Selecting a color scheme that stirs the desired reaction in your audience is a tricky and challenging process. Unfortunately, picking out an appropriate color scheme isn’t as simple as putting together the colors you like. The color choices used in a PowerPoint presentation reflect the character and personality of your business. When the color wheel offers itself to your imagination, how do you know how to use it correctly?

We cannot underestimate the power of color. It’s a language of its own, influencing emotions and setting the mood for your presentation before you even begin to speak. Presentation slides can convey a relaxed, professional, or confident persona based on the color scheme alone.

What do colors mean?

Starting off with the tough question: what is color?

All that color comes down to is perception. When an object reflects light, it reflects different combinations of wavelengths that our brains interpret as color. And once we begin to understand color theory, we start to have a better understanding of how we perceive colors.

What is color theory?

Color theory offers a foundation for understanding the rules around color and color schemes. It is a basic guideline for mixing colors and analyzes the visual effects of how colors mix or contrast with each other.

Once you understand the logic of color, you can create and use color palettes more effectively and confidently.

Primary colors

Primary colors are colors that cannot be created by mixing colors and they are yellow, red, and blue. When it comes to creating a color palette, the primary colors anchor the color scheme. Meaning that using any one or any combination of the primary colors will place limits on your color scheme when you decide to select other colors.

Secondary colors

The secondary colors are created by mixing the purest form of any two primary colors. The three secondary colors are orange, purple, and green.

Tertiary colors

Tertiary colors take things a step further. They are created by mixing a primary color with a secondary color, making them a mix of several colors. But unlike secondary colors, they are not mixed in equal amounts.

For example, red-purple, or magenta, is a mix of red and purple, meaning it is two parts red and one part blue.

The six tertiary colors are red-purple (magenta), red-orange (vermillion), blue-purple (violet), blue-green (teal), yellow-orange (amber), and yellow-green (chartreuse).

The color theory wheel

The color wheel is a chart that organizes colors in a circle to showcase the relationships between the primary, secondary, and tertiary colors. From the mind of Isaac Newton, a color wheel is a tool used to visualize colors to help facilitate the creation of color schemes. 

What are the additive and subtractive color theories?

The additive and subtractive color models are systems of color reproduction related to how the eye receives light to produce colors.

The additive colors are red, green, and blue, or RGB. The RGB color models are for electronic screens like computers or TVs. It begins with black and then adds red, green, and blue light to convey a spectrum of colors. When more colors are added, the result is lighter and closer to white. With the three colors combined in equal amounts, you get white light.

Meanwhile, the subtractive color model applies to any color typically seen on a physical surface, namely paper. In this model, you subtract colors to get closer to white. The subtractive colors are cyan, magenta, yellow, and key/black (CYMK), and these are usually the colors listed on printer cartridges. When these colors are printed, they absorb the light and appear black.

How to combine colors?

Using the color wheel, we can experiment with color combinations to create original and effective color schemes. There are seven major color schemes in graphic design that designers regularly use and return to.

Warm colors

If you draw a line through the color wheel, it cleanly separates the warm and cool colors. The warm colors are reds, yellows, and oranges, and they are hues associated with energy, brightness, and action.

Cool colors

Cool colors are blues, greens, and purples, and they often connote feelings of peace, calm, and serenity.

Complementary colors

A complementary color scheme comes from combining colors that stand directly opposite each other on the color wheel (such as purple and green, orange and blue) and their respective tints.

Since this color scheme offers a strong contrast, it’s best to use one color as a dominant color and use the second color as an accent in designs. Use contrast to highlight important points in your presentation.

Split complementary colors

A split complementary color scheme features a selected base color and the two colors that neighbor that base color’s complement. The result is a versatile and nuanced color palette that is more diverse than a complementary color scheme while still maintaining a healthy and interesting contrast.

Although this color scheme is easy to achieve, it can be tricky to maintain. A split complementary scheme offers more color combinations, but it takes a bit of experimenting to find a good balance.

Triads and tetradic color combinations

A triadic color combination creates a balanced contrast by featuring three colors at an equal distance from each other on the color wheel, forming a triangle. However, it can feel overwhelming when the colors selected are bold. This can be handled by choosing one color to be the dominant one and using the others sparingly or by selecting a softer tint.

A tetradic color scheme is achieved by drawing a rectangle on the color wheel, resulting in a vibrant color scheme.

Analogous colors

Analogous colors sit next to each other on the color wheel and together create a soothing color scheme. When using analogous colors like red, yellow, and orange together, it’s best to have one color dominate, the second color support, and a third color accent.

Monochromatic colors

With a monochromatic color scheme, you choose one color and support it with its varying shades and tints. The result is a calm and consistent feel that looks polished and professional. This type of color scheme is easy to use since you only need to select one color and then use black, white, or grey to change it. 

How to choose a color scheme?

These formulas for putting together color combinations are easy to pick up with enough practice. Yet, the challenge lies in the other factors you must consider when choosing colors for your color palette, which affect the impact and effectiveness of your color scheme.

Consider the user experience

When creating a presentation, consider the audience and the purpose. For example, using a monochromatic color palette is appropriate for a professional presentation, while complementary palettes are versatile for different types of occasions.

But also remember the details; for example, a bright background could be distracting and make it hard to read the text.

Set a mood for your color scheme

What is the mood you want to convey? If you want an energetic presentation, you’re better off using brighter colors like reds and yellows. While shades of blue are great for creating a peaceful and serene mood. Or you could tone down the clutter by creating negative space in black or white.

Working with high contrast

Be clever with your use of contrast. If you’re using a dark background, use light text that your audience can read, and vice versa. It’s important to use high contrast in more professional presentations to draw the audience’s attention to the contents. Draw attention to your important points with accent colors.

Follow the 60-30-10 rule

Originally an interior design rule, the 60-30-10 principle has proved to be a great tip for graphic design. It adheres to a balance of 60% of the main color (for backgrounds), 30% of the secondary color (filling in shapes or images), and 10% for the accent colors in outlines and text.

Refer to your color wheel

Use the color wheel to your advantage. Refer to it constantly to select color combinations of different color schemes. Sometimes, a color scheme that may look good in theory might not work with your presentation. It takes several tests to find a scheme that resonates with your personality and serves your presentation.

Draft multiple designs

As with any creative endeavor, there is no way to find out how your ideas will work without drafting and experimenting. In your quest of finding the appropriate color scheme, you need to create multiple drafts with your palette suggestions and see which works best. It’s good to step away from your work and sleep on it to refresh your perspective.

Keep it simple

Don’t overthink it. Keep your color scheme simple. A monochromatic palette is a great starting point for beginners since you’d only be working with one color. For more advanced users, try not to work with more than four colors; anchor your design in one dominant color and use the others for support.

Avoid unnecessary usage of color

Exercise restraint. Not every instance will need an explosion of color. For example, in a chart with only two variables, heights, and length suffice as differentiating factors. But when a third or fourth variable is introduced, then the color becomes necessary to emphasize or highlight differences.

Be consistent with color across charts

When using multiple charts and graphs, make sure to be consistent throughout the presentation when referring to the same groups. It keeps the document neat and organized and helps the reader follow along.

Leverage the meaningfulness of color

Different colors hold different meanings and symbolism. If you’re using color in graphs to represent certain groups, then keep in mind the colors they are typically associated with to make it easier for a reader to follow.

A general rule to follow is avoiding high color brightness and saturation or at least keeping them to highlight a particular element. 

Attend to color blindness

Be inclusive of those with color blindness. The most common form of color blindness causes those afflicted to confuse red and green, and less commonly the confusion between yellow and blue. So use variety in the lightness and saturation to differentiate between colors rather than relying only on hue.

Sites like Coblis have color blindness simulators to help you get an idea of how your visuals will look and if there are potential ambiguities.

Types of color palettes

When it comes to data visualization, color is a necessary component in visual aids such as charts and elements. Misusing color could be distracting or confusing, but using color productively helps you tell the story you want to tell. Depending on the data you want to convey, there are different types of color palettes to consider.

Qualitative palette

A qualitative palette is used when the information presented deals with categorical variables such as age groups, countries, race, etc. In a qualitative palette, a distinct color is assigned to each variable or group.

A qualitative palette relies on the colors to differentiate between several variables, so try to limit the palette to no more than ten colors. Any more would create confusion in distinguishing between groups. Play around with hues, lightness, and saturation to create distinctiveness between colors.

It’s also important to maintain overall cohesion to not create unintentional bias by highlighting certain variables more than others.

Sequential palette

A sequential palette is used when the variables are numeric and typically portrayed sequentially. Often in a sequential palette, the lightness or hues are the distinguishing factors between variables.

The use of lightness is the most recognizable form of a sequential palette, which is why a single hue could be used. Low values are connoted with lighter colors, while darker colors are used for higher values. Otherwise, it is recommended to use two adjacent colors from a warm or cool palette.

Diverging palette

A diverging palette is applied when numeric variables have a central value (like zero). It’s useful to think of a diverging palette as two sequential palettes meeting at a middle point. The two sides are assigned two distinctive colors, and as with sequential palettes, lightness is used to portray distance from the central value.

