creative presentation meaning

What Are Some Creative Presentation Ideas?

Presentations are about as common as emails in the business world. It’s pretty unlikely that you’ll skate through a job without having to create a slide or presentation deck to share with upper management, colleagues, or clients. It’s something that’s usually mandatory (and mundane) so people tend to dread giving—and watching—presentations regardless of how important the topic. 

Afterall, they all look the same, right? A few photos here, several bullet points there. We hate to stereotype, but generally speaking, when a non-designer has to create a presentation you’re going to get the bare minimum. You’ve heard the phrase “death by PowerPoint,” which in its simplest form means your deck is lackluster and boring people into a deep, deep daydream (or if it’s really bad, maybe even a nap and an actual dream). Luckily, you can turn it around. 

What are some creative presentation ideas that can help you break through the boredom? Try these 7 things to elevate your next presentation in Beautiful.ai. 

Think outside the (text) box

The cold, hard truth is that people are expecting your presentation to be boring. Your audience has seen enough presentations to know that most people will use the obvious slides: bullet points, chaotic charts that they can’t make sense of, and lengthy blocks of text. The first mistake you can make in presentation design is settling for a seemingly popular slide layout. Let’s dodge the bullet points. Think outside the (text) box and format your slides in new interesting ways. Beautiful.ai’s inspiration gallery can help you try presentation templates in new ways that you might not have thought of otherwise. With pre-built (fully customizable) templates curated by our in-house designer, there are countless templates to help you get started and spark your own ideas. The Smart Slides help you rethink your story and structure it in a more creative way. 

Play with color

Black and white are great, but let’s show your true colors. You can make your presentation pop by simply choosing a more vibrant color palette. Whether it’s different variations of the pantone color of the year, or your brand colors, choosing eye-catching hues is an easy way to take your presentation to the next level. That said, we recommend selecting colors that complement one another and create a nice contrast. For example, you should have a mix of darker and lighter hues so that your text, graphs, and charts are legible when the colors are used together on the same slide.

Use a background image

Title slides with a blank, solid-colored background are so 2015. When you need a section break , or title page , try using a background image behind your title. Not only will this give your audience’s eyes a break from reading slides, it will be more apparent that you’re moving on to a new section or point. Your background image should be relevant to your overarching message, on-brand, and eye-catching without lacking quality. Beautiful.ai’s free image library offers hundreds of thousands of high-quality images to support any story.

Add dynamic animations

We’ve all been there: mindlessly playing on our phone when something flashes on the television pulling your attention back to the show you were watching. It’s simple, really. The sudden motion caused you to focus on what was happening and redirect your eyes to the screen. The same applies to dynamic animations in presentations. If you opt for your graphs, charts, or slides to build with the help of animations you’re a lot more likely to have an engaged audience. We’re not talking about giving them motion sickness, so don’t overdo it, but simple movements on the screen bring your slides to life. Not all stories are created equally so Beautiful.ai allows you to choose your animation speed and style, so that they build on the slide in a way that best supports your unique story. 

Tell your story with audio

Sometimes you need to provide more context to your slide. If you can’t be there live— or in person— adding audio is a lifesaver. By adding audio to your presentation, you’re the narrator of the story. You’re telling your audience exactly what they need to pay attention to so that they don’t miss the key points. You can use this to add music, voice-overs, or simply call out a particular part of the slide. Get creative with your audio, it can be the difference between a stellar presentation and one that falls short. 

Include video

In case you missed it: video is the new picture. It’s 2021, and video is becoming increasingly more popular than it was in previous years. Especially in our new normal of remote work, video acts as a way to tell your story faster, and in a more engaging way than a static photo would. Everything from social media to presentations is leaning heavily into video to help inform, interact, and maintain relationships with audiences. In Beautiful.ai, it’s just as easy to add video as it is to add photos with our Video slide template — so go crazy.  

Get your audience involved

Even with the greatest looking presentation of all time, you might still lose an audience member or two. It’s them, not you. But what if we told you there’s a way to reel them back in? If you find your audience dozing off or staring into space, don’t be afraid to get them involved with the presentation. Some creative presentation ideas that include the audience members might be adding polls to a slide, asking them thought-provoking questions, gamifying the experience with trivia, or by giving them incentives to share on social media (think live tweets) with an event hashtag. By letting them in on the fun, and the conversation, you’re encouraging them to stay engaged and retain the information you’re telling them. 

Jordan Turner

Jordan is a Bay Area writer, social media manager, and content strategist.

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40+ Creative Presentation Ideas to Captivate Your Audience

You want to make presentations that are captivating, not naptivating, right? Imagine pouring your heart into a presentation, but your audience is checking their phones. Sound familiar? 47% of presenters drown in design woes, spending more than 8 hours crafting slides. And the worst part is losing your audience’s attention within the first 10 minutes! Let’s break this cycle! Easy and creative presentation ideas can help you make exciting presentations quickly that will keep your audience glued from the first slide to the last. 

In this blog, I will reveal presentation secrets (tips for interesting slides), my favorite creative ideas that anyone can try without sweat and worry, and a step-by-step guide to making an impactful presentation with a free design tool.

Table of Contents

How to make a presentation interesting, 40+ creative presentation ideas with templates for unique projects, how to make a creative presentation with dochipo.

To make a presentation engaging, start with an icebreaker to connect with your audience. Introduce storytelling to make it relatable and memorable for the attendees. Engage them with interactive polls, quizzes, and games, and encourage them to ask questions and share opinions to make them feel valued.

If you want to make visually exciting presentations, always keep the following tips in mind:

• Plan the flow: Ensure your presentation has a clear introduction, body, and conclusion and follows a logical sequence of ideas.
• Utilize the PREP method: Point, Reason, Example, Point, for effective communication.
• Choose legible and suitable fonts: Opt for professional and creative fonts that match your tone and audience.
• Maintain consistency with branding: Use consistent colors and fonts to build familiarity and trust.
• Include screenshots for interest: Enhance your presentation with real-life examples rather than stock photos.
• Opt for a background that enhances legibility: Choose patterns and textures in the backdrop to enhance visual impact and avoid clutter.
• Limit text lines: Use creative graphic elements and short text to convey messages effectively.
• Use visuals with emotional appeal: Incorporate design elements that evoke emotions for a more engaging presentation.
• Add high-quality images and oddball transitions: Exciting slideshows usually include attractive, high-quality images and cool, concise transitions per slide.

These are a few design tips that can help you create a top-notch, creative presentation. Now, let’s explore all the interesting presentation ideas that will leave your audience wanting more (and maybe even taking notes!).

Creative presentation ideas commonly contain these ten key themes: innovation, engagement, visual appeal, originality, storytelling, relevance, interaction, emotional connections, adaptability, and clarity. In this article, I will share over forty exciting ideas with unique presentation templates based on the best design practices mentioned above.

1. Creative Presentation Ideas with Appealing Illustrations

From infusing life into complex concepts to igniting imagination with every stroke, illustrations breathe fresh energy into your slideshow.

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By adding this visually engaging creative element to your presentation, you can avoid cluttering your slides with text overload. Offbeat illustrations save more space and clarify the ongoing presentation topic without words. 

Guess what? You can get your audience hooked to your slides faster than a blink of an eye! So, skip the wordy explanations and let visuals do the talking. 

Watch the video to explore the exciting illustration categories of DocHipo.

2. Using Capsule Bars to Fill the Whitespace with Style

Up next is a business presentation theme with a twist. This unusual shape cleverly plays with white space, injecting a modern flair that’s bound to captivate your audience. 

Watch the video to use DocHipo’s exclusive shape library in your slideshows. 

3. Creative Image Cropping Technique for an Engaging Presentation

Have you tried images in your slideshows? Of course, using images in presentations has become widespread in today’s trend. But what’s unique is to crop those images in a particular shape to enhance the aesthetic allure of your design.

This business presentation is an absolute delight for keeping your audience engaged with this creative charm.

Watch this short video to understand the steps of cropping images into cool shapes.

4. Creative Presentation Idea Where Vision Meets Value

You’ll love the following marketing presentation template tailor-made for visionary minds searching for innovative presentation ideas.

It vividly portrays your company’s unwavering commitment to excellence in the competitive market through powerful imagery and bold, compelling text. From color consistency to message uniformity, the presentation is all about showing your valuable services and long-term visions most appropriately and memorably to your audience. 

The use of vibrant, pertinent stock photos in this template screams for applause, forging a strong emotional connection stemming from innovation and originality. 

5. Cool Presentation Ideas with Unique Textured Background

You can easily create an interesting presentation theme with unusual backgrounds. Take a look at these product-specific presentations.

Elevate your slideshow from ordinary to extraordinary with a touch of texture! Explore a world of relevant textures or try uniquely styled ones to infuse your slides with irresistible charm.

Instead of using the whole space for textured layers, you can add other visual elements, like creative icons and attractive pictures, to give every pixel a chance to pop in that exquisite backdrop.

6. Use Patterns for Simple, Stunning Slides

Dare to dazzle your audience with a unique background that breaks the mold! Here goes another creative presentation idea with irresistible background aesthetics. Try unconventional patterns that keep your eyes locked on the screen. 

Check this video to explore DocHipo’s exceptional background widget with countless creative options.

7. Use Transparent Fonts in Your Cover Slide 

Unveil the magic of transparency in your presentation! With a sleek and modern transparent font style, you don’t just speak to your clients – you bewitch them with your creativity. 

Pitch deck presentation must be concise, engaging, and bold as a reflection of your brand.  Hence, choose a font style that is professionally trendy for the title on your cover slide. 

Watch this short tutorial for applying transparent color in your design.

8. Creative Presentation with Transparent Overlays

If you want ideas about presentation that effortlessly showcase your creative brilliance, try the magic of transparent overlays! Transform your slide into a captivating masterpiece that blends sophistication with innovation. 

Elevate your message with a touch of transparency, and watch as the seamless fusion of style and substance spellbinds your audience. The best part is that you can change the level of transparency with the easy opacity control button. 

9. Colorblocked Overlays for a Unique Presentation Style

Overlays aren’t just beautiful with transparent effects! I love the following example, which is full of colors.

Colorblocked themes are trending these days for their sophisticated aesthetics. With bold hues and striking contrasts, watch your slides bloom, captivating your audience at every turn.

10. Don’t Be Typical with Typography

Typography isn’t just interesting – it’s your presentation’s voice, your story’s heartbeat, and your ideas’ personality. 

With the stroke of a quirky design element, you can captivate, intrigue, and inspire your audience. The gimmicky title on the marketing cover slide commands attention, while elegant fonts evoke brand identity. 

11. Creative Presentation Ideas with Purposeful Visual Aids

Let charming and relevant icons do the talking, painting a picture words simply can’t capture. 

Look at the above product presentation template; do you need an explanation of what this presentation is about? These delightful thematic icons are weaved in such a charming way that they grab all your attention while evoking the essence of the presentation.

Set the stage for intrigue and imagination, letting your visuals speak volumes even before your narrative begins.

Look at the flavorful food icons in the above template; a must-have flair that will make your audience savor the presentation.

Watch the short video to explore the trendy icon library of DocHipo.

12. Turn Your Clients into Your Stans with Vertical Text Alignment Design

So far, I have shared creative presentation ideas based on colors, fonts, and graphic elements that we can’t overlook in a design. Now, you will discover how a unique text style with customized line spacing and alignment can work as the spotlight for your presentation.

This delicious presentation of a food company is a visual treat with its brilliant text break techniques using text spacing and alignment. 

You can learn various alignment techniques from this short video tutorial.

13. Creative Presentation Cover Themed after Abstract Shapes 

As a presenter, you want your slideshow to stand out. That takes originality with innovation, and abstract shapes allow you to experiment with your style to convey multiple meanings within a single design.

The business presentation template uses a clean layout with abstract shapes in bold colors and limited text. This creates a sense of order and avoids overwhelming the viewer. You are bound to impress your clients with this unmatched versatility by using different shapes and colors in a single theme.

Check out the exclusive abstract shapes in DocHipo. 

14. Trending Shapes for Attractive Cover Slide

If you feel quirkiness is synonymous with creativity, you will love the next marketing presentation template.

These trendy shapes make your presentation more lively than ever. You can easily use them in your presentations from the DocHipo shapes library.

15. Use Splashes of Colors for Vividly Visual Presentation

Most marketers paint their fantasy art world based on the color wheel concept . Blue reigns as the color of success for 57% of small business owners , while green, white, black, orange, gray, purple, and yellow follow close behind. 

The above color-splashed marketing presentation template shows the effectiveness of shape psychology intertwined with different meanings of colors. This vivid color combination is eye-catching and energetic, immediately grabbing viewers’ attention.

16. Unique Presentation that Blends Image & Illustration

This presentation template merges the image with the illustration and brews something special. 

Imagine a clean canvas of warm beige, where bold text and a vibrant red coffee cup take center stage. But wait, there’s more! An elegant illustration adds a sprinkle of visual magic, transforming your product into a story waiting to be savored. 

You can use high-quality, free stock photos from the DocHipo gallery to customize your presentation templates in a mesmerizing way!

17. Creative Presentation Ideas with Hollow Shapes Where Less is More 

I will show the magic with hollow shapes in this category of creative presentation ideas.

You have seen unconventional and trendy shapes, and now check out how you can make your slideshows memorable by converting usual solid shapes into hollow masterpieces!

You can keep a generous amount of white space in your presentation and include dynamic shapes without cluttering your design canvas.

Watch this video to transform any solid shape into trendy hollow shapes in DocHipo.

18. Catch the Eye with Fancy Fonts 

Eye-catching fonts immediately grab the audience’s attention, drawing them into the presentation and making them more receptive to the content.

