’s not to say that people do not remember what they read. The best thing to do is combine short texts and graphics in your presentations. This makes the content engaging and also easy to remember.

The best thing about graphics is that they make words easier to process. As mentioned earlier, some texts do not have literal meanings, and audiences can take time to understand them. The same applies to trying to retain such content. Graphic representations are all you need to make the content better.

5. Inspire Action

Every presenter has end goals that they want to achieve with their presentation. They measure the productivity of the presentation by checking if they reached the goals set before. The best way to ensure that you achieve the goals is by encouraging your audience to take the desired actions.

Having a good call to action in your presentation is, of course, the first thing. But then, you can further increase the chances of your audience taking action by including visuals. Graphics make your call to action more effective as they send a more powerful message to your target audience compared to just texts.

Creating Professional-Looking Graphics in PowerPoint

Graphics can make your presentation look more appealing to your audience. However, it would be best to be careful when choosing your graphics as you need to ensure everything looks professional for the best results. Here are simple ways to create professional-looking graphics for PowerPoint.

1. Create Custom Shapes

There are different graphical shapes that you can use on PowerPoint. They come in various sizes and shapes, making it easy to find some that can go well with the message in your presentation. But then, PowerPoint doesn’t limit you to using these shapes as they are in the program.

The best way to spice up your presentation is by creating custom shapes. You can edit the figures on PowerPoint to create custom shapes that can blend better with your message. This can also help you look professional as you do not use shapes that everyone else uses.

2. Get Familiar with Picture Tools.

PowerPoint has a picture tools tab that you can use to make your presentation better. Many people use this feature only for adding things like shadows and borders to images. But then, there are several other ways this tool can help you make professional-looking graphics for PowerPoint.

For instance, you can use these tools to edit the background of your graphics. They can also be helpful when focusing on the resolution of an image. You can check out this presentation by Brainshark to understand how best you can use the picture tools feature.

3. Use Artistic Effects

PowerPoint also has an artistic effects feature that you can use to create better graphics. Artistic features help you focus on a specific object in an image or graphic. With this feature, you can fade the background and leave objects you want your audience to see.

This makes it easy for your audience to concentrate on the things that matter in images. With some images on PowerPoint having multiple objects, your audience may end up focusing on things that do not matter.

Those are some of the ways that you can improve your PowerPoint presentations with graphics. As mentioned earlier, the first thing for every presenter is to grab their audience’s attention. Graphics, as seen above, is a tremendous attention-grabbing tool that every presenter should use.

Graphics also make texts easier to comprehend and increase the message retention rate. But to achieve this, you need to ensure that your graphics look professional. There are different techniques and tools that you can use to ensure this before using graphics in your presentation.

The insights in this article will help you create graphics that will improve your presentation. Focusing on these tips will help you inspire action and make your next presentation more productive. These best practices, tools, and techniques are all you’ll ever need for your future PowerPoint presentations.

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10 Design Tips to Make Your Presentations Look Polished

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Creating presentations that hook your audience is always challenging. To get an authoritative sense of what it takes to make them look sharp and persuasive, we went to the experts in our Creative Market community. These Shop Owners are some of the best in the business and give us detailed insights into the work that goes into these successful creations.

Read on for their design tips that you can immediately use to turn your next slide deck project into a winning presentation , from which your customers will receive amazing value.

1. Minimalism: Less Is More

The temptation for many graphic designers is to add too many flourishes to their slide decks. The problem with this approach is the inevitable clutter that this causes. As a result, such decks will be subdued in the effectiveness of the messaging that they should convey.

On the other hand, someone who greatly values the simplicity of minimalism is designer and photographer Jessica Safko of Your Sunday Studio. Her eCourse Slide Deck Template is a study in cleanness in design.

Her pro tip revolves around eliminating messaging friction in your presentations.

“Keep your content simple! Your design, photos, and text should work to emphasize the presentation points, not distract from them. Try to keep all text as simple as possible, so the audience can stay engaged in the spoken presentation. This means leave space for key points, but stay away from writing out the presentation script on each slide.â€

• Jessica Safko, Your Sunday Studio

2. Grids Allow for Organization

We hear the word “grid†thrown around a lot in design. Grids are systems for organizing layouts, making them absolutely essential for planning. They have applications in traditional print design, such as for posters, books, and magazines; they also are used in virtual applications like websites, mobile apps, and other user interfaces.

Grids come in various shapes and sizes:

• Hierarchical

Mantas Naujokas of Jumsoft relays his number one pro design tip for creating slide decks, which centers on your use of the grid.

“The most essential part to creating a great presentation is creating a layout grid. No matter what grid you choose, it will help you stay organized, efficient, and keep track of the flow of your ideas.â€

Jumsoft’s Farming Keynote Template is a perfect example of the order that grids create in design.

Mantas’ bonus tip for designing presentations relates to where you can research for inspiration.

“Naturally, even the best presentation can become boring to the audience if it looks bland, so making it actually look good is just as important. For inspiration, we frequent designer communities, blogs, and graphic design literature as part of our daily reading.â€

• Mantas Naujokas, Jumsoft

3. Purpose-Driven Design Makes the Best Impression

We’ve all seen them: Slides that are fancy when it comes to ornamentation like icons and other graphics. While these look appealing and catch the eye, for sure, they’re not always the best way to ensure effective communication of your presentation’s message.

For VIP Graphics, which makes design assets for pros, one of the most vital design tips comes down to using visuals with purpose .

Their Pitch Deck Presentation Template demonstrates this principle of visuals that optimize storytelling.

“Every year, I work with 100+ companies to create presentations (ranging from Forbes 30U30 startups to Fortune 100 corporations). Too many presentations I see (especially templates) use diagrams, icons, or graphics solely for the sake of using them.

For instance, the most-liked presentation designs on Dribbble rely on heavy use of generic icons, illustrations, and royalty photos. While these make for visually engaging presentations, they don’t actually add to the pitch narrative and distract from the core content and storytelling. Moreover, illustration- and photo-heavy templates are generally less useful to end-users who do not have the resources or budget for custom photography and illustration.

On the other hand, a well-placed iceberg can make a complex market opportunity immediately easy-to-understand.

Glossy slides dilute your pitch and message more than they add to it. Purpose-driven presentations close more deals than pretty ones.â€

• VIP Graphics, VIP Graphics

4. Color Gradients Make a Presentation Pop

Color gradients are those attractive, gradual blends of color that make designs come alive. Think of them as color transitions. As far as design tips go, adding such subtle transitions of color in your slides allows for an easy-on-the-eyes effect, which effectively highlights your content, making it more memorable to your users and their audiences alike.

For Shahidul Islam, the team leader of design shop White Graphic, a big part of their templates’ storytelling is based on smart color selection. Gradients are at the core of their presentations, such as their Digital Marketing Plan PowerPoint deck.

“Beauty prevails when using gradients. We use gradients in different ways to enhance our templates. Our themes are crafted in beautiful business colors. We first choose several good colors. Considering the category we’re working in, we select the specific color accordingly. We use six color palettes in a presentation.â€

• Shahidul Islam, White Graphic

5. Design Tips From the Ancient World: The Golden Ratio

Even if you’re not a designer, chances are high that you’ve heard of the legendary golden ratio. For those not immediately familiar with the golden ratio, let’s take a quick refresher course.

This is the mathematical relationship between two numbers, based on their ratio being the same as their sum’s ratio to the bigger of the two numbers. Known by a host of other terms–such as the golden mean and golden section–the golden ratio has been studied since the time of the Ancient Greeks. It’s roughly equivalent to 1.618.

Let’s look at this representation in design and mathematical terms, which makes finding this relationship more straightforward. Just divide any line into two parts, such that the longer portion divided by the shorter portion equals the sum of both parts, divided by the longer portion. Think of it as A (the longer portion) + B (the shorter portion) ÷ A = A/B = 1.618.

