10 Tips for Designing Engaging Presentation Slides

Having slides as a visual aid is one of many crucial executive presentation skills, especially important in the online world. After all, compelling slides are one of the many qualities of a great communicator. In this article, I will share some presentation design principles that you should learn to make the most of your speech.

These tips will help you deliver a clear presentation that helps your listeners retain your speech the best. Designing impressive presentation slides doesn't have to be complicated. With these ten tips, you will have the means to produce a well-executed eye-catching presentation that will help reinforce your ideas.

Here are my 10 tips for designing fantastic presentation slides. 

Top 10 Tips for Engaging Presentation Slides 

1. Focus on One Takeaway Per Slide

Simplify your slides with one message. If your slides are complex with too many big ideas, your audience will be confused. It will take too much time to process them and they will stop listening to you. After all, it's impossible to listen and read at the same time. Since our brains are more visually hardwired, your audience automatically switches off to your voice when they have to read and listen. So designing your slides with one point per slide will help ensure that they keep their focus on you. Ask yourself 'What's the one thing I want my audience to take away from this slide?'

2. Create a Compelling Title Page

Your title page is arguably the most important slide in your presentation. Treat it as prime real estate! As it'll be read first, it's essential the title indicates the point of your entire presentation. Make these words count by creating intrigue and use short, catchy phrases. Think of newspaper headlines! Turn passive, boring titles into active, attention-grabbing ones. For example: Turn 'Market Overview' into 'An aggressive rival is right behind us'. It's essential to make a good impression from the start, so take time to create an eye-catching title page. Use powerful visuals and concise wording to catch your audience's attention.

3. Keep Your Design Simple

When designing your presentation, keep your overall design simple. Use a limited colour palette and clean fonts. Stick to one or two fonts throughout your entire presentation.

Another way to simplify your presentation slides is to limit the type of animations and transitions. Keep them simple. No weird gimmicks! Reveal your bullet points one by one, so the audience doesn't get ahead of you and get bored.

4. Keep Your Slide Design Consistent

Consistency is vital when designing presentation slides. You want your audience to be able to easily follow your talk without being confused by a sudden change in the slide design. When choosing an aesthetic for your presentation, stick with it throughout the whole speech. This means using the same fonts, colours, and overall layout for each slide.

Select 1-2 fonts and a colour palette. You can use complementary colours to create contrast, as they will be more visually appealing and visible. What is important is you maintain a unified system so the messages are visually cohesive. Use the same font sizes throughout your presentation. Font size should be at a minimum of 28pt so it will be visible when projected. 

If you need to build a colour palette for your slides, I recommend using this free colour contrast analyser tool here.

5. Include Plenty of White Space

When designing your presentation slides, include plenty of white space. This will allow your ideas space to breathe and help sharpen your audience's attention on your content. Too much text results in people reading more than listening. So keep your slide copy to no more than six lines of text with a maximum of six words per line. 

In addition to including plenty of white space in your slide design, you should also leave some space around the edges of each slide. White space also makes your slides look more professional and polished.

If you're unsure how to incorporate white space into your design, try using a simple layout for each slide. Stick to one or two main elements per slide, such as a title and a few bullet points. 

6. Make Use of Powerful Visuals

When it comes to presentation slides, visuals are key. Neuroscientists have found that we process visuals 60,000 times faster than text. Further studies find that our brains decipher image elements simultaneously, while text is decoded in a linear manner. So incorporate powerful visuals into your presentation to make it more engaging and memorable.

There are a few different ways you can add visuals to your slides. First, try using photos or illustrations to break up blocks of text. This will make your slides more visually exciting and easier to digest. You can also use charts and graphs to visualize data or statistics. And if you want to add a bit of flair, consider using video or animation in your presentation.

7. Utilise High-Quality Graphics

If you use graphics in your presentation, be sure to use high-quality images. Blurry or pixilated visuals will make your entire presentation look unprofessional. Stick to images that are at least 1000 pixels wide and clear. If you're unsure where to find high-quality photos, check out free stock photo websites like Unsplash, Pexel, or Pixabay. If you would rather use paid stock photos, you can find them on sites like Shutterstock or iStockphoto.

8. Incorporate Video Into Your Slides

Adding video to your presentation can be a great way to add visual interest and engage your audience. If you're unsure how to incorporate video into your slides, start by adding a short clip to your title page. This will help set the tone for your presentation and give your audience an idea of what to expect. You can also use video to introduce yourself or your company, showcase a product or service, or tell a customer story.

When adding a video to your slides, be sure to embed it instead of pasting the link. This will ensure that your video plays smoothly and doesn't get cut off. You should also preview the video before starting your presentation to ensure it loads correctly and there are no technical issues.

Remember that you don't want your video to be too long. A good rule of thumb is to keep each video clip under two minutes. You also want to ensure your videos are high quality and properly edited. After all, you don't want your presentation interrupted by a buffering video or jarring transitions.

9. Use Charts When Presenting Data

If you're presenting data in your presentation, then you'll want to use charts to make it more visually appealing. This will help your audience better understand the information you're presenting. When choosing a chart, select one that is easy to read and understand. The last thing you want is your audience to be confused about your data.

You can use a few different charts, so choose the one that makes the most sense for your data. For example, bar charts are excellent for comparing data points, while line graphs are good for tracking trends over time. You can also use pie charts to show proportions or percentages.

10. Organise Information Using the Rule of 3

When it comes to content on your slides, less is more. You don't want to overload your audience with too much information. A good rule of thumb is to follow the rule of three and only include three pieces of information per slide to support your message.

You can also use the rule of three to organise your presentation. Try breaking your presentation into three sections, with three main points in each part. Dividing your presentation into three components will help you keep your presentation focused and easy to follow.

Ready to Boost Your Executive Presentation Skills?

Creating visually compelling presentation slides is an essential skill for any business professional. You can design visually appealing and informative slides by following these ten tips. Remember to focus on one takeaway per slide, keep your design simple, and use powerful visuals. And don't forget to utilise the rule of three to keep your presentation organised and focused.

If you want to discuss your organisation’s (corporate, NGOs, Associations and Universities) Public speaking or Presentation skills needs, I offer free 30-minute consultations through my site. I’d love to meet you.