Discrete vs. continuous palette

Sequential and diverging color palettes interact with data values with either discrete colors akin to a numerical value or through a continuous fading function between the variable and color.

Often, the process of creating color palettes follows the first method of using discrete or distinct colors, even though it would make sense to use a continuous color function to communicate the relationship between values.

However, people distinguish details such as length or position more quickly than they do color differences. So discrete palettes highlight patterns in the data, and we can set a clearer range within a discrete palette. While on a continuous palette, data would be pushed into a narrower range.

 

How to create a color scheme for your presentation

With the variety of color schemes and color palettes possible, where do you even begin creating your own? There are many variables involved in building a color scheme for your presentation, so start at the root and select colors appropriate for your goal. You can also reach out to our team for their presentation design (and palette-making) expertise.

Our presentation design services

Pick your colors

Building a color scheme begins with selecting colors that fit your purpose and mood. The process of picking colors is simplified once you can select a base color to build on.

The dominant color

Visual language is very effective in creating a subconscious connection and resonating with your audience. So begin by selecting a dominant color that encapsulates your beliefs and best represents your topic and niche to create the base for your color palette.

The secondary color

A secondary color supports your scheme’s dominant color and makes it stand out more.

The accent color

Accent colors are used to contrast and emphasize points in a presentation. Complementary colors make for perfect accent colors as they offer a bold contrast that attracts the eye. Accent colors are meant to be used sparingly to not overwhelm the viewer.

Keep colors in balance

Maintain a balance with your color palette and diversify the use of colors in highlighting text or brightening slides. Apply the 60-30-10 rule to your dominant, secondary, and accent colors.

Use the theme color palette

When creating your presentation, take advantage of the theme palette feature in PowerPoint and Google Slides. This tool allows you easy access to your color palette and lets you quickly change the colors of text and elements in your presentation at once without having to do them individually.

Use the tools at your disposal

There are several tools available for building a color scheme and using color palettes in presentation and design software. Use them to create a cohesive and engaging color scheme to be used in your presentations.

Tools and resources for using colors

By now, you should have a pretty good idea of color theory and how to build a color scheme. However, that shouldn’t discourage you from using tools and resources that help you speed up the process of selecting the perfect color scheme for your presentation.

Data Color Picker

Data Color Picker is a great tool for generating color schemes for sequential and diverging palettes. Often, some hues are left out between the two endpoints of a sequential palette, but Data Color Picker has a default tab for palettes that is perfect for generating multi-hued palettes.

Chroma.js Color Palette Helper

This tool has detailed options for crafting a color palette, with options for the type of palette desired (sequential, diverging), correcting lightness, and a color blindness simulator. These features of the chroma.js Color Palette Helper allow for more refined and cohesive palettes.

Color Thief

Since there aren’t many tools for creating qualitative palettes, you could extract potential color palettes from images with colors that resemble your intended mood. Color Thief is a tool that lets you generate a color palette from your own uploaded pictures. Although you would need to tweak your options to create an appropriate palette, Color Thief is a great starting point.

Viz Palette

Similar to Coblis, Viz Palette is a color palette tool that allows you to see how your palettes are perceived by individuals with different color perception deficiencies and color contexts. Furthermore, you can alter the color palette instantly in the tool.

Adobe Color

Adobe Color is a free Adobe tool for building color palettes based on different schemes and combinations. Moreover, it offers premade color schemes to play around with, use in your presentation, and even save if you’re an Adobe user.

Illustrator Color Guide

In the Illustrator Color Guide, you could generate a 5-color scheme along with its tints and shades based on the one color you select. And with preset modes, you could select the type of color scheme you want to create. You can save your color palettes to return to them in future presentations.

Preset Color Guides

Chances are, you’re familiar with Microsoft Office products. Well, did you know that all of the Office softwares have preset color schemes that you can use for your projects? In PowerPoint, you can find the color schemes in the Colors menu in the Slide Master view. You could select an option or customize your own.

We all know that presentation design plays a vital role in any business presentation, which is why it is important to be aware of the current presentation trends. Since great sales presentations or pitch decks can win and retain clients and help get that much-needed round of funding, all the details will matter.

In this blog, we will cover some of the most popular presentation trends you can use for your next presentation.

So let’s jump right into it.

Flat Design

Flat design is one of the most popular trends in modern presentation design. It has been around for some time now, and it has become increasingly popular over the years. This trend is characterized by its simplicity and minimalism, making it very appealing to designers looking for something clean and fresh with a minimalistic approach to content layout. 

Minimalist Presentation Design

The minimalist trend is also very popular among designers these days, as it offers a similar approach to flat style but with a more modern twist. This trend focuses on simplicity, cleanliness, and ease of use all of which are qualities that have made this style so popular among users today.

Colorful, Bright, and Bold Styles

Designers are looking for more creative ways to attract audiences. A popular trend in presentations is using colorful and bold colors to make presentations more engaging and eye-catching.

Infographic-Style Slides in Presentations

Infographics are a great way to present data in an interesting and engaging way. They are a type of visual representation created to be both informative and interactive.

Some of the best infographics have been made by designers who have not only mastered their skills, but also understand how to make their work as user-friendly as possible. This means that they need to know how to use color, font size, layout, and other elements to create an infographic that will be easy for the audience to read and understand.

Bold Typography

Designers are increasingly paying attention to typography as a focal point of their work. We are seeing more styles where typography is at the center of presentations.

Custom typography fonts are very beneficial when the goal is to create a professional and unique presentation. They allow for the customization of layouts, text formatting, layering, and line spacing to control the content accurately.

Bonus Tip

Shorter Presentations

With the prevalence of TikTok, Twitter, Instagram Reels, Stories, etc., audiences are now accustomed to content that is short, sweet, and packed with value. This also means that attention spans are extremely short nowadays, and this also applies to presentations. If you can eliminate redundant slides and join different points into one slide, then definitely do it. A short presentation with around ten slides is, by no means, something unusual.

Look at each slide in your presentation and ask yourself, “Can this slide be merged into other slides?” or “Is this really required?”

In conclusion, you could merge your company’s guidelines with current presentation design styles to create eye-catching and trendy slides. If you need help building great presentations without losing control of your brand identity, then speak to our presentation experts at Prezlab.

If you enjoyed this blog, you might also like to read:

Present stories, not just slides

How to choose the best presentation color schemes & combinations

How to effectively structure a “big idea” pitch for maximum impact

It’s super easy to underestimate the influence of PowerPoint design until you come across slides that instantly grab your attention. We’ve all sat through presentations of all kinds: the good, the dull, and the ones with visuals that make us sit up a little straighter.

This is when we recognize how the power of great presentation design has the potential to turn a simple PowerPoint presentation into a captivating experience for an audience. They make the message more compelling and enhance your business presentations by elevating your brand identity.

Why does PowerPoint design work?

01 It’s eye-catching. 

In the digital age, visuals are often the first thing people notice. That makes delivering information more effective when conveyed visually. Using an engaging PowerPoint slide design evokes curiosity and turns quiet interest into an eagerness to learn more about your topic.

02 It’s effective.

Most people are visual learners, meaning that other than listening, your audience should be able to follow along through visual aids. Charts, graphs, timelines, images, and others are all excellent ways of incorporating visual elements, especially ones that serve both an aesthetic and functional purpose, into your presentation design.

03 It’s straightforward.

Your presentation will benefit from engaging PowerPoint designs that help communicate your ideas more clearly. We don’t pick up on information when it’s presented to us in a box of text. We do, however, remember when the material is represented in a cohesive visual representation that is easier to understand.

04 It helps the presenter.

Clear PowerPoint design cleans up the flow, allowing the presenter to follow a coherent narrative and presentation. When the presenter can respond accordingly to a visual cue in their presentation, it keeps them more focused and intentional as they speak.

What are the effects of a great PowerPoint presentation design?

01 It makes a good impression.

There’s no need to emphasize the effect a powerful first impression can have on a business. Having business presentation slides that look good presents a cohesive and credible brand identity. So, solidify your presence with a killer visual representation of your brand identity to leave a strong impression on decision-makers in the audience.

02 It shows that you respect your audience.

We know you have prepared for your presentation, but how can your audience? PowerPoint design gives the impression that you put in effort for your presentation and are therefore a trusted source of information in your field. Any audience member can recognize a clean slide design as a sign of someone who knows what they’re talking about

03 It benefits your audience.

One of the main purposes of presentation design is to communicate new information clearly. People retain information better when it is communicated in smaller pieces. When you design a PowerPoint with the audience in mind, you can tailor it based on their background and understanding. That way, you guarantee that they walk away having learned and understood your message.

Great, now where can we start? 

So, where does one begin creating a smooth presentation slide design? Well, for starters, having a clear-cut outline of your content gives you a starting point on how to organize your information. Keep in mind details such as the color palette, images, and volume of text when creating your presentation slides.

From there, you can effectively build engaging presentation slide designs.

At Prezlab, we believe great presentation design should be accessible to everyone. That’s why we have loads of free and premium templates, free slide evaluations, and a team of presentation design enthusiasts ready to transform your ideas into sleek, beautiful designs.

