Creating Powerful Presentations
At the recent HOW Design Live Conference, held in Chicago, I had the opportunity to attend a talk by Stefan Mumaw on “Presentations That Rock: How To Stand Up There And Slay.” I was in awe of the way Mr. Mumaw described the formula for building a presentation from planning, connection, and visual support through storytelling. He brought up some compelling points of what makes a presentation successful. It suddenly struck me was that I was looking at presentations the wrong way and here is why:
There are two different types of presentations.
- Presentation with speakers who tell stories, captivating audiences with their ideas and passion. The eyes of the audience are glued to the speaker, fascinated with every word. Think great speakers like Steve Jobs, Martin Luther King, Jr, or Sheryl Sandberg. These speakers either don’t use a deck or the deck is constructed with beautiful visuals that are crafted and lovely to look at.
- Presentations that are actually documents, may be a bit more educational and serve a particular purpose for that company or event. The focus is on the content of the deck, and the speaker is less of a focal point. The decks may have a lot of bullets, charts, and graphs that may be hard to read or flash by too quickly. Now, I am not saying that this type couldn’t be captivating or tell a story, but they are handled in different ways. Therefore, the deck needs to be designed differently. In either case, the goal is to communicate an idea or that one single thing, that matters most, to the listener.
So how do I encourage my clients to think more strategically about their PowerPoint or Keynote presentations? I decided to reach out to Mr. Mumaw for his advice.
His response was this: “When starting off, ask if it is a presentation, or is it a document?”
A presentation is more than just someone talking on a stage. It is an opportunity for a speaker to become a storyteller. An excellent presentation has ebb and flow, the element of surprise, passion, the give, and take. Speakers capture the audience with authenticity, passion, emotion, and courage. If a deck is used, it is used as support, not as the guide. Decks don’t move people, people move people. The audience is solely focused on the speaker, and the deck lends itself to support the speakers’ story visually. What is the designer’s role in a presentation? To create the ebb and flow with the use of video and visual backgrounds to support but not take away from the speaker. How do I encourage my clients to rethink their presentations? Mr. Mumaw states, “It is our responsibility as a creative to teach what a presentation is before we even start a design. Come to an agreement or understanding of what makes a great presentation, that people don’t want to read, they want to be moved, and remind the client of what moves them.”
Example of a presentation that might be considered a document but utilizes a visual base.
So how do I approach this thinking with my clients? He continues, “Education is always the most effective way to collaborate, and that’s what a deck design is: a collaboration. As a designer, if you try to educate during the gathering of content, you will always lose those battles, for your client is invested in the content at the point and won’t want to waste time or circle back. But if you educate ahead of time, do your own ‘presentation on presentation,’ show decks that you believe are designed well and presentations that you believe are effective, get everyone to agree, you have a base of standard, and the subjectivity is lessened.” For this type of presentation, ideally, the designer is brought in before any type of deck is constructed so that roles, decisions, and the outcomes are agreed upon in the beginning, not during or when it is too late.
What if it is a document? In reality, most clients ask for a “document.” A team of people work on the gathering of content and data to compile into a deck, then hands it over to a designer to make pretty, seem less crowded, maybe add a few animations, etc. At this point, a “document” is comprised of a deck and a speaker (or many speakers) presenting as the voice over to that content. In this context, the audience is most likely to be less focused on the speaker and pay more attention to the deck.
As a designer, it is my task to take that information then and apply a design that helps assist with that story. How do I design the ebb and flow, add surprises and resolution in the content provided to me and make it visually interesting? That is the challenge. Mr. Mumaw recommends asking these essential questions:
- What is the purpose?
- Who will need to edit?
- How will it be delivered?
- Who is the audience?
- What is the lifespan?
Once you have these answers, as a designer, you should be able to know your limits and set out to design, and design it well.
When thinking about what type of presentation you want to create, know your audience well! “Every industry is different. Every audience in every industry has one thing in common: they’re human. They can, and want to be moved. What moves a group of scientists is different than what moves a group of film students, but both want to be inspired, they want to be informed, and they want to be entertained.”
I was very honored to have Mr. Mumaw’s advice. I genuinely appreciate his viewpoint and hope you do, too. And to quote his sincere sign-off: “No one has ever said, ‘Man, I hope this presentation is information dense, and the presenter reads it.’ At least I haven’t come across someone who has yet”!
So when all is said in done, I hope to be able to incorporate his guidance into my next presentation assignment – maybe for you? If you’re starting to think about your upcoming presentation (or a future project) and want to create a “presentation that rocks,” let’s talk.
Starting a Business? Some Things May Not Be So Obvious
Recently, I have had a rush of new clients come along that need help getting their business started. But what exactly do they need? And what’s the difference between what they know they need and what I know they need?
Regardless of the industry, everyone needs a logo and a web site — and they know it. But there are so many other components to consider if your goal is to strategically build a successful and strong business. A combination of print and digital tools (designers call them “assets”) are the key to getting your name and message at the forefront of your customer’s mind. But which ones? And which should come first? It can be overwhelming, especially to a new business owner. That’s where I come in.