Custom or unique fonts can reinforce brand identity, helping to establish a memorable and cohesive visual identity for the presentation and the organization it represents. You can, too, use your choice of font style in presentations by uploading them to DocHipo, like the fancy display font in the above-mentioned product presentation template. 

Watch the following video for a short demonstration of uploading custom fonts in DocHipo.

19. Add QR Code for Interactive Presentation

Maintaining a continuous relationship with your client has become inevitable, and that starts with a smooth customer journey. The same goes for your pitch deck performance. Add a QR code for your digital assets or products in your presentation so your client can seamlessly view all the vital information.

Watch the short tutorial to learn how to generate your QR with a click.

20. Let Unconventional Capsules Highlight Your Services

Create a long-lasting impression with a unique way to present your data in your slides.

The above presentation template will keep viewers in the loop. It uses dark capsule bars to highlight important information with relevant icons in one space.

21. Creative Presentation Ideas with Unconventional Visual Callouts to Highlight Essential Information

Sometimes, graphical elements are used in presentations to draw attention to specific areas, points, or details. The next few presentation template examples capture the art of surprising visual callouts with unconventional shapes.

The above product presentation template with colorful hexagons and creative icons keeps your audience glued to your slide.

If you want unusual presentation ideas, you can use rounded blocks of hexagonal shapes to give a voice to your message. 

In addition, you can save more space with limited texts and appeal to the audience with a clean, minimalistic design.

Knock their socks off with semi-rounded square blocks for placing 4P’s of marketing. 

Check out this marketing presentation template with amazing abstract data bubbles. Now, say what you have to say with colorful, unusual visual callouts in different shapes and sizes.

22. Make Your Presentation Title Pop with Shadow Effects

Maximum clients pay attention to the cover slide of your pitch deck to give it a green light. So, never hesitate to be bold with text effects to highlight your project with a specific style.

Watch this video to add shadow effects on texts and design objects in DocHipo.

23. Modern and Simple Presentation Theme with Blobs and Squiggles 

Who doesn’t love a clean, modern design with simple and sophisticated aesthetics?

The above template, with trendy shapes like blobs and squiggles in a nude, cool color palate, naturally demands the crowd’s attention.

24. Ditch Regular Visualization with Dimensional Data Points Using Uncommon Shapes

Charts and visualization are integral parts of different types of business presentations. Nearly 12% of marketers frequently use charts as an essential visual asset. Therefore, you can present these vital data points with creative layers for more attention. 

This is a brilliant example of how easily you can turn a simple visualization into an engaging terrain using unconventional shapes like circles without compromising vital data. 

25. Creative Presentation Ideas with Never-Seen-Before Layouts 

You can include cool layouts in your list of interesting presentation ideas.

These never-seen-before layouts with unconventional, edgy shapes present your creative brilliance to your audience.

You can also add a dimensional layout with light and dark tones for fun ways to present information in your slides.

26. Cool Presentation Ideas with Creative Lines that Add an Extra Edge

Have you thought about using lines to emphasize your sophisticated aesthetics?

These templates provoke you to decorate your slides with soothing aesthetics by adding creative line styles. 

Watch the video to create similar cool designs with trendy lines.

27. Show Your Product Features with a Creative Combination of Images in Circle Frames

Product presentations ideas are tricky; the main thing in such presentations is how well you describe your product categories and their values.

This coffee-themed product presentation template shows how you can flex your product with eyeball-grabbing pictures inside bold, round frames. 

28. Interactive Storytelling with Overlapping Circle Stacks

Storytelling is an art. Moreover, it’s one of the common ideas for presentations to keep things interesting. 

Look at the overlapping circles; what you see are happy family stories that you want to live. You can easily create magic for your audience by painting picture-perfect moments in your slides. 

29. 360° Canvas of Creativity for Engaging Audience

Step into a world of immersive visual storytelling with a presentation that offers a 360-degree feast for the eyes. 

Dive into a sea of beautiful illustrations, dance with minimalistic abstract designs, and let the playfully professional font styles guide your journey. It’s not just a presentation; it’s an unforgettable experience waiting to captivate your audience and seal the deal.

30. Replace Your Regular Boring Bullet Points with Exciting Icons

Icons showcase your creative prowess, turning ideas into visual masterpieces with a single click.

Swap traditional bullets with icons to transform information into visually engaging nuggets, making your slides instantly more exciting.

31. Be Creative with Ornamental Shapes in Your Presentation

I have discussed usual and unconventional shapes, even solid and hollow ones. So, why exclude charming ornamental shapes from creative presentation ideas? 

Try beautiful ornamental shapes in Dochipo from the exclusive shape library. 

32. Creating Colorful Mind Maps for Interactive Presentation

Discover the power of creativity with colorful mind maps in your presentations!

As I have noted, by visually organizing ideas and concepts, these vibrant maps captivate audiences and enhance comprehension. 

33. Cool Presentations Idea with Bold Texts and Funky Icons for Attention

Inject a burst of personality into your presentations with a dynamic duo of bold font styles and funky icons! 

Together, they pack a punch, grabbing your audience’s attention and infusing your slides with energy and flair. 

Here goes another praise-worthy design technique in the above presentation example. It elevates its aesthetics with more white space and meaningful icons, leaving out the text-heavy mess. It maximizes your visual impact, effortlessly categorizing services and products without overwhelming your audience with redundant paragraphs.

34. Use Polaroid Frames to Grab the Attention of Your Audience

Is your presentation putting audiences to sleep? Polaroid frames are here to induce a dose of instant cool and creative flair!  

Like a snapshot in time, polaroid frames highlight vital points, forcing your audience to engage with each captured pristine moment.

35. Attention-Grabbing Playful Shapes for Exciting Aesthetics

Make iconic presentations with edgy combinations of exciting shapes to morph the design into a dynamic revelation!

As you can see, placing different kinds of shapes adds more impact to the overall design; keep this presentation idea on your checklist.

36. Checkmate with Blue and White for a Creative Presentation

Hungry for more creative ideas for your presentation? Go blue and white, breaking the norm of black-and-white checkered patterns! 

This template shows how to utilize white space with unique visual patterns.

37. Unveiling Product Categories with Block-Based Presentation

You can go really basic but still leave an exceptional impression with the following presentation slide. 

These square and rectangular blocks are perfect for highlighting your products. Moreover, surprise the crowd with attractive font pairings and bold colors inside these blocks, the real exceptions for your audience.  

38. Make a Dynamic Presentation with Live Maps

Transform your presentations from static to real-time visuals with the dynamic power of live maps. 

With live maps, you don’t just present information – you transport your viewers to new destinations, sparking curiosity and igniting their imagination. Bring your presentations to life and leave a lasting impression with the immersive experience of live maps.

 You can watch this video to use the live map feature in DocHipo.

39. Visualize Your Journey Through a Timeline

Timeline slides can captivate your audience with valuable historical information about your business. 

Let your project milestones unfold chronologically with subtle, sleek graphic elements like straight lines and multicolored solid circles that enthrall your audience. 

40. Color-Coded Communication with Subheadings that Pop

Let’s explore the polychromatic realm of presentation ideas. The following template design strictly paints the subject titles in graceful, bright colors to add your peaceful aura to the storytelling. 

Choose color combinations carefully to strike a chord with your audience.

41. Magnify the Moment with a Realistic Close-Up Product Display

Who doesn’t love a realistic product display in your presentation?

Besides, an up-close view of your striking product can instigate your audience’s desire to associate with your brand. 

If you want stunning close-range pictures to add more meaning to your slideshow, use the most convenient, free background remover to capture only what matters. 

Watch this video to learn more about DocHipo’s AI background remover.

Finally, try these exclusive ideas and end your anxiety about being creative in a presentation.

Take a breath because we have come a long way with so many themes and ideas for creative presentations. It’s time to take a short tour of DocHipo and see how easily you can customize these presentation templates to captivate your audience.

You can make an effective presentation in three prompt steps. First, sign up to DocHipo to try this design tool. 

Step 1: Find Your Creative Presentative Template

To find your desired presentation template, log in to DocHipo. In the search box, try three filters: format, industry, and occasion. 

Once you have selected the presentation option as your document, you will reach the presentation library of DocHipo.

Watch this video to find templates on DocHipo quickly.

This is where you will find all kinds of presentation templates for every purpose. 

Simply select your choice of template and start the creative process of customization. I will customize a stunning pitch deck presentation to show you how effortlessly you can try to give it a new look.

Step 2: Customize Your Template

Create your unique pitch deck presentation with uncomplicated customization tools. DocHipo’s extensive design widgets , mighty photo editor , and AI background remover keep things easy and accessible for your creative work. 

I will take the following template, modify its font style to suit my style, and turn it into an innovative slideshow without losing hours. 

To change the text’s current font, select the text and go to the font library, where you can choose the font style that matches your needs.

This is the final design after this smooth customization journey.

Step 3: Download the Design

After all your customization experiments, hit the three dots to get the download button. You can download it for free without any watermark in your desired format.

Watch this short video for a quick demo of page-wise downloads. 

Finally, revitalize your boring slides with the creative presentation ideas found in this article. Join DocHipo for free today and unlock exclusive templates that save time and inject unparalleled creative authenticity into your designs. It’s time to transform boredom into brilliance!

What can make presentation boring?

Presentations can become boring due to the overloaded text or data, the absence of visual appeal, and the poor presentation flow. 

How do you make a boring presentation interesting?

To make a boring presentation interesting, find creative ways to present a topic with engaging visuals and adapt to storytelling and interactive elements like polls and Q&A sessions. Keep your delivery style enthusiastic and humorous while keeping content concise and focused.

How do you grab attention in a presentation?

To grab attention in a presentation, start with a compelling opening, share your information with a story-like narration, and interact with your audience. Always focus on interaction, limit text, incorporate visually appealing elements, and maintain a clear structure.

How to make a creative presentation?

To craft a creative presentation, define your objective and audience, gather compelling data, and choose engaging design elements to present them. Incorporate storytelling and interactive features to keep your audience engaged. Practice and seek feedback to refine your delivery.

Turn your ideas into beautiful design

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What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation

• Carmine Gallo

Five tips to set yourself apart.

Never underestimate the power of great communication. It can help you land the job of your dreams, attract investors to back your idea, or elevate your stature within your organization. But while there are plenty of good speakers in the world, you can set yourself apart out by being the person who can deliver something great over and over. Here are a few tips for business professionals who want to move from being good speakers to great ones: be concise (the fewer words, the better); never use bullet points (photos and images paired together are more memorable); don’t underestimate the power of your voice (raise and lower it for emphasis); give your audience something extra (unexpected moments will grab their attention); rehearse (the best speakers are the best because they practice — a lot).

I was sitting across the table from a Silicon Valley CEO who had pioneered a technology that touches many of our lives — the flash memory that stores data on smartphones, digital cameras, and computers. He was a frequent guest on CNBC and had been delivering business presentations for at least 20 years before we met. And yet, the CEO wanted to sharpen his public speaking skills.

• Carmine Gallo is a Harvard University instructor, keynote speaker, and author of 10 books translated into 40 languages. Gallo is the author of The Bezos Blueprint: Communication Secrets of the World’s Greatest Salesman  (St. Martin’s Press).

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Blog Graphic Design 15 Effective Visual Presentation Tips To Wow Your Audience

15 Effective Visual Presentation Tips To Wow Your Audience

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 & why is it important?

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. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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. 

6. 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.

7. Add fun with visual quizzes and polls

To break the monotony and see if your audience is still with you, throw in some quick 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

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 tools 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. 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 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.

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.

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.

Ultimately, creating a memorable visual presentation isn’t just about throwing together pretty slides. It’s about mastering the art of making your message stick, captivating your audience and leaving a mark.

Lucky for you, Venngage simplifies the process of creating great presentations, empowering you to concentrate on delivering a compelling message. 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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How to Create an Inspiring Presentation for your Workshop

Have you ever been at a presentation or workshop and found yourself forcing your eyes to stay open? 

Bored out of your mind, and struggling to focus, the host is bleating on… and on. The concepts are too hard to follow, the words becoming a meaningless, tiresome cloud. Next time you struggle to sleep, it’ll be this guy’s waffling drivel that’ll send you to the land of nod.

Together, we’ll discover how to put the “Pow!” back into PowerPoint.

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Recommended Articles

A step-by-step guide to planning a workshop, how to create an unforgettable training session in 8 simple steps, 47 useful online tools for workshop planning and meeting facilitation.

In this article we’ll explore: 

• Why visual presentations are important
• What to consider when planning presentations

How to design an engaging visual presentation

• How to choose an engaging format
• Which tools are best for designing presentations
• Tips on how to deliver your workshop presentation

Why Are Visual Presentations Important?

The purpose is to share brilliant ideas with an audience. This might be a piece of work or an educational concept in a workshop; the aim is to communicate with people, make them feel something , and take action. We all want our audience to leave an event feeling motivated and inspired, and that the workshop was of value.

The importance of visuals is often overlooked, either due to a lack of confidence in working with visual design, lack of time or both. For a workshop facilitator, using visual aids could actually save time, better represent our ideas and concepts to a group, and help you present more confidently. “How?”, you ask.

When it comes to saving time, a picture is really worth a thousand words. There is no need to type up your presentations or make wordy bullet points on every slide when a simple image can share the message for you. 

Visual presentations put across an immediate message. Images are emotive and can deliver a story much faster than words, visuals are processed 60,000 times faster in the brain than text . An image that can share an idea, can be more memorable than trying to remember very specific terminology. 

