Top 8 Design Tips for Creating Outstanding Business Presentations

Business presentations are required in a number of scenarios. Whether you are pitching to a new client or giving your employees a training session, it is imperative to make sure that your presentations are presentable!

You need to make sure that your presentation brands your business well. It should have your stamp on it. People should not need to think twice about which brand is giving the presentation.

Aside from this, the way in which your business presentation is designed can impact its effectiveness of it, i.e. how easily the information is digested and whether or not you are able to get your point across.

With that being said, in this blog post, we are going to provide you with some top design tips to help you create outstanding and unforgettable business presentations. So, let’s take a look:

1. Use a template

There is only one place to begin when it comes to stylish and professional business presentations, and this is by using a template. This collection of templates gives you a great insight into the different options available.

Using a template comes highly recommended for a number of different reasons. Firstly, it helps to ensure that everything is on-brand and that all your presentations have a cohesive look and feel.

Next, templates ensure your data is presented in a concise and logical manner so that your audience can pay sufficient attention to it and digest the information efficiently.

Templates will make your life a lot easier as well. You will find that it is a lot quicker to put together a presentation because you do not have to spend your time on all of the little nuances that come with this.

2. Purpose-driven design is key

We have all seen presentations that are filled with slides that have fancy ornamentation, from ‘wow’ graphics to sleek icons. While these catch the eye and look appealing, they often do not communicate your message, and so they do not add anything of value to the presentation. What they do, though, is add more clutter.

This is why one of the most critical presentation design tips we have for you is to use visuals with a purpose.

Presentations containing lots of photos and illustrations distract from the core content and storytelling, as they do not add to the pitch narrative. They also tend to be less useful to end-users who do not have the budget or resources for custom illustration and photography.

3. Stay up-to-date with the latest design trends

If you give presentations on a regular basis, it is important to make sure you stay abreast of the latest design trends.

We can give you all of the design tips in the world but you also need to use your own initiative to stay updated in terms of current trends. The good news is that there are so many sources online to assist you with this.

If you continue to learn and you are sensitive to what’s en-vogue at the moment, you can always create beautiful and striking presentations. YouTube is an excellent resource for this, as you can watch presentation tips and showcases from professionals in the industry.

Aside from this, we would recommend building connections with designers on social media and following top influencers in the industry. You are also bound to come across some interesting and reliable blogs that you enjoy, so bookmark them and spend five to ten minutes reading their latest content every other morning.

4. Use the golden ratio

Beauty is important but functionality comes first, and this is why the golden ratio is so important. If you have never heard of this before, it is a mathematical relationship between two numbers, based on their ratio being the same as the ratio of their sum to the bigger of the two numbers.

You may have heard of it being referred to as the golden section or golden mean. It has been studied since the time of the Ancient Greeks. The rough equivalent of the golden ratio is 1.618.

You may be wondering how you are supposed to use this in a presentation but don’t worry, we will explain. Simply divide any line into two parts, such that the longer part that is divided by the shorter part is equal to both. So, if the longer part is A, and the shorter part is B, the equation is as follows.

A = A/B = 1.1618

A lot of the top designers use this equation when they are putting beautiful presentations together. Why? It ensures that there is exceptional flow within any presentation, so the eyes naturally go where you want them to.

Of course, you can achieve this without using the golden ratio, yet this will give you a reliable point of reference when placing any design element, be it images, paragraphs, or headings. It ensures that there is a consistent flow and the reader has a sense of ease and certainty throughout the presentation.

5. Make your presentation pop with colour gradients

Colour gradients are those gradual blends of colour, which look stunning and make presentations come alive. Think of them as colour transitions.

Adding such a subtle transition of colour to your slide will enable an easy-on-the-eyes effect, which will highlight your content effectively, ensuring it is more memorable for both your audiences and users.

6. Less is more

It is important to remember that less can definitely be more when it comes to business presentations. A lot of graphic designers are tempted to add too many flourishes to their side decks. The end result is too much clutter! This will only result in you diluting the message you are trying to get across.

Keep your content simple when you are designing a presentation. Your text, photos, and design should all be working to emphasize the points of your presentation, rather than distract from them.

It is important to keep all of your text as simple as possible, enabling the audience to remain engaged with the presentation and the person speaking. So, leave space for all of our key points but avoid cramming all information into your slides.

7. Don’t dive right in

Planning is key when putting together a successful and stylish business presentation. Before you begin any presentation, throw yourself into doing the required level of research and planning to make sure your designs are in-demand and meaningful.

What is the purpose of the presentation? This is the question you should always begin with. You can then start making a list of what is going to be included. Carry out your research and create a mood board before you even start thinking about designing.

For inspiration, Pinterest can be an excellent resource. You should also think carefully about the best font to convey your message while also being legible. Google Fonts is a great source for free fonts. Once you have considered all of this, you can then get started with the design part.

8. Clarity is key

Our final piece of advice is to make sure that you prioritize clarity. The trick to designing a good presentation not only lies in its simplicity but also in its clarity. One of the best ways to make sure your design has clarity is a clean design.

You will be better able to design an effective presentation once you understand how the graphic design of illustrations, shapes, and colours should complement the text in your presentation.

Whenever you create a new slide, think about how you can convey certain information as clearly and simply as possible. A presentation is an excellent way of conveying information to others through graphic design.

Even the most interesting and insightful information is going to be more difficult to perceive if it is presented in only text- form. As Steve Jobs once said, it is not just about what a design looks and feels like, it is about how it works.

If you are unsure whether or not your design is clear and simple to understand, it makes sense to get others to look over it and give you their opinion. When we have spent so long working on something, we can often lose sight of the bigger picture, so do not be afraid to get an outside opinion.

You now have everything you need to create a stunning business presentation

So there you have it: everything you need to create an attractive and effective business presentation. We hope that the tips that we have provided you with above will help you to up your presentation game.

Remember, less is often more when it comes to these things. Plus, there are some great templates out there that can ensure your presentation looks cohesive and professional.

---

---

Article by Pankaj Shah: DCP Web Design London