Designer Shan from Wilde River Studio understands this mathematical beauty approach intensely, which is why she incorporates it into her presentations. Her Brand Strategy Workbook is an example of this approach.

“My number one design tip involves the golden ratio. My go-to saying is ‘functionality over beauty.’ I design my presentations so that the eye flows easily across each page. I like to use the golden ratio as a point of reference to know where to place the headings, paragraphs, images, and any other design element. This keeps the flow of the presentation consistent and gives the reader a sense of certainty and ease throughout the presentation.”

• Shan, Wilde River Studio

6. The Learning and Inspiration From Design Trends Should Never Stop

Design tips are only as good as your own initiative to stay up to date with current trends. That’s why it’s important to take inspiration from a wide range of sources on the Internet. Before designing presentations, consult blogs, communities, and social media to discover any trends that are just emerging or that you’ve already missed.

Designer Rasid from RRGraph strongly believes in taking inspiration wherever it can be found on the web. Rasid’s recent Neumorphic Style Powerpoint Template reflects the inspiration from the Neumorphism design trend as part of this template.

“By continuing to learn and being sensitive to current design trends, we can always create standout products. I advise every creative to follow the latest design trends. You can look at product showcases, read case studies, and watch presentation tips and tricks on YouTube. Other than that, you can also follow top influencers and build connections with other designers across social media.â€

Rasid’s bonus, actionable tip delves into the types of tools designers have at their fingertips for presentations.

“For the technical aspect, I would say that designers should familiarize themselves more with the tools they use, like PowerPoint, Google Slides, and really any presentation maker software.â€

• Rasid, RRGraph

7. A Multi-Pronged Design Strategy

Sometimes, it greatly helps to look at your presentation from multiple angles when you plan its design. How will your users make the most of it? How will their audiences be most able to understand the presentation?

To answer questions like these and more, designer Frankie from Marigold Studios breaks down the creative process via the following design tips. Marigold Studios’ The Grid | Canva & PPT epitomizes the stellar results you can get when you follow a multi-pronged design approach.

Format & Media

“Always consider where the audience will view the presentation before getting started to determine your ideal presentation slide size. Will it be shown on a prompter or website, or will it be printed? Double-check with a client before getting started, or you might end up having to redo the design.â€

Start With a Grid

“Whether a book, a presentation, or another layout, the easiest way to get started is to set up a grid. A grid makes the placement of text, images, numbers, and other elements super easy. You can start with a simple six-column grid, or, if you’re a bit more of a control freak like myself, use a 12 column by 6-row grid minimum.â€

Paragraph and Character Styles

“Set up ground rules for fonts , font weight, and font sizes to be used for headings, subheadings, numbers, and body text. Consult a brand guide if available. This will keep the design looking consistent and establish hierarchy. And for heaven’s sake, no Comic Sans, please!â€

Keep It Simple…

“Most presentations are a quick introduction to an idea or business. Slides should be quick to read and to the point. Ensure that you cut out dribble or else split up slides that are sharing too many ideas or talking points. Remember the 3 Cs: Consistency, Clarity, and Content.â€

…But Keep It Interesting

“Although they should be straight to the point, that does not mean they should be boring or overly repetitive. Add some color or design elements to keep it from feeling bland. You don’t have to throw the kitchen sink at it, but a few thoughtfully placed elements that complement the main brand will go a long way in making a presentation feel well-thought-out and crafted. You can also pull your audience’s attention back to the screen by adding some movement, animation, or video to a few slides. If it’s interesting for you to view, it will be interesting for the audience.â€

“Add a summary just to refresh viewers about the topics covered. This can be at the end of a chapter or the end of a presentation. Maybe add links to the corresponding page in order for them to review anything they might have missed.â€

• Frankie, Marigold Studios

8. Clarity and Cleanness in Presentation Design

The trick to designing presentations lies in not just their simplicity, but also their clarity. One of the ways to ensure this clarity is in the cleanness of design. When you understand how the graphic design of the colors, shapes, and illustrations should complement your presentation’s text–and vice versa–you’ll be better able to design winning presentations.

TheSeamuss, a design shop specializing in templates, shares their thoughts on making the graphic design and the text work together seamlessly with each presentation. Their Must Have Slides | Keynote presentation gives you a look at what clarity and a clean design can achieve.

“When creating a new slide, I always think about how to convey certain information as simply and clearly as possible. A presentation is a great way to convey information to other people through graphic design. Even the most interesting information only in the form of text will be more difficult to perceive. On the other hand, graphic design, which is just based on the desire to create something beautiful, will not work without a specific goal. These are two sides of the same coin.

Here are three quotes that I think best describe the concept of design in general and the creation of presentations in particular:

´The design is not just what it looks like and feels like. The design is how it works.’ — Steve Jobs

´Design is the intermediary between information and understanding.’ — Hans Hofmann

´Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.’ — Albert Einstein

• TheSeamuss, TheSeamuss â€

9. Planning Before You Create Is Essential

Sometimes, the best design tips are the ones that are so fundamental that it seems like many creators are already implementing them. Of course, just the opposite applies since the basics are often overlooked, especially when you’ve been creating presentations for years. That’s why it can be helpful to revisit the basics, as in digital design lab Visuel Colonie’s case.

Before they start on any presentation, they also throw themselves into a deep dive of research and copious planning to ensure that their designs are meaningful and in-demand. The shop’s Santorio Google Slides deck is the result of having a detailed plan as the foundation of the creative process.

“Our process for designing a presentation template begins with deciding on the purpose of the presentation and then making a list of its contents. We perform research and create a mood board before we even think about designing in earnest. We also use Pinterest to collect various references for inspiration. We think hard about the fonts that we want to use–we use free fonts from Google Fonts, and we stay up to date on the latest design trends.

Only once we’ve completed all of the above are we ready to roll up our sleeves and execute on our presentation concept.â€

• Visuel Colonie, Visuel Colonie

10. A Unique Slide Deck Stands Out From Everything Else

One look at our Presentations category , and you’ll quickly see how many presentations you can choose from. We have a plethora of talented creatives contributing their designs, so that’s to be expected. However, one effective way of making the presentation you design catch a customer’s attention is by making it unique.

That word, “unique,†gets thrown around so often, so what does it really mean, though, specifically?

According to design studio Elokka Std., reaching true uniqueness when designing presentations involves specific, easy steps you need to take. Case in point: The studio’s giant Lookbook Keynote Big Bundle features various design trends as the motifs in their slides, giving their presentations a unique angle.

“I really want to make my slide deck stand out and unique from others, so I love to explore and research the latest trends and ideas. This involves the presentation design area and other niches like fashion, interior, typography, illustration, etc. For example, I research what the trending color palette used in fashion design is, popular interior design styles, and the latest typography trends. Next, I carefully pick the components I need for my slide deck: the styles, font, color palette, stock photos, illustration elements, etc. Finally, I combine them all to create a unique and different presentation deck.â€

• Elokka Std., Elokka Std.

Thinking Outside the (Presentation) Box

Perhaps the one, prominent theme in the design tips shared by our Shop Owners is to think outside the box when designing your presentations. Their actionable advice focuses on what you, as the graphic designer, can do to differentiate your products from your competitors. Instead of cluttering up your layouts, go for minimalism. As opposed to winging it with your approach, have a plan and use a grid to lay out your vision.

The end result isn’t just a more visually appealing slide deck, though that’s already a big win. It’s also more satisfied end users and customers who’ll appreciate the extra thought and effort you’ve put into your presentations. And when you succeed in helping someone tell a riveting story and streamline their communication, you’ve achieved the heights of great graphic design.

Products Seen In This Post:

Grab this one pager with a summary of key tips to create a powerful presentation from scratch.