Creating visuals becomes part of a wider conversation in inclusive communication. Images are universally understood, and the eyes can “read” a picture with less effort than reading and comprehending several paragraphs. Imagine describing the color blue as a phrase. It is much easier to present it as it exists. 

Graphics are easy to share, and 65% of us are Visual learners . For anyone who has missed out on the meeting, a visual booklet can do the job of sharing the subject with them, and the added benefit of being able to view it in their own time. The power of social media also plays a huge part in the spreading of information and well-designed infographic slides can take your presentations and workshops outside of the room, with the potential to make a global impact. Sharability goes further with visual elements.

For me, a visual presentation is a lifesaver! Using slides has saved me a lot of time and made me feel more confident whilst presenting too. I don’t fumble around with notes, as the visuals can act as a prompt to remind me of where I’m at in my talk.

When presenting online, I find the value of visuals and slides even more important. It takes the attention away from my actions, and onto the graphics themselves. The participants can hear what I’m saying, but their eyes focus on the visual information which helps in retaining information and ideas beyond the workshop.    

What to consider when creating a visual presentation

I’m naturally quite a visual person, and I’ve often wondered if I could make a visual presentation without planning first what it is that I want to say. As an experiment, I gave it a go and it was a huge struggle. So, if you think that designing visuals is something that only designers can do and that they find it easy… it doesn’t and they don’t. 

As a starting point: get out a pen and paper and write down everything you want to say. This ensures you have all of the ideas and information out in black and white . I find that by leaving space between the writing and structuring, coming back at it with fresh eyes is a perfect way to work without feeling rushed. I rarely add to what I’ve written, it’s mostly about removing.

Recently I had written a LOT of information for an event. A day later, I took a second view to edit. A lot of writing is quite self-indulgent, so it helps to consider the audience . I cut up sections of the paper, keeping only what was the most necessary information , and collated it together. The rest of the sentences didn’t make the cut. You can try the editing exercise here . 

Less is More- an exercise in editing   #presentation   #presentation skills   #writing   #workshop   #meeting design   This exercise is ideal for editing written content in a hands-on way. A simple and effective exercise for editing workshop content or presentation text for talks. Use it when you have to write for a specific audience and want them to stay focused on the most important information.

As an expert in your field, it’s likely you’ll have a lot of content, and editing is so valuable to ensure your audience has relevant details. Don’t bore their socks off 😉

So now that you have an idea of your core content, you can move along the process, considering these factors before jumping into the design stages:

 Let’s start by asking, “ who is your audience? “

• if you are being commissioned to present a topic to a pre-determined group, then you’ll need to cater to their understanding of the topic. You’ll want to ensure that the information will be relevant and meets or goes beyond their expectations.
• if the topic is of your own choice, and the angle you’ve chosen to take, who do you want to take part? Finding them, and attracting them to the workshop will be part of your marketing efforts, as well as how you plan your structure and content.

We wouldn’t plan a workshop for ten-year-olds in the same way we might for adults. Consider what tone of voice you might use, the style in which we present how we use slides, and the content itself. You won’t be able to do this for each and every individual, but how you determine and empathize with your listeners can be done by creating a persona, or several personas . 

Create an overarching idea of who might be present, then consider how to engage them and meet their needs by asking yourself the following in more depth:

Why are they there?

Let’s look at their reason for attending your event. Have they come to learn from you in particular? If you are a specialist in your field and the workshop is an area of great interest to people, you’ll most likely have a deep understanding, and along with that, expectations to be filled. 

Have they come to gain a better understanding of the topic? Are they there to challenge themselves and their existing views, or perhaps yours?

How much do they know already?

Are your participants already proficient in the topic you’re delivering? You’d hopefully know this in advance of your workshop so you can adapt your material, and create a pitch in line with the group’s knowledge. If their experience level is unknown, an opener to your discussion might be to ask about their subject knowledge, ideas and expectations. That way you can tailor your language and approach.

It helps to be well versed in your workshop, to select sections you can skip out in favor of diving deeper into more advanced information. Improvisation isn’t usually a skill you’d immediately connect with presenting, but with practice, learning how to improvise can become an empowering tool to have.

For beginners, you’ll most likely take an introductory approach. This doesn’t mean it has to be dry or boring. Make it more interesting and engaging by weaving in an interactive exercise, or team debate within your presentation design. That way, the participants can gather more hands-on experience to support their understanding. This can of course use visual handouts, such as a workbook, or include a well-designed visual exercise on an interactive whiteboard.

What is their background and communication style?

Your presentation style, language, and cultural references should be considered in the writing and designing process. I recently attended a workshop on how we can create better inclusion for diverse audiences by considering the language we use. It really made me think about how we often lean towards using English as a “default” language, and how words often hold different weights and contexts in other languages.

Remote workshops and presentations mean we may have a very diverse audience than if we were presenting in-person, in one location. Online could mean 140 people in different time zones across different countries with different backgrounds. Being aware of differences makes it easier to use inclusive, easy-to-understand language in your presentation so that no one feels alienated. Speaking with clear articulation will make a big difference in how you are understood. 

You might have the best workshop on the planet, but if you don’t communicate in the style of your group, the impact will be lost. Do they want a short and snappy talk with a clear outcome at the end? Some audiences appreciate a motivational and inspirational talk that is led through emotional storytelling. Knowing their communication preferences can win over or lose your audience.

Before you begin designing your presentation, it’s important to consider what your purpose is. This is your mission statement, your project brief and your raison d’être. Here is where you want to ask yourself, what is it that you want your audience to think, feel or do? Are we creating an emotional impact or an educational goal?

Be as clear as possible with your core message, making it as specific as possible, so that you can keep this in mind throughout the process of writing, editing, designing and delivering presentations. This will keep your focus sharp, and avoid any unnecessary derailments taking your viewers away from what it is you hope to achieve.

Common purposes are to: inspire, inform, persuade or entertain .

• I want to inspire the audience to help reduce food poverty by leading a cookery workshop using supermarket waste.
• I want to inform the group about the future of rural tourism, so they might consider how they could adapt their own farming businesses to host visitors. 
• I want to persuade my team to reduce our use of plastic in the fashion industry, by presenting a viable alternative made from mushrooms.
• I want to entertain by pretending to be a Martian visiting Earth for the first time . My purpose is to help the participants understand their product from a new perspective!

A Martian Sends a Postcard Home   #creative thinking   #idea generation   #remote-friendly   #brainstorming   #energizer   #team   Use Craig Raine’s poem A Martian Sends a Postcard Home to spur creative thinking and encourage perspective shifting in a group. After a warm-up, you can then use this martian perspective to describe your product or service and gain new insights and ideas.

I recently designed a workshop called Design Thinking for Beginners and ran a SessionLab show and tell session aimed at facilitators who would like to run the workshop for teams new to design thinking. If you missed it, you can watch it back here. My purpose was to inform the attendees of the challenges newbies have with design thinking, and how they can make it a fun and digestible process.

I chose to relate each stage of design thinking to an everyday project of choosing or baking a birthday cake. My presentation was broken down into manageable chunks. Describing design thinking could be a laborious task, but keeping the text definition simple, with plenty of white space highlighted the point in one sentence. 

For the workshop itself, I incorporated interactive exercises throughout the process to lock in the understanding of design thinking and how we generate ideas. For the ideate stage of design thinking- I created a game show style exercise called the Ideas Vault where I chose to create a fun layout like a 90s computer game. The design process worked by gathering inspiration using a mix of pre-made Canva templates and adding my own twist. I talk more about Canva and design tools here .

The way you choose to structure a visual presentation will depend wholly on the purpose. The way you communicate your key message should be crafted in a way for the audience to follow along easily and act on those all-important takeaways at the end.

A solid structure will also make sure your points are clear so that you stay calm and on track when presenting. The structure of your topic, when written down and broken into manageable chunks will help hugely when it comes to creating the visual elements later. (we’ll get to that in the next section!)

Some common ways to structure your presentation could be

• Problem > Solution > Impact. Which you might use if your purpose is to inspire the audience to take action on a topic, by showing them a viable solution.
• You may start with an informative session and create a workshop as we mentioned before, to lead people through a learning process.
• A creative structure might be through storytelling , which might inspire and entertain. Once upon a time, this event happened, followed by the outcome and moral of the story.
• In any case, your presentation could follow the classic layout of: introduction, main body & conclusion, and you’d have a good foundation for your content.

Introduction

You have the first few seconds to grab people’s attention. First impressions are just as important as they’re made out to be! The introduction is the most important part, where the group will connect with you and decide if they want to listen to you or not. What would be a great hook for the audience to immediately buy into your presentation from the start?

Some people introduce themselves at the beginning- but you don’t have to. If you’re beginning with a story, this can be a very effective way to warm up your participants and make sure they’re really listening to you. Then you can introduce yourself when you know they have your attention, and they value what you have to say.

A quote or a provocative question or fact can get people thinking. You may use a thought-provoking image, which could be a prop, a video or a photo that introduces your presentation from the get-go. If you are offering a solution, go straight to the problem in your introduction.

Main body of presentation

Now that you’ve got your audience’s attention, and they have gathered an understanding and are intrigued to learn more, we can delve into the juice of your subject.

The main body involves presenting the data, and the important pieces of information. If you are offering a solution to the problem you introduced, expressing this with a visual, we place the subject right in front of them, and they don’t have to work so hard and use their imagination.

The main body doesn’t have to be a one-sided conversation. Listen! You might ask the group to interact, asking for their perspective. A talk or workshop can be a dialogue between the presenter and the group.

Your conclusion should be as snappy and engaging as your introduction. It may even loop back to the provocative question, or challenging problem. You’ll want to consider the impact on the attendees and most importantly, what you want them to do next! What action do you want them to take beyond the workshop?

What are the key takeaways? Highlight them as  Problem  > Solution  > Impact.

An effective class should tie up the opening question and objective, but still leave space for further exploration and discussion. Like a great film! They should not be saying, “I’m glad that’s over”. If it’s been designed with the audience in mind, they should feel something- energized or excited.

Now that you’ve written the content and designed the structure, here are our top tips to get you creating impactful visuals to complement what you present verbally. We’ll cover:

• How to design your slides and what information to include
• How typography impacts accessibility and design 
• Making smart color choices for both emotional connection and accessibility

Designing your slides

When approaching a blank canvas, it can be hard to know where to start. Some people start with deciding how many slides they’ll use- the question, “How many slides are too many slides?” crops up regularly in these types of articles. Expert presenters say not to go over 20 visual slides, but this will of course depend on the length and complexity of your subject. Another tip is not to spend more than a minute on each slide to keep it snappy and people engaged.

If I am creating a presentation from scratch, I’ll start with the first slide, and keep it very simple before moving on to the next one. Always asking “what is this slide saying? ” The first slide will be the title of my discussion, which will be visible to everyone joining the room. It sets the tone for what the topic will be about. If we were creating one around the topic of designing workshop slides, it might look like this:

I think the most important thing to remember is that each slide should have its own purpose, and not be overloaded with text. Where possible, use an image rather than words and think about how we might convey this message visually. Always start by defining the message and asking what the key takeaway for participants is. You can always further explain verbally.

When choosing an image, consider the audience and their context- a local photograph they can relate to, or a familiar face will often have more to say than a generic stock image.

Text will likely be used on your slides, and how much text is too much? If you begin planning your content by writing it all out and keeping only the most important parts, designing your slides will be a lot easier. I’d always recommend editing continuously throughout the process to create a meaningful message. If you can say something in 3 bullet points rather than 10, please do! Your audience will have a much easier time retaining the information.

“Good design is invisible”

Unless the subject of your presentation is about typography, it’s probably not the best time to be cracking out your most recently found, favorite font that’s “a bit different” or unusual. Stick to standard, trusted and most legible fonts that audiences can read and are familiar with. Otherwise, they’ll distract from the content. And content is King. 

“Good design is invisible”, a true and very useful phrase from Dieter Rams, who considers functionality in design as honest, long-lasting and with as little design as possible. This is a good theory to take throughout the design process. When looking for the right font, consider the tone you are using throughout your delivery too, and the overall message you are giving.

Good typography is your best friend for a presentation. When creating visuals for screens, as mentioned before, we are not typing out our speech word-for-word. Any text that is visually presented will have a very definite purpose as to why it is being displayed. This might be a quote, some data or the title of a book along with some further information in short form. Presentation slides are not a book.

Legibility is the most important thing when it comes to designing your visuals. Sans serif fonts are typically the best option for reading on a screen. Help your audience understand what you are communicating as quickly and easily as possible by ensuring the font sizes are easy to read. 

Create contrast and visual interest by choosing two fonts, one for headers and one for any body text. The contrast should still be harmonious, and not jarring to the eyes. Font hierarchy can help the audience differentiate between key points and more specific information. By choosing different weights and sizes, you can ensure your message is clearly heard and understood. 

• Minimum font size for main copy and bullets: 18 points
• Preferred font size for main copy and bullets: 24 points
• Preferred font size for headers or titles: 36 to 44 points

Personally, I like to choose font sizes slightly larger than recommended for body text. When we have a text-heavy page, I prefer to give the text plenty of surrounding white space and edit the copy as much as possible. From a design perspective, it helps legibility; and from a content perspective, it doubly ensures only the relevant text is presented on screen. I would definitely edit again at this stage. In this example for screens, the body text is 28pt and written in Open Sans, and the “Ideate” heading is 44pt in Agrandir wide.

Before creating any printed material for presentations, consider if it will truly be used and the environmental impact. I’d usually opt for sharing a digital version for people to refer back to after the workshop. It’s good practice to create a black and white version so that if it is printed out, the printing costs will be lower. There are of course digital accessibility issues, and some people might prefer a printed version. If so, select a serif font for any long text in a workbook or feedback form, with a minimum font size of 10-12pt.