Leave your competitors in the dust and grab those prized page-one positions with near-perfect on-page SEO

Most businesses can feel daunted and overwhelmed by SEO, and there is a good reason too. There are thousands of factors that impact rankings and they are constantly changing. To make things easier, we put together this checklist to help you nail your on-page SEO. And in some low-competition industries, taking these steps could be all that you need to rank on Google’s first page. Alternatively, you can hire an SEO and Digital Marketing agency in Dubai.

A Foolproof SEO Checklist

01 Setup Google Search Console – it’s a powerful tool by Google and is very handy in spotting and fixing SEO issues on a website. Plus, it’s free and super easy to set up.

02 What you do not track, you cannot improve. Set up Google Analytics and configure your conversion goals according to the most important actions you want users to take on the site. This tool is free and incredibly easy to set up and configure.

03 Go a step further and set up Google Tag Manager and set up more conversion-related events like clicks on phone numbers, emails, and other actions that are meaningful to you.

04 If your site is on WordPress, install the Yoast SEO plugin. This plugin makes it super easy to perform several SEO-related tasks such as optimizing meta tags and creating a robots.txt file and sitemap.

05 Keywords research – use the Google keywords tool and Google suggestions in search to find the best keywords to optimize your pages. You can also use tools like Keyword Tool to make your keyword research process easier.

06 Try to include your best keywords in your URLs. There is a lot of data out there that proves that having keywords in the URLs helps pages rank better and have a higher CTR.

07 Map out your keywords so that you have 2-4 keywords that would be used on each of your main pages (such as services pages or category pages for eCommerce websites). Use your toughest keywords with the highest search volume on your homepage.

08 Use your most important keyword (for a given page) as high up on the page as possible – ideally within the first 150 words of that page.

09 Use your most important keyword (on a given page) in the H1 tag of that page. Use only one H1 per page.

10 Use your second most important keyword in the H2 tags of that page. Have up to 3-5 H2 tags on each page.

11 Write well-thought-out meta titles for each page by starting your meta title with the page’s most important keyword. Try to keep your meta titles under 60 characters. Meta titles are a huge factor for on-range factors, so you really want to get this right.

12 Write well-thought-out meta descriptions. Pro tip: treat your meta descriptions as ad text. One way to do it is to take inspiration from the ads on Google. Meta descriptions are not a direct ranking factor, but they can improve your CTR that then impact your rankings.

13 Optimize your images – name your images with your keywords and include your keywords in the ALT tags of each image. Don’t forget to compress your images before uploading.

14 Log into Google Search Console and check for any 404 pages – 301 redirects the 404 pages to the most relevant pages. If you can not figure out the most relevant page to redirect users to, redirect them to the homepage.

15 Internally link to your most important pages. Make sure each of your most important pages is internally linked to all the other pages. Crosslink your strong pages with other strong pages.

16 Set up an XML sitemap.

17 Set up a robots.txt page and other no-index pages that should not be on Google – such as login pages, thank you pages, pages behind a paywall or a password, and pages such as privacy policy and terms and conditions, etc.

18 Make sure all of the external links on your site are tagged “no-index.”

19 Make sure your pages are mobile-friendly. We can’t stress the importance of this enough. Use this mobile-friendliness testing tool.

20 Check for broken links on the site using this tool. The 301 redirects any 404 pages to the most relevant page.

21 Use HTTPS instead of HTTP. And ensure all your pages are redirecting to the HTTPS versions. HTTPS is a definite ranking factor in 2021 and it’s pretty easy to set up. Here is a guide to help you along your way.

22 Optimize your page speed. Check your page speed with the Google Pagespeed Insights tool. This tool will tell you what your page speed score is and what elements on your pages need to be optimized to move the needle in the right direction. Sometimes it can be challenging to bump up the page speed, and if that’s the case, we recommend using a tool such as this one.

23 Use schema markup wherever possible on your site’s pages. Use the schema testing tool to make sure your schema is implemented correctly. Implementing schema can be tricky so make sure you understand how it works.

24 Research and write great content before sharing it on social media.

Keep in mind you can always hire a professional SEO company to take care of your on-page and off-page SEO. Prezlab specializes in SEO, social media management, and digital marketing, specializing in presentation design, branding, and video production.

 

 

Every great marketer knows that if you haven’t hopped on the video marketing train by now, then you and your business are missing out! Once upon a time, the answer might have been a TV commercial that pulled at heartstrings or showing off a company’s results in a newspaper spread. But now every major and minor player is going for the one medium that’s perfectly tailored for human communication: online video!

To get a better understanding of what we’re talking about, check out our brand-new YouTube video right here!

Online video comes in many different shapes and sizes. You have your vertical short-format videos on TikTok and Instagram, then there are widescreen long-format videos on channels like YouTube and LinkedIn. Before diving into the video trends for 2024, we need to understand which style and platform best suit your needs. So strap in for a wonderful read through the video marketing world.

The Platforms

All of these channels are perfect outlets for you to communicate with your community, but each platform demands its own tonality, approach, and style.

YouTube

The oldest platform on this list and the king of long-form video content. Here is where you focus on storytelling; since it allows for a longer video format, you can get into detail about whatever topic you wish to discuss. You will also need to bump up your quality and make it look a bit cinematic. And finally, the thumbnails. If your thumbnails catch people’s attention, they’re more likely to click through to the video.

TikTok

This is where we see the most diversity in content. The quality, length, and style are all varied, and you just have to find your place in it. The one thing that all TikToks have in common is authenticity. People who go on TikTok want to see real people. Try to keep it light and engaging, and don’t be afraid to jump on trends to increase your reach.

Instagram

The app is all about aesthetics. Find yours and go crazy! Videos on Instagram are similar in concept to those on TikTok, but a little less raw and spontaneous and more touched up. This is the perfect place to showcase your company’s culture through your video marketing. Your team is full of interesting people; tell us about them! A quick, digestible piece of advice is another good idea.

LinkedIn

It is the platform for networking and is excellent for reaching a B2B audience. Considering the nature of the platform, it’s better to be concise. Get to your point fast, and make sure that you’re either selling something or adding value. People value their time on LinkedIn and want to connect, learn, and grow as fast as possible.

Facebook

The platform that has everyone, literally. Being the first social media platform comes with its perks, which include having the highest number of users. The platform’s age means that it will include a diverse range of audience members, from business owners to old classmates and distant relatives. While it may not be the best way to grow your business organically, ads on Facebook do perform very well. So make sure the videos that go here are talking about what you offer people.

X

Twitter, X, or whatever you want to call it, is the perfect place to get a conversation started, but not always ideal for B2B companies. However, consumers love to interact directly with the companies they consume. A perfect example is Wendy’s, who are always conversing with customers and showcasing their brand’s personality with mischief and humor.

Here are 5 hot video marketing trends for 2024:

Now enough about the platforms, let’s understand the trends that will shape your content strategy in the coming year:

1 – Smartphone production

“Just use your smartphone camera; you already have it.” – MKBHD

Fun fact: 90% of video consumption is on mobile! Another fun fact: almost all videos on the Prezlab Instagram feed are made using a smartphone. You don’t need a RED camera or a Sennheiser shotgun microphone to shoot good content. All you need is a smartphone, a well-lit room, and strong and valuable content. And if you get creative with editing, most people will be unable to tell what device you’re shooting on!

2 – Using AI

Artificial Intelligence has been mentioned in every news article, tech announcement, and even movies lately. And for good reason. AI is a tool that can easily elevate video marketing strategies with its assistance. If you’re creating videos, AI can help you with ideation, script writing, shooting, video editing, and everything in between.

Let us walk you through a typical video shoot and look at where you can plug in AI. Imagine you’re trying to create a video sharing some design tips. You can begin by sharing your ideas with ChatGPT to write a script. After you’ve tweaked that script to work for your tone of voice, you can record it, and then, using a captions app, have the captions cut and aligned with the video. Using AI, you can also add automatic on-screen captions, images, and emojis. Once you’re happy with the results, you can finally export and publish.

3 – Vlogs

Who doesn’t love a good vlog? A great step in making a brand seem more human is sharing talking head vlogs. It’s a great way to showcase your brand’s personality, build a deeper connection with your audience, and add value to the viewers. If you infuse that with your experiences with some “day in the life” or “behind the scenes” style videos, it will definitely make your viewers feel like they have an insight into how you work. Remember, authenticity wins hearts.

4 – Social media stories

The best way to get engagement on social platforms is through stories. Stories are as raw as it gets, and people love to see content that feels organic. Quick updates, teasers—maybe even ask your audience what they want to see from you. With the addition of question stickers, quizzes, polls, gifs, and a million other features, stories will have your audience hooked and always coming back for more. Plus, the added benefit that they disappear after 24 hours means that they won’t affect how your feed looks, so there’s a lot less to think about.

5 – Educational video content

The essential purpose behind video marketing is to create content that educates, entertains, and leaves your audience inspired. Shaping your videos around educational content that provides value to your audience by contributing to your brand’s niche keeps the audience coming back for more. And there are plenty of ways to do so. How-to videos, industry insights, tips, and tricks can leave your audience feeling enriched, inspired, and ready to jump into action!