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Marc is a copywriter and marketer who runs The Glorious Company, a marketing agency. An expert in business and marketing, he helps businesses and companies of all sizes get the most bang for their ad bucks.

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700+ Presentation Images That Will Enhance Any Presentation [Free Images]

Written by: Chloe West

When creating a speech or a pitch to present to an audience, there’s one element that you especially want to focus on to create an engaging experience – your presentation images.

Your presentation images allow you to showcase your story through visuals. Whether you choose photography, graphic design elements and so on, your imagery is key to helping you make your main point.

Helping your audience to visualize your point is essential to a good presentation . While your overall content and your slide design matters as well, you need high-quality images to really prove your point to your audience.

Not only that, but people are visual learners. They want to see what you’re talking about.

So we’ve put together a list of over 700 presentation images that will enhance even the driest slideshow.

Plus, s croll down to the bottom for some tips on using these presentation images within your slides.

Click on the image gallery under each category to view tons of handpicked images to use for your presentation.

1 Business Presentation Images

There are so many different types of presentations that you’ll need to do in business or in your career. Whether it’s a sales presentation, a marketing presentation, a pitch to an investor, a presentation for a conference or networking event and more.

And these are typically made in an effort to promote your business. So you really don’t want your audience to get bored due to a lack of visuals.

Including images within your business presentation is the perfect way to keep your audience engaged and interested in what you’re saying.

However, we don’t mean you want these images to take up your entire slide and nothing else. You need to work it into your slide in a way that simply boosts your content. Add these presentation images as a background to your slide.

Place an image on one side of your slide and your content on the other slide. Add an image into your presentation as an accent.

There are many different ways to include imagery in your business presentation.

And to help you find the perfect images to include, we’ve created a huge list of presentation images that you can find right in Visme’s photo library and easily drop right into your slides.

Click on the image gallery below to view business presentation images.

2 Nature Presentation Images

Are you looking for some compelling and beautiful nature photography to use in your next nature presentation?

When you’re leading a presentation for your environmentally friendly nonprofit or sharing a nature-focused movement, you want to use photos that help to argue your main point and sell your presentation to your audience.

There’s no shortage of beautiful imagery of the earth, and your presentation should show off everything that this planet has to offer.

Fighting climate change? Trying to save an endangered species? Working against littering and pollution? Share photos of how the earth and wildlife is supposed to look.

To help you do this, we wanted to put together a comprehensive list of all of the nature presentation images we have right in Visme’s photo library.

Browse through our nature photos below, then dive right into your Visme design dashboard to create a beautifully captivating presentation.

Click on the image gallery below to view nature presentation images.

3 Marketing Presentation Images

When marketing your business, you really need to sell in your presentations. If you’re marketing your business at a networking event, tradeshow or conference, your presentation's visuals really matter.

They also matter in a sales pitch, or even just in a marketing presentation or report with your team. Keep your team and your supervisors engaged using a combination of data visualization tools and beautiful images.

Peruse Visme’s photo library to find photos that represent your target audience for your buyer personas. Search for images of social media users to help prove your point about the importance of social media.

You can even find images with analytics and data that will help visualize the statistics you’re working to convey. 

Picture this: your interactive charts on one side with a high-quality stock photo right next to it to really pull your entire slide design together.

Scroll through our top marketing presentation images to find the ones that work best in your presentation design.

Click on the image gallery below to view marketing presentation images.

4 City Presentation Images

Show off your city in your next presentation. These images can be useful to present an idea to the city council or to share a local movement or project with an audience.

Visme’s stock photo library has a plethora of images from cities around the world. Show off your landscape, sights to see and more for free.

It doesn’t matter if your beautiful city includes more skyscrapers or shopping centers, farms or amusement parks. Regardless, you can find the perfect stock photos to represent your city within Visme’s searchable library.

Your city presentation will hold that much more emotion and power if it includes visual representations of the exact locations you’re talking about.

Check out our city presentation image options below to start your search for the perfect photos for your slideshow.

Click on the image gallery below to view city presentation images.

5 Political Presentation Images

Whether you’re running a local, statewide or national campaign, you’re going to have to give a few speeches and presentations. And it’s essential to include visuals and imagery inside any presentation slides you create alongside your speech.

People are passionate about their political views, and integrating visual aids to support your speaking points can make your stance on the issues seem even more impactful.

Help to rally your supporters by including patriotic photography alongside imagery that speaks to your focal campaign messaging.

Share images of the area that you’re running to represent to showcase your love for your district and how you want to change it. 

Whether you’re running for student council, city council, or even president or prime minister, you need to include photos that help to sell your messaging and let people know why they should vote for you.

Click on the image gallery below to view political presentation images.

Visme gives you access to over a million high quality photos .

• Photo editor included
• Access gorgeous photo filters
• Add text, graphics and more to your designs

6 Animal Presentation Images

Who doesn’t love animals? And when you’re putting together a presentation about animals (whether it’s to help animals get adopted, share information on an endangered species, combat animal cruelty, etc.), what better way to appeal to your audience than with photos?

Visme’s photo library includes images of pets as well as images of wildlife so that you can find photos that suit any presentation talking points.

Search for photos of lions, tigers, bears and more. Or on the tamer side, find images of some puppies, kittens and bunnies.

Looking for something a bit more exotic? Check out our selection of reptiles, like alligators, lizards and snakes.

Simply dive into Visme’s design dashboard, click over to Graphics in the left sidebar and start searching through the massive photo library to find the perfect animal presentation images for your slides.

Click on the image gallery below to view animal presentation images.

7 Holiday Presentation Images

There’s a never ending list of holidays, so the list of stock photos needs to be just as long! If you’re referencing holidays in your presentation or putting together a report that covers a single holiday extensively, we’ve got your images covered.

Find any and all holiday presentation images in Visme’s stock photo library. Whether it’s winter holidays like Christmas or Hannukah or summer holidays like Fourth of July or Cinco de Mayo, you’ll find the perfect images in our photo resource.

Remember, an image is worth a thousand words, so you always want to have a few good photos to visually represent what you’re saying.

Do a quick search of holiday presentation images in this gallery as well as in Visme.

Click on the image gallery below to view holiday presentation images.

8 Educational Presentation Images

Whether you’re putting together a report for school or giving a presentation on the importance of education, the need for photos to accompany your words is essential.

Showcase children sitting at their desks, eager to learn. Share images of kids at play during recess. Visualize what it means for students to make friends in class. 

There are so many different ways to show off education in stock photos through your presentation, and we’re only here to help.

Take a look at the photos included in our roundup below, but don’t forget to conduct a thorough search in Visme’s design dashboard.

You can use imagery as the background of a slide or to simply create an accent or emphasis on your slide content.

But one thing is for sure: you need to visually represent your words with graphics and photography. Browsing through the gallery below can help.

Click on the image gallery below to view educational presentation images.

9 Nonprofit Presentation Images

There are many different reasons someone involved in a nonprofit might need to give a presentation. There are donor pitches, fundraising events, speeches and more.

And each of those presentations is made up of two components: words and images.

When it comes to a nonprofit presentation , the need for an emotional appeal to the audience grows exponentially. The purpose of these presentations tends to be to generate or increase donations, because nonprofits operate exclusively through donations.

Including imagery that represents what your nonprofit is fighting for or against is the best way to appeal to your audience’s senses. Even more than words, visuals help people to understand or relate to an issue.

And Visme’s photo library is full of images that your nonprofit can use in its next presentation. Just start browsing through our selection below.

Click on the image gallery below to view nonprofit presentation images.

10 Financial Presentation Images

Putting on a presentation to talk finances? Maybe you’re a financial planner, and you’re trying to show potential clients why they need your help.

Or perhaps you’re putting together a presentation to let the board on your nonprofit or supervisors in your company know about your revenue and spending.

