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When planning to meet investors, you will need to develop a business case presentation to persuade stakeholders that your plans are worth supporting. A well-researched and well-thought-out business case presentation should have an argument at its core that it vouches for. You need to present a credible and authoritative argument to create support for an initiative.

What is a business case?

In a project’s early phase, a business case is a document that contains vital information including the risks, benefits, and costs. The purpose of a business case is to bolster decision-makers to take action and provide the funds and resources needed. It is an outline that addresses questions and concerns, evaluates benefits, and outlines challenges to communicating an initiative’s value.

When should you create a business case presentation?

When planning to persuade a stakeholder or sponsor to offer their support, a business case presentation is an appropriate course of action that formalizes the request. Business case presentations are usually used in circumstances when funding is needed, a project’s scope is changed, a new project is being started, or additional team members or resources are requested.

Why is a business case presentation important?

A business case presentation is developed to serve two main functions. They explain projects to their stakeholders and lay out all the details, from the time it will take to the costs and potential losses and gains.

Business case presentations also help investors see the effort behind the initiative. Showcasing the research, facts, and detailed planning assures decision-makers that their contributions are worthwhile and justified.

How is a business case different from a business plan?

Although both business cases and business plans share the same purpose of persuading decision-makers to invest in your project, there are important differences to make note of.

A business case has a narrower focus, concentrating more on a certain problem and its following finances, risks, and benefits. Decision-makers here are the relevant heads of departments or internal stakeholders selecting options based on strategy and priority.

A business plan encompasses a broader reach, offering layouts for new businesses and major changes. It looks into competitors and marketing plans to persuade investors and senior leadership in a business.

What are the different types of business cases?

In any business case presentation preparation, you need to consider that stakeholders will differ according to departments and interests. These differences will need to be accommodated and catered to to ensure that the structure adequately addresses the stakeholder’s interests.

01 The Strategic Business Case

In a strategic business case, the case is for a change in a business and how it ought to align with its overall goals and direction. A strong, strategic business case needs to outline the solution to a problem and the overall scope of what the project is meant to achieve.

02 The Economic Business Case

An economic business case presents the best economic case by evaluating options based on their cost and the value they provide. The options showcased take into account broader factors, like social and environmental effects, especially if the project affects the public, such as a product or building.

03 The Commercial Business Case

The commercial case takes the economic case a step further by looking at suppliers and acquiring resources more cost-effectively. A commercial case anticipates what is needed for a project and the obstacles that might occur throughout obtaining them.

04 The Financial Business Case

This presentation type focuses on what a business can afford to fund by demonstrating an analysis of the capital and revenue for the preferred option. A financial business case needs to be presented in a structured manner that represents the analysis.

05 The Management Business Case

A management business case demonstrates the plans in place for the delivery, monitoring, and evaluation of your project to managerial stakeholders. Present the plans for how a project will be managed and the practices it is set to follow.

What you need to create a business case PowerPoint presentation

When preparing a business case presentation, you need to collect all the facts, figures, details, and research to build a solid case. You need to cover all the points of concern for the stakeholders, including the context, problem, analysis, solution, and execution.

It’s important to note that the different business case presentations we discussed earlier would address different points and have different requirements. Use a business case presentation template as a guide or a checklist to reference throughout.

Establish context 

When preparing your presentation, you need to consider that not all members of the audience will have previously read your proposal or are aware of your circumstance. Begin by presenting an executive summary that gives context to your initiative.

An executive summary would offer a brief but comprehensive overview of your business case. Since business cases can easily become over a hundred pages, it’s important to have a summary that highlights the problem being addressed and the solutions available.

State the problem

A problem statement puts the spotlight on the goals and purpose of your business case. It’s time to showcase your understanding of a problem and the plans you have to address it. When describing a problem, make sure to disclose the internal and external effects it has. Why is your solution important? How does it approach the problem?

Business requirements 

In any project, there will be business requirements needed to aid throughout. Whether it’s a certain budget, preferred suppliers, or a specific timeline, you need to establish your project’s needs. Since these factors could affect the overall success or quality of a project, determine what they are and explain how they would help carry out the project.

Analyze finances

There is no doubt that the main thing on your investor’s mind is the numbers involved in your business case. Present your current financial details in comparison to the projected numbers if your project gets the support it needs.

Describe the solution

The solution you propose is a direct response to the problem you address. Here, you broach the answers your business case offers. How you describe your solution relates to the decision you’re aiming for.

A solution could be a material difference to your resources such as a new office or fixing a product issue. So in the presentation, outline all the questions relating to your solution, the what, who, when, and how of the answers you’re proposing.

Detail the execution strategy

To support an initiative, stakeholders want to be in on the overall vision and know all the goings-on and plans. Detail your execution strategy describing the plans, process, risks, metrics, and KPIs involved to produce the best results possible. Share any issues you initially faced and how you handled them to convey your credibility.

Share your results

This section is necessary to elaborate on the positive impact your solution will have on a project. This is the space to discuss projected or available financial and growth results and other palpable improvements. This section would also benefit from visual aids such as graphs and charts.

9 Tips for presenting your business case

Now that you’ve gathered all the data you need for your business case, there are things you need to keep in mind as you lay out all this information. Developing a business case is about how you present it as much as it is about what you present.