A recurring theme you can see in all of the video marketing trends is organic content. Professional cinematic TV commercials are not the way to go on social media. As a presentation design agency, we know what it takes to effectively communicate with an audience: people want to see content that talks to them, not at them. If you’d like to see more tips and tricks on creating awesome content, be sure to follow us on Instagram. Let’s make 2024 an unforgettable year for content creation!

Infographics are an essential tool for data communication in the digital age. Simplifying complex data points in a clean, concise, and appealing manner, they are used across different fields and industries. Much like the rest of the design world, infographic design is an evolving medium that is constantly innovating and expanding. In the digital age, we have become more reliant on images as a source of information, and in this article, we will explore what new directions infographic design will take us in 2024. 

Considering that information overload is a common challenge, data-driven storytelling leverages the natural appeal of stories to make data approachable and influential. Data-driven storytelling has been at the forefront of infographic design for a while now, and it won’t be going away anytime soon. Now, designers use storytelling as an essential element in presenting narratives rooted in data. By fusing creative visuals and narratives driven by data, you get data visualizations that display engaging stories that inspire action in their viewers.

Minimalist and clean aesthetics

As always, minimalism stands out as a pillar in timeless infographic design that flawlessly balances style and functionality. The beauty of simple, clean lines, uncluttered layouts, and a limited color palette serves the data it showcases with impactful design. One of the main tenets of this approach is the use of white space, which creates breathing room for the most crucial information to stand out. Plus, thoughtful color choices will guide the viewer through the infographic and make its key points pop. Most notably, a clear hierarchy of information is a tenet of minimalist visualizations, where every element serves a purpose and points directly to the next one. 

Mixed media infographic design

One notable trend in the evolving landscape of infographic design is the use of mixed-media art styles. Considering the value authenticity holds for many consumers, custom illustrations will boost their appeal. Hand-drawn and collaged infographics showcase originality and offer a uniquely personal touch. Moreover, this personal touch can forge a connection of trust with the viewer, considering that this style can convey empathy and understanding in its whimsical and personalized style. 

Large headers 

In our blog about accessibility, we discuss how incorporating alt text and using high color contrast are ways to enhance the user experience, as is the use of readable fonts.

As accessibility takes center stage in design, large text is being embraced more and more in infographic design to cater to a diverse audience, ensuring that those with impairments or disabilities can navigate and understand the content. Using bold, eye-catching headings helps guide the viewer’s eye along the points, creating an easy-to-follow hierarchy of information.

Guided infographics

Guided infographics that use a notable flow of information simplify complicated concepts and decision trees, making the data shared more accessible to a broader audience. By breaking down ideas into digestible steps, these infographics hold tremendous visual appeal and easily convey information for a shareable post. In the digital realm, in particular, guided infographics have become an invaluable tool for online learning and aiding individuals in the way they experience new information.

Divisible content

Divisible content is a smart way to maximize the impact of your content by breaking down larger information pieces into bite-sized pieces for different platforms. The data you wish to share would be reduced into mini-infographics for a social media carousel or microcontent to stretch out its reach. The purpose behind divisible content is to adapt information and content into several formats and reuse them across different mediums. That way, viewers can retain small pieces of information rather than be overwhelmed by everything at once. 

Infographic videos

A trend worth mentioning is the emergence of infographic videos. By integrating the power of infographics into video content, you can create dynamic content that is both informative and shareable. This exciting approach uses the strengths of each medium and combines them, resulting in a compelling tool for conveying complex information seamlessly and effectively for greater understanding. Instagram reels, in particular, have been a vehicle for popularizing infographic videos recently, as creators are constantly experimenting with the medium. This trend reflects the desire for more immersive and accessible content that caters to the digital audience.

Carousel infographics

With the increasing reliance on smartphones and tablets as the primary means for viewing information, data visualization must be able to adapt to smaller screens. Creating carousel infographics on platforms such as Instagram and LinkedIn allows users to survey the content for a more user-friendly and intuitive viewing experience. Utilizing carousels to showcase infographics takes advantage of the platform and adapts to its horizontal format, which makes for easy scrolling on mobile devices. Not only does this cater to mobile accessibility, but it also remains a versatile way to showcase data conveniently.

Infographic design is continuously evolving to adapt to new developments in technology, and as a communication tool, it is an indispensable tool that cannot be underestimated. By embracing these new directions in infographic design, designers can create impactful works that effectively engage and educate their viewers in meaningful ways.

References:
(1): https://www.behance.net/gallery/6237395/Information-Graphics-Tube-Map-Passengers-Per-Week 

(2): https://www.deviantart.com/nbyrdman/art/Infographic-1-Mixed-Media-645686294

(3): https://elvindantes.com/image/138155001229

(4): https://www.pinterest.com/pin/484629609913920140/

(5): https://www.behance.net/gallery/26057619/Mini-Photo-Infographics

(6) https://dribbble.com/shots/12438588-String-Soul-Instagram-Carousel-Post 

Public speaking can be a nerve-wracking experience. The anxiety before speaking builds up, making your heart rate rise and your palms sweaty. All of this is completely natural, as public speaking is one of the most common fears people hold. However, you can use these fears to your advantage and turn them into speaking strengths. In this blog, we will look into different tips you can apply to become a more impactful and confident speaker, just in time for your next presentation.

Understand the expectations

Before you begin your speech, you should have a solid background on all the essential information. This would include the location, technical setup, presentation time slot, format, dress code, and others. When you have this information, you can tailor your presentation and prepare yourself more productively. For example, knowing the space’s resources will help you prepare any equipment you need; knowing the time slot you have will help you manage your time; and knowing the dress code can help you pick out an appropriate outfit.

Plus, it also reduces anxiety regarding technical or logistical obstacles by giving you a heads-up beforehand and avoiding last-minute surprises. Preparedness in all areas helps you approach your speech more comfortably and confidently, ensuring a smoother experience.

Know who you’re talking to 

A presentation is not just about reciting information; it should be a tailored experience for your audience to build understanding. Before you begin preparation, understand who your audience is by understanding their demographics, interests, and needs. By knowing who you’re addressing, you can determine the level of information to share, choose the right words, and structure your speech so that they can follow along and resonate with what you say.

Structure your material

A memorable presentation goes beyond the script you’ve written for yourself to deliver; how you arrange your content impacts how your audience receives it. As you prepare, craft a solid outline for your speech that defines your topic, purpose, central idea, and main points. A structure helps the audience follow along by keeping the speaker on track and avoiding going on tangents. Choose a single central idea and build your presentation around it, with every point you make circling back to it. Through the structure, the audience will still remember the essential main point, even if they only retain a small fraction of your presentation.

Start strong 

Starting on the right foot with an engaging opening, such as an interesting anecdote or a strong fact that establishes your credibility, can give a sense of what’s to come. A great hook piques the audience’s interest and is the strong first impression your speech needs. In public speaking, your opening can make all the difference. Equally important is how you end your speech—to leave a lasting impression, reiterate your main points by closing the loop and circling back to your central message.

Make it your own

No one knows how to connect with a robot. Monotone recitation of your slides’ content does not do much for your audience and may actually harm your credibility. The audience will value your insights more when they see that a real person is behind them, and connecting with your listeners becomes a lot more effortless when you aren’t holding yourself back too much. Embrace authenticity and be yourself; make your presentation your own by letting your personality show.

Adapt to feedback

To excel at public speaking, you must maintain awareness of your audience and adapt to their reactions as you present. You have to be flexible with the way you speak, gauging your listeners’ engagement and making adjustments as you go to ensure that your message resonates. Your presentation should not lack responsiveness to the audience; otherwise, you can very easily lose their attention or confuse them. By being attuned to your audience, you can pick up on the cues your audience is giving and engage with them better by adapting to them accordingly.

Repeat yourself

Do not underestimate the importance of repetition. You might feel like a broken record in practice, but in fact, it helps your listeners retain your information better. Your audience cannot rewind your speech, so repeating your major points throughout the presentation becomes a way to ensure your message sticks. To maximize its impact even further, make sure to keep the main message concise and powerful for it to be truly memorable.

Embrace the nerves 

Feeling nervous in the days leading up to your speaking engagement is natural; the key is not to let these jitters convince you that you will do poorly. Rather, think of how you can use these nerves to your advantage. The adrenaline from your nerves makes you more alert and present, making you sharper and quicker on your feet to adapt to the audience’s reactions. To address pre-presentation nerves, however, preparation is essential. Take the time to thoroughly review your notes until you are comfortable with them, and practice saying them out loud repeatedly. And once again, nerves are not the enemy.

Public speaking is often an essential skill to learn, and it is possible to master with the right approach. Structuring your material, starting with an engaging hook, and understanding your audience are all strategies that can enhance your speaking skills, every aspect of which plays a role in helping you deliver a memorable presentation. Whether preparing for a lecture or a consulting presentation, take the first step and apply these strategies to your next presentation to unlock the confident speaker within!

Speaker notes for a PowerPoint are often an underestimated and neglected tool; they are the secret weapon for any confident presenter. They are the lifeline that keeps the presentation smooth and on track. In this blog, we will look into the benefits of using speaker notes and how to use them to their fullest potential.

The benefits of using speaker notes

Speaker notes are the behind-the-scenes ally of any presenter. Easily a confidence booster, speaker notes discreetly display your notes and numbers to keep you on track and articulate.