Key points:

• Use Contrast

Deciding on the color scheme for a presentation is one of my favorite parts! Of course, you may have been given a branded color scheme to use, but if you have free reign in color choice and you enjoy the creative process, it can be a lot of fun.

For my show and tell on Design Thinking, I used the analogy of baking a cake and I felt that they conjure up an image of pastels. I used a gradient on the background so that I could use an array of colors without it being overbearing. I selected five key pastel colors for each stage of design thinking and to evoke a playful feel throughout. I was careful not to allow the colors to take over, so you’ll primarily see black and white use of color at the forefront for legibility.

Here are the key elements of how to choose a color scheme to complement your content :

The first, and most important point when choosing colors, is to use contrast. Make sure your text and graphics stand out from the background and are easily seen. Contrast is the difference in opposing colors so that they don’t blend in together A light background should use dark text and perhaps one or two bold accent colors to highlight key points. A dark background should use light fonts.

If you’re unsure of how easy a slide is to read, there are an array of online tools that can check the contrast for you by following the web accessibility guidelines. On Contrast Checker , you can enter the HEX code of the background and foreground colors, and you’ll get an idea of legibility. The sliders in the tool can be used if you need to improve the contrast and amend the color choices. There are also resources to guide you in how to select the color with an online eyedropper tool in case you’re not familiar with the HEX color codes.

Another contrast checker tool also shows the background and foreground with text examples and gives a rating to the accessibility of the text. This website has a whole host of tools, and can even pick a suitable palette for you.

If you’re working with a client, they may already have their own brand packaging and presentation template, including their colors. You may feel that this removes your choice of colors as it has been decided already, for example, they may use an in-house color language to refer to particular data on a graph. But the opposite may be true and might mean further considerations for visuals. It is important to know how to choose because when you create graphics or diagrams because you may have to select colors so that explanatory text can be seen on top of a shape or part of a graph.

When working with a client, it is important to share any documentation with their design team, and the best way to do this is by providing editable files. Working with a designer can massively lift the load on creating your presentation visuals. If there is no design team, but you are given design assets to work with, sharing both your visuals and your presentation agenda for collaboration and sign-off is a must. Create your agenda in SessionLab , and attach your visual presentation for ease of sharability. 

Studies have shown that color has an effect on expressing or feeling emotions. It will help to consider the tone that you are using throughout your presentation, the message you are delivering, and how you might want your audience to feel.

Warm colors, in the middle of the color spectrum, that aren’t too bold or too light create a warm and comfortable feeling. Bright reds and oranges can feel energetic and powerful. Or even create a sense of danger. In contrast, cooler colors such as greens, blues and purples can feel calm or evoke a sense of sadness.

We have an exercise that can help identify emotions and grow a better emotional vocabulary, the feelings wheel . It includes a visual attachment displaying the emotions in a range of colors- this may help select a tone for your color scheme. 

The Feeling Wheel   #emotional intelligence   #self-awareness   #icebreaker   #team building   #remote-friendly   By growing our emotional vocabulary, we can better identify our emotions, and check in with ourselves. Doing so can help bring a level of self-awareness, and a better understanding of others.

How to choose an engaging presentation format

We are almost there! The content is edited and your visual slides are ready, the next stage is to consider the format in which you’ll deliver your workshop or meeting. This is when you can consider any additional tools that you can use to your advantage when presenting. This might be video, photography or visual data. Or even props. Consider which other visual aids may help people to better understand the process or story you are conveying.

What presentation method will keep them engaged? How will you inspire and capture their imagination?

I’d recommend simplicity, and not try to include every form of media. Consider the purpose and message and select which format delivers it most effectively. Used with intention, video can be great. But animated graphics or flashy text is unnecessary and will add to the cognitive load of your audience, especially if they have any visual impairments.   

Video can be very effective, so long as it’s kept brief. If it’s longer than a minute, you may lose the attention of the audience, and the momentum of your presentation. A film clip should be creative and add another dimension, not an infomercial or promo piece, it’s a tool to say something that you cannot put across otherwise.

Films can have great benefits of showing a story. In a TED Talk about the intelligence of crows, the scientist showed a clip of the crow bending a hook to create a tool and fish a piece of food out of a tube. It put across his point better than anything he could’ve said.

I use recordings in situations like this, to demonstrate a case study. It’s often more powerful to have the original storyteller sharing their experience than me giving a second-hand account of the tale. Bringing in other voices in this way can add further diversity to your workshop.

Still images

JPEGs are compressed files and are used for photo formats. When a photo is taken, it is a RAW file that is editable. Once it’s compressed to a JPEG, it retains around a tenth of the information, meaning it is a smaller and less detailed file. JPEGS are used in photography, but not in vector graphics (drawings, typography, graphs, etc), as the detail lost can create pixelation if you aim to blow the image up to a larger size.

PNGs retain detail and are editable. They are still compressed files, but the pixels aren’t lost. Any graphics you create should be saved as a PNG, as you’ll be able to keep the image sharp, regardless of the size.

The photography you choose must be relatable. I’m definitely not against stock imagery per se, it’s amazing to have access to a library of searchable images to strengthen what you are saying. But, often you’ll see the same images repeated in different workshops and presentations and they’ll start to lose their meaning, or become too familiar. There are great free resources like Unsplash and if you spend time looking for a more unique way to put your point across, there are lots to choose from.

I’ve also had an Adobe Express subscription which gives access to photography and graphics and templates which you to customize in editing with little design skills. Ideally, being able to take your own photographs, or work with a professional photographer to capture exactly what you want is going to give your audience a far more unique experience. This is often a luxury.

As facilitators, a way around this could be to create our own library of photos that we capture at each presentation. When I’ve run crafting workshops, it feels quite natural to take photographs of the work we are creating. And those who are camera-shy, they’re more open to photographs of their hands in action. Over time, we’ll have a whole collection of resources.

If you enjoy photography, having a good camera as part of your kit might intrigue people, invite people to take photos of each other and the workshop process. This could be an exercise that you do to open or close your talk. Or in some cases, especially if it’s a visual presentation, and not too distracting, invite people to take their own photos and share after with a #hashtag (promo and photos in one!) And of course, get everyone’s signature attesting they are OK with photos.

Visual data & symbols

Visualizing data makes it more interesting, engaging and memorable than cold hard figures. For the majority of audiences, it’s easier to understand in a visual format than in a list of forgettable numbers. By creating charts, graphs or maps, we are able to see patterns and understand the context of the statistics. A pie chart displaying percentages in corresponding colors tells our brain quickly which section has the largest number.

Even when we analyze word-driven data, a visual representation is easier to see straight away. When I’ve worked with community groups in the design thinking process, we’ve often used Google surveys to capture written evidence. This type of qualitative data can be a challenge to sift through, so for an initial overview, a tool like word cloud can show how many times a particular word or phrase appears and turns it into an image. The more times a word appears, the larger it is on the image.

The use of icons and emojis (sparingly! And in context 😉) can add another element of visual understanding to presentations. Illustrations and hand-dawn symbols might better express your point than a photograph too. An opportunity to work with a live scribe or graphic facilitator whilst presenting could add an interesting dimension to a talk. If it involves audience participation, having someone on hand to capture the conversation visually can keep engagement and attention going!

The best tools for designing your presentation

Canva has become a much more powerful tool than it was. You can even edit your workshop recordings with it now! It’s perfect for anyone with little design knowledge as it has great templates for presentations, lots of which are free. It has social media templates too, which are perfect for advertising your upcoming workshop.

Adobe Creative Suite

I do love Creative Suite , and it still is a great package of tools for designers. Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign are the industry standard for design tools and have all the capabilities you’d need as a graphic designer. If that package is beyond your scope, Adobe Express is a great option for pre-made templates and stock imagery. Like Canva, it also works well as an app on a smartphone.

Keynote 

Keynote comes as standard with MacBook and has had a whole new upgrade including being able to use the camera on your Mac or an external camera to show yourself directly on the slides. Super handy for an online event! You can also show the screen of a connected iPad or iPhone and it now has co-hosting capabilities. 

Of course! SessionLab is where you can keep all of your presentation notes, and break down the agenda into blocks, so if you decide to switch up parts of your presentation- you can drag and drop to a different section of your talk. It is a much easier process, as it will also keep any other attachments or exercises in that block neatly collated in one place. It’s easy to share with any co-hosts or clients before the presentation day arrives!

How to deliver a workshop presentation with visuals

Some people memorize their speech word for word, which can work well if you’re a dab hand at amateur dramatics. 

On the other hand, that might feel too stressful or rigid. Bill Murray is famously known to read a script once and throw it away! For you, it may be better to consider the key points you’d like to make, and really know your subject matter so whatever arises, you’ve got it covered. Your visuals might act as a prompt for you too, the main message will be communicated visually, and you can feel free to go into more depth.

The best way to ensure that you nailed the slide design for your session is to practice. It’s important to practice noting your timing, that you’ve covered all the important points, and that each slide transitions smoothly from one to the next. You want the presentation to be as seamless as possible. The best way to practice is in front of someone and gather feedback.

Before our design thinking for beginners show and tell, I rehearsed in front of my fellow team members, instructing them to wear their “facilitator’s hats” whilst listening, so they could hear from a facilitator’s perspective and give constructive feedback.

Afterward, you can continue to add and edit, removing some sections, and making room for more key discussions to be had in-depth. If it is an informal presentation that you will run more than once, it could develop over time. If it is a one-off very important meeting, it’s vital to get as much preparation practice as possible.

Expect nerves

If I get nervous, I purposely talk slightly slower than I usually would naturally, and it calms the nerves down. There’s also no harm in mentioning that you’re nervous, it’s an honest approach and can create an authentic connection.

We’re all human. And no one would expect you to not be nervous. Nerves, to an extent, can be a good thing. They bring a bit of energy and focus to your talk, and a little adrenaline. If you know your subject matter inside out, all you really need to do is breathe, and talk. 

Speaking with one of our community members, Yvonne Chin Irving on the subject of nerves, she suggested diaphragmatic breathing, or more a more fun term, “balloon breathing”:

Belly breathe. Slowly. Imagine your tummy has a balloon that fills up when you breathe. Exhale all the air. Notice your tummy as it flattens. Next, breathe in slowly and fill your “balloon” with breath 🎈. Do this a few times to help calm yourself down. You can start this on the way to your session, do it in the car or while you’re setting up for your session. (It really works) Yvonne Chin Irving

We’d love it if you joined the conversation in our SessionLab community!

Having a technical rehearsal beforehand can help avoid blips. Ensure the right people have screen-sharing abilities, and that screens in the in-person space work. Iron out any microphone issues or problems with echo prior to the big presentation! On the day itself a technical disaster could strike, so here are some practical tips to circumnavigate these and stay professional:

• Create different formats for your presentation. If it’s a Keynote or Powerpoint, have a PDF version available in case of any tech issues you’ll still have a high-quality version available.
• If including video, have backup screen-shots as images to demonstrate your points in case the video doesn’t run.
• Be analog ready. Know your presentation without the use of slides- or print them out so that if there is a complete technical breakdown, you can confidently present. This might include creating printed handouts for people to refer to when you direct them to do so. Or, if they have their own smartphones, send them the link to your visuals or any important videos to watch back after your talk, to avoid distractions as you speak.

Accessibility

Ensuring your audience has the best experience, requires being aware of accessibility needs. Is access to the building easy for anyone with physical disabilities? Are the seats comfortable, and allow for ease of viewing for people of different heights? 

We’ve discussed the best way to use typography for ease of reading for anyone with visual impairments, and when setting up your screen, it is a good idea to see how it will look in the actual event environment. Additionally, you may share larger-print handouts on yellow paper for anyone with dyslexia. This is another reason why knowing your audience in the planning stage will make sure your presentation is enjoyable and accessible for everyone.   

Agenda planning

SessionLab is an agenda planning tool that makes presenting a lot smoother! You are able to allocate time to each section of content to keep yourself on track throughout. In your preparation stage, you can attach all of your materials to your SessionLab agenda, knowing exactly when you’ll use each of them. It’s so neatly organized and easy to edit and shift blocks if you decide to change the order of content for a future session.

In conclusion

I hope you have found this guide valuable, and that it inspires lots of ideas when planning your next presentation! There are a wealth of resources dotted around this article, and I’ll include a few more here that I highly recommend:

Lean Presentation Design A whole website by Maurizo la Cava dedicated to presentation strategy

Ted Talk: How to Write Less, but say more is an excellent talk by Jim VandeHai about short and effective communication.

Five Things to Know About Your Audience Before You Present if You Want to Be Successful useful tips on how to empathize with your group for a more successful presentation.

Let us know below in the comments if you have any questions, or any tips of your own to add to the conversation!

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What Is a Digital Presentation & How to Get Good At It

Learn the basics of presentation decks and how to create one. Explore examples and tips to make your own deck more effective and engaging.

Dominika Krukowska

16 minute read

Short answer

What is a presentation.

A presentation is a slide-based visual storytelling aid. It’s used for transferring information and emotion to an audience with visual, vocal, and textual communication.

The purpose of a presentation is to help the audience understand a subject matter. Presentations are used in business, academics, and entertainment. They can be made in PowerPoint, PDF, or webpage format.

Why people hate presentations (including yours)

Have you ever sat through a digital presentation that felt like it was dragging on forever? Or worse, have you been the one giving the presentation when people’s eyes glazed over?

This feeling of agonizing boredom is called Death by PowerPoint, and it means losing your audience's attention. They won't remember anything you said, and probably couldn't care less.