01 Determine your goals

The first step in designing a business case presentation is outlining the goals you want your presentation to achieve. What is the main purpose? What do you want stakeholders to get out of it? Consider aligning the business case’s objectives with its solutions. For example, use the relevant pain points to address the intended outcomes of your presentation.

02 Decide on the right delivery mode

We often advise that when preparing for a presentation, you should aim to tailor it for your audience to make it more engaging, and a business case presentation is no different. Consider the mediums or features that would best capture your audience’s attention. What are the main points you want to highlight? Would a video do? Would your audience prepare beforehand, or do you need to address every detail yourself? These are all questions you need to ask yourself when developing your presentation.

03 Have an elevator pitch ready

Sometimes, the stakeholders you want to present to are busy and distracted, so you have an elevator pitch ready. Prepare a quick pitch that grabs their attention with all the basics covered.

04 Focus on the essential information

In the same vein as having an elevator pitch ready, be selective with the information you present. There is no need to share the entire business plan. Focus on the essential information that serves your overall case and emphasize it.

05 Be memorable

Structure your business case’s data into a compelling story. This is more elaborate than an elevator pitch. Find the narrative that your facts and figures are telling you and highlight it. Using customer feedback, for example, alongside market research, gives the presentation a more personal edge, making it more engaging.

06 Begin with the business need

A business case should address a business problem. To convince a stakeholder or investor, invoke the problem to refocus the audience on your solution.

07 Make it interactive

Make your presentation interesting and brief. Use your time to focus on slides that serve your overall objectives and create a dialogue with the audience. The more involved the audience is, the more invested they will be in your argument and business case.

08 Rehearse your presentation

Practice, practice, practice. Once you’ve created your presentation, begin rehearsing what you want to say. Make note of all the ideas you need to mention and create an outline you want to follow. That way, when the day comes to present, you can cover all the key points you want to address without straying or losing the plot.

09 Follow up

Not everyone will get the chance to ask you questions after you present, so follow up individually to make sure investors can have the opportunity to voice their concerns to you personally and privately.

Putting together a business case presentation requires both data and creativity. You need all the hard facts to support your initiative and a creative mindset that helps you share them. Investors are interested in what you bring to the table, so make it worth their time.

You might already recognize aspect ratios as the ratios displayed on your digital cameras or smartphone cameras. Aspect ratios are involved in every medium that uses images or video, and since each medium uses shapes specific to its vessel, they are modified to suit different purposes. Understanding aspect ratio can help you frame images more effectively for their intended platform.

What is the aspect ratio?

Aspect ratio refers to the relationship between the width and height of an image or the image’s proportions. The aspect ratio characterizes the shape of an image as a rectangle, square, or landscape. In smartphones and most cameras, the aspect ratio is typically a horizontal or vertical rectangle.

An image’s aspect ratio is unrelated to size, so if an image had an aspect ratio of 1:1 or 400×400, it would still be square in both cases.

To understand the aspect ratio better, consider using units to picture the width and height of an image. For instance, a 3:2 aspect ratio would comprise 3 equal units for width and 2 units for height.

Pixel aspect ratio

The pixel aspect ratio or PAR is the proportion of pixels in an image. Pixels are squares, meaning that the pixel aspect ratios are 1:1. Different displays could have rectangular pixels for 4:3 aspect ratios.

Display aspect ratio

The most common or relevant aspect ratio is the display aspect ratio or DAR. It refers to the standard proportions for different screen displays. For some devices, the DAR is fixed, so images are optimized to be well-displayed for their aspect ratio. You may notice, for example, that if you show a video intended for a 16:9 widescreen on a different device, it distorts the image. That is because certain images/videos are created for particular platforms and will appear odd otherwise.

Storage aspect ratio

The storage aspect ratio or SAR is a formula related to encoded video files, referring to the relationship between the width and height of a video frame. The frames would need to all be consistent for a final video to display well. For most widescreen videos, find the display aspect ratio by multiplying the storage aspect ratio by the pixel aspect ratio.

Why is the aspect ratio important?

People retain images very quickly, so when creating video or image content the screen ratio affects how it is perceived. If the aspect ratio is inconsistent with its platform or device it will look and feel odd to the viewer.

It is especially important to keep the aspect ratio in mind for social media platforms so that images appear interesting to viewers. Luckily, there are tools available to change and amend the aspect ratio later in this article if you’re unsure where to start.

What are the popular aspect ratio formats?

The appropriate aspect ratio to use differs from purpose to device to platform. However, there are commonly utilized aspect ratios that are a constant standard for designers and photographers.

16:9 aspect ratio

You may already be familiar with the 16:9 ratio as a staple for film and TV. Its panoramic size made it perfect for TV, cinema, and computer screens. And now, its influence has migrated into digital spaces and has become the norm for online video as well.

9:16 aspect ratio 

The 9:16 aspect ratio is the default vertical ratio for social media, perfect to use in IGTV, TikTok, and stories. To avoid having your content cut off it’s best to publish TikTok and IGTV videos in a 9:16 ratio for its mobile portrait frame.

1:1 aspect ratio

Also commonly used on social media, the 1:1 aspect ratio makes a perfect square standard in social media posts (like Instagram) and web design.

