How to Make a Killer Deck

Transcript

1. How to Create A Killer Deck 1
2. Craft for Impact 2
3. Tell them what they need to hear, not what you want to tell them. (The fewer words, the better.)
4. Don’t bury your headlines. (This is not a mystery novel.)
5. Tell a story. (Everyone loves a good story.) Single person/ instance Relatable, meaningful Sensory, experienced
6. Common Models 1. Minimalist ◦ Few words ◦ Minimal background ◦ Punchy phrases, images, and effects ◦ Great for speeches 2. Structured Design ◦ As many words as necessary, no more ◦ Sweet spot for business presentations 3. Report-deck ◦ Should be read, not presented ◦ Paragraphs expected ◦ Typical for consulting deliverable (non-presentation)
7. Design Principles 101 7
8. Tailor to your company Pay attention to... • Fonts ◦ Sans-serif vs. serif ◦ Width + height ◦ Roundness ◦ Angles • Colors ◦ Use the actual HEX codes (you can use adobe products for this) ◦ Pull from official materials ◦ Sometimes, they don’t know what they’re doing… • Logo ◦ Only use when approved
9. Sans-serif fonts Serif Font Sans-Serif Font ✗ ✓
10. Bullet points • No more than 1 line • You can do it • No really, you can • And don’t use periods if not a sentence
11. Less is more.
12. Bigger is better.
13. Pick one differentiator • Choose underline OR bold OR italicize to emphasize • You may choose 1 for headers, 1 for emphasis
14. follow the fold
15. Keep everything even and aligned
16. Follow patterns: sleek > getting fancy
17. Use “soft” lines (horizontal and vertical) Super cool paragraph text that is very interesting. Additional super cool paragraph text that is very interesting. Additional, additional cool paragraph text that is very interesting.
18. Boxes (no borders) + Contrasting Colors Using boxes to specify big points. Using boxes to specify big points. Using boxes to specify big points. 1 2 3
19. Use fewer lines; rely on proximity
20. Choose: round vs. square Super cool paragraph text that is very interesting. Super cool paragraph text that is very interesting.
21. Use Pictures and Icons (well) • Icons should increase meaning • Photos give context • Follow the fold • Don’t have text on photos • If photos are too colorful, make black and white
22. Colors are your friends (...or foes) • Choose a palette and stick with it • Gray + 1-3 complementary colors is sleek • Don’t choose contrasting colors • Use color sparingly… make it POP!
23. White is boring 23
24. Checklist ❏ Choose your style (i.e. color, font, folds, presentation type, round v. square) ❏ Create rules for: ❏ Spacing ❏ Sizing ❏ Colors ❏ Emphasizing ❏ Picture placement ❏ Page segmentation tools (i.e. boxes, soft lines) ❏ Consistent elements (i.e. borders, designs) ❏ Use “Edit Master” function to implement your rules ❏ (Optional) Create a palette to communicate and keep on track ❏ Stick to it!
25. Outdated Practices 25
26. Shadow effect Borders around text and pictures unique fonts *unless there is a VERY good reason and you are a designer and know how to wield this tool sparingly • Paragraphs of information that are much too wordy and force people to read what is on the slide even though you could have said what you wanted to say in two words, but now you have encumbered your slide and lost impact. This is especially problematic when used with bullet points. Using multiple differentiators Serif fonts (e.g. Times New Roman) Pictures as backgrounds, gradients, dark text on dark shapes An overwhelming amount of information on a slide Different fonts, font sizes, and patterns of placement… oh, and vertical text... Effects