I’m going to show you how to never again suffer from Death by PowerPoint by avoiding the common PowerPoint pitfalls, immediately engage your audience, capture their interest, and make them care.

Let's dive in!

What is the main purpose of a presentation?

The purpose of a presentation is to communicate information or ideas to an audience in a clear and effective manner. The reasons for making a presentation can be to inform, persuade, motivate, educate, entertain, or simply share knowledge or experiences.

The goal of a presentation can be to help your audience understand complex concepts, make informed decisions, or take action based on the information you present.

In business settings, presentations are often used to pitch products or services, report on progress or performance, or make recommendations to stakeholders.

What are the 2 main types of presentations?

When it comes to creating a presentation, there are 2 primary types: (1) speech presentations and (2) digital presentations (made for reading). There are key takeaways for nailing each presentation type. Take note of them if you intend to get good at both.

Reading presentations

Speech presentations

Digital presentations (Reading presentations)

Digital presentations, on the other hand, are presentations that the audience can access on their own computer or phone without the presenter being physically present. These presentations require a different set of skills and techniques to keep the audience engaged.

Essentials for improving your digital presentations:

• Written clarity is critical: Since your audience will be reading your presentation, it's essential to keep your content clear and concise. Say more with less.
• Show, don't tell: Use supporting visuals to help illustrate your points and make your presentation more engaging.
• Animation and annotation: Use animations and annotations to direct your audience's attention to the right place at the right time, keeping them engaged throughout. there are plenty of free animation software to help you create these.
• Personalization: Make your audience feel like you're speaking directly to them by personalizing your presentation. Use inclusive language and address their pain points, needs, and interests.

Speech presentations (Face to face)

Speech presentations are the classic type of presentation where a speaker presents to an audience in person. These presentations are usually given at conferences or meetings, and can now also take place virtually through platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, or Skype.

Essentials for improving your speech presentations:

• Less written, more spoken: Speech presentations are all about the spoken word, so it's crucial to avoid cramming too much text onto your slides. Focus on speaking to your audience instead.
• Body language and voice: In a speech presentation, your body language and tone of voice are essential to engaging your audience. Use humor, sarcasm, or suspense to keep your listeners interested.
• Rapport: Making eye contact and using real-time communication can help you build rapport with your audience and make them feel involved in your presentation.

What are the main types of digital presentations?

Digital presentations come in all shapes and sizes, but understanding the main types can help you choose the right format for your message.

Business presentations

Marketing presentations, sales presentations, education and training presentations, personal presentations.

Education & training

Business presentations are used for showcasing company performance updates, introducing new products or services, discussing future plans with clients and partners, or briefing investors.

Whether it's an internal meeting or an external one with stakeholders, business presentations are all about delivering a clear and compelling message that drives the company forward.

Marketing presentations are visual decks used to present your target audience, marketing strategies, and campaign outcomes to prospective clients, ad agencies, or stakeholders.

Sales presentations are decks that contain details about the features, pricing, and main benefits of your offering, and are used during in-person meetings or online sales calls. They’re designed to help sales reps close deals or land new clients.

Education and training presentations are slide decks designed to teach new concepts and best practices to a variety of audiences, including students, employees, or clients.

A personal presentation is used during networking events, business conferences, or public speaking engagements. It’s used to share your key accomplishments and demonstrate your passion and the main values you stand for.

What makes a good presentation?

A good presentation captivates by establishing trust, engaging the audience with interactive elements, and weaving data into an enthralling narrative that sparks emotions and inspires, leaving a lasting impact.

There are 3 things any good presentation must do:

1. Establish trust and credibility

Without your audience trusting you and your authority you will never get them to listen. And to really listen, some say, they have to like you.

To establish yourself as a credible source of information, use relevant visuals, stories, and examples that showcase your expertise and experience, earning the trust of your audience.

2. Interact with the audience

Static PowerPoint slides are no longer enough to engage anyone. Presentations need to be informative but also entertaining.

Therefore, incorporating interactive elements into your presentations like animations, videos, calculators, quizzes , polls, and live infographics is now essential to grab attention and keep your audience engaged start-to-finish .

3. Tell a good story

When it comes to digital presentations, it's not just about the information you share, but how you share it. That's where storytelling comes in! It's all about weaving a relatable narrative that resonates with your viewers, leaving them eager for more.

By blending your data and facts into an enthralling tale, you're not only dishing out knowledge but also sparking emotions and inspiration. It's a game-changer for grabbing your audience's attention and getting your message across effectively.example

How to create a good digital presentation?

To create a great digital presentation, you need to think beyond the slides and consider the experience you want your audience to have.

Think of your presentation as a journey that takes your audience from point A to point B - you need to ensure that every step of the way is memorable and captivating.

When creating a digital presentation, there's more to it than just putting together a few slides.

You can make it real-pretty, but to make it truly effective you need to have a clear understanding of where you want to take your audience, and tailor your content accordingly.

Good presentation example

This example shows how interactive content can make a presentation that pulls you in and makes you feel part of the journey.

What should a presentation include?

Most decks contain the following 3 elements:

• Introduction (the objectives and agenda of your presentation)
• Main body (key talking points that you want to cover)
• Conclusion (followed by a single, actionable call to action)

The specific outline of your presentation will depend on your particular use case.

Check out our dedicated guides for particular business presentations:

• What to Include in a Pitch Deck (Slides 99% of Investors Want)
• 7 elements of a great sales deck structure
• What should a one-pager include?
• What does a marketing deck include?

How to start and how to end a presentation?

Start your presentation with a strong hook that captures your audience's attention and makes them interested in what you have to say.

You can end your presentation with a thank you slide, but that would be too bad. For your words to carry beyond the last slide you’ll need to give your audience the next step.

And so, you should end your presentation with a singular, clear call to action that inspires your audience to follow through on your message.

What are the essential building blocks of a successful presentation?

Almost everyone nowadays makes beautiful presentations. But that’s not enough to make them successful.

5 key elements that every successful presentation includes:

1. Compelling (human) story: Your presentation should tell a story that connects with your audience on a personal and emotional level, making your message relatable and memorable.

Here are 5 quick storytelling tips to deliver engaging presentations:

2. Clear structure: A clear structure helps your audience follow along and understand the flow of your presentation. This can be chronological, sequential, before-after, problem-solution-resolution, or any other simple and easy-to-follow structure.

3. Problem and solution: Your presentation should address a problem that your audience faces and offer a solution that your product or service can provide.

4. Actionable takeaways: Your presentation should leave your audience with actionable steps or insights that they can use to apply the information you've presented.

5. Supporting visuals (product demo) and data visualization (graphs, charts, and infographics): Using visuals to support your presentation can reinforce your message and help your audience retain the information you presented.

6 biggest mistakes to avoid when creating a presentation

It’s easy to forget that the presentation is for your audience rather than for you. You may want to tell them everything from A to Z, but they may only want to know ABC.

It’s even easier to take for granted that the things you understand are clear to others. But for them, these things are horribly complex (look up the curse of knowledge).

1. Using too much text: Overloading your slides with text can cause your audience to lose interest and detract from your main points. Keep your text to a minimum and use visuals to reinforce your key takeaways.

2. Going too much into detail: attention is a limited resource so you can’t fit everything in a single presentation. Tell your audience only what they really want (and need) to know. Avoid any technical details or complex jargon that does not contribute to the core of your message.

3. Neglecting interactivity: Failing to include interactive elements can cause your audience to disengage. Use polls, quizzes, and other interactive tools, including email newsletter software , to keep your audience engaged.

4. Ignoring the power of storytelling: Telling a compelling story is critical to capturing your audience's attention and leaving a lasting impression. Use relatable stories and examples that support your key points.

5. Poor use of visuals: Using low-quality visuals, irrelevant images, or poorly designed charts and graphs can detract from your presentation and cause confusion. Use high-quality visuals that reinforce your key ideas and are easy to understand.

6. Lack of personalization: If you don’t tailor your presentation to your audience's needs, interests, and level of understanding, your message will fall flat. Make sure to consider your audience's perspective and adjust your deck accordingly.

You don't want your presentation to end up looking like this:

How to design a presentation?

Designing a presentation is a bit like decorating a cake - you want it to be visually appealing but also yummy to consume. You want it to leave your audience with a taste for more rather than a bad taste in their mouth.

Lucky for you there are practical steps for designing a presentation that truly wows your audience every time. There's also a more practical presentation maker for this than PowerPoint. You can use it to get much more engaging presntations.

Practical presentation design tips:

1. Choose a color scheme: Just like choosing the perfect icing color for your cake, selecting a color scheme that complements your brand can make your presentation feel more coherent. Or, if you’re pitching to a client, you can use their brand colors instead in order to impress them.

2. Use high-quality images: Using high-quality images is like adding a layer of delicious, rich frosting to your cake. It makes your presentation more visually interesting and helps support your key message.

3. Use consistent fonts: Using consistent fonts throughout your presentation can make it easier to read. Stick to two or three fonts that complement each other and use them consistently.

4. Incorporate visual aids: Visual aids like colorful sprinkles and creative cake toppers can take your cake to the next level. Similarly, graphs, charts, and infographics can help break text patterns and, therefore, make your presentation more memorable.

Check out our use-ready slide design with every type of slide you can think of designed according to our tips and best practices.

Where to find presentation templates?

Scouring the web for presentation templates can be a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack - it's time-consuming, frustrating, and can leave you feeling a bit lost. Most designs available look dull and samey, and are not optimized for engagement.

But don't worry, we've got you covered! Here are the best interactive presentation templates for different use cases:

Choose template by:

What tools to use to create presentations?

Unfortunately, there's no one-size-fits-all tool for creating a digital presentation. And with so many presentation tools out there, it can be hard to know where to start looking.

That’s why we've done the research for you - check out our article rounding up the best presentation software to pick the right one for your needs!

And, if you want to learn more about creating effective digital presentations, check out these posts:

• How to Make Effective & Impactful Presentations (12 Steps)
• How to Make a Multimedia Presentation (5 Easy Steps)

How to give a presentation?

Giving a presentation can be intimidating, but it's an excellent opportunity to showcase your knowledge and expertise. To deliver a successful presentation, you need to focus on engaging your audience, keeping their attention, and providing valuable information.

9 tips to help you give a memorable presentation:

1. Start with a strong hook

A strong opening is crucial to grab your audience's attention and pique their interest. Begin with a bold statement, a surprising fact, or a personal anecdote that relates to the topic of your presentation. This will immediately grab the audience's attention and make them want to listen to what you have to say.

2. Make your objectives and agenda clear

Engage your audience right from the start by letting them know what's in store for them. Outlining your objectives and agenda early on will keep your audience focused and ensure that they don't miss out on any crucial information. Let them know why it's important to pay attention to your presentation and what they can expect to learn from it. By doing this, you'll build anticipation and get them excited about what's to come!

3. Leverage storytelling

People love stories, and they are an effective way to connect with your audience. Use anecdotes, metaphors, and examples to illustrate your points and make your presentation more relatable. This will help the audience understand the concepts you're presenting and retain the information up to 60-70% better .

4. Ask questions, use humor, give simple directions that prove a point

Engage your audience by asking questions, using humor, and giving them simple tasks to perform that illustrate your point. This will keep their attention and make the presentation more interactive.

5. Direct the audience's attention

Use a pointer or built-in animation to draw the audience's attention to critical information. This will help them focus on what you're saying and avoid distractions.

6. Work on the delivery

Speak slowly and clearly, use positive language, and avoid reading from notes as much as possible. Use humor and engage with your audience to make the presentation more enjoyable. Ensure your body language is confident and relaxed, and maintain eye contact with your audience.

7. Add interactive elements

Incorporate interactive elements like polls, quizzes, or surveys to involve your audience and gather valuable feedback. This will make your presentation more engaging and ensure your audience retains the information presented.

8. Close with a CTA

End your presentation with a strong call to action (CTA). Inspire your audience to take the next step, whether it's signing up for a newsletter, buying a product, or visiting your website. Make it clear what you want your audience to do after the presentation.

9. Leave time for a Q&A session

Finally, leave ample time for a Q&A session. This will allow your audience to clarify any doubts and ask questions. It's also an excellent opportunity for you to engage with your audience and get valuable feedback on your presentation.

Create amazing digital presentations from templates

Creating a digital presentation that grabs your audience's attention and drives results may feel like a daunting task.

After all, a strong digital presentation can be the difference between leaving a lasting impression on your audience or falling flat and losing their attention.

It's like trying to teach a class without proper preparation - you're not giving your knowledge and expertise a chance to shine, and your audience might not retain the information you're presenting.

To make things easier, try using our customizable digital presentation templates that will help you create an engaging and impactful digital presentation in no time!

Where can I see examples of good presentations?

If you’re looking for real-life examples that drove results for other companies from different industry sectors, check out highly effective presentation examples by our clients .

Alternatively, if you want to see the best presentation examples that you can replicate to create your own, here are our dedicated guides:

• 10 Perfect Presentation Examples That Win Over Anyone
• 9 Unique Sales Deck Examples that Outsell the Rest
• 10 Top Pitch Deck Examples to Inspire Your Fundraising Efforts
• Top Product Presentation Examples That Wow Everyone
• Marketing Deck: What It Is & How to Make It Win (Examples)
• 6 Elevator Pitch Examples for Any Scenario (Ready for Use)

Where can I find good presentation templates?

If you’re looking for snazzy presentation templates, Storydoc should be your go-to place. We offer a fantastic selection of visually stunning designs to make your digital presentation pop.

All components have been designed with best practices in mind and optimized for engagement. Thanks to the built-in analytics panel, you can also check how your presentations perform in real-time.

