Less is More: The Minimalism Trick

Hand on heart: Who hasn’t seen a presentation where every slide was as packed as a supermarket flyer? Sure, you don’t want to forget anything. But honestly, who can read all that?

The trick is simple: Less is more! Instead of cramming every thought onto the slide, focus on the essentials. Choose one main idea for each slide. The rest goes in your notes or comes directly from your mouth.

Here are some tips for tidy slides:

  • Maximum 6 words per line
  • No more than 6 lines per slide (that’s really the maximum!)
  • Better to have multiple slides than one overloaded one
  • Generous white space lets your content breathe

Remember: Your slides are the butter, not the whole sandwich. They should support your words, not replace them.

Colors that Wow: The Psychology Booster

Colors are like the spices in your presentation kitchen. The right mix makes the difference between ordinary and extraordinary. But beware: Too much of a good thing and the soup is oversalted.

A proven trick is the 60-30-10 rule:

  • 60% of your slide in a primary color
  • 30% in a contrast color
  • 10% in an accent color for important elements

Choose colors that match your topic and your brand. A talk about sustainability? Green and brown tones convey naturalness. A tech startup? Blue and gray nuances radiate innovation.

And another thing: Think about contrast! Black text on dark blue background? That’s making everyone squint. Light on dark or vice versa – that keeps everything nicely readable.

You can find more tips on choosing the right color in our article “The Power of Colors: How to Enchant with Clever Color Psychology”.

Typography Tips: Fonts that Make an Impression

Fonts are like the voice of your presentation. So choose wisely! A good rule of thumb: One font for headings, one for the rest. That’s all you need.

Here are some fonts that always work well:

  • For headings: Arial, Helvetica Neue, Futura
  • For body text: Calibri, Verdana, Open Sans

And please: Stay away from Comic Sans, unless you’re presenting at a children’s birthday party!

For font size, the rule is: Better too big than too small. 24pt for body text is a good starting point. Test your slides by stepping two meters away from the screen. Can you read everything? Great! If not, turn up the size dial.

You can find out more about fonts in our article “Fonts in Presentations: From Boring to Eye-catching”.

Pictures Say More Than 1000 Words: The Wow Effect

Images are the magic potion of your presentation. They evoke emotions, explain complex matters, and stick in memory.

Some ideas for compelling visuals:

  • High-quality photos (be careful with stock photos everyone knows!)
  • Self-created graphics or diagrams
  • Icons to illustrate concepts
  • Short video sequences (if it fits the topic)

But remember: Quality over quantity. Better one large, meaningful image than five mediocre ones.

The Common Thread: Consistency is King

Imagine reading a book and suddenly the font changes in the middle of the chapter. Irritating, right? It’s the same with presentations. Consistency is the secret star of design.

To weave a common thread through your presentation, there are several important aspects to consider. First, it’s crucial that you consistently use the same colors. This creates visual consistency and helps the audience recognize the coherence of the content. Equally important is sticking to your chosen fonts. Changing fonts can be distracting and disrupt the flow of the presentation.

Pro tip: Create your own set of master slides. Feel free to use the layouts offered by presentation programs as a starting point, but optimize them for your specific needs. This allows you to better adapt the often text-heavy standard layouts to your content, achieve a balanced mix of text, graphics, and white space while maintaining a consistent appearance. This saves time and gives your presentation a professional, tailored look.

Animations: Less Circus, More Sense

Animations can breathe life into your presentation – or turn it into a fairground attraction. The trick? Targeted use!

Animations can enhance the impact of a presentation when used meaningfully. There are several areas where they are particularly useful:

  • Gradually revealing bullet points directs the audience’s attention and prevents listeners from getting ahead or being overwhelmed by the amount of information.
  • Highlighting important elements through animations emphasizes critical information and ensures it isn’t overlooked. This is particularly useful with complex diagrams or graphics.
  • Animations are excellent for visualizing processes or sequences. They make abstract concepts more tangible and help the audience better understand connections, whether in business processes, scientific reactions, or historical developments.

Generally avoid wild effects like rotations or explosions, as these only distract and make your presentation appear unprofessional. If at all, use such effects only very selectively to highlight particularly important points, and limit yourself to a maximum of one or two instances per presentation.

The Final Touch: Test, Test, Test

You know how it is: Everything looks great in your head, but then reality hits. That’s why the last step is so important: Test your presentation!

There are several important steps to consider for the final polish of your presentation. First, it’s advisable to ask a colleague for a review. A fresh perspective can provide valuable insights and suggestions for improvement.

Technical aspects shouldn’t be neglected either. Test your presentation on different devices to ensure it works flawlessly and looks good everywhere. This is especially important for online presentations or when presentations will be shared later.

If possible, do a trial run in the actual presentation room. Especially important: Check if everything can be seen well from the back row. Nothing is more annoying than a presentation where half the audience is squinting.

Conclusion: Your Slides, Your Masterpiece

Now that’s what I call a well-filled toolbox! But don’t worry, Rome wasn’t built in a day. With a bit of practice, you’ll become a real presentation pro!

Remember: A good presentation is like a tailored suit. It needs to fit you, your topic, and your audience. Experiment, find your style, and above all, have fun with it! And who knows? Maybe at the next presentation, you’ll be the one everyone else is thinking: “Wow, I want to present like that too!”

A particularly valuable tip to conclude: Feel free to look around our website more! There you’ll find a wealth of additional information, tips, and tricks all about presentations. It’s worth checking back regularly, as we constantly add new content and current trends in presentation design.

So, what are you waiting for? Open your presentation program and start making your next presentation a real hit! Good luck and have fun designing!