Either way, a presentation is a great way to visualize the dollars and cents and help to create a compelling argument for how well your company is performing.

And any compelling presentation needs visuals. While financial presentations will also require some powerful data visualizations , don’t forget about the images.

Financial presentation images can provide context for your argument, add an accent to a slide, or give you a background to overlay your information onto.

Check out the images we have in our massive photo library that can help improve your financial presentation.

Click on the image gallery below to view financial presentation images.

11 Motivational Presentation Images

If you’re giving a motivational speech , you definitely need presentation images to accompany your content. An image is worth a thousand words, and incorporating photos into your motivational presentation is the perfect way to inspire your audience.

Your motivational presentation images can range from photos of inspirational sayings or scenes to photos of people working hard to succeed at something.

Consider what your topic is, and find photos that are relevant. You want to inspire and motivate your audience to take action to better themselves and their lives.

Browse our extensive photo library to find the perfect motivational photos to accompany your presentation.

Click on the image gallery below to view motivational presentation images.

12 Art Presentation Images

Are you discussing art? Whether it’s the history of art, modern art or simply how art can be found in life, you’re in luck.

Our library of stock images can help you find the beautiful and artistic presentation images that you need to amplify your message. 

Showcase the exact types of art that you’re discussing in your presentation by sharing photos of it directly in your slideshow. You can use those photos as a background to your slide, as an accent that appears alongside your content or as the feature photo on a slide.

Art is such a visual concept anyways, that it should be fairly simple for you to find the perfect stock photography to match your information.

Browse through just a few handfuls of the photos that Visme’s presentation image library has to offer.

Click on the image gallery below to view art presentation images.

13 Travel Presentation Images

Our last section of presentation images for your slideshow needs covers travel presentations . If you’re a travel agent making a pitch or a digital nomad teaching others how to do the same, you need some stellar travel photos to show off.

Sharing photos from around the world is a huge incentive to get people on your side, listening to what you can teach them or do for them.

After all, who doesn’t love the idea of vacationing and traveling the world?

Find the perfect travel photos to pop into your presentation slides with Visme’s stock photo library. With hundreds of thousands of photos to choose from, you’re sure to find some beautiful travel presentation images that are perfect for your message.

Check out the gallery below to find a few that will fit perfectly in your next presentation.

Click on the image gallery below to view travel presentation images.

How to Use These Presentation Images

So now that we’ve shown you over 700 of the thousands of presentation images we have available for free use, we know what you’re thinking.

How can you use these photos in a presentation? And furthermore, how can you use them and ensure your slides still look well designed ?

There are several different ways to use images in your presentations, so let’s go over how you can do these right in Visme’s presentation maker.

Color Overlay

A color overlay is a transparent color on top of a photo. These are great to use when you want to add a photo onto a slide for emphasis, but you still need to include text on the slide.

Because it tends to be difficult to see text directly on top of a bright, busy photo, a color overlay is a great way to soften the photo and ease it into the background.

You can create a color overlay in Visme by clicking the Filter setting, choosing your color and selecting the opacity percentage. Check out a few other photo filter options here .

Create an accent in your slide by using an accent photo. The photo can be in the corner of your slide, covering the top or bottom half, taking up the left or right side or even right in the middle of your slide with your content surrounding it.

You can easily create an accent photo by selecting your photo from our photo library or uploading your own, then sizing it and dragging it to the area you want to accentuate.

You can easily upload a background photo by clicking the slide background and selecting a photo from the stock image library.

If the photo doesn’t fit perfectly, you can drag it around to ensure the area that you want to be visible is shown in your slide.

When using a background image with no color overlay, it’s a good idea to choose a photo with a lot of white space. This allows you to add visuals to your presentation slide while also including copy from your slide content.

If you’ve found a photo that is partially perfect, don’t worry. You can quickly and easily crop photos directly in the Visme design dashboard so that you’re only showcasing the part of the image that you want to be visible on your slide.

To crop a photo, select the Crop setting and drag the corners until the area that you want to see is selected. Then click Apply .

Last, but not least, is our feature image.

If you’ve found a photo that conveys your messaging perfectly, but you don’t want any text to distract your audience, you can include it as a feature image on a slide.

All you do is upload it as a background image or resize it so it covers the entire screen and let your words speak for themselves.

Not every slide needs to have copy on it. You can include feature images every few slides so that your audience still has something engaging to look at while you continue speaking.

To learn even more about using images in your presentation design, check out this video from our Make Information Beautiful series:

Create Your Own Presentation

Ready to take charge of your next presentation? All you need are the right presentation images to engage your audience and help to illustrate your point.

Jump into our Visme design dashboard with one of these pre-designed presentation templates , input your content, choose your images and you’re ready to present!

Create beautiful presentations faster with Visme.

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About the Author

Chloe West is the content marketing manager at Visme. Her experience in digital marketing includes everything from social media, blogging, email marketing to graphic design, strategy creation and implementation, and more. During her spare time, she enjoys exploring her home city of Charleston with her son.

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What are Presentation Graphics?

Pre-requisites: Introduction to Computer Graphics

Graphics are defined as any sketch or a drawing or a special network that pictorially represents some meaningful information. Computer Graphics is used where a set of images needs to be manipulated or the creation of the image in the form of pixels and is drawn on the computer. Computer Graphics can be used in digital photography, film, entertainment, electronic gadgets, and all other core technologies which are required. It is a vast subject and area in the field of computer science. Computer Graphics can be used in UI design, rendering, geometric objects, animation, and many more. 

Presentation graphics provides predefined backgrounds and simple page layouts to help in the creation of slides. These slides can be moved automatically within seconds.

Slides: 

Slides mean we have text, graphics, audio clips, video clips, animations, and other effects   Presentation graphics is also known as Presentation Software. The best example of presentation graphics is Microsoft PowerPoint. 

In recent days we have a new presentation tool that is: our Web browser and that is for creating Web pages, like Microsoft’s FrontPage and Adobe’s PageMill. 

Rules to Design Presentation:

• Keep it simple: Make it simple to understand. It only contains information regarding your topic.
• Correct Spelling:   We have to be careful with the spelling that we have written.
• Consistency: There is need to be continuous flow from one slide to another.
• Don’t put too much on a Slide: Don’t write too much. just give a brief description and important points.
• Use Fonts Properly: Only you can use two font styles in the presentation.
• Find Your Equipment: First, you have to be confident with your topic and details about it.

Uses: 

Presentation graphics programs are mainly concerned with the display of graphs and charts but now allow users to attach anything from text to animations. When Compared to other programs like Excel, PowerPoint follows a slideshow format.

Applications:  

In the following areas we can use presentation software:

• Google Slides
• Microsoft Office
• WPS Office 
• Photo Slideshow with Music

Advantages:

• Less Cost: The cost is low to use presentation software
• Logical Ideas: Tables and graphs are used to represent information then a logical order is created to give a clear idea for viewers.
• Acceptability: By using this busy person can easily get an idea about the topic.

Disadvantages:

• Time-taking process. It needs more time to prepare.
• Data can sometimes be lost.
• Errors and Mistakes can occur during design.

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How to Use Graphics in Your Presentation

Here are five easy rules for when and how to put graphics in your presentations..

Most business presentations are about as interesting as watching paint dry in slo-mo, so the last thing you want is to make your presentation MORE boring by misusing your graphics.

Here are some simple rules based on a conversation with psychologist Stephen M. Kosslyn, author of the book Clear and to the Point .

Note: I've included some very rough examples to give you an idea of what I'm talking about. Needless to say, your own slides will be somewhat more polished.

1. Use a graphic when illustrating relative amounts.

Graphics are particularly good at communicating that one thing is larger than another. If you attempt to express this with words and numbers, you're forcing your audience to do mental mathematics. Why not make it easy for them?