Click on any of these categories to see the best presentation templates for your specific use case:

• One-pager templates
• Sales deck templates
• Pitch deck templates
• Business proposal deck templates
• Marketing decks templates
• Case studies templates
• Report templates
• White paper templates

What are common types of business presentations?

The most common types of business presentations are:

• Sales decks
• Pitch decks
• Business proposal decks
• Marketing decks
• Case studies

Is a presentation the same as a slideshow?

Technically, a slideshow is a type of presentation, but not all presentations are slideshows.

A presentation can take many different forms, from a speech to a product demonstration, and can use various tools, including slideshows, to deliver the message. So while a slideshow is certainly a popular choice for presentations, it's not the only option out there.

What is death by PowerPoint?

Death by PowerPoint is the phenomenon of boring, uninspired, and ineffective presentations that use an overabundance of bullet points, text-heavy slides, and monotonous delivery. It's a surefire way to put your audience to sleep and leave them counting down the minutes until your presentation is over.

To avoid death by PowerPoint, aim to create presentations that are visually engaging, incorporate storytelling, and use multimedia elements like images, videos, and interactive features. Remember, a presentation should be a tool to enhance your message, not a crutch to lean on.

What are common types of presentation delivery formats?

There are 5 popular types of presentation delivery formats to choose from:

• Powerpoint: A classic choice, PowerPoint offers a range of design and animation options to create static slide-based presentations.
• Google Slides : As a cloud-based tool, Google Slides makes it easy to collaborate with others in real-time. It's an excellent option for static team presentations and remote work situations.
• Keynote : Exclusive to Apple devices, Keynote is known for its sleek and elegant design options. It's an ideal choice for visually appealing presentations on Mac or iOS devices.
• PDF: For a simple, static, and easily shareable format, PDF presentations are a reliable option. They ensure consistent formatting across different devices and platforms.
• Storydoc : Taking presentations to the next level, Storydoc provides immersive and interactive templates that are sure to captivate your audience and leave a lasting impression.

What are common types of presentation speech formats?

There are 4 common types of presentation delivery formats:

• Memorized: In a memorized delivery, the presenter memorizes the entire presentation word-for-word and delivers it without notes. This format can be effective for short presentations or speeches but can be challenging to execute for longer presentations.
• Manuscript: In a manuscript delivery, the presenter reads from a written script or teleprompter. This format is great for delivering complex or technical information but can come across as less engaging.
• Impromptu: In an impromptu delivery, the presenter delivers a presentation without prior preparation or planning. This format is often used in situations like interviews or meetings and requires quick thinking and adaptability.
• Extemporaneous: In an extemporaneous delivery, the presenter delivers a presentation using notes or an outline, but not a fully scripted presentation. This format allows for flexibility and engagement with the audience while still maintaining structure.

Why is a presentation important for my business?

Here are the main reasons why presentations are essential for your business:

• Be the expert: Presentations provide a platform to showcase your expertise and share your unique perspectives with your audience, establishing you as a thought leader in your industry.
• Build connections: Presentations provide an opportunity to connect with your audience, building relationships that can lead to future business opportunities.
• Leave a lasting impression: An engaging and memorable presentation can leave a lasting impact on your audience, increasing brand awareness and improving message retention.
• Achieve your goals: Presentations can be used to achieve business goals, from generating leads to securing funding or closing deals.

How to measure the effectiveness of a presentation?

Measuring the effectiveness of a presentation is crucial to ensure it hits the mark with your audience and achieves its goals. Here are some ways to measure the effectiveness of a presentation:

Ask for feedback: Don't be afraid to ask your audience for feedback after the presentation, either through surveys or live feedback. This feedback can provide valuable insights into what worked well and what could be improved, helping you refine your approach for future presentations.

Monitor engagement: Keep a pulse on engagement metrics such as views, shares, or the average reading time if the presentation is delivered online. These metrics can give you a sense of the level of interest generated by the presentation and which parts resonated with your audience. Our own presentation maker comes with built-in analytics tracking and reporting .

Track business outcomes: If your presentation is designed to drive business results, track metrics such as lead generation, sales, or conversion rates to assess its effectiveness in achieving these goals.

Hi, I'm Dominika, Content Specialist at Storydoc. As a creative professional with experience in fashion, I'm here to show you how to amplify your brand message through the power of storytelling and eye-catching visuals.

Perfect Presentation Examples That Win Over Anyone

Top Product Presentation Examples That Wow Everyone Sales and Marketing Presentations Statistics Marketing Presentation Examples that Engage & Convert

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Creative Presentation Concepts & Ideas

Home > Presentation Concepts

This section covers a range of creative ideas to present concepts.

In this comprehensive section we start with a range of tips and techniques to start off using visuals. This includes common mistakes made when presenting with images.

Graphics in presentations ensure that you go beyond bullets. You can convey your information easily with the range of visual presentation ideas and graphics with the help of the articles below.

The section provides a number of innovative PowerPoint Slide ideas for everything from agenda slides, process slides, consulting diagrams and more. Creative graphics ideas are covered extensively with examples.

You will also find detailed detailed before and after scenarios in making over existing slides.

If you wondered why you need to use more visual slides and diagrams, the concluding section covers the science behind this.

 4 Key Sections

Please click on a section to browse detailed articles.

This section covers tips and techniques for more creative presentations. It covers using diagrams, visuals and how to avoid common mistakes that presenters make.

Browse Essential Presentation Ideas Section

This section provides lots of Ideas for every section of your presentation. From creating agenda slides to business concept slides to closing with Thank You slides!

Browse Presentation Graphics Section

This section provides detailed examples of how you can makeover bullet point slides to creative and visual PowerPoint slides complete with animation and explanations.

Browse Presentation Examples of Makeover

A PowerPoint diagram represents information or process visually. In this section, we will deal with the science behind why it is important to use a graphical representation rather than words.

Browse Why PowerPoint Diagrams Section

About Using Creative Ideas:

Presenters who wish to make their slides creative are constantly in search of ideas. This section helps in making over regular slides into creative and interesting presentations.

If you liked this section, please do leave a comment for us below and share the site with your friends.

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A guide to creating great decks and presentations

At some point in your creative career, chances are, you’ll have to make some kind of deck. Used as a key communication tool in many creative roles, decks convey ideas through a carefully selected sequence of words and images. A great deck can help you explain a brilliant idea, tell a powerful story, or sell your skills and experience in one neat little package. While it can seem like a lot to balance, the process of putting one together needn’t be tricky. We take you through all the steps to create a fail-proof one.

What’s the difference between a deck and presentation?

A deck is simply a set of digital slides containing images and words, used to get across an idea. You’ll often need to make a deck when you want to persuade someone to think about something in a certain way.

A presentation is a form of communication that tells a story or expresses an idea. A presentation can include a deck, but it can also be delivered as a video, audio file, or as a speech.

You can give a presentation without a deck (for example, a Ted Talk with no visuals) and you can send a deck without having to present it (for example, sending a PDF update of a project with written notes).

Typically, a deck is:

The visual component of a presentation, without any spoken dialogue

A digital file made using the software of your choice

Presented in landscape format

Decks can be designed for the following purposes:

To be presented in person, as part of a meeting – via a laptop or TV screen

To be presented virtually, for example via Zoom, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams

To be viewed in the form of a PDF sent over email, as a live link or a downloaded file

When will you need to make one?

Depending on where you’re at in your career, you might need to make decks for different purposes. These could include:

Creating a presentation as part of a job interview task

Pitching and presenting ideas in response to a brief

Creating briefs, treatments or presenting research

Informal purposes, such as to introduce yourself at a new job

What does a deck look like?

The work of deck-making is often done behind the scenes in a studio, and for copyright or competition-related reasons, creative development decks are often kept under lock and key. 🚨 This means that great examples of decks are not easy to find online!

That being said, as soon as you start working alongside other creative people on projects, you’ll likely have a chance to check out their approach. If you’re part of a studio, you can usually check out their previous decks. And if you’re a freelancer, you could ask more established freelancers to talk you through some of their decks – it never hurts to ask!

Ultimately, the look and feel of a deck will differ depending on what it’ll be used for. You can see great examples of presentations and decks during online or in-person talks; some good examples are Nicer Tuesdays or the First Round conference, in which creative leaders talk through their work-in-progress visual identity decks.

What goes into a deck?

The slides needed for a deck will differ depending on what it’ll be used for; you might need less for a short introductory talk about yourself, and more for an in-depth pitch to a client.

Generally speaking, most decks will include a combination of some (or all) of the following slides:

Contents page

Title pages to signpost different sections

Project slides to support different combinations of images, text or moving image

Conclusion page to detail any next steps

Final page with contact details

What makes a great deck?

In a nutshell, a great deck should be:

Clear, concise and cohesive

Specific to and engaging for your audience or reader

Supporting the story you want to tell

Carefully checked for accuracy, spelling and image quality

A lot of the things that make a deck successful also apply to making great portfolios. You can find all sorts of transferable learnings and relevant advice in our guide to creating your PDF portfolio .

Before you begin: Planning your presentation

Before you start choosing colour palettes and flicking through font choices, there are some essential considerations to keep in mind:

🤔 Who is your audience? What do they need to know?

Are you pitching new ideas to a client, or updating your co-workers on a project’s process? Knowing the purpose of your deck will inform your structure, design and layout. For example, a client pitch will require you to strike a different visual tone to a catch-up with your team.

Think about the size and location of your audience. How might your approach differ for a big or small group, or whether you’ll be presenting it online or IRL?

⏰ How long will you have to present?

Knowing your exact timeframe will help you gauge the scale of your deck, how many slides you might need and how in-depth you can go with the details. While informal presentations to your co-workers may be more relaxed, running over with clients is not always an option, so be strict.

If you have a short amount of time, prioritise need-to-know info and get quickly into what you want feedback or input on. If you have more time, you can build your story gradually.

🤝 Are you working collaboratively or alone?

If you’re working on a deck as part of a team, you may want to delegate tasks. For example, one person could prepare the images while another writes the text. But remember: the text will always need to relate to the images (and vice versa) so make sure both collaborators cross-reference regularly.

If you’re presenting as a team, are you taking turns to speak? You’ll need to agree on who will be presenting each section. You can find more tips and tricks on preparing for presentations in our guide to public speaking .

How to create a structure that tells a story

Your deck needs to tell a story – whether that‘s guiding someone through different creative ideas, or taking a viewer on a journey from one point to another.

It’s vital to work out how you will explain and unpack your idea or project through your deck, as the right structure will ultimately determine how successfully your story comes across.

🕸️ Join the dots between your points

To start, write down everything you need to cover during the presentation. Create a list of talking points before beginning to build the slides or delving into image research.

Once you’ve worked out the key content to include, think about the best order in which to communicate this. Think of it as a linear process: you need to get from A to B in the clearest, most logical way.

🏁 Start and end well

The first slide of your deck should be as strong as the last. If you’re sending the deck by itself, ensure you summarise the contents at the start, and if you’re presenting, remind everyone of the purpose of the meeting so that your audience understands what you’re going to cover and what is being asked of them.

You might want to end the main section of your presentation with a memorable image, some well-chosen closing words, or a call to action inviting your audience to do something like approve a project budget, or select a creative idea for further development.

The final slides in your deck should include a short summary of what’s been covered and an outline of next steps. Don’t forget to include contact details in case the deck gets passed around.

Presenting a solution to a creative brief? This is one way of laying it out:

Title slide

Contents page: be sure to match your section titles to this

The brief or challenge: what is the specific request you’ve been asked to respond to, or what you were hoping to solve?

Starting points or initial inspiration

Your final idea(s), solutions or offerings: this can also include any alternatives

Timelines or additional information: this could include information regarding other collaborators or budgets

Conclusion or summary: a chance to reiterate the main points covered

Next steps or milestones in the process

If you’re attending a job interview or have been asked to prepare an introduction to your work – your deck structure might look like this:

• Title slide: this can include your name and role, along with a personalised greeting or message for your audience, like “Hi [name of studio], nice to meet you!”
• Contents page: you may want to skip this if you only have a few sections.
• Your background in a nutshell: this can be a short, personal statement that highlights your specific skills and interests. Don’t forget to inject some personality — this deck is meant to be about you, after all!
• Your work: only include projects that feel relevant to your audience. You might want to divide this section into several mini-sections if you have different types of work to showcase.
• Final page with contact details: let people know where they can reach you, whether that’s via email or on a social media platform.

How should you design a deck?

The way in which you combine visuals and text on slides can play a major role in how successfully you communicate your story. Remember, every image and word needs to earn the right to be included.

It can be useful to start by sketching out your rough layouts for your slides to visualise the main elements you need to cover.

🏡 Try out templates, or create your own

If you’re working in-house, there’ll likely already be set templates to follow or use as a starting point. Ask your colleagues to share different types of presentations, and familiarise yourself with the house style. If you’re a freelancer, it may be worth setting up a template using the same typefaces, layouts and colour palettes so that you can create some consistency across your decks. It will save you time in the future and bring a level of professionalism to your presentations.

Remember that a template should help you, not constrain you. Use one as an overall guide, but adjust according to the specific content you want to include — and give yourself room to play.

🔁 Consistency is key

Whether you’re following a preexisting template or setting up your own, consistency is key to putting together a cohesive deck. This is an opportunity to create system of rules that will provide you with a reliable and flexible structure, regardless of the kind of deck you need to put together.

Establishing a consistent visual language allows you to focus on telling the story at hand, rather than having to re-design your slides every time – and also helps an audience or viewer to follow your thought process. All your slides should feel like they belong to the same visual world. Here are a few key elements to consider:

• Grid, layout and treatment of images
• Colour palette
• Typefaces and treatment of text (choose one size for section headers, one for headlines, one for body copy or bullet points

💥 Create impact with your images

How might you create visual impact with your images? For example if there is a particularly strong visual that helps support the narrative of your presentation, why not make it full bleed to grab your viewer’s attention?