4:3 aspect ratio

Originally designed for TV and computer displays, the 4:3 aspect ratio was the first used video format since TVs initially had square screens. The 4:3 format is also great for landscape photography since it captures a wide area.

3:2 aspect ratio

Slightly wider than the 4:3 format and corresponding well with the 4 x 6” photo size, the 3:2 ratio is the typical aspect ratio for 35mm film cameras.

21:9 aspect ratio

21:9 is another aspect ratio used for film, particularly for cinematic anamorphic formats that translate well on computer monitors.

4:5 aspect ratios

For platforms like Facebook, it is recommended to use a 4:5 aspect ratio for vertical videos since it gives a tight frame that creates an appealing composition in its videos.

Which aspect ratio is the best?

The best aspect ratio depends on the type of image you want to create. If you want to capture panoramic landscapes, then refer to the 16:9 aspect ratio, while the 1:1 aspect ratio is perfect for Instagram photos.

In photography, it’s best to use a full-frame camera for its high-definition sensor. That way you could crop photos to your desired aspect ratio without compromising their quality.

How to find the aspect ratio?

The formula for aspect ratios is x:y, the x being width and y resembling height. Let’s say you want to find the aspect ratio of an image with a 3000×2000 resolution, just divide the two numbers for the result, 1.5:1 or 3:2.

You could also refer to the tools mentioned below such as aspect ratio calculators to aid you.

How to adjust the aspect ratio?

Many DSLR cameras allow you to select the aspect ratio before taking photos, there will usually be a box on the screen that will show where the frame cuts off to help with composition.

Smartphones also have options to select different aspect ratios, for example, iPhones let you choose between 1:1 (square), 16:9 (panoramic), and 4:3 or default mode.

And you could always crop your photos when you edit them. Although, it is important to note that different formats will affect your final product. So, learn to plan your shots and frame them with the final aspect ratio in mind.

Is there a universally used aspect ratio?

Aspect ratios commonly used for video are the 16:9 ratio for widescreen videos and the 9:16 aspect ratio for portrait videos. Still, photos are largely shot in 3:2, 4:3, or 16:9 aspect ratios, depending on the intended final result.

How important is aspect ratio in storytelling?

Aspect ratio plays a role in the way content is received on the platform it’s shared on. Whether it’s a cinema screen, Instagram, or Youtube, the wrong aspect ratio could turn off the viewer from the video or image. However, you could use aspect ratios creatively to reflect different settings or time periods in a film.

How aspect ratios affect UI/UX design

Any project that involves an image or video display will need to consider the aspect ratio in its exhibit. The composition will play an important role in the way it will be displayed on different devices. Responsive web design guarantees that content is showcased properly on all devices and automatically resolve issues regarding the appropriate aspect ratios. However, composing an image beforehand helps avoid problems with quality or cut-off content.

When images look off or out of proportion on a website or are stretched or shrunk to fit the screen, it negatively impacts a visitor’s impression of the website. Not to mention that ill-proportioned elements can obstruct the site’s usability. All of these factors discourage a visitor from continuing to use a website. Meaning that the designers’ and developers’ knowledge of aspect ratios should contribute to creating a fluid structure for a comfortable and practical visual effect.

Aspect ratio and responsive design

When thinking about responsive design, you will need to maintain a cohesive shape across several devices. Understanding aspect ratios ensure that meaning is not lost when images are cropped. In responsive website design, designers could resize images manually or use coding to control how they appear on the screen.

In these cases it’s helpful to think of aspect ratios as percentages, like 4:3 is 75% and 16:9 is 56:25%.

Image aspect ratio changing tools

With several elements to consider when it comes to aspect ratios, from framing and composition to sizing, to measurements, it can feel overwhelming to keep up with them all to produce a great final result. Luckily, several tools are available to help you use aspect ratios effectively and efficiently.

ImageResizer

This tool helps resize images and change photo ratios. By adding the image to the interface, you could choose the aspect ratio and edit it to create the result you want.

Veed.io

Another great tool for resizing and editing, Veed.io allows you to process local and Dropbox files with its many features. Note that this tool places its watermark on processed files.

ResizeImage

ResizeImage processes GIFs and other images up to 100MB and 30MB respectively. Dropping the files to the interface, you could then select an aspect ratio, crop the image to your need, and play with other features such as adding a background and rotating.

Adobe Creative Cloud Express

With preset aspect ratios for social media platforms, Adobe Creative Cloud Express helps edit images in all the relevant formats quickly and easily. You can also set up your own custom aspect ratio based on your taste or need.

Kapwing

Kapwing offers a range of editing features to fix up processed images. Daunting at first, but once you learn the ropes, you’re able to efficiently use the tool’s options to your advantage. Its diverse features let you pad and choose background colors for your images.

Croppola

Once your image is processed, Croppola selects the appropriate aspect ratio and lets you crop images automatically. It also offers an option for you to change and select the aspect ratio and crop the image manually yourself.

Clideo

After adding your images from your device, Google Drive, or Dropbox, this tool has social media presets and customizable options to resize the image as per your requirement, along with the option to crop, fit, and fill.

ImgOnline

This editing tool supports diverse functions such as converting, compressing, and effects, along with cropping and resizing. Plus, its settings for adjusting DPI size and interpolation make it a very handy tool to have on hand.