Enhancing speaker confidence

The advantage of speaker notes is that, first and foremost, they offer a safety net for presenters to fall back on so they don’t miss a point. Knowing that they have a boost ready for them when they need it instills confidence in presenters, so they feel well-prepared. Using speaker notes you can have a reference point to return to, which helps you focus on engaging your audience rather than worrying about forgetting details you need to mention.

Streamlining the presentation flow

Speaker notes guide you as you move through your presentation, offering a clear roadmap for you to follow. When the narrative flows seamlessly, it’s easier for the audience to pay attention and follow along. You can avoid potential obstacles or lags by mapping out the narrative within the speaker notes beforehand, as you would with storyboarding. With speaker notes, presenters can also outline their presentations to have a logical structure and a natural flow of ideas, which helps you avoid stumbling over your words or losing track of where you are. That way, the audience is treated to a truly enriching presentation experience.

Facilitating audience engagement

Engagement connects the audience and presenter, turning one-sided monologues into captivating dialogues. Speaker notes can be used to provide cues to help the presenter remember what to say, including discussion prompts and strategic signals for when to use audience interaction.

By incorporating purposeful notes, you can easily incorporate interactive segments into your presentation for a two-way discussion.

Crafting effective speaker notes

Creating effective speaker notes is an essential, yet underrated, skill for any presenter. As you present, these notes will be your lifeline, which is why it’s so important for them to be a useful guide for delivering a seamless presentation.

Balancing detail and brevity

When creating your notes, balancing detail and brevity is necessary to avoid any confusion when you present. These notes should have enough information to keep you on track, but not so much that you need a minute to read them all. This rule also applies when trying to achieve balance; you must consider what you can afford to leave out of your notes. By maintaining brief and straightforward notes, you can make the most of your script.

Ensuring readability

When creating helpful speaker notes, it goes without saying that readability should be at the forefront of your concerns. Your notes should be simple and digestible enough that you should be able to understand them at a glance as you speak, so avoid complicated language and complex terms that require rereading. Also, consider using a readable sans-serif and sizing your content large enough to read. After all, your speaker notes should enable you to present better; they shouldn’t be an obstacle.

Handling Q&A sessions efficiently

Speaker notes are your best ally when you present, so it’s important to use them to their fullest potential. Especially when faced with a Q&A session, your notes serve as your backup information for the more unexpected questions. By purposefully preparing your speaker notes with answers to anticipated questions, you can boost your confidence and navigate the session with ease.

How do you add speaker notes in PowerPoint?

Luckily, adding speaker notes to PowerPoint is incredibly simple and requires no fuss. All you need to do is go to the slide you want to add your notes to, select Notes at the bottom of your screen, and type out the notes under the slide.

How do you project speaker notes in PowerPoint during a presentation?

When the presentation is connected to another output (like a monitor or projector), PowerPoint is built to display the speaker’s notes only to the presenter. Once you have added your notes, you can go to the Slide Show tab and click on Presenter View to put the slides up on display. With Presenter View, you will still be able to see your speaker notes and slides, while the audience will only see your slides.

Speaker notes are a powerful sidekick for creating dynamic and fluent presentations. They allow presenters to be more prepared, confident, and fluent by helping facilitate a smooth flow of ideas and ensure an engaging experience for the audience. Every word counts when you present, and speaker notes offer a solid base to bounce off of.

In the captivating world of TED Talks, these speakers offer a goldmine of presentation wisdom and inspiration. Plenty of lessons can be found in the hundreds of talks from all types of speakers across countries, disciplines, and industries. In this blog, we will learn more about the key approaches these presenters use that can elevate your presentation to a whole new level. As we explore the valuable lessons that TED Talks offer us, these strategies will help you forge a meaningful connection with the audience.

What we can learn from TED Talks 

Focus on one central idea

Do not use your presentation as an opportunity to dump as much information on your audience as possible. Rather, use this time to focus on one topic and do it justice. The aim of your presentation should be to have the audience walk away with a central thesis that stays in their minds and hearts. Straying away from your main idea by trying to cover several topics at once will distract the audience and take attention away from your main points. So build your slides to serve one main message, where every point connects back to your thesis.

Start with your “why”

Calling back to Simon Sinek’s famous presenting style, many TED Talks borrow his technique of starting with your “why.” When you understand your own “why,” you can build a connection with your audience by compelling them to consider your core motivations for your presentation. But first, you need to ask yourself this question. Establishing your motives allows you to zero in on what your purpose is, what your goal is, and what your action plan is. Your “why” provides a direction to go forward with, allowing you to pursue it with authenticity and purpose.

Give your examples first before you explain your points

You can’t really have an audience get on board with your vision without painting them a vivid picture first, and the best way to do that is by providing examples. In other words, show, don’t tell. Share examples by telling stories and testimonials to provide background before explaining your points, as this technique naturally offers a hook for each section of your presentation. In many TED Talks, notice how many times the speaker uses a story as an example. You’ll also notice that it will take a while to reach their main topic. It might seem random, but it is done intentionally to draw in the listeners.

Build rapport

Building on our previous point, sharing stories also plays a large role in building rapport with the audience. Through them, you gain their trust and investment in your speech. By engaging with them through stories and humor, you capture their attention and build some understanding between each other, cultivating a relationship. Once you’re able to hit it off with members of your audience, you can communicate your message with impact. Hone in on this strategy by placing your most significant points towards the end of your presentation when the audience is most likely to remember it.

Speech pace isn’t that important

A lot of presenting advice out there encourages speakers to speak slowly to enunciate their words. We’re here to tell you that it doesn’t actually matter. Across different TED Talks, the speakers vary in their speaking styles, the most notable being their pace. In some of the most popular talks, the speaker speaks slowly, with purpose and sincerity, and in a manner that draws the audience in. However, other popular talks feature very energetic speakers who jump around in excitement and speak at a great speed. This means that the pace doesn’t play a big role the way you think it does. Whenever you present, it is your personality and passion that make an impact.

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel

In our fast-paced world of ideas and innovation, it’s easy to get caught up in the race to pursue groundbreaking ideas and concepts. However, if there’s anything we can learn from TED, it’s that original ideas don’t exist. And that’s not a bad thing. Many of the most impactful TED Talks are centered around familiar concepts that have been around for a long time. It is liberating to know that you don’t need to reinvent the wheel every time you want to share your knowledge or ideas with others.

What these examples tell us is that it’s not necessarily about having a groundbreaking idea but rather about how you approach and communicate these ideas, which is what makes a presentation successful. The power lies in a presenter’s ability to share familiar concepts in a fresh way to resonate with their audience. It’s about revamping how you present these ideas.

Minimalist design

Minimal design plays a large role in TED speeches, providing us with several examples to be inspired by. These speakers know that simple visuals allow for the message to shine through without being overshadowed. When creating presentation slides, embracing minimalism encourages you to remove any potential distractions and focus on your key ideas, thus fostering a closer connection with listeners. Minimalism as a principle extends far beyond TED Talks; it is a timeless and universal concept that will always guarantee an enhanced slide deck. So, remember, less is often more when showcasing your message.

As we’ve explored, TED Talks offers many examples to learn from. The techniques used by TED speakers are tried and true, sharing many valuable lessons to incorporate into your own presentations. From finding your “why” to building rapport, these strategies will ensure that you build a profound connection with your audience. So as you plan out your next presentation, integrate these methods to deliver a truly memorable speech.

Reference:

• https://blog.ted.com/10-tips-for-better-slide-decks/ 

We are at the very center of a massive turning point in the marketing industry. Here are some basic ideas to help you navigate and be more effective.

It’s easy to get caught up in the digital marketing strategies from a few years back. In 2021, every tactic you use has probably been updated or abandoned. In this blog, we want to share some of our experience, knowledge, and understanding of modern digital marketing.

Digital marketing strategies to use:

Leverage the power of short-form videos

Millennials prefer Facebook and Instagram, while Gen Z prefers Snapchat and TikTok. The increased demand for short-form video content makes it more lucrative for brands to employ social media influencers. The marketing teams of many companies realize that people are spending more time on social media, and they have started to focus their budgets on social media channels. Quick and catchy videos are currently loved by marketers, especially for their ability to target younger customers.

TikTok for Business recently launched new advertising options, so marketers should take advantage and get started on TikTok and Snapchat. When it comes to short-form videos, you need to strike a balance between brand messaging and the casual tone of the format, which will require research into your target demographic, strategy, creativity, and an understanding of their attention span – which is around 8 seconds.

Looking for a social media agency in Dubai? Look no further.

Content is (still) king in 2021

Content marketing connects you with your audience and helps you build trust. It is one of the best ways to engage and convert your audience. Content marketing costs 62% less but generates 3x more leads than outbound marketing. One way to get the most out of your content is to write about topics relevant to your company’s brand. A study found that companies with business blogs generate leads at an incredible rate of 126%. However, content marketing to sell your products and services is relevant for more than just blogs. There are also e-books, whitepapers, infographics, listicles, and email marketing campaigns.

“Word of mouth is the primary factor behind 20 percent to 50 percent of all purchasing decisions.”