2. Use graphics to simplify rather than more complex.

If your data contains multiple elements (like sales over time), a graph is the best way to communicate. However, don't crowd the slide with data lest it become a puzzle-solving exercise. Keep it simple.

3. Break complicated concepts into multiple graphics.

It's very difficult for an audience to absorb a complicated graphic. Rather than present it as a massive wall of visual data, break the graphic into chunks and show how each chunk relates to the previous chunk.

You: "Here is our basic organizational structure." (Click)

You: "We are now going to focus on the R&D group."

4. Don't use corny clip art.

Actually, Kosslyn didn't say anything about this, but it needs to be said: enough with the happy workers who look like they've stepped out of a soap opera!

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PS5 Pro out this year and State Of Play in September claim insiders

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As everyone wonders when Sony will finally announce the PS5 Pro, rumours of PlayStation’s next State Of Play presentation have started to emerge.

Sony still hasn’t officially announced the PS5 Pro, despite a myriad of leaks , but it seems an announcement is lined up for sometime next month.

The company has already confirmed a bigger presence than usual at this year’s Tokyo Game Show, which takes place from September 26-29. Recently, an insider suggested the PS5 Pro, which was openly discussed by developers at Gamescom, could be revealed at the show.

Another insider, however, has since claimed Sony is ‘probably’ going to broadcast a State Of Play presentation ‘by the end of September’ – which could be where the PS5 Pro is revealed.

This is also what we at GameCentral heard last week at Gamescom , when an indiscreet developer revealed they were holding back their next big annoucement until September.

Speaking on Giant Bomb’s Game Mess Mornings, insider Jeff Grubb reaffirmed that he heard the PS5 Pro is still slated to come out this year, and that it could show up in a presentation next month.

‘Last I heard, this thing [PS5 Pro] is still coming out this year,’ Grubb said. ‘And more recently what I’ve heard is there is probably going to be a State Of Play, a Sony PlayStation State Of Play – not a Showcase – a State Of Play, by the end of September. It’s probably going to be late next month.’

While Grubb states that he doesn’t know if the PS5 Pro will be shown at the presentation, he speculates that it’s the logical assumption, adding: ‘I don’t know if the PS5 Pro is in the State Of Play, but where else would it be?

‘It could have its own thing. But I think State Of Play, end of September, and then you sell this thing beginning in October even, or maybe November.’

Grubb was previously proven accurate regarding the State Of Play event back in May this year, which debuted the first look at Astro Bot.

For the past two years, Sony has held a State Of Play presentation in September. Prior to that, in 2021, Sony held a PlayStation Showcase in the same month, when it officially revealed God Of War Ragnarök and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. As such, it’s very likely some sort of PlayStation event will take place next month, during or just after the Tokyo Game Show.

If the PS5 Pro is announced then Sony might be following the same release strategy for the PS4 Pro. That console was revealed in September 2016 and launched in November of the same year, so it’s possible the PS5 Pro could follow suit for this year.

A potential November launch would also make sense considering how thin the first party PlayStation 5 line-up is for the rest of the year, with the only major exclusive being Astro Bot next week.

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Team Presentation Theory: The Five Formats

Wednesday, Aug 21, 2024 • Jeremiah Valentine : [email protected]

Team Presentations are routinely used in academia. However, there is a significant lack of published research outlining a framework for team presentation strategies and techniques that can be applied to students, faculty and business professionals. 

Dr. Daniel Usera, Clinical Marketing Professor, walks readers through the dynamic task of presenting as a team with different examples . W hile comparing and contrasting different styles that are well explained and easy to understand. The article instructs and informs readers about transitions styles and presentation styles. 

Initially, he highlights the speech writing five-point outline. Typically starting with an introduction, three main points, and a conclusion. After highlighting topics, he explains various speaker's roles. T he opener who delivers the introduction, each following speaker presents a main point, and a closer who finishes with the conclusion. 

Each group member should access and lean into their strengths during the presentation to complete the experience. Usera mentions in the article that speaker roles should depend on talent, subject matter experience, and the size of the team. To facilitate a team ’ s transitional periods between speakers, Usera spotlights four different options which are Hosted, Un-hosted, Overhand, and Topical transitions. 

Two students pitch during a group pitching event on Dec. 13, 2022.

Transitions

Hosted Transitions

A host conducts the handoff between two team members

Un-hosted Transitions

Transitioning speakers conduct their hand-off without a host

Overhand Transitions

Preceding speaker says the transitions statement before handing off the microphone or microphone

Topical Transitions

The next point is set up without a hand-off

The article f o cuses on presentation styles and how teams interact internally during a presentation . Usera presents 5 different presentation options including Hosted, Relay, Hybrid, Popcorn, and Duo. Each format can utilize the same material while presenting a different way . 

Team Presentation Formats

Hosted Format

Relies on one speaker to open and end the presentation and conduct transitions between main point speakers (uses hosted transitions)

Relay Format

Spreads speaking responsibilities equally between all group members

Three Advantages: most common and natural format that audiences might expect speakers to use ; one speaker is not emphasized over the rest; un - h osted transition style can be quicker than hosted ones

Hybrid Format

Uses the same speaker to open and close while executing un -h osted transitions

Benefits of Hybrid method

Opener/closer engage the audiences with their strong speaking skills establishing a connection and credibility

Reengaging with the audience can create a memorable ending

Popcorn Format

Creates a more conversational and casual presentation

All speakers can participate in the introduction, main points, and conclusion

No distinct speak roles; can be completely improvised 

For teams of two; both speakers conduct the introduction, main points and the conclusion

The duo format allows group members to take turn s speaking throughout the presentation, moving through topics rather than speakers

Risks Associated 

Requires additional coordination or rehearsal

Can be imbalanced towards one team member over the other

The presentation styles can be used dynamically , a llowing a team to keep the audience engaged with different topics, multiple speakers and keeping a constant pace throughout the presentation. Usera mentions, “ An essential strategic decision that all teams must make is how they deploy their speaking talent. The five team presentation formats offer different approaches and trade-offs to this question. ” Talent and strengths should be considered as a team choose s a format to work with. 

Dr. Usera, Clinical Associate Professor of Marketing at The University of Texas at Arlington, published this article titled “ Team Presentation Theory I: The Five Formats ” in the Business and Professional Communication Quarterly academic journal in January 2024.

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What time does the dnc day 3 start see the speaker list for wednesday night.

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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 20: Former U.S. President Barack Obama speaks on stage during the second ... [+] day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on August 20, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. Delegates, politicians, and Democratic Party supporters are gathering in Chicago, as current Vice President Kamala Harris is named her party's presidential nominee. The DNC takes place from August 19-22. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The second day of the Democratic National Convention featured powerful speeches from former First Lady Michelle Obama and former President Barack Obama. Now, Day 3 will spotlight Vice Presidential Nominee Tim Walz and the campaign’s commitment to safeguarding America's freedoms. Find out what time the DNC will start , as well as the night’s theme, speaker list, and more.

On Tuesday night, the DNC orchestrated a jazzed-up ceremonial roll call vote. DJ Cassidy introduced delegations from each state with their own song, like Jay Z’s “Empire State of Mind” for New York and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” for Alabama. Celebrities like Lil Jon, Spike Lee, Eva Longoria, and Wendell Pierce were also there to represent their states.

Each convention day is related to the DNC 2024’s theme, “For the People, For Our Future.” Wednesday’s theme is “A Fight for Our Freedoms,” where speakers from the party will discuss how Harris will work to protect America’s freedoms, including reproductive rights.

According to organizers, the night will center on Walz as a “champion for America’s working families and a staunch defender of those same fundamental freedoms.” Democrats say they will try to emphasize Republican Presidential Nominee Donald Trump’s efforts to “strip our rights away” while he was in office and what he plans to do if he wins in 2024.