The context or platform for an image means that the shape will play a role in how effectively the image is perceived. Knowing the ways that the aspect ratio influences a viewer’s experience helps photographers and designers make smarter decisions in planning and framing images.

 

​Since Saudi Arabia is known for its generous and giving culture, we figured it would only make sense to embrace that charitable spirit to celebrate Saudi National Day. This year, we’re offering these presentation slides to help commemorate the KSA’s past, present, and future.

What is Saudi National Day?

For nearly thirty years, King Abdul Aziz Al Saud strove to join the Nejd and Hijaz regions into his kingdom. Finally, on September 23, 1932, he announced the nation’s unification under the new Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

And now in 2022, we celebrate 92 years of this Kingdom by commemorating its past and reflecting on the forecasted Vision 2030. The projects strive to solidify Saudi Arabia as a hub for technology and tourism.

This year, there are several reasons to celebrate Saudi National Day, among them:

Renewing your spirit of belonging. Join in on the festivities and engage with the community around you to renew your passion and belonging in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

​Appreciating the opportunities it provides. It’s a nation that seeks to empower its citizens and residents and provide them with what they need to contribute to the Kingdom’s continuous growth and prosperity.

Enjoying the beautiful historic, cultural, and religious sites it homes. Immerse yourself in the rich heritage harbored all across the Kingdom. From Mecca to AlUla, Saudi Arabia’s care for its sites made it an exciting destination for tourists and investors.

At Prezlab, we are celebrating by extending our tools to help you make the most of your celebrations. Download the slides and customize your own Saudi National Day celebratory presentation.

Download free slides

 

The mission of Prezlab and Presentation Zen is to rid the world of bad presentations and improve presentation design.

Key learnings from the bestseller Presentation Zen:

People who give presentations have a lot of things to worry about. They need to think about what they are going to say, how they are going to say it, and what tools they are going to use.

In this blog, we will try to cover some of the lessons on presentation design from the bestseller and timeless classic Presentation Zen. The book provides designers with several guidelines for presenting their work in a way that is both compelling and easy to understand.

About the Author:

Garr Reynolds is a presentation design expert and the author of Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery. The book was published in 2008 but it still remains relevant to this day. It’s an excellent resource for designers who want to learn about the basics of creating presentations.

01 The idea of “less is more.”

The author of this book feels that less information on the screen will make it easier for the presenter to focus on what they are trying to say, and helps them be more concise.

If you think about it, a presentation is a visual representation of your ideas and thoughts. It is not just about the content you are presenting but also how you present it. The design of your presentation can be the difference between an audience that is engaged and one that is bored.

Garr recommends keeping the design of your presentation simple and focused on only one idea. This will make it easier for people to truly comprehend what you are trying to convey.

02 The more visual the better.

A presentation should be designed with images in mind, not just words. Keep in mind that people remember visuals better than written content. So, the images you include in your presentation should support and complement the topic at hand and visually communicate the message.

03 White space is not your enemy.

White space can make your design stronger by providing a resting point for your eye between different elements. It makes your presentations more readable by making it easier to focus on what matters most.

As a professional presentation design agency, we use white space to organize information and make it super easy to read and understand. We at Prezlab also use white space as part of our design to create balance, contrast, and harmony between elements on a page or in a presentation.

If you are into presentation design as a profession or are just enthusiastic about learning more on the subject, we highly recommend reading the book. The book is a quick and easy read, with the text broken up into bite-sized pieces that are easy to digest. It can be used in conjunction with a presentation software program like Keynote or PowerPoint, but the author provides suggestions on how to use PowerPoint if you don’t have access to either of these programs. We highly recommend it.

If you liked this blog and found it to be of value then you will definitely also like to read How great PowerPoint design impacts your presentation and How to avoid the dreaded Death by PowerPoint.

 

 

Using a PowerPoint presentation service to make your presentation slides is a hack not talked about enough. As we all know by now, PowerPoint presentations are tiresome to prepare, and they require a specific skill set that not all of us are equipped with. We might not always recognize a good presentation, but we can always spot a great one. A great presentation is one with a visual aid that backs and bolsters the speaker.

The perspective of a professional presentation design agency could offer valuable insight into what your presentation needs to make it extra special. Whether it’s structural tweaks or more engaging elements, an external team of experts knows what it takes to make a presentation a more captivating experience for your audience.

So… What do PowerPoint presentation services entail?

Now that we’ve defined what a PowerPoint presentation service IS, we need to clarify what it entails. It is outsourcing your PowerPoint design to a team of specialists that know how to communicate your business and its goals in the most effective manner.

A presentation design agency would set you up with a team of presentation experts and information designers, who would then arrange and design your presentation from scratch based on the needs you express. 

These designers know best what elements would suit your presentation and make decisions regarding your content’s layout, formatting, and customized features that fit your corporate identity and business goals.

What is the benefit of using PowerPoint presentation services?

Well, firstly, you’d have one less task on your hands. By outsourcing your presentation design to actual professional presentation designers, you save time trying to figure out an unfamiliar skill under a deadline.

Instead of funneling resources into training inexperienced employees, they can redirect their energy and focus on more pressing projects. 

