Design thinking is critical to creating an engaging presentation. It's not just about aesthetics -- design also includes content development, pacing and creating clear navigation of your story. Here are five big ideas to remember when preparing a presentation:

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1 :: CRAFT YOUR MESSAGE -- AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER. 
 
Think about your key ideas and put them together on paper first. When we start a design project in the studio, we start the same way -- with a pencil. It's your brain that drives content development, not the computer. Doing a little preliminary work goes a long way to creating an effective presentation with a cohesive storyline.


2 :: DON'T LOAD UP YOUR SLIDES. 
 
An audience can read faster than you can talk, and if every little thing you intend to say is on the slide, they'll be finished before you're even halfway through. What's more, when people are reading, they're not listening. We're wired to read what's in front of us. Instead of including every thought on the slide, highlight your key idea and then talk about it in a clear and engaging way.


3 :: SHOW THEM WHAT YOU MEAN -- USE PICTURES. BIG ONES. 
 
A good-quality image strengthens your talk. And if it makes sense for your business, a succinct, informative map can communicate quickly with a lot of visual impact. Stay away from cliched images and poor production quality, though. Bitmapped or "crunchy" images look sloppy and distract from what you're saying, while a well-chosen, aesthetically-pleasing image can really bring a point home.


4 :: STAY FOCUSED ON YOUR KEY MESSAGE. 
 
Don't distract your audience with off-topic information. Staying true to your big idea and supporting it with a few relevant facts or insights goes a long way. Don't risk boring your audience with minutiae or getting distracted and going off the tracks. Once the audience is gone, it's hard to get them back.


5 :: YOU'RE THE SHOW. 
 
Your audience didn't come to hear you read, they came to hear you talk. Show enthusiasm for your subject and engage with your audience. Humor is a great way to connect with people. Slides support your talk, but they aren't a substitute for it. The slides aren't the show, you are.


BONUS ::  
 
Remember that every presentation is different. Designed, branded standard slides are a good place to start, but when your talk calls for a concept to be represented in a visual way to maximize efficacy, develop a slide specifically to communicate it. It pays off.

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Studio Pragmatik's creative services include Digital Presentations (including PowerPoint). We have developed presentation systems for large and small organizations alike, bringing this collateral in line with the brand qualities of the whole family of communications, and in the process strengthening the brands -- and getting results.