Actress and comedian Mindy Kaling will be the celebrity host for Day 3 of the DNC. Kaling is best known for portraying Kelly Kapoor on The Office and creating popular shows like Never Have I Ever and The Sex Lives of College Girls . Actress Kerry Washington will take over as the celebrity host for the final night.

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‘exciting updates’—new details of donald trump’s mystery crypto project spark wild bitcoin rival speculation, trump signals he may skip abc news debate after bashing network, what time does the dnc start on wednesday.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 20: Former U.S. President Barack Obama (R) greets former first lady ... [+] Michelle Obama as he arrives to speak on stage during the second day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on August 20, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. Delegates, politicians, and Democratic Party supporters are gathering in Chicago, as current Vice President Kamala Harris is named her party's presidential nominee. The DNC takes place from August 19-22. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Day 3 of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago is scheduled to start on Wednesday, August 21, at around 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT. Speakers will likely take the stage later in the evening, with the keynote address typically beginning around 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT.

Who Will Speak At The DNC On Day 3?

TOPSHOT - Minnesota Governor and 2024 Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz gestures on ... [+] the first day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, on August 19, 2024. Vice President Kamala Harris will formally accept the party's nomination for president at the DNC which runs from August 19-22 in Chicago. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP) (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images)

Several high-profile Democrats are anticipated to speak on Wednesday night, including former President Bill Clinton, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, is set to deliver the keynote address on Wednesday evening. The former social studies teacher and high school football coach is expected to accept the Democratic nomination.

Here’s the entire speaker list for the DNC Day 3. (Note: The speaker list and order is subject to change throughout the night.)

Call to Order

Alex Hornbrook

Executive Director of the 2024 Democratic National Convention Committee

The Honorable Cory Booker

United States Senator, New Jersey

Sri Rakesh Bhatt

Sri Siva Vishnu Temple

Bishop Leah D. Daughtry

The House of the Lord Churches

Pledge of Allegiance

Students from Moreland Arts & Health Sciences Magnet School from St. Paul, MN

National Anthem

Presentation of Honorary Resolutions

The Honorable Jaime Harrison

Chairman of the Democratic National Committee

Joined by Vice Chairs The Honorable Keisha Lance Bottoms, Ken Martin, Henry R. Muñoz III, Treasurer Virginia McGregor, and Finance Chair Chris Korge.

Mini Timmaraju

President and CEO of Reproductive Freedom for All

Alexis McGill Johnson

President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Action Fund

Cecile Richards

Reproductive Rights Champion

Kelley Robinson

President of the Human Rights Campaign

Jessica Mackler

President of EMILYs List

María Teresa Kumar

Founding President and CEO of Voto Latino

The Honorable Tom Suozzi

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, New York

Welcome Remarks

Joint Remarks

The Honorable Aftab Pureval

Mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio

The Honorable Cavalier Johnson

Mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Rashawn Spivey and Deanna Branch

Lead pipe removal advocates

The Honorable Lisa Blunt Rochester

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Delaware

The Honorable Grace Meng

Remarks: “Project 2025—Chapter Three: Freedoms”

The Honorable Jared Polis

Governor of Colorado

The Honorable Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Florida

The Honorable Suzan DelBene

Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee

The Honorable Keith Ellison

Attorney General of Minnesota

The Honorable Dana Nessel

Attorney General of Michigan

Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg

Parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin

Performance

Maren Morris

American singer-songwriter

The Honorable Veronica Escobar

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Texas

The Honorable Chris Murphy

United States Senator, Connecticut

The Honorable Javier Salazar

Sheriff of Bexar County, Texas

The Honorable Pete Aguilar

Chair of the House Democratic Caucus

Influencer Remarks

Carlos Eduardo Espina

Content creator

Olivia Troye

Former Trump administration national security official

The Honorable Geoff Duncan

Former Lieutenant Governor of Georgia

The Honorable Bennie G Gravity . Thompson

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Mississippi

Sergeant Aquilino Gonell

Retired United States Capitol Police Officer

The Honorable Andy Kim

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, New Jersey

Olivia Julianna

Stevie Wonder

American singer-songwriter and musician

Kenan Thompson and Guests on Project 2025

American comedian and actor

Host Introduction

Mindy Kaling

The Honorable Hakeem Jeffries

U.S. House of Representatives Democratic Leader

The Honorable Bill Clinton

42nd President of the United States

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi

Speaker Emerita of the U.S. House of Representatives

The Honorable Josh Shapiro

Governor of Pennsylvania

Alexander Hudlin

Jasper Emhoff

Arden Emhoff

The Honorable Catherine Cortez Masto

United States Senator, Nevada

Amanda Gorman

National Youth Poet Laureate

The Honorable Wes Moore

Governor of Maryland

The Honorable Pete Buttigieg

John Legend

American singer and drummer

The Honorable Amy Klobuchar

United States Senator, Minnesota

Benjamin C. Ingman

Former student of Governor Walz

The Honorable Tim Walz

Governor of Minnesota

Benediction

William Emmanuel Hall

Lead Pastor of St. James Church in Chicago

How To Watch The DNC On Cable And Streaming

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 20: Democratic presidential candidate, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris ... [+] delivers a pre-recorded message during the second day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on August 20, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. Delegates, politicians, and Democratic Party supporters are gathering in Chicago, as current Vice President Kamala Harris is named her party's presidential nominee. The DNC takes place from August 19-22. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

You can watch the DNC on major cable news channels, including CBS News, ABC News, Fox News, CNN, NewsNation, NBC News, MSNBC, and C-SPAN. If you don't have cable, you can stream the networks on live TV streaming platforms like DirecTV , Fubo and Hulu+ Live TV , all of which are currently offering free trials.

The DNC will also be available on streaming services like Max (CNN only), Paramount+ (CBS only), and Peacock (NBC only). Additionally, the DNC’s official YouTube channel will stream Day 3 of the convention for free from 7 p.m. ET to 11 p.m. ET.

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Ulan-Ude in Russia | Travel Guide to the Capital City of Buryatia

By Author Christian L.

Posted on Published: December 1, 2021  - Last updated: December 14, 2021

Categories Destinations , Europe , Russia

In the south of Russia, near the border of Mongolia, lies Ulan-Ude, Buryatia. This city is an intriguing mixture of cultural diversity and wondrous scenery. Ulan-Ude is a hidden gem famous for Siberian Buddhism and so much more. 

The Republic of Buryatia is a federal subject of Russia located on the outskirts of East Siberia. It sits just off the Selenga River, with fabulous attractions like Lake Baikal not too far away. There are only around 404,000 inhabitants with very few foreign travelers, which makes this unexplored territory for even the most seasoned travelers. Ulan-Ude is also the last stop along the Trans Mongolian railway in Russia.

Luckily, this guide will cover everything you need to know before your trip to Ulan-Ude, Siberia. Whether you’re planning a trip with the Trans-Siberian Railway or backpacking across Far East Russia, keep reading to learn more about the city, where to stay, and what to see.  

Why Ulan-Ude Should Be on Your Bucket List

Ulan-Ude, Russia, is particularly special. Here, you’ll find a mixed bag of activities, culture, and lush green, isolated rural regions. While this may not be the best place for a tropical holiday, it is certainly a wonderful addition to the curious traveler’s bucket list.

Ulan-Ude was founded in 1668, originally named Udinskoye because of the Uda River that runs straight through the middle of the city. It is home to Russians, Buryats, Tatars, and Ukrainians, among a few others. 

Ulan-Ude is known as the heart of Tibetan Buddhism in Russia but is also a safe haven for people of all religious backgrounds. The city’s ethnographic museum showcases this unique range of history, culture, and spirituality, which makes this a must-experience destination. 

The lush foothills of the Ulan-Burgas and Khamar-Daban mountain ranges offer a space for cattle and traditional agriculture techniques to flourish. The nomadic herding style ensures that animals are well-fed and healthy. 