Also, being backed by a captivating PowerPoint presentation will give you a boost of confidence. A strong PowerPoint slide design will have your back as you share your business presentation. You can approach your big day calm and prepared when you’re supported by visuals that effectively showcase your story.

What would a great business presentation look like, then?

Of course, once we acknowledge the effect of a great presentation, it’s hard to go back.

A well-designed and formatted PowerPoint presentation gives your company an air of credibility; it shows that you know what you are talking about. It establishes the speaker’s authority as an expert on the subject matter. It is all these details that influence the path to great business deals. 

Having a professional eye look over your presentation guarantees that it is optimized to influence and inspire your audience and stakeholders. A presentation design team will know where to enhance your brand and put forward your best assets to create an engaging and interactive experience for your audience.

Typically, there will be those in your audience who aren’t familiar with you or your business, but a professionally made presentation will deliver a great first impression. A PowerPoint presentation that consistently showcases your business’s personality delivers a strong brand impact and leaves a lasting impression.

For a better idea of these famed PowerPoint presentation services, you could always reach out to Prezlab’s team for more information.

Today’s fierce sales market means you must be creative in how you present your goods or services. How you show the value of your products or services may be just as important as what you are selling.

Your sales presentation is the perfect opportunity to impress your audience by showing how your product or service will solve their problems and persuade them to buy. But don’t rely on just one slide or a specific sequence of slides to do this. Instead, incorporate multiple ways throughout your presentation that illustrate the value of what you’re offering.

Center your audience for the sales presentation

Numbers, products, and services are all well and good, but a great sales presentation is about more than that. It’s about making your audience feel good about choosing you.

You’ve heard the advice—always put your audience first. But it’s not enough to just tell yourself that. You have to do it. Because a good sales presentation isn’t about you; it’s about your audience. And everything in your presentation should be designed to address their needs, interests, and concerns. Here are three ways to make sure you always focus on them:

01 Show them you get it

Don’t just spit out some industry facts and expect them to be wowed. Put the information in context, so they can see how your product or solution is a perfect fit for their challenges.

02 Speak their language

If your audience is data-driven, give them visualizations and infographics. If they want a story, swap your charts and numbers for “to-the-point” bullet points.

03 Respect your clients’ time

They have other things to do besides listening to you, so keep your messages clear, concise, and direct.

Your prospective client is probably expecting a boring presentation from another sales rep rambling on about their product or service and how they are the best. Don’t give in to that expectation. Break the mold from the very onset with something attention-grabbing.

The start of your presentation should be exciting and engaging. Give your audience something to remember, such as an opening statement that demonstrates how market trends, industry transformation, or societal change create an overwhelming need for your product or service.

Master the art of storytelling: in a sales presentation, you need to do more than simply recite product details and recite facts and figures. To sell your product or service, you need to get the “why” behind it. Storytelling helps with this because our brains are built to remember stories.

Storytelling is a powerful way to show change over time. For example, rather than saying, “Improvements to the new Widget model,” you could say, “Over the last year, we made five improvements to our new Widget model. Here’s how those changes have helped you.”

And remember that to give presentation design the effort and attention it deserves. Effective presentation design enhances your presentation, not distracts from it.

To put together an effective presentation design, follow these steps:

Be bold

Make slides that speak for themselves and show that you’re confident.

Add some drama

Don’t just add pictures to your slides; use breaks for powerful imagery instead. Give them something they didn’t expect.

Keep things simple

This is probably the most reiterated advice and yet the least heeded. Remember, your content is your most important asset, so don’t let anything get in the way of people understanding it.

You don’t have to be a sales pro to give a persuasive presentation, but you do need to focus on your audience and make sure they understand what you’re saying. By honing your content, simplifying your design, and keeping things clear and concise, you can put together a sales pitch that will leave any room full of people feeling like they just had a great conversation with an old friend.

If you don’t have the time to do all that and want someone else to take care of your sales presentation design headache then reach out to us at Prezlab. We love sharing great insights around presentation design and if you don’t believe us, check out some of our other blogs such as McKinsey-style business presentations and How to avoid the dreaded “Death by PowerPoint.”

 

 

What can we learn about presentations from the most successful management consulting companies like McKinsey, BCG, or Bain?

Prezlab has had the privilege of working with some of the best management consulting firms in the region and has helped a slew of consultants and consulting companies with their presentations. We thought it would be a great idea to jot down what the most successful management consulting companies such as McKinsey, BCG, and Bain do in their presentations to make them such a success. Their presentations are elegant, articulate, well-organized, engaging, and pack a mighty punch.

Great consultants are problem-solvers. In our opinion, this is a must for consultants. When this ability is coupled with the ability to design a great presentation, that’s when the magic happens. Because with the power of effective communication and delivery, they can change minds and convince their audience that their solutions are the most effective. Unfortunately, a lot of management consultants lack this ability. This blog is meant to bring you a little closer to becoming an effective communicator of solutions via presentation design.

Think of a great presentation like a movie; storytelling is the most central aspect. The idea of your presentation as a management consultant is to present and unpack complex ideas in the most simplified and easy-to-understand manner. Apart from storytelling, the other aspects of your presentation would be data and analysis. All of these elements should work in unison and be coherent with each other to make one singular point, the solution. If you want to learn more about this aspect of a presentation then read our blog: Effective remedies to dull and boring presentations.