Berger, Jonah, Contagious: Why Things Catch On

Artificial Intelligence and automation – the new norm

As more companies recognize the benefit of applying AI to customer service, they are working to create chatbots to integrate into their existing website or systems. However, you can’t expect a chatbot to do everything that a human can. But if used correctly, it can seem like one of your employees is helping. It’s no wonder that more and more companies worldwide are starting to use AI in their sales process. Marketing automation is a digital marketing trend that is becoming the new norm.

Action items that are more relevant than ever:

01 Update your website with a new modern look that is responsive on all devices. It’s surprising how some websites still struggle with outdated web designs and slow loading speeds.

02 Set up tracking and analytics to get as much data as possible on website performance and user engagement. Apart from the usual suspects – Google Analytics and Google Search Console, we also highly recommend using tools such as Lucky Orange or Crazy Egg to gain deeper insights into user behavior with heatmaps and user session recordings.

03 Tie together all your marketing activities on all channels like Google Search Console, email, Facebook, Instagram, organic, and others to re-reach users on multiple channels regardless of where they came from initially.

And lastly, keep in mind that digital marketing is one half of the equation when it comes to winning online – the other half is getting people to talk about your brand. We wrote a blog on achieving that which you can read here.

If you wish to learn more about this subject and gain rich insights into why certain things “catch on” then we highly recommend the book Contagious: Why Things Catch On by Jonah Berger.

 

How to Design Presentations for Maximum Attention and Impact

Designing presentations is a process that involves creating and arranging slides, text, images, audio, and video to communicate the main points. But before designing your presentation, you should be clear about the purpose. Ask yourself, “What is it really that you want to communicate?”

The purpose of a presentation may be to persuade, inform, or entertain. To create a successful persuasive slides, you need to know your audience well and understand their preferences. More on this later.

Here are some key ideas that would help you do it right.

In most cases and with some types of presentations, positioning yourself as an expert on the subject helps a lot in building trust

01 Prepare killer visuals
02 Providing relevant facts and statistics wherever necessary without overdoing it
03 Presenting clear and convincing arguments

A presentation should focus on making the information as clear and concise as possible. It’s not just a slideshow of words; it is a story, giving insight into your thinking.

What Makes a Great Presentation

A good or bad presentation design can make all the difference in most cases.

For starters, a good slide deck should be clear and concise. It should draw in the audience with its visuals and help them stay focused on the core message being delivered. It should also be easy to understand and easy to read.

Essentially, the keys to a great presentation can be boiled down to four pillars:

01 Content
02 Audience
03 Structure
04 Consistency

Great slide design should first and foremost provide support for your content. This content could include supporting graphics, charts, outlines, images or videos, diagrams, timelines, and so on.

Additionally, ensure the content is relevant to the audience and at the appropriate level of detail. This is where knowing your audience goes a long way and pays rich dividends in the world of presentation success.

Before you crack your fingers, roll up your sleeves, and start putting together your slides, you need to draw out the outline or structure of your slides. Ask yourself, “What is the best way to unfold your argument?” or “Should you start with a story or a statistic?” or “Should you go over the values behind the message first or cover that after you have given statistical evidence?”

A well-thought-out outline can make a world of difference. If you get this wrong, you run the risk of making the slides messy and confusing.

Lastly, a well-designed presentation displays content effectively through consistent use of typography, color, imagery, illustration, and sequencing. A consistent design should make each element of the design work well and nicely tie everything together.

Parting Pro Tips…

Try to sum up your key point for the audience in one sentence. Remember just one key point, not two or three. This way, if the audience fails to remember anything about your presentation, they will at least remember the one central idea.

Now, think about what you actually need to show to drive that point home. Most people make the mistake of adding too much superfluous information—data, graphs, etc. However, what you really need is one stat or number that gets to the heart of the idea you are arguing for.

Use simpler graphics as much as possible to simplify the text. For instance, use overlapping circles to indicate a common ground between two options or side-by-side boxes to show options. These visual cues are registered in our brains at a deeper level compared to words.

If you found this interesting, then you will definitely love to read 5 Presentation Lessons You Can Learn from Steve Jobs.

Also, in case you haven’t noticed, Prezlab specializes in engaging and persuasive presentation design, along with video production and animation, and branding in Dubai and across the UAE and GCC.

 

Creative burnout is the silent killer behind even the most passionate designers. Recognizing the signs is crucial for preventing creatives from working themselves to exhaustion. Prevention is key; rethinking your workflow can help preserve a healthy creative flow. And if it’s too late and you’ve already burned yourself out, there are still remedies to manage it and bring you back to life!

What is creative burnout?

In a work context, burnout is a state of constant exhaustion. And for creatives, burnout is not just being tired; it’s a crushing sense of failure. Especially for those who tie their identity to their work, losing confidence can feel devastating. Creative burnout happens when several stress triggers pile up and begin to affect the body. Self-doubt, perfectionism, long work hours, looming deadlines, and a lack of boundaries are all factors that, when combined, bring down even the most passionate designers. It’s a state of mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion that can affect anyone involved in the creative industry, and recognizing the signs of burnout is crucial for learning how to navigate its murky waters.

What does creative burnout feel like 

Creative burnout manifests itself in different ways, often leaving people frustrated and uneasy. The symptoms of creative burnout and waving red flags need to be addressed before they build up and begin to take a toll on your well-being. One of the first (and most common) symptoms is self-doubt. When designers start second-guessing themselves and questioning their abilities, it can be a sign that they are beginning to burn out. Close to self-doubt is irritability. When there is constant indecision, it is often accompanied by flare-ups of frustration that impact both work and relationships.

Another important symptom is procrastination. When you are unable to meet deadlines and struggle to prioritize your tasks because of procrastination, you might be grappling with burnout. Fatigue is also common; it can manifest as a lack of ideas or motivation caused by pervasive exhaustion that makes every task feel monumental and simple projects feel impossible.

In essence, creative burnout comes from a blend of different factors: overwhelming stress, boredom, unrealistic expectations, lack of control, lack of appreciation, too many tasks, and a monotonous routine. Stress can lead to disconnect and a loss of motivation, and recognizing the symptoms is the beginning of effective remedies to combat it.

Managing and avoiding creative burnout

Keeping the creative flow moving needs a reevaluation of the current workflow. And since prevention is better than cure, here are some points to help you rethink your work system to avoid burning out:

Time management and planning

In creative work, time management and solid planning are strong defenses against burnout. Designers tend to juggle several projects and tasks at once, each with their own deadlines and guidelines, making effective time management techniques a necessity. Don’t try to do it all; set realistic goals and timelines for yourself, and base your priorities on your deadlines. By pacing yourself, your creative rhythm remains sustainable and vibrant.

Taking (real) breaks

The thing about creativity is that you can never tell when inspiration might strike, and in the pursuit of perfection, it might feel like you are always in demand. Incorporating work-life balance helps you prioritize your mental and physical well-being through a mindful approach. Take real and meaningful breaks; this includes disconnecting from your work entirely and indulging in different activities. Stepping away from your work allows you to replenish your creative reserves, so schedule small breaks throughout your calendar to take for yourself.

Communication and boundaries

To avoid creative burnout, two of the most important weapons in your arsenal are communication and setting boundaries. Creatives often find themselves working on several tasks at once with endless streams of feedback and adjustments, and here communication becomes paramount. Don’t hesitate to reach out for help from colleagues when your workload becomes too difficult to manage. Also, learn to say no. When you set boundaries, you are acknowledging that you are aware of your limits and recognize that your capabilities have limits. Turning down additional tasks shows self-awareness, effectively building a shield against burnout.

Embrace variety

Sometimes, working on one project can result in a cycle of falling back on the same designs and running out of fresh ideas. What can you do in this case? Embrace variety and try something new. Breaking free of monotony and exploring a new technique or skill can bring new insights and inspire new ideas. Not only does this strategy refresh your work, but it also keeps you absorbed and energetic. With any creative professional, you need to constantly evolve by learning, which can only happen once you step out of your comfort zone.

Remedies for creative burnout

While creative burnout may occasionally visit, it does not need to overstay its welcome. Looking into the following remedies can help ease the exhaustion and rejuvenate your creative mind in no time!

Socialize and connect with others

Creativity thrives best on connection. Creatives are often inspired by the energy of others, so socializing, exchanging ideas and enthusiasm, and connecting with people is an important way to recharge. Making a conscious effort to reach out and take care of your connections is a vital way to keep your motivation levels healthy. Whether through coffee dates, lunch breaks with coworkers, or networking events, these interactions nurture your creative energy and ensure that you remain energized.

Consider a digital detox

Sitting in front of a screen for too long will mentally drain you, and scrolling forever will only cause you to feel dreadful and distracted. Consider going on a digital detox and unplugging from digital devices for a small period of time to reset your brain. Give yourself time to breathe and recover from the constant flood of news, information, and lackluster inspiration. To reconnect with your inner creative self, you’ll find that you need to refresh your perspective by avoiding the barrage of voices found on your phone.

Think of it as a learning experience

Although burnout feels terrible, it can be a lesson for you to better understand your maximum work capacity. From your experience, you can now recognize your limits and place proper boundaries so you can avoid falling into creative burnout once again. After coming out from the other side, you begin to implement the strategies to produce output you’re proud of without overworking yourself to extreme exhaustion.