This allows the city to boast delicious cuisine steeped in Mongolian and Russian influences. These influences are reflected through a combination of different flavors and techniques used when preparing the food. 

Besides the alluring history and delectable food, Ulan-Ude showcases a remarkable way of life connecting Russian and Asian influences that beckon to be explored.

Best Time to Visit Ulan-Ude City

Between the snow-covered mountains in winter and the sun-kissed, gushing river in summer, Ulan-Ude is a beautiful location at any time of the year. The summer months present average temperatures of 62°F (16℃), with July being the hottest month and boasting highs of up to 77°F (25℃). January is the coldest month of the year, and the cold season stretches from November to February with lows of -1°F (-18℃).

The best time of year to visit Ulan-Ude falls during the shoulder season from May to September. Off-season traveling to Ulan-Ude means that you can avoid the busier months of May, August, and October. Luckily, you can expect temperate conditions, which make traveling all the more enticing and comfortable, as well as cheaper accommodation options. 

It’s always best to keep tabs on the weather forecast before planning your trip. Although, if you’re visiting in January, you can always pack your skis. 

Best Attractions in Ulan-Ude, Russia 

Many travelers adore the enticing attractions in Moscow or the thrilling things to do in St. Petersburg , but that is just a taste of what Russia has on offer. Here’s a look at some of the compelling pastimes available in Ulan-Ude.  

Historical City Center and The largest Lenin head in the world

The city contains over 200 sites that display its rich history and cultural heritage. If you’re walking through the city center, you’ll see miniature wooden houses that provide imagery of Russian folk tales as well as evidence of the city’s narrative. 

Ulan-Ude is also home to the Square of the Soviets. Nestled on the modern side of the city, you can see the largest monument of Vladimir Lenin in the world. The bronze and granite bust of the leader is a cornerstone monument in Ulan-Ude. 

Book this walking tour for the best sights coupled with knowledgeable commentary. 

Ivolginsky Datsan

At first glance, a Buddhist temple in Russia feels a bit out of place. Believe it or not, the Ivolginsky Datsan was formed in 1945 and became the spiritual center for the Soviet Union (USSR). 

It later became the residence for Russian Lamas and specifically the head of the Russian Buddhist Lamas. The temple also houses Dashi-Dorzho Itigelov, a Buryat monk who died mid-meditation and upon exhumation was found not to have decayed much at all. 

Itigelov is said to have chanted the prayer of death while sitting in the lotus position and died during that meditation. He was buried in the same position. Itigelov told his followers to exhume his body 30 years later, and once they did, followers found that he had not decayed as much as would be expected. 

Followers at the time hid his body in an unmarked grave. It wasn’t until 2002 that he was exhumed once more and housed in the Ivolginsky Datsan. The well-preserved body was never mummified or embalmed and is still a mystery to pathologists and scientists alike. 

Explore this spiritual center for pilgrims with an English guide by booking this tour.  

The Odigitrievsky Cathedral

Odigitrievsky Cathedral is the oldest stone building in the region, dating back to 1714, is one of the easiest buildings to recognize in Ulan-Ude.

While it might not look too impressive compared to other Cathedrals in Russia, but in this part of Russia, it´s impressive.

Open-Air Ethnographic Museum

This outdoor museum can be found just a few miles north of Ulan-Ude in the village of Upper Berezovka. There are 40 architectural monuments and over 11,000 exhibits. 

It is considered the largest open-air museum in Russia and explores everything from the Buryat people to the Baikal and Evenki heritage. 

Book a skip-the-line ticket for a private tour of this impressive establishment. 

Buryat Village

The Buryats are believed to be indigenous to Mongolia. Historical records also suggest that Genghis Khan was the first to subjugate the Buryat people. Hundreds of years later, they were then absorbed into the Russian empire.  

The roots of the Buryat people start in Mongolia, and they have since been exposed to Buddhist and Christian ways. While the 19th century saw an increase in Buddhist beliefs, the ancient ways of agriculture and isolation are still prevalent in rural Ulan-Ude. 

The deep cultural and historical heritage is prevalent in the Buryat village of Ulan-Ude, also called Dom Muzey Agvana Dorzhiyeva. Here you can get acquainted with the locals, learn about their nomadic herding lifestyle and immerse yourself in the diverse customs and traditions. 

Book this tour for a traditional dinner and a chance to explore the museum and Datsan Buddhist temple. 

Lake Baikal

Lake Baikal is just a few miles away from the city. It’s a definite must-see, either on your way to or from Ulan-Ude. This ancient lake is arguably one of the deepest in the world and is also considered the Earth’s largest freshwater lake. 

You can access the lake through hiking trails. After a long trek, you can sit back and watch the Baikal seals in the lake. In winter, it is used for ice-skating, and in summer for wildlife observation. 

Book this tour crossing Lake Baikal, where you’ll visit Olkhon island and camp in the middle of the lake. 

Accommodation in Russia’s Ulan-Ude

The city may be small, but the lodging options are quite broad. You can choose between luxury resorts, backpackers, or 3-star hotels. Here are some of the most esteemed accommodation options in Ulan-Ude, suited to any kind of traveler. 

Perfectly Located: Hotel Mergen Bator

This hotel is perfect for on-the-go travelers. You can expect to pay a little less to get around, with a train station right next door and convenient shuttle services to boot. The hotel is near the Sovetov Square as well as the Ballet and Opera theater, and just 5 minutes from the city center. 

Click here to book accommodation at Hotel Mergen Bator

Budget Luxury: Baikal Plaza

This gorgeous 4-star hotel is great for budget luxury travelers. You can expect vibrant decor that welcomes you into a hotel with all of the best amenities like a sauna, fitness center, and several international restaurants. The restaurants offer Uzbek as well as Siberian dishes with a delectable breakfast buffet and a modern bar area.  

Click here to book accommodation at Baikal Plaza .

Low-Budget: Ulan Hotel

Wake up to a delightful breakfast at Ulan Hotel, where you can explore the tastes of traditional specialties right around the corner. The hotel is ideally located near several cafés and offers great value for money with amenities like airport shuttles and close proximity to a bus stop and major Sagaan Morin shopping center. 

Click here to book accommodation at Ulan Hotel . 

Ultimate Luxury: Reston Hotel and Spa

This hotel is perfect for anyone yearning for some luxury relaxation. From plush white robes and slippers to the spacious suites and indoor swimming pool, the Reston Hotel and Spa understands hospitality. You can explore the local cuisine at the on-site restaurant and dine with the best views of the city, heightened by welcoming room service and super spa services. 

Click here to book accommodation at Reston Hotel and Spa

Where to Eat In Ulan-Ude

The best way to learn about any country is through the culture that their food presents. With a distinct history and unique cultural influences, the cuisine found in the Buryatia region differs from that of other Russian cities. 

You can expect a mixture of cuisines, from Russian food to Asian as well as Italian and other European influences. While you’re in Ulan-Ude, you’ll have to try delicacies like buuzy , which comprises meat wrapped in a soft dumpling. Also, taste bukhuler , which is a meat broth, and of course, finish it off with a delicious glass of fermented mare’s milk called airag.  

Get the best experiences and the tastiest dishes at some of Ulan-Ude’s best restaurants: 

• Tengis Restaurant
• Pub Churchill

Getting to Ulan-Ude

There are a few airports in and around Ulan-Ude, so traveling here should not be an issue. You can easily make your way to international airports in Moscow or St. Petersburg. From there, you could also fly into Ulan-Ude in just under six hours. 

If you’d prefer a more scenic route, you can make use of the Trans-Siberian Railway, which is the longest railway in the world. This train starts in Moscow and travels through Russia. It joins the Trans-Mongolian line as well as the Trans-Manchurian line. It will take around 3 days from Moscow to Ulan-Ude by train. 