Or if you have a selection of images to share, think about what layout will help convey a variety of options without looking too cluttered. Remember that images should be captioned where necessary – describing to viewers what they’re seeing – without over-explaining.

Ensure your images have a high enough resolution that they look sharp, but not so large that they take ages to load! Exporting images as PNG files can be more reliable than JPEGs in terms of consistent quality.

👾 Know where it’s relevant to use GIFs

Videos or GIFs can be a great addition to a deck. If you have a shorter amount of time to present, a piece of moving image can quickly set the tone – whether poignant or humorous. They usually require less explanation than a still image, and the audience can watch clips and GIFs while the presenter is speaking.

In a longer presentation, you may be able to include a full-length video that will form a distinct chapter in the deck.

🔠 Be selective about how much text you include

The amount of text you use will depend on whether you’ll be talking through the deck, or sending it as a link or attachment for your audience to read in their own time. Think: how are you presenting?

As part of a meeting You may want to use less text in your slides (no one can read and listen at the same time). The fewer words on screen, the stronger the visual effect and overall impact.

Remember that if you’re presenting your deck to an audience, depending on the platform you use, you could always use speaker notes (additional details that no one else will see on screen) with additional information to elaborate on certain points or offer additional detail. This can also be a great tool to help you remember your cues.

Sending via email You might want to include more text on your slides so that the reader has all the information they need to understand the story without you there.

With all that said, be wary of where you place your text – avoid adding your copy over busy images or backgrounds to ensure everything is easily legible and to create maximum impact.

🌍 Opt for accessible typefaces

Choose a typeface that’s easy to read, and easily accessible – regardless of whether you’re presenting it from your laptop or sending it over email. You don’t want to spend hours designing your slides only for your text to appear in a default typeface later on. Have a look at our article to find a range of free fonts and typefaces for inspiration.

Once you’ve made your selection(s), ensure your text is large enough for people to read on a screen – whether in person or online.

🔺 Consider information hierarchy

A list may be easier to digest than a paragraph. Using a combination of the below can help make your content more digestible:

• Subheadings
• Bullet points
• Image captions

🚪 Use page furniture

This is information that consistently sits at the top or bottom of a slide. It can be a useful way of presenting information such as the date, project title, slide number and section title.

What can you use to actually build a deck?

How you make your deck depends on how your audience is going to receive it. Will you be presenting in person or online? Or do you need to send it via email?

There are a wide variety of deck-building platforms to choose from. Below are some of the main players. You can find more in our article on platforms and programs to make decks on .

Google Slides

Adobe InDesign (then export as a PDF)

Presented (service)

You could also use a mixture of these. If you’re creating your deck as a team effort, Google Slides or Pitch allows for seamless collaborative working and is easy to share as a link to a live file. Or you could use InDesign and then export the slides as a PDF, or individual jpegs to be dropped into another program.

You now have everything you need to go out and make amazing decks. Creating these takes practice, so don’t worry if you don’t nail it the first time. As you develop your deck-making skills, you’ll find a style you gravitate towards. Now go out there and dazzle the room with your sparkling slides!

With special thanks to Philippa Leguen de Lacroix, Director, Presented

Written by Creative Lives in Progress

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Presenting Creativity – Presentation Skills for Creatives

DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission.

Presentation skills creative professionals

Creatives often have to present their work to clients, senior decision-makers, or the general public.

These are tactics that can apply to UX Designers presenting to non-design teams, Filmmakers and Visual Artists seeking funding, and others that have to speak with impact and influence a non-creative audience.

Edited Transcript of the video:

Presenting creativity to a noncreative audience

This is a challenge that a lot of creative professionals have.

How do you describe the concept, and why you’re making certain decisions in a way that’s going to be interesting and relevant to a particular audience?

Who is the audience and what do they want?

Understand what are their goals, their needs, their desires, what are their challenges, what are their major projects.

And be able to frame your creative pitch or presentation in that context.

Being able to discuss the tangible payoff for that particular audience is important.

So in this case, my client is a filmmaker pitching a project to the Department of Tourism as well as the Department of Arts and Culture in a city.

What is the mayor concerned with? What are the Board of Directors of this particular department concerned with?

Obviously they’re focused on getting more tourism in the city, they’re focused on getting foot traffic, and positive exposure for the city. So being able to talk about those things is important.

Incorporate those into your pitch.

Take them through the journey

But the main focus for a creative person is to take the audience through the journey of how you designed and how you developed this particular project.

If you look at the really great creative communicators, interior designer Joanna Gaines is a big one that I emphasize a lot. She’s probably one of the best if not the best in terms of national exposure.

You can even look at Project Runway , and the way the fashion designers describe their work and their creative process.

There’s a lot of specific things you can learn just from them.

Your inspiration

Talk about how you decided on those particular colors, shapes or textures.

Where did it come from? What was the moment of inspiration? What was the specific experience that led to that flash of insight?

The goal of the project

So if you’re a fashion designer, the goal might be to make a dress that is versatile enough that a woman can wear it in a professional and casual setting.

If you’re talking about interior design, maybe the story is: “my client wanted a new kind of living room that was comfortable and welcoming, but also very chic and high-end.”

Mentioning the goal helps to frame it, and helps the audience to understand where you’re coming from.

And it gives a foundation for the decisions that you later made around the actual design elements.

The creative process

People want to hear how the design evolved over the course of the project.

Consider questions like:

• What were the major decisions that you implemented?
• What were the materials that you chose and why?
• How did those materials relate to the ultimate end product?
• How did you decide to sacrifice certain elements (for cost or budgetary concerns) and to include other elements that were particularly high priority for the client?

Discussing those decisions helps the audience understand how you went from Point A to Point B.

It’s important they understand that you really have put in a lot of work. As consumers, when we see a creative output, we don’t know all the work that went into it.

So you want to convey everything beneath the surface. And they will appreciate the design that much more.

The tangible payoff

What are the specific tangible payoffs that you should highlight? What will your work actually contribute to?

Whether it’s tourist dollars, more brand loyalty, or more engagement on the app, the audience should see that your design is not just aesthetically pleasing.

There’s actually a specific reason why we should go ahead with this project. Make that connection for them.

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How to Structure your Presentation, with Examples

August 3, 2018 - Dom Barnard

For many people the thought of delivering a presentation is a daunting task and brings about a  great deal of nerves . However, if you take some time to understand how effective presentations are structured and then apply this structure to your own presentation, you’ll appear much more confident and relaxed.

Here is our complete guide for structuring your presentation, with examples at the end of the article to demonstrate these points.

Why is structuring a presentation so important?

If you’ve ever sat through a great presentation, you’ll have left feeling either inspired or informed on a given topic. This isn’t because the speaker was the most knowledgeable or motivating person in the world. Instead, it’s because they know how to structure presentations – they have crafted their message in a logical and simple way that has allowed the audience can keep up with them and take away key messages.

Research has supported this, with studies showing that audiences retain structured information  40% more accurately  than unstructured information.

In fact, not only is structuring a presentation important for the benefit of the audience’s understanding, it’s also important for you as the speaker. A good structure helps you remain calm, stay on topic, and avoid any awkward silences.

What will affect your presentation structure?

Generally speaking, there is a natural flow that any decent presentation will follow which we will go into shortly. However, you should be aware that all presentation structures will be different in their own unique way and this will be due to a number of factors, including:

• Whether you need to deliver any demonstrations
• How  knowledgeable the audience  already is on the given subject
• How much interaction you want from the audience
• Any time constraints there are for your talk
• What setting you are in
• Your ability to use any kinds of visual assistance

Before choosing the presentation’s structure answer these questions first:

• What is your presentation’s aim?
• Who are the audience?
• What are the main points your audience should remember afterwards?

When reading the points below, think critically about what things may cause your presentation structure to be slightly different. You can add in certain elements and add more focus to certain moments if that works better for your speech.

What is the typical presentation structure?

This is the usual flow of a presentation, which covers all the vital sections and is a good starting point for yours. It allows your audience to easily follow along and sets out a solid structure you can add your content to.

1. Greet the audience and introduce yourself

Before you start delivering your talk, introduce yourself to the audience and clarify who you are and your relevant expertise. This does not need to be long or incredibly detailed, but will help build an immediate relationship between you and the audience. It gives you the chance to briefly clarify your expertise and why you are worth listening to. This will help establish your ethos so the audience will trust you more and think you’re credible.

Read our tips on  How to Start a Presentation Effectively

2. Introduction

In the introduction you need to explain the subject and purpose of your presentation whilst gaining the audience’s interest and confidence. It’s sometimes helpful to think of your introduction as funnel-shaped to help filter down your topic:

• Introduce your general topic
• Explain your topic area
• State the issues/challenges in this area you will be exploring
• State your presentation’s purpose – this is the basis of your presentation so ensure that you provide a statement explaining how the topic will be treated, for example, “I will argue that…” or maybe you will “compare”, “analyse”, “evaluate”, “describe” etc.
• Provide a statement of what you’re hoping the outcome of the presentation will be, for example, “I’m hoping this will be provide you with…”
• Show a preview of the organisation of your presentation

In this section also explain:

• The length of the talk.
• Signal whether you want audience interaction – some presenters prefer the audience to ask questions throughout whereas others allocate a specific section for this.
• If it applies, inform the audience whether to take notes or whether you will be providing handouts.

The way you structure your introduction can depend on the amount of time you have been given to present: a  sales pitch  may consist of a quick presentation so you may begin with your conclusion and then provide the evidence. Conversely, a speaker presenting their idea for change in the world would be better suited to start with the evidence and then conclude what this means for the audience.

Keep in mind that the main aim of the introduction is to grab the audience’s attention and connect with them.

3. The main body of your talk

The main body of your talk needs to meet the promises you made in the introduction. Depending on the nature of your presentation, clearly segment the different topics you will be discussing, and then work your way through them one at a time – it’s important for everything to be organised logically for the audience to fully understand. There are many different ways to organise your main points, such as, by priority, theme, chronologically etc.

• Main points should be addressed one by one with supporting evidence and examples.
• Before moving on to the next point you should provide a mini-summary.
• Links should be clearly stated between ideas and you must make it clear when you’re moving onto the next point.
• Allow time for people to take relevant notes and stick to the topics you have prepared beforehand rather than straying too far off topic.

When planning your presentation write a list of main points you want to make and ask yourself “What I am telling the audience? What should they understand from this?” refining your answers this way will help you produce clear messages.

4. Conclusion

In presentations the conclusion is frequently underdeveloped and lacks purpose which is a shame as it’s the best place to reinforce your messages. Typically, your presentation has a specific goal – that could be to convert a number of the audience members into customers, lead to a certain number of enquiries to make people knowledgeable on specific key points, or to motivate them towards a shared goal.

Regardless of what that goal is, be sure to summarise your main points and their implications. This clarifies the overall purpose of your talk and reinforces your reason for being there.

Follow these steps:

• Signal that it’s nearly the end of your presentation, for example, “As we wrap up/as we wind down the talk…”
• Restate the topic and purpose of your presentation – “In this speech I wanted to compare…”
• Summarise the main points, including their implications and conclusions
• Indicate what is next/a call to action/a thought-provoking takeaway
• Move on to the last section

5. Thank the audience and invite questions

Conclude your talk by thanking the audience for their time and invite them to  ask any questions  they may have. As mentioned earlier, personal circumstances will affect the structure of your presentation.

Many presenters prefer to make the Q&A session the key part of their talk and try to speed through the main body of the presentation. This is totally fine, but it is still best to focus on delivering some sort of initial presentation to set the tone and topics for discussion in the Q&A.

Other common presentation structures

The above was a description of a basic presentation, here are some more specific presentation layouts:

Demonstration

Use the demonstration structure when you have something useful to show. This is usually used when you want to show how a product works. Steve Jobs frequently used this technique in his presentations.

• Explain why the product is valuable.
• Describe why the product is necessary.
• Explain what problems it can solve for the audience.
• Demonstrate the product  to support what you’ve been saying.
• Make suggestions of other things it can do to make the audience curious.

Problem-solution

This structure is particularly useful in persuading the audience.

• Briefly frame the issue.
• Go into the issue in detail showing why it ‘s such a problem. Use logos and pathos for this – the logical and emotional appeals.
• Provide the solution and explain why this would also help the audience.
• Call to action – something you want the audience to do which is straightforward and pertinent to the solution.

Storytelling

As well as incorporating  stories in your presentation , you can organise your whole presentation as a story. There are lots of different type of story structures you can use – a popular choice is the monomyth – the hero’s journey. In a monomyth, a hero goes on a difficult journey or takes on a challenge – they move from the familiar into the unknown. After facing obstacles and ultimately succeeding the hero returns home, transformed and with newfound wisdom.

Storytelling for Business Success  webinar , where well-know storyteller Javier Bernad shares strategies for crafting compelling narratives.

Another popular choice for using a story to structure your presentation is in media ras (in the middle of thing). In this type of story you launch right into the action by providing a snippet/teaser of what’s happening and then you start explaining the events that led to that event. This is engaging because you’re starting your story at the most exciting part which will make the audience curious – they’ll want to know how you got there.

• Great storytelling: Examples from Alibaba Founder, Jack Ma

Remaining method

The remaining method structure is good for situations where you’re presenting your perspective on a controversial topic which has split people’s opinions.