A former DEA agent is starting a business working with lawyers to investigate funds that may have been illegally seized. His research showed that this niche is very unique, so he could be the go-to-person with this expertise. He came to me because he knew he needed a website but wasn’t sure what else. In our initial consultation, I asked how was he going to get his name out? Networking, sure – so he needs a business card, but what else? Since his ideal prospect are lawyers, how would he best market to them? Would he be going door to door to introduce himself? What would he be bring with him, besides his business card, to remind the prospect of his visit? Possibly a “leave behind” describing his list of services? How would he follow-up to say thank you for taking the time to discuss opportunities? Maybe a simple handwritten note or even a clever direct mail piece that the prospect might keep or actually be able to use.
Beyond in-person networking, how would his website get in front of his optimal audience? I mentioned “Google my business,” search and analytics to track any views, but while creating the website, it would be important to work with a writer that would be fluent in SEO to help curate the content to specifically attract the right viewers to his site. Also, I wondered, wouldn’t people he met networking also want to find him on social media? Had he thought about that? Would his prospects be on social media? And if so, which platforms? Would he have the time to consistently post and engage with prospects via that medium?
So as you see, there are the obvious and the not-so-obvious items that are to be considered and can be customized depending on your branding direction and your potential prospects. Following I have put together a list of obvious and maybe not-so-obvious items that you might consider when you or someone you know, is starting a business.
| Obvious | Maybe Not-so-Obvious |
| Logo | Brand Identity Standards |
| Business Card | Full Stationary System, Print and Digital |
| Tri-Fold or One Sheet | Full Marketing Kit |
| Website | Blogging, SEO, SEM, Google My Business, Analytics, and Search |
| Social Media Pages | Social Media Strategic Plan that includes Blogging and Email Marketing |
| Thank You Notes | Direct Mail Campaign |
| PowerPoint Template | A Fully Designed PowerPoint Presentation Combined with a type of Content Give Away if Sign-up for Updates |
And there are so many more…So as you can see, there is a lot to consider and each of these items, may or may not be needed. For example, if you know your ideal prospect isn’t on social media, maybe a social media plan isn’t for you but a direct mail campaign just may be.
If you know your audience, figure out the best way for you and your brand to get in front of them. If you suspect that you need anything on the list, I would love to help. I have the experience to be able to take hold of all these things and make it seamless for you. Drop me a line today!
Do you use infographics to engage and share?
So you have seen them, the creative diagrams that tell a story, splattered on social media channels, highlighting a topic or fact for a brand? Maybe you are thinking about creating an infographic for your company but aren’t sure where to start or a topic to focus on? I can help you with that.
Creating infographics is just one of the greatest joys of what I love to do. Simply put, infographics visually tell a story in eye bite pieces. They are fun to learn from and to share with others. The list of benefits of why infographics help your business goes on and on. There are many articles, from The Huffington Post to Forbes, describing the vast benefits of infographics including social media exposure as well as added SEO. In this post, I will focus on a few things to think about when you are creating yours.
Infographics Best Practices
Let’s start with best practices. I personally create all my infographics in Illustrator. I find that a vector is the best way to create graphics properly and will save sizing and production headaches in the long run. Vectors are scalable, so they can easily be reconfigured for different sizes as well as media requirements.
Here are a few additional best practices to keep in mind while creating your artwork:
- Think about multiplatform distribution. Will the graphic be printed or just used for digital distribution? What size will have the best resolution so that it can be customized per channel without having it be recreated each time?
- Think about legibility. Are you leaving enough white space? Are things properly aligned to help with flow? How is color used within your brand requirements? How does the style of the graphic mix with your brand standards? Is your typography heirachy clean and legible at various sizes. How does it all translate from desktop to mobile?
- Simplify your data visualization. Is the graphic something that is easily digestible? It’s great to show a complex graphic but if it is hard to understand, I think you are missing your point and the opporunity to engage your customer.
- Think about the length. If it is too long, the audience may miss your call to action way, way down at the bottom of the page. Your audience may give up after one click and will click away if they have to scroll too far. If you do find yourself with a super long graphic, maybe break them up into multiple graphics and distribute as a series.
- Think about different the uses. Yes, infographics are great for social media but they can also be used for presentations, within an eBook, a part of a blog post, a traditional ad or even a direct mail piece.
Infographics Opportunities
Sometimes, it might come down to not knowing what exactly to say. Maybe your last infographic said it already and you’re not sure what to follow up with? In an article by Josh Ritchie, he makes some great suggestions but to add to that, here are a few things that might spark an idea or two:
- Partner collaboration. Is there a company that you are working closely with? Maybe there is an opportunity to let your customers know of how the benefits of that partnerships trickles down to them. It will increase your exposure by not only going out to your audience but to your partner audience as well.