Before you start, ask yourself the following questions:

01 Who is my target audience and what is their level of understanding of the problems?

02 How long should your presentation be?

03 How much time would your audience like to spend on your presentation?

04 What do they care about?

05 What action would you like them to take after your presentation?

The typical elements of a management consulting presentation

1 – Executive Summary

The executive summary is a situational summary of the problem at hand and the gist of your presentation. This is mostly written for top management who don’t have the time to go through the entire presentation and just want a powerful summary.

2 – Table of Content

A table of content helps spark interest and give your audience an idea of what is to come. This is usually shown right at the beginning before you begin presenting your material.

3 – Action Title

The action title is your single point or key idea that you will be proposing in the rest of the presentation. Every point you introduce should connect back to the action title.

4 – Chapters and Body of Slides

The chapters and body of slides are the slides that conform to the narrative. You can split the presentation into chapters to break it into more palatable sections. Use the slides to present your story backed by the data and analysis.

5 – Conclusion and recommendations

The conclusion reinforces and reiterates your final point or your solution. This section summarizes all your main ideas and condenses them into a central theme.

One aspect that makes sides from McKinsey and other top management consulting firms stand out is the use of engaging visuals that go side by side with the data being presented in the slides.

Another aspect of McKinsey slides is the constant and conscious attempt to keep the number of slides to as few as possible. This default instinct is to present as much data as possible. The false impression that most management consultants have is that if they say more, they have a better chance of winning their audience over.

Nothing can be further away from the truth. Once you start thinking this way you would be surprised how you can chop down 20 slides to 2 slides without losing any real impact. Presentation formats such as the PechaKucha or Guy Kawasaki methods limit their slides to a certain number and work within that specific parameter to tell a story.

McKinsey consultancy slides also do not use a lot of bullet points – it is a surefire way of losing your audience’s interest. Studies have shown that people are more likely to remember information presented as images and pictures rather than bullet points. Steve Jobs, one of the greatest presenters of all time, never used bullets in any of his presentations, and we wrote a blog on 5 Presentation Lessons You Can Learn from Steve Jobs if you are interested in learning more.

Key features from McKinsey slides worth keeping in mind:

01 Choose a professional font like Arial or any other professional font

02 Keep colors to a minimum and keep the color scheme consistent across all the slides

03 Highlight the key points

04 Avoid clutter, give your slides enough breathing space

05 Ensure proper and correct alignment

06 Have a “source” section at the bottom of each slide

07 No fancy graphics or animations

And most importantly: make sure each side has an action title that encapsulates the key idea of that slide in a one-liner (maximum two sentences). The idea is that if someone reads just the action titles of each slide, they should get the gist of your presentation.

If you want to see some of McKinsey’s presentations in action then check out the links below:

Jobs lost, jobs gained: Workforce transitions in a time of automation

Reinventing Construction

Laying the foundations for a financially sound industry

If you would like to get your McKinsey-style slides designed by Prezlab, get in touch with us.

Let us design your presentation!

Work hard on clarity of thought and clarity in your presentation will follow.

A PowerPoint presentation is an essential part of today’s business world. In fact, a professionally prepared presentation is the first step to a successful deal – or a promotion. It is one of the most effective ways to convey your ideas and persuade people to get on your side. This blog is to show you how you can make unique and exciting presentations that will leave your audience impressed.

When your PowerPoint slides look professional, you communicate to your audience that you are a professional. You can either customize a PowerPoint template or create and customize your own slides – either way, a professional presentation will leave a lasting impression and will win your audience’s trust.

Decide on Your Purpose

The golden rule we follow at Prezlab when it comes to presentation design is that before we begin creating a presentation, we work with the client to boil the presentation topic down to a one-sentence summary. If we cannot describe the presentation in one sentence, we are simply not ready to create it. Among other things, a one-sentence summary clarifies the scope of a presentation, keeping it focused on its most important ideas.

To effectively organize your presentation, our experts at Prezlab recommend asking yourself this question: “If the audience only remembers three things about my talk, what do I want those three takeaways to be?” The idea is to support your main message (the one-sentence summary) with these three main points, which will be the focus of your presentation. This gives your presentation a pinpointed core message and three supporting messages that drive the main point home. Everything else in the presentation should be in support of the 3 key takeaways – these could be stats, facts, data, etc.

Support Your Ideas

Once you’ve outlined your one-sentence summary and three pillars, start developing your supporting content to provide examples that back your points. The purpose of the supporting content is to explain and expand on your reasoning and present facts that support your ideas. Use the best statistics that back up your points, but don’t overdo the statistical information. Keep it lean and only include the best possible stats, facts, and figures. Less is more when it comes to creating impact and if you go overboard with this, you risk creating data blindness.

Have a Story to Tell

And last but not least, tell a story that’s relevant to your presentation that also evokes an emotional response. Stories resonate with the human brain very differently than just stats and numbers. Stories cut deeper and call forth emotions which makes the presentation memorable and enjoyable.

Top it all off with a clear call to action. Ask yourself: “What action do I wish for the audience to take afterward?” Try to keep it as concrete, practical, and actionable as possible.

When you hire a presentation design agency like Prezlab, we will take things a notch further and use storyboards and mood boards to structure presentations effectively and keep the styling and aesthetics consistent.