• Go into the issue in detail showing why it’s such a problem – use logos and pathos.
• Rebut your opponents’ solutions  – explain why their solutions could be useful because the audience will see this as fair and will therefore think you’re trustworthy, and then explain why you think these solutions are not valid.
• After you’ve presented all the alternatives provide your solution, the remaining solution. This is very persuasive because it looks like the winning idea, especially with the audience believing that you’re fair and trustworthy.

Transitions

When delivering presentations it’s important for your words and ideas to flow so your audience can understand how everything links together and why it’s all relevant. This can be done  using speech transitions  which are words and phrases that allow you to smoothly move from one point to another so that your speech flows and your presentation is unified.

Transitions can be one word, a phrase or a full sentence – there are many different forms, here are some examples:

Moving from the introduction to the first point

Signify to the audience that you will now begin discussing the first main point:

• Now that you’re aware of the overview, let’s begin with…
• First, let’s begin with…
• I will first cover…
• My first point covers…
• To get started, let’s look at…

Shifting between similar points

Move from one point to a similar one:

• In the same way…
• Likewise…
• Equally…
• This is similar to…
• Similarly…

Internal summaries

Internal summarising consists of summarising before moving on to the next point. You must inform the audience:

• What part of the presentation you covered – “In the first part of this speech we’ve covered…”
• What the key points were – “Precisely how…”
• How this links in with the overall presentation – “So that’s the context…”
• What you’re moving on to – “Now I’d like to move on to the second part of presentation which looks at…”

Physical movement

You can move your body and your standing location when you transition to another point. The audience find it easier to follow your presentation and movement will increase their interest.

A common technique for incorporating movement into your presentation is to:

• Start your introduction by standing in the centre of the stage.
• For your first point you stand on the left side of the stage.
• You discuss your second point from the centre again.
• You stand on the right side of the stage for your third point.
• The conclusion occurs in the centre.

Key slides for your presentation

Slides are a useful tool for most presentations: they can greatly assist in the delivery of your message and help the audience follow along with what you are saying. Key slides include:

• An intro slide outlining your ideas
• A  summary slide  with core points to remember
• High quality image slides to supplement what you are saying

There are some presenters who choose not to use slides at all, though this is more of a rarity. Slides can be a powerful tool if used properly, but the problem is that many fail to do just that. Here are some golden rules to follow when using slides in a presentation:

• Don’t over fill them  – your slides are there to assist your speech, rather than be the focal point. They should have as little information as possible, to avoid distracting people from your talk.
• A picture says a thousand words  – instead of filling a slide with text, instead, focus on one or two images or diagrams to help support and explain the point you are discussing at that time.
• Make them readable  – depending on the size of your audience, some may not be able to see small text or images, so make everything large enough to fill the space.
• Don’t rush through slides  – give the audience enough time to digest each slide.

Guy Kawasaki, an entrepreneur and author, suggests that slideshows should follow a  10-20-30 rule :

• There should be a maximum of 10 slides – people rarely remember more than one concept afterwards so there’s no point overwhelming them with unnecessary information.
• The presentation should last no longer than 20 minutes as this will leave time for questions and discussion.
• The font size should be a minimum of 30pt because the audience reads faster than you talk so less information on the slides means that there is less chance of the audience being distracted.

Here are some additional resources for slide design:

• 7 design tips for effective, beautiful PowerPoint presentations
• 11 design tips for beautiful presentations
• 10 tips on how to make slides that communicate your idea

Group Presentations

Group presentations are structured in the same way as presentations with one speaker but usually require more rehearsal and practices.  Clean transitioning between speakers  is very important in producing a presentation that flows well. One way of doing this consists of:

• Briefly recap on what you covered in your section: “So that was a brief introduction on what health anxiety is and how it can affect somebody”
• Introduce the next speaker in the team and explain what they will discuss: “Now Elnaz will talk about the prevalence of health anxiety.”
• Then end by looking at the next speaker, gesturing towards them and saying their name: “Elnaz”.
• The next speaker should acknowledge this with a quick: “Thank you Joe.”

From this example you can see how the different sections of the presentations link which makes it easier for the audience to follow and remain engaged.

Example of great presentation structure and delivery

Having examples of great presentations will help inspire your own structures, here are a few such examples, each unique and inspiring in their own way.

How Google Works – by Eric Schmidt

This presentation by ex-Google CEO  Eric Schmidt  demonstrates some of the most important lessons he and his team have learnt with regards to working with some of the most talented individuals they hired. The simplistic yet cohesive style of all of the slides is something to be appreciated. They are relatively straightforward, yet add power and clarity to the narrative of the presentation.

Start with why – by Simon Sinek

Since being released in 2009, this presentation has been viewed almost four million times all around the world. The message itself is very powerful, however, it’s not an idea that hasn’t been heard before. What makes this presentation so powerful is the simple message he is getting across, and the straightforward and understandable manner in which he delivers it. Also note that he doesn’t use any slides, just a whiteboard where he creates a simple diagram of his opinion.

The Wisdom of a Third Grade Dropout – by Rick Rigsby

Here’s an example of a presentation given by a relatively unknown individual looking to inspire the next generation of graduates. Rick’s presentation is unique in many ways compared to the two above. Notably, he uses no visual prompts and includes a great deal of humour.

However, what is similar is the structure he uses. He first introduces his message that the wisest man he knew was a third-grade dropout. He then proceeds to deliver his main body of argument, and in the end, concludes with his message. This powerful speech keeps the viewer engaged throughout, through a mixture of heart-warming sentiment, powerful life advice and engaging humour.

As you can see from the examples above, and as it has been expressed throughout, a great presentation structure means analysing the core message of your presentation. Decide on a key message you want to impart the audience with, and then craft an engaging way of delivering it.

By preparing a solid structure, and  practising your talk  beforehand, you can walk into the presentation with confidence and deliver a meaningful message to an interested audience.

It’s important for a presentation to be well-structured so it can have the most impact on your audience. An unstructured presentation can be difficult to follow and even frustrating to listen to. The heart of your speech are your main points supported by evidence and your transitions should assist the movement between points and clarify how everything is linked.

Research suggests that the audience remember the first and last things you say so your introduction and conclusion are vital for reinforcing your points. Essentially, ensure you spend the time structuring your presentation and addressing all of the sections.

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10 Tips for a Persuasive Presentation

Powerful presentation is persuasion. here's how to elevate your impact..

Posted May 11, 2024 | Reviewed by Ray Parker

• Presentations aim to effect change. It's essential to be clear about what change you want to see.
• Powerful presenters embrace and extend empathy to seek first to understand their audience.
• Substance and style both matter to create an audience-informed communication experience.
• Persuasive presentations are relevant, reasoned, real, and resonant.

How many of us realize that giving a presentation or making a speech is all about persuasion , influence, and emotional intelligence ? Impactful presenters understand the power of empathy to understand and engage their audience, the efficiency and kindness of having a clear objective and message, and the importance of substance and style—all as a way to connect in a way that engages and inspires.

Much has been written on the power and behavioral science of persuasion, not least by expert Robert Cialdini. His bestselling book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion explains seven research-based universal principles of influence .

From my experience as a leadership coach working with thousands of people worldwide, I have compiled a list of ten essentials to elevate our presentation.

1. Maintain an "other" focus. What do you know about your audience and how can you find out more? Ask yourself what kind of a speaker will appeal to your audience, what arguments are likely to resonate with them, and what feelings you want to inspire so the audience will positively respond to your ask.

If your audience is predominantly data-driven, you may want to use more evidence-based arguments. If the audience is mixed, a combination of data, authority, and storytelling may be more appropriate. Extend Daniel Goleman’s three types of empathy to gather intelligence , understand your audience, and tailor your intervention to connect more profoundly.

2. Determine a specific objective. Presentations aim to effect change in some way. What change do you want to see in your audience?

For instance, gaining their approval for a certain investment, soliciting their buy-in for a change, or creating a sense of enthusiasm for an idea or initiative. The purpose of a presentation is to bring about change so make sure you are clear on what kind of change you want to bring about.

3. Design a grabber. Our attention spans have shrunk as we have more and more competing demands on our attention . If you want to get someone’s attention, you need to grab it at the outset and try and hold on.

You can do this in several different ways. Throw out a question that demands a response from the audience. Give a surprising fact or statistic, or quote from a well-known figure. Tell a story or an anecdote. A good grabber captures the attention of everyone there and makes them focus on what you have to say.

4. Crystalize your message and construct your arguments. Your message is the heart of your speech. Craft a brief phrase that clearly defines your proposal in 10-12 words—for example, “This post is about crafting presentations that inspire and engage others to elevate their presentations.”

Make it memorable by choosing inspiring words, symbols, catchy expressions, something that will remain in the audience's mind. As Brené Brown says: “Clear is kind,” and a clear message provides a path to develop your ideas.

When you have a clear and concise message, it helps you formulate your arguments. Think of developing your arguments using the rule of three —three compelling arguments to convince but not overwhelm your audience.

5. Prepare a call to action. Remember, we want to change our audience in some way, so we need to make our ask clearly and concretely. Consider your call to action in terms of what you want your audience to think/feel/do:

• Think: “I want you to think about how you can improve your presentations.”
• Feel: “I want you to feel enthusiastic and motivated so that you can elevate your power to persuade.”
• Do: “I want you to try out some of these tips and tools for yourself.”

6. Craft a memorable closing. Close the speech in an elegant and memorable way. We need people to remember what we've told them, so prepare it well.

This is not the time to improvise. Try to connect your closing to your opening grabber, which makes the presentation more memorable. Good preparation means preparing everything to the very end—finish well.

7. Plan your delivery. A dynamic speaker draws listeners in by using vocal variety (tone, intonation, speed, volume, pace, pauses, silence) and body language (posture, gestures, expression, and movement) to highlight important points and hold the audience’s attention. Be intentional: How will you use your voice and your body to emphasize a thought or idea? Think about it: If you increased the time you spent on style or delivery by 20 percent, what would it mean for the impact you make?

8. Think about how you will engage your audience. You want the audience to feel considered throughout. Include pauses so they can process what’s being said; connect with individuals throughout the room and make deliberate eye contact while speaking, especially when delivering key points. Read and respond to the audience by changing how you deliver as you go based on the audience’s nonverbal communication .

9. Rehearse and practice. Practice is one of the most crucial elements of presenting—and probably the most neglected one. If this is new to you, start by reading your presentation in front of a mirror to get comfortable speaking your presentation.

Next, video yourself and watch out for nervous or distracting habits to eliminate them and identify any areas where you can improve your delivery. If you are feeling brave, practice in front of an audience and ask for feedback.

10. Prepare your success rituals and mantra. Public speaking and/or stage fright can feel debilitating for some. Have your calm-down ritual prepared and ready to go before you start your presentation. This might be a certain gesture, a power pose, breathwork, or a mantra.

Try this tip: Identify three adjectives to describe how you would like to show up during this presentation. This sets an intention and helps focus our cognitive and emotional resources on success.

Powerful presenters embrace and extend empathy to seek first to understand their audience. They use this intelligence to carefully make choices about substance and style to create an audience-informed communication experience that feels relevant, reasoned, real, and resonant and creates a pathway for change.

Palena Neale, Ph.D. , is a women’s leadership coach, lecturer, and founder of unabridged, a boutique leadership development practice.

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Introducing GPT-4o: OpenAI’s new flagship multimodal model now in preview on Azure

By Eric Boyd Corporate Vice President, Azure AI Platform, Microsoft

Posted on May 13, 2024 2 min read

• Tag: Copilot
• Tag: Generative AI

Microsoft is thrilled to announce the launch of GPT-4o, OpenAI’s new flagship model on Azure AI. This groundbreaking multimodal model integrates text, vision, and audio capabilities, setting a new standard for generative and conversational AI experiences. GPT-4o is available now in Azure OpenAI Service, to try in preview , with support for text and image.

Azure OpenAI Service

A step forward in generative AI for Azure OpenAI Service

GPT-4o offers a shift in how AI models interact with multimodal inputs. By seamlessly combining text, images, and audio, GPT-4o provides a richer, more engaging user experience.

Launch highlights: Immediate access and what you can expect

Azure OpenAI Service customers can explore GPT-4o’s extensive capabilities through a preview playground in Azure OpenAI Studio starting today in two regions in the US. This initial release focuses on text and vision inputs to provide a glimpse into the model’s potential, paving the way for further capabilities like audio and video.

Efficiency and cost-effectiveness

GPT-4o is engineered for speed and efficiency. Its advanced ability to handle complex queries with minimal resources can translate into cost savings and performance.

Potential use cases to explore with GPT-4o

The introduction of GPT-4o opens numerous possibilities for businesses in various sectors: 

• Enhanced customer service : By integrating diverse data inputs, GPT-4o enables more dynamic and comprehensive customer support interactions.
• Advanced analytics : Leverage GPT-4o’s capability to process and analyze different types of data to enhance decision-making and uncover deeper insights.
• Content innovation : Use GPT-4o’s generative capabilities to create engaging and diverse content formats, catering to a broad range of consumer preferences.

Exciting future developments: GPT-4o at Microsoft Build 2024 

We are eager to share more about GPT-4o and other Azure AI updates at Microsoft Build 2024 , to help developers further unlock the power of generative AI.

Get started with Azure OpenAI Service

Begin your journey with GPT-4o and Azure OpenAI Service by taking the following steps:

• Try out GPT-4o in Azure OpenAI Service Chat Playground (in preview).
• If you are not a current Azure OpenAI Service customer, apply for access by completing this form .
• Learn more about  Azure OpenAI Service  and the  latest enhancements.  
• Understand responsible AI tooling available in Azure with Azure AI Content Safety .
• Review the OpenAI blog on GPT-4o.

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