- Repurposing existing content. Why not take that information in a white paper and summarize it in an infographic? This is where you might find that you will have a better response from that white paper content. You will be able to see if there is a difference in response, by tracking the numbers. Also, with the internet being a vast array of content, it is ok to revisit something that was created 6 to 8 months ago. Not all of your audience may have seen it the first time, so publishing it again, in a different format, may be seen with fresh eyes.
- Let a new personality of your brand shine. Try a different graphic style. Add to your corporate color palette. Add a funky typeface, that is outside the norm, but helps with getting your message across in a stylistic way. Infographics are supposed to be fun and informative, so you should have fun when creating them!
Here are some examples:
Below are examples of infographics that I created, to demonstrate how differently an infographic can be constructed. I do hope this helps with thinking about different ways to talk to your audience. If you are interested in learning more or working with me to create your next infographic, lets talk!
Is your Brand Identity Responsive?
You know how sometimes a logo is so small, like in the browser field, that you just can’t make it out? Well, if logos were responsive — like almost all web sites are these days — that wouldn’t be a problem. As a graphic designer who routinely creates logos for a variety of clients, I spend a lot of time crafting brand identities that can be used in a variety of applications. An important key element to keep in mind is how well a logo will work not only on your webiste but on mobile, in print, social media, on watches, as icons, favicons, and so on.
As logo applications continue to grow more complex and varied, it only makes sense that logos would follow the path that website design has started in regards to responsive formatting. Some may consider this overkill, but having a logo that shines on all devices can be hugely beneficial. One of the greatest benefits of responsive logos is that it maintains its legibility at all screen sizes, without having to contend with an ultra-minimal style, even when displayed at larger sizes.
So when your company is thinking of branding or rebranding, here are a few things to consider to keep your logo responsive:
Logo type, logo mark or both?
It’s not unusual for brands to use either the logotype (just text) or logomark (an icon or graphic treatment that accompanies text), depending on the situation and space available. With that in mind, I’d say that responsive logos in their most basic form can be switched between a logotype, a logomark, and using both together. If the logo is using both, a logomark can replace the company name slowly over time as that company becomes more and more recognized by its customers. Together or alone, create something that is unique, simple, recognized, and remembered.
- Aim for simplicity. If the logo of a company is intricate enough to pose the threat of turning into a blurry mess at smaller resolutions, it’s better to create a variation of that mark with minimal detail yet still represents the company brand.
- Emphasize versatility. From the largest size to the smallest size, what does that mark need to convey to hold the representation of the brand? What are the treatments in the purest form, in a vertical stacking format or on a pattern background? Is there a size constraint? Is it just the logotype or the logomark that provides the best solution? If the user doesn’t recognize the logo instantly in any format, then the logo has failed to accomplish what it set out to do.
- Color variants. Often times logos have to be on different types of backgrounds and in color formats. Ensure that your logo translates when it is in black and white, gray, just white or on an off brand color background.
Logos are often the first thing that new companies ask about, but they’re also the most neglected aspect of design when a brand primarily exists in the digital world. What’s important to remember that a responsive logo isn’t just an elaborate icon that sits in the top-left corner of a website, it is the one continuous touchpoint that your customers will recall when they think of your brand.
In the example below, you will see that the logo is simplified as it is reduced, yet as a designer, I now have options in what I would like to use when designing the different touchpoints for that brand. Maybe I will use the logo in full on a tradeshow booth, but use just the mark as an emblem on a baseball cap or as the full logo on the mobile view of the site or mobile app icon.
So, is your logo responsive?
Does your branding have options yet still stray true to your company mark? Give me a shout if you would like to learn more.
Do You Need a Great Design Partner?
Whether your company’s creative team is 20 people deep or you’ve been relying on some do-it-yourself design tips and tricks, you need a designer that you trust and who knows your brand inside and out to quickly catch the overflow. I call that a “design partner” and that’s what I offer you.
If you trust me to be your design partner, I will:
Save you time. Because I’d know you, your company and your brand, there will be no need to always start from scratch and bring someone new up to speed, not to mention the learning curve.
Save you money. It’s very expensive to reinvent the wheel every time you hire a new designer. A trusted partner will be on track to meet timeframes and budgets that you have agreed upon.
Will ask the right questions. I will know how to anticipate your needs and take them over so you don’t have to worry about the small stuff..
Won’t need to be micro-managed. Because we have completed successful projects previously and I have embedded myself into your team, I will know what is expected, what is the end goal, and what the outcome should be..
Be dependable and resourceful. Your calls will be answered, your requests will be fulfilled, and if something unexpectedly pops-up, I will figure it out and get it taken care of..
Ultimately provide value. As a trusted designer, I know how to make things happen. I will learn what you like and what your business needs to do, so it will be easy to just hands things off and know it will get done — and done right..
Are you looking to find a trusted resource for your brand challenges? Maybe we should talk…send me a message and we’ll set up a time to chat.