If you have found value in this blog post and are interested in learning more about how Prezlab does presentations for its clients then you might also like our blog A perfect presentation. Every time and Effective remedies to dull and boring presentations.

If you would like to get a professional story-oriented presentation design that incorporates all of these ideas done for you then reach out to us here.

Most companies are in a race to the bottom and this piece of marketing wisdom will help you change that.

“Marketing,” “branding,” and “digital” are buzzwords we hear a lot these days, but most companies are missing the plot entirely. Here is some “back to the essence” advice for a world drowning in ad noise.

Direct Marketing

You can’t measure brand, but you can measure direct marketing ads. And you as a marketer or a company should be measuring direct marketing advertising. Direct marketing is “measured” marketing; if you can measure it you are most likely talking about direct marketing. Direct marketing allows you to make changes based on feedback – you can adjust it from day to day or week to week or month to month depending on whether direct marketing is fulfilling its goals.

Brand Marketing

Think of brand marketing as the Cheetos or the Airbnb logo. You cannot test the Airbnb logo every day as you can with direct marketing because it’s part of their brand story. A brand is a what and how you tell the story of who you are. It is also why a lot of marketers prefer brand marketing. Because you cannot test it, they can get away with bad brand marketing for a long time. And it’s also the reason why brand marketing has not evolved much.

Measuring the Impact

Companies like Google and Facebook get all their ad revenue from direct marketing – from relying on the clicks, impressions, and reach that they meticulously measure. And they measure everything because, for instance, they can sell the clicks for 10 cents. If the clicks work, then they can sell the clicks to their competitors and tell them they can buy the clicks for 12 cents. This auction drives up the price and that is where Google and Facebook make billions of dollars. And even though the advertisers still make less money than Google and Facebook, they still pay for it because it’s better than zero. Therefore, what we see is that the world has switched to direct marketing in a big way because the metrics of brand marketing aren’t appropriate.

What does that mean? If you are an individual who is counting Instagram followers and YouTube views, you are engaging in direct marketing. And if you follow the algorithm, it’s unhelpful because you are optimizing yourself to be like everyone else – and yet that’s what gets the clicks. Clever brands like Airbnb and Nike are in a race to the top. They will use direct marketing when they should and then use brand marketing for the rest of the time.

In a broader sense, brand marketing is aimed at making our culture better. It might and should have an element of direct marketing to it, but mostly it’s a brand marketing exercise. And companies that are built around that idea have a better chance of doing brand marketing that resonates with people and touches them at a deeper level that goes beyond clicks, impressions, and finding the best price on those pairs of shoes.

Here is another way of thinking about brands: if Tesla came up with a phone, they would have to do very little direct marketing to hit their revenue targets. And that’s because most of us are sold on the idea of the brand called Tesla. Now imagine if you were blindfolded and taken to the inside of one of Marriott, Sheraton, or Hyatt: would you be able to tell which one you are in? Our guess is no. Because there is not enough brand promise of “what we stand for” and “what can you expect from us every single time” in the brand beyond their logos.

As a company – whether you are a startup or a somewhat established enterprise, there is always a lot of wisdom in thinking about your brand and your promise. We at Prezlab strive to help companies achieve that with our branding services and presentation design services across the GCC.

 

Among other things such as presentation design, Prezlab also specializes in video production, and because we notice a lot of videos that leave a lot to be desired. We thought it would be a good idea to share our insights on the 10 most common videography mistakes so that your videos look more professional rather than amateur.

01 Planning

If you do not plan to succeed, you plan to fail. Planning your videos is pivotal and can lead to a much smoother and pain-free editing process. Structure your videos and develop a script before you begin shooting. Have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and what needs to be done. Pull out your favorite pen and paper and write these points down. Write down where you are going to be shooting. Do you have permission to shoot there? What props and other equipment would you need? This will help you focus your energy on being more creative come shoot day.

02 Avoid constant zooming

Constant zooming is one surefire way to make your audience feel motion sick. It’s common for beginners to pick up a camera, start shooting, and zoom in on anything they see. There is nothing inherently wrong with zooming in, but keeping a smooth and steady hand is a very important characteristic of a professional-looking video.

“There are no rules in filmmaking. Only sins. And the cardinal sin is dullness.”

Frank Capra

03 Bad Audio

30% of most videos are audio, making it a critical component of your videos. Generally speaking, the inbuilt microphone on your camera will not be good enough. It’s best to consider investing in a good external microphone. A shotgun microphone will generally do a good job of picking up clear audio, and if you are doing interviews try to get the microphone as close to the subject as possible.

04 Shaky footage

Another perfect way to make people hit that thumbs-down button is to make a shaky video. Shaky footage is alright if it’s intentional, but if you are trying to show off a beautiful landscape focus on keeping the camera steady. Shoot as smoothly and steadily as possible. There are plenty of accessories out there to help you achieve this – Gimbels, tripods, etc.

05 Framing and composition

This is by far the best free way to improve the quality of your videos and make them look professional. De-clutter the background and remove as much background noise (visual noise) as possible so that the focus is on the main subject. Follow the rule of thirds when framing (not sure what that means? Learn more about it here).