In the end, burnout is not the final stop in the journey, despite what your self-doubt might tell you. Surely, creative burnout is a daunting experience for designers, but understanding its symptoms is necessary for learning how to manage them. This experience can be a stepping stone to reaching a more balanced and fulfilling process for lasting creative output and endless inspiration.

In our diverse world with a wide spectrum of different individuals, it becomes vital to create PowerPoint presentations that resonate with as many people as possible. To transcend barriers and embrace an inclusive ethic for presentation. It is important to be mindful of those with disabilities and make sure that everyone, including those with visual, auditory, or cognitive impairments, can benefit from your presentation.

Understanding accessibility in presentations and why it matters

Accessibility is about breaking down barriers and building bridges to reach individuals regardless of their abilities. Incorporating accessibility into a presentation ensures that it is inclusive and considerate of all those sitting in.

Accessibility provides an opportunity for all audience members to be included, regardless of different cognitive and physical disabilities. This way, you provide everyone with a chance to follow along and participate. In PowerPoint presentations, this looks like structuring and designing your slides in a way that allows everyone to comprehend the content smoothly. Accessible slides would combine being visually appealing with being functional for those with disabilities. As we delve deeper into presentation accessibility, we will learn more about the little adjustments that might seem simple for us but make a difference to others.

Why accessibility matters

Although we might not intend it, sometimes certain design styles or presentation structures could deter those with disabilities such as blindness or hearing difficulties. Accessibility opens doors to reaching more people, and you’re no longer excluding members of your audience. Rather, you are expanding your reach and connecting with a much wider audience. So implementing more accessible features into your slides makes sure that your presentation is inclusive of all.

Elements of an accessible presentation 

Now that we understand the importance of accessibility in PowerPoint, it’s time to implement it into our presentations. Here, we will discuss ways to share your content to ensure a logical flow and how to make visual elements accessible to every member of your audience.

Structuring your presentation

Creating a presentation that is considerate and empathetic to those with cognitive disabilities includes mindful planning that prioritizes clarity and ease of understanding. For example, when crafting a compelling storyline that can flow naturally from one point to the next, there shouldn’t be any roadblocks during this journey. Here, you can strategically use different font sizes, colors, and styles to create a hierarchy, with the text guiding your audience through your content. Also, using simplified language and repeating main points helps audience members follow along with no issues.

Accessible visuals and multimedia

Typically, an engaging PowerPoint presentation makes sure to feature several captivating images and visuals to be a feast for the eyes (and ears!) of the audience. To make your visuals more accessible for those with visual impairments, add alt texts to any shape, chart, image, videos, or any other visual that describes the content being displayed. For videos and audio clips, adding captions is a great way to help audiences follow along with the content, especially for those with hearing impairments.

Designing for visual accessibility

We always like to emphasize that presentation design is about practicality and functionality as much as it is about visual appeal. This especially applies to creating visually accessible media that is captivating and easy to follow.

Color choices and contrast

Sometimes, the choice of color palette impacts the way those with visual impairments perceive your slides. Now, using poor color contrast makes for a difficult reading experience for everyone, so always make sure that the text and background colors contrast well. Another important note to remember is that not everyone perceives color in the same way. Those with color blindness tend to usually confuse red and green, and, to a lesser degree, yellow and blue. So in graphs, avoid using color as the singular differentiating factor; use text or symbols to distinguish between information points. You can also use resources like Coblis, which we mentioned in our color palette blog, to simulate what a slide would look like for those with color blindness.

Font selection and size

The content is the backbone of your content, and making it accessible ensures that the audience can fully understand and engage with your material. The first thing to consider is the font choice; ideally, you should choose a large, simple, and sans-serif font that is easy on the eyes (think Arial or Verdana).

And less is more, always! There is no need to cram a large paragraph on a slide; rather, summarize your main point in a couple of sentences that anyone can quickly read. Plus, displaying your text in a generously large font size, like 24pt or larger, helps the audience read the text easily, including those reading from a distance.

Beyond font choice and size, make sure to include a simple alt text for images and objects so that they are clear, particularly for those who can’t see them.

Avoid excess animation

When it comes to animation in PowerPoint, adding some action can make it more fluid and interesting, but adding too much or making it too excessive can be tiresome. Some people tend to get vertigo or even epileptic seizures from excessive animation, flashing images, strobing lights, or rapid movements. So keep that in mind to keep your animations in check. Remember that the overall goal of your presentation is to inform and engage, and there’s no real need for rapid movements that make for uncomfortable viewing.

Navigating accessibility tools and features

Luckily, PowerPoint has several features that help presenters create more accessible and approachable slides for their audience, including:

PowerPoint Accessibility Checker

Let us introduce you to the wonderful tool that is PowerPoint’s Accessibility Checker! This trusty sidekick of a feature looks over your presentation and ensures that it is inclusive of all abilities. You can find the Accessibility Checker by going to the File tab and selecting Info. Then, in the Check for Issues section, click the Check Accessibility option. This feature scans over your slides, helps identify and fix issues related to accessibility, and offers practical suggestions to fix them.

Screen readers compatibility

Screen readers are the magical narrators of the digital world. For individuals with visual impairments, screen readers read out the content displayed (such as text and alt text) to audience members through headphones. So before presenting, testing out the presentation with a screen reader is important to ensure compatibility and a smooth flow. Testing also helps you fine-tune your content to make it screen-reader-friendly, which is considerate for those who require this tool.

It is our responsibility as presenters to acknowledge the various experiences of how our audience interacts with the world. By implementing small changes into our presentations to attend to those with impairments, whether through choice of visuals or text, you create a more considerate experience. Presentations are about building bridges and making a connection, and by being inclusive of all types of individuals, you can foster a space that honors each member of your audience.

Ever wondered why some presentations leave a mark while others fade quickly? We can’t all be “audience whisperers,” but we can look into psychology as a guide to provide insights into the cognitive processes that shape our abilities to absorb and retain ideas. Presentations are vessels for sharing ideas, so why not harness our understanding of the human brain to optimize the ways we design and deliver them? By learning more about how the brain works, we can create presentations that cater to our audience’s cognitive minds, ensuring that they walk away inspired and motivated to take action.

Psychology Principles for Presentations

Primacy and recency effect

The primacy and recency effect, referring to a well-established cognitive bias, suggests that people are more likely to remember the first and last bits of information they encounter. In a presentation, you surely want your audience to walk away recalling your key points, so tapping into the primacy and recency’s logic ensures that they will. Leveraging this principle allows you to make the audience remember essential points by using your time slots wisely and intentionally. Essentially, take advantage of the segments where you have your audience’s attention and use this time to share the most important information you want them to walk away with.

Picture superiority effect

Let your audience “see” your point, literally! The picture superiority effect suggests that people tend to remember images and pictures better (and more vividly) than words. And considering that presentations tend to be primarily visual mediums, why not use this to your best advantage? This is another cognitive bias where our brains are naturally more drawn to visuals, whether it is an image, infographic, GIF, or whatever, really! Forget the text-laden slides, pictures are a language on their own, and it’s one that audiences are certainly fluent in.

Cognitive load theory

When faced with too much information at once, our brains begin to beg for reprieve—at least that’s what the cognitive load theory tells us. This theory suggests that there is a limit to how much information the brain can comprehend at once. Considering that your audience is human after all, take it easy on them.

The biggest of feasts can only be eaten bite by bite; limit the amount of information per slide, avoid using complicated language, and break down big ideas into small, digestible pieces. Despite your ambitions to share your hard-won data, it still needs to be manageable, accessible, and not too overwhelming, or your audience will check out and mentally walk out of your presentation.

Goal gradient effect

The satisfaction of ticking off items on your to-do list is unmatched, so why not make your audience feel that too? The goal gradient effect tells us that people are more motivated to complete a task when they see progress and are approaching the end. In other words, you’re more willing to sprint when you can see the finish line.

For a presentation, keeping your audience actually invested all along the way is one of the trickiest challenges to maneuver. Splitting the presentation into smaller segments helps the audience visualize the progress made; you can do this by storyboarding your presentation beforehand. Other ways to implement goal gradient theory are by incorporating a presentation agenda, a progress bar across the slides, or even verbal verification of where you are.

Social proof and influence

Consider this: how likely are you to try out a product if a friend hasn’t recommended it? Now think about your presentation’s content. Why would the audience trust you based on your words alone? Utilizing social proof and influence tells us that people are likely to do or use something if they see others doing it. In presentations, this can look like citing consumer statistics, case studies, or testimonials from those who have benefited from your product, service, or idea. This establishes credibility and rapport with your audience, which allows you to influence them. Instead of just having blind faith in your product, social proof backs up your claims and lets you be smug about your results.

Peeking into the human brain makes it easier to truly understand what it takes to properly communicate ideas to an audience. Psychology isn’t just for psychologists; it’s for anyone who wants to make the most of human interactions, including presentations. Using these principles can give you a better understanding of how to structure your ideas to leave the strongest impact.