You can also complete a 12-day tour along the Trans-Siberian Railway that will take you from Russia, through Ulan-Ude, around the Gobi desert, and into Beijing. While this tour doesn’t spend too much time in Ulan-Ude itself, it’s still a great way to explore the Russian, Mongolian and Chinese regions.  

Since Ulan-Ude is the last stop in Russia along the Trans Mongolian railway, so is this the last stop for you to pick up some Russian souvenirs. NB. It´s both faster and cheaper to take the local bus from Ulan Ude to Ulaanbaatar, the Capital of Mongolia, than to take the train across to Mongolia.

There´s a daily bus leaving at 7:30 AM from Ulan-Ude to Ulaanbaatar, the journey takes around 10-12 hours. I did this bus journey, however, while it´s both cheaper and faster than the train, it´s definitely not more comfortable, this bus journey is personally one of the worst I’ve ever taken. Tickets can be purchased at travel agency offices, or ask your guesthouse to buy them for you at 1100 Rub. There are also daily shared taxis going to Mongolia.

Ulan-Ude Mapped Out

Whether you’ve decided to travel through the urban city or rural wilderness, an Ulan-Ude map will help you find your way. Just in case you’ve gotten disconnected from your GPS , there are a few things to remember. 

Ulan-Ude is on the south side of Lake Baikal, a mere 85 miles (136km)  away. If you’re driving from the neighboring city Irkutsk (around 280 miles/450 km), you’ll travel along the P-258 highway and stay on that road. 

Once you’re at the foothills of Ulan-Ude, the A-340 highway will take you down into Mongolia. So, if you’re planning on staying in the country, you’ll want to continue along the P-258 highway onto the AH6 highway, which will direct you to other cities like Chita and lead to Yakutsk. 

Russia is vast, and travel times between neighboring cities are quite lengthy. So, be sure to keep these major highways in mind, and you’ll easily find your way back.    

Final Say on Ulan-Ude, Republic of Buryatia

Ulan-Ude is a fabulous addition to any traveler’s bucket list. There are so many enriching experiences to be had here that there is no doubt you’ll leave the city richer. 

Between the excellent accommodation options and culturally diverse experiences, there is a unique adventure waiting to be explored. So, go ahead and book your visa, and get ready for an exciting journey. 

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An Englishman's visit to the world's LARGEST Lenin head

The Rinpoche Bagsha temple crackled with the deep murmur of Buddhist prayer. Under the warm gaze of a golden cross-legged Buddha, eight monks in crimson robes sat at a low table in the centre of the room, ethereal chants bursting from their throats. A bell tinkled. During the final prayer, the congregation, squeezed together on benches close to the monks, picked up parcels of food and waved them in front of themselves in clockwise circles. The bell tinkled one last time.   

And with that, the hundred Russians put on their hats and coats and came outside to where six marshrutka buses were waiting. The driver took their 20 rubles (approx. $0.30) before taking them down the hill to Soviet Square. So begins a Sunday evening in Ulan-Ude, in Eastern Siberia’s Buddhist republic of Buryatia. 

Preserving Buddhist heritage 

Datsan Rinpoche Bagsha.

A country of rolling hills between the southern shores of Lake Baikal and Russia’s frontier with Mongolia, Buryatia spans a territory as big as Germany, but fewer than a million people live here. Half of them reside in Ulan-Ude, the Trans-Siberian stopover and capital of the Buryat people. Buryats are of Mongolian stock, nomadic herders with a language and culture close to their cousins across the border. For centuries, Mongol khans governed the lands around Baikal; but living inside Moscow’s orbit for generations - first in the Buryat-Mongolian Autonomous Soviet Republic, then as Russian citizens - has changed the Buryats’ identity.

As the first buses leave, some people stay behind for the monks to bless their food. Others stay to offer more prayers – first standing facing the Buddha with palms touching above their heads, then prostrate on their stomachs on the carpet.  

Ethnographic Museum of the peoples living behind Baikal.

Outside in the temple’s grounds, the view over the Transbaikal region from the summit is breathtaking. A mountain wind rips through a row of brightly-coloured prayer flags. Cast-iron prayer wheels rasp against fingers in the Siberian cold, while boards display Buddhist mantras in Russian, encouraging patience and hard work. A separate building houses the temple’s museum: its walls are covered with photographs from the Dalai Lama’s visit to Buryatia in 1991. 

Russian and Soviet vibes

Down the hill in Ulan-Ude, it’s easier to feel that you are in Russia. The voice of the tannoy ushering people into the chaotic Galaxy mall on Baltakhinova Street is the same man I had heard outside a mall in Arkhangelsk the week before. Kuybysheva Street is a collection of old wooden Siberian cottages, most repainted colourfully in bold blues and greens, and with white window-frames. They survive from the time of the Tsars, when Ulan-Ude - back then a little settlement called Verkhneudinsk - was a Russian trading post on the way to China.

On Soviet Square, in the middle of the city, is the landmark that gives Ulan-Ude its quaint claim to fame: the world’s largest sculpture of Lenin’s head, which serves as Buryatia’s calling card on the Trans-Siberian Railway. The head, eight meters tall, is known outside of Russia, too: the then supreme leader of North Korea Kim Jong-il (himself a man of Eastern Siberia; he was born outside Khabarovsk) traveled here shortly before he died in 2011, especially to pay his respects to Lenin. 

But Ilyich (that’s Lenin’s patronymic) wasn’t always so popular. The story goes that the sculpture was commissioned in 1971 to mark the centenary of Lenin’s birth and shipped to Canada, where a delegation from the Soviet Union was taking part in an exhibition. When the 42-ton Lenin returned home, Ulan-Ude was the only town in the USSR that Moscow could persuade to take him.  

Blending cultures

If the air inside the Rinpoche Bagsha temple crackles with prayer, then during a service at Odigitrievsky cathedral, the sound waves soothe you. Each deep ululation of the priest, followed by a chorus of high mesmeric song from the congregation, makes your heart slow down until you are frozen to the spot. The cathedral was built in the 18th century with money donated by Cossack merchants. It stands where the two rivers that run through Ulan-Ude, the Uda and the Selenge, almost meet. During the Soviet era, Odigitrievsky cathedral was converted into an anti-religious museum, but now services have resumed here twice a day. 

In other parts of Ulan-Ude, Buryatia’s cultures blend together. At Cafe Kheseg on Kommunisticheskaya Street, Buryat families eat brunches of boovo (small, hard doughnuts served in a puddle of condensed milk) and blinchiki (small pancakes), as Russian and Mongolian ballads alternate on the stereo. Souvenir stores sell Mongolian handcrafts beside packs of Sagan Dalya, a potent medicinal Siberian tea. A statue on Lenina Street depicts two fish with their tails entwined to form a circle. This is an auspicious symbol in Buddhism, representing freedom and happiness, and here they are the shape of two Russian omul salmon, native to Lake Baikal.

Half an hour’s drive north of Ulan-Ude, in the district of Verkhnyaya Berezovka, is the Ethnographic Museum of the Peoples of Baikal - a portion of the wilderness punctuated with model villages. Each village is dedicated to the culture of one of the tribes, who populate the vast Baikal Region - Buryats, Evenks, Soyots, Cossacks and Old Believers. To get to the villages, you have to walk through a wildlife sanctuary, where a Siberian tiger, a pack of wolves, wild red foxes and Bactrian camels roam around in large pens. 

On a bitterly cold night, with a six-hour flight back to Moscow before dawn, I walk back towards Rinpoche Bagsha. I have to end my trip with one last look at a Soviet-era slogan on top of a housing block. It says, in big red letters: “Ulan-Ude - star of my Buryatia!”

Jonathan Campion writes about Russia at jonathancampion.com . Last time he traveled to Buryatia was in 2018.

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