In the world of public speaking, few names stand out like Simon Sinek. He rose to prominence through his transformative “Start with Why” principle and his powerful Golden Circle framework, which have paved the way for more compelling presentations that bond communities through inspiration and understanding. In this blog, we will discuss the elements that make a his presentations impactful and what we can learn from them.

Simon Sinek’s presentation style

When you think about powerful presenters, Simon Sinek pops into mind. His masterful communication style can break down big ideas into more relatable concepts, and his unique approach to public speaking has made him a resonant name in the industry.

The “Start with Why” principle

The cornerstone of Sinek’s memorable approach is rooted in a simple question: why? This question urges the audience to dig deeper within themselves and understand the core reasons for their motivations and actions. By understanding the “why,” Sinek argues that this builds a genuine connection with the audience and establishes a strong foundation for inspiration.

In the world of business, this principle translates to strong leadership that cares more about building community than selling products. Starting with “why” provides a compass that allows a presenter to establish authenticity and purpose to form a presentation’s backbone.

The Golden Circle

Another central principle to Sinek’s style is the Golden Circle, which is a concept that moves from the ‘why’ to the ‘how’ and finally to the ‘what.’ By initiating presentations with a driving purpose and rationale, he can foster understanding and connection from the very beginning.

Implementing the Golden Circle provides you with a rough outline to organize your presentation around. Approach your the structure through the why, how, and what, and you can create an engaging and resonant narrative. It offers a lens through which to view the mindset that drives success for organizations and presentations by charting out a grounded and insightful path.

Storytelling approach

In Sinek’s presentations, storytelling is a golden thread that is woven throughout to create captivating narratives that engage the audience. Building on his ‘why,’ storytelling allows Sinek to get more specific about his motives by using real-life examples. That way, he can turn abstract concepts into digestible, relatable tales that are rich with insights and lessons. Being specific about who the ‘why’ is about strikes a chord with the audience and also brings the material closer to their reality. We can see Sinek’s method of storytelling in action in his presentations, including his famous TED Talk.

TED Talk: “How Great Leaders Inspire Action”

In one of the most highly regarded TED Talks, Simon Sinek masterfully applies the Golden Circle in his presentation as he discusses the principles that make up inspiring leadership by starting with the ‘why,’ ‘how,’ and ‘what.’ Aside from the informative insights regarding leadership, the presentation is also a clear demonstration of how a strong narrative grasps the audience’s attention. His Golden Circle structure can paint a picture of successful leadership by emphasizing a deep understanding of the root motives that drive actions. This talk is a must-watch to observe the power of ‘why’ in action as it inspires action and fosters connections. You can watch the full talk right here.

What we can learn from Simon Sinek

As we watch Simon Sinek’s charismatic presenting style, we can observe several techniques that are adaptable to our presentations:

Presentations give, they don’t take

It is said that a giving hand is better than a receiving hand, and this applies to presentations as well. Often, when presenters show up with a motive to benefit themselves, such as funding, connections, or some other advantage, it is very transparent and causes the audience to disengage. The audience is much more likely to trust a giver—someone who has the intention to be of service through their presentation or otherwise share value. Reframe your speech as to how it can benefit the audience, rather than how to extract benefits from the audience.

Share what you know

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to speak about an interest of yours, such as a book that you’ve enjoyed or a personal anecdote you loved? You become so fluent and persuasive purely because you care about it! Now extend that logic to presentations, when you speak about a subject you’re passionate about, that passion is contagious and can captivate the audience.

Another trick is to speak about things you understand. We’re not all experts, and trying to sound smart about things we don’t entirely understand comes off as inauthentic. When you speak about what you know and care about, you will naturally present it more passionately and energetically, so focus on giving the best of what you have.

Own the space

When you present, taking control of the room embodies a readiness to share your ideas, fostering a deep connection with your audience. Owning the room begins right when you walk up to the stage, with a composed walk that establishes a strong presence before you even begin to speak. And once you’re on stage, rather than start right away, take a moment to absorb the room’s energy and make eye contact with the audience. This way, you have a moment to solidify your presence and use your body to complement your speech and add to an impactful delivery.

Begin with the end goal in mind

This is directly related to the start with ‘why’ premise, before you begin, know what the end goal is. By starting with the end in mind, you can tailor any story or thought you share to move you toward that destination. Rather than putting your efforts into your introduction, think about the concluding statement or the idea that sums up the whole talk. This should help you figure out how to shape your presentation in a way that strengthens the main idea.

Simon Sinek has set a benchmark for presenting styles, offering a rich reference to learn from and be inspired by, like his ‘Start with Why’ and Golden Circle principles. By learning about his strategies for engaging narratives, presenters are encouraged to form genuine connections with their audiences by digging deeper into their motivations. Using his methods, such as owning the space and working with your natural strengths, you can create rich, impactful presentations.

What if we told you that some of our favorite presenters are actually famous comedians? Comedians possess a remarkable skill that goes beyond making us laugh. After all, they manage to hold an audience’s attention for an hour with nothing but their wit and charisma. They are master presenters in their own right, powerful orators, and public speakers who know how to keep an audience on their toes. So, what can we learn from these professional jokesters?

Comedians as presenters

Comedians have a special skillset that goes beyond eliciting much-needed laughter; they know how to use humor, storytelling, and perfect timing to build a connection and create an immersive experience. By observing how these talented comedic virtuosos employ their techniques to entertain and engage, we can learn a thing or two about presenting our own stories. Their interesting approach to communication and public speaking, infused with authenticity and charisma, leaves a lasting impression on all audiences. 

Understanding the role of a presenter

Before we begin to explore all the ways comedians can make us better speakers, we first need to understand the role of the presenter. They are not just mere messengers; they are storytellers and motivators. Presenters are given the tough task of igniting inspiration in the audience through their delivery and conveying important information at the same time. And like comedians, they need to connect with their audience to create a memorable experience.  

Case Study: Bo Burnham 

Bo Burnham is considered one of the first viral YouTube sensations, and his creative approach to performing perfectly proves why. Using a brilliant combination of humor, music, and storytelling, Burnham weaves in personal stories and fearlessly explores various topics in his live shows. By playing on the audience’s emotions, he can use his authenticity to encourage embracing vulnerability.

Furthermore, he infuses his live performances with multimedia elements, playing around with the lighting, sound effects, and even adding musical interludes. This clever use of multimedia adds an immersive touch to his live performances, making them a memorable and resonant experience for his audience.

Case Study: Hasan Minhaj 

Hasan Minhaj stands out as a true orator, effortlessly blending passionate speeches with razor-sharp wit. As a former Daily Show correspondent and host of his own show, Patriot Act, he knows how to address social and political issues while maintaining a light-hearted tone. He does not shy away from tough conversations; rather, he embraces the challenge with openness and charisma.

Minhaj’s charm comes from his ability to create a personal connection with his audience, making them emotionally invested in the stories and topics he shares. A powerful speaker, he knows how to use his voice and body language to engage audiences, keeping them on the edge of their seats and eagerly anticipating what comes next. 

Case Study: James Acaster 

James Acaster’s charm and appeal come from his ability to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. With his witty observations, he is able to make the mundane interesting by uncovering its humor, which strikes a chord with the audience. He offers a fresh perspective on familiar (or so we thought) topics through jokes and delivers them with impeccable timing. His seamless flow between his jokes and stories is both unexpected and exciting, crafting a hilarious narrative that ensures that anyone listening is hanging onto his next words. 

Transferring stand-up skills to the presentation stage

Drawing inspiration from the captivating sets of past comedians, we can recognize the level of their public speaking prowess. Aside from eliciting laughter, they are also masters in storytelling and engaging their audiences. Let us delve deeper into their techniques and see how we can use them in our own presentations.

Timing and delivery

It’s all about delivery and timing! Not just in comedy but also in presentations. Knowing when to pause, when to speak, and when to emphasize all impact how a message is received. Learning to command attention with your voice and body language injects energy and drama into your delivery, making it more impactful. Also, the key here lies in authenticity and being genuine; timing your delivery will tend to come naturally. 

Storytelling and narrative techniques

Storytelling is a primary component of many comedic sets as it engages listeners emotionally. Comedians are skilled narrators who take their audiences on an entertaining journey in their sets, making them think, laugh, or cry. They are able to use narrative techniques such as sharing anecdotes, calling back to an earlier idea, characterization, and others to turn mundane stories into memorable experiences for the audience. By incorporating these techniques to tell stories throughout your presentation, an emotional connection is established with the listeners.

Use of humor and wit to retain attention

And of course, humor is a powerful tool that can improve any presentation and lighten the mood. For example, the comedians we mentioned use humor to simplify or poke fun at more complex ideas, leading the audience to connect more with the message. In presentations, humor breaks the ice to create a more relaxed atmosphere, and when people are feeling easygoing, they are more receptive to absorbing new ideas and information. Plus, humor helps build rapport and trust, as well as making the presentation more enjoyable overall.

Presenting is a nuanced art form that blends together language, emotion, and connection. Comedians have an unparalleled ability to grip an audience and offer us a masterclass every time they take the stage. From perfect timing and passion to observant humor, they demonstrate how a successful presentation lies in creating genuine connections, authentic storytelling, and, of course, a sense of humor.