06 Filming too much

This is another mistake that almost all newbies make. You show up, hit record, start filming endlessly and then try to figure it out along the way or during the editing phase. It’s a terrible strategy and goes back to planning – know what you need before you start shooting. It’s okay to take a few extra shots to give yourself some options but don’t go overboard with filming. This will save storage space and make the editing process more efficient. 

07 One shot per clip

Try to avoid shooting long clips. Instead, dedicate one shot to each clip. For example, if you need a suitable location for your next shot, stop recording and only restart recording once you find a location you are happy with. Do not keep recording while you walk around looking for the perfect location. Do not record anything without putting any thought into framing and camera movement unless it’s necessary.

Bonus tip! Lighting

Lighting is one of the best ways to improve the look of your video. Even if you don’t own a light, still think about the lighting. Try to take advantage of some free soft natural light whenever and wherever possible. Investing in a lighting setup will help take your videos to the next level. A softbox can create nice diffused lighting or LED lighting that sets a mood. Think about colors that work well together or contrast each other.

Putting these 8 tips into practice will easily improve the quality of your videos and take them to the next level. If you enjoyed this blog then you might also like our blogs about digital marketing and 3 Ways to get people talking about your brand.

 

Great branding starts with people, and the best brands and branding companies recognize that. In this day and age when there is a blizzard of advertising noise, it’s important to know how to get others talking about your brand. After all, the best way to make sure people remember who you are is for them to share what they think about you with their friends, family, and followers on social media networks like Facebook and Twitter.

Three tips to get the branding process started:

01 Genuine connection

Engage in conversations with customers or prospects by responding quickly and genuinely. People want a real person behind the company who makes them feel valued as a customer or potential customers.

Customer service is the lifeblood of any company, and it can make or break your brand. People want a real person behind their interactions with companies, which means they’ll go out on a limb for someone who takes time to respond quickly and genuinely. One way that businesses are ensuring customer loyalty is by being empathetic! Showing empathy goes beyond apologizing to customers; take action when a mistake is made by replying promptly so people don’t feel forgotten about—even if only momentarily.

From a purely psychological perspective, people love to share their opinions, and if they feel like you’re listening, they will be more open about sharing them with others. Show your appreciation for honest reviews or feedback by responding publicly on review sites that allow this as well as privately via email. This shows that you value all opinions even those which may not be so positive.

02 Sharing references

Share content from other sources in your industry so readers can see how you fit into the bigger picture of things happening around them.

The best marketing involves showing your target audience how the content they are consuming fits into the bigger picture. By sharing content from other sources in our industry, we encourage people to look at us more critically and see what it means for them as well. A great example would be including links or quotes from related blogs or publications! This goes a long way in encouraging critical thinking and increases reader engagement with YOUR brand.

03 Unique ideas

You need a great idea, an interesting story, and compelling visuals. Think of a unique idea for a campaign or promotion that is topical and relevant in today’s world. Create a narrative with an intriguing storyline. Power that up with high-quality images or videos so users can see what you have to offer

You can create a campaign that people will be interested in and want to share with their friends and social network. The key is coming up with a powerful idea and then telling the story of how you got there through engaging visuals or writing. Following that, you can promote it on social media channels where we know our target audience spends time.

One fine example of this is Google’s “Year in Search 2016” video, which captivated the hearts and minds of viewers globally. The two-minute video reviewed the top searches for 2016 and included footage and key moments that brought us together and tore us apart. You can watch the video here.

Are you looking for branding services in Dubai and across the GCC that tick these three boxes? Reach out to Prezlab for “out of the box” solutions and ideas.

If you enjoyed this blog then you might also like these:

Coca-Cola: The branding strategy that made a difference 

Branding: It’s about your promise, not your logo 

 

Introduction

Making stellar presentations is an art form, and here at Prezlab, we know a thing or two about what makes a good presentation. This blog will focus on how to create great presentations to ensure you’re always putting your best foot forward in every presentation you give.

Structure, Structure, Structure

Figure out the core message or messages. This means deciding what direction the message is heading in and what the starting point and endpoint are. Ask yourself what it is that you want to achieve. It’s always best to get the message set before you start the presentation. We recommend doing a draft on paper first, then bringing it into the digital.

Aside from relying on the fact that “it’s true because I say it’s true,” you have to be able to support your claims with specific evidence or logic. Each part of an argument should be supported by a body of evidence.

Keep your slides to 10 or fewer. Keeping slides to a small number ensures the audience will understand and remember what you are saying.

Less text in your presentation makes it more engaging. Think of ways to make it more visual. For example, if you’re talking about how your product can save people money, show the image of a stack of money in the background. If you give people too much textual information, they’ll be more focused on reading and won’t pay attention to your message. Seth Godin writes that you should have no more than six words on each slide – that’s not a lot of copy, so choose your words carefully and rewrite until you’ve got it just right.

Pro tip: Think of your ideas as ‘bites.’ Studies show that people are more likely to retain information that’s been broken down into small chunks, such as in a short video.

Focus on design relentlessly. It can make or break your presentation. 

A great design for a presentation can make or break it. If you don’t have the budget for a designer, tools such as Visme or Canva can help you make great slides, and Pexels offers stunning images for free. Alternatively, you can have a chat with us at Prezlab.

Colors are a double-edged sword. If you use too many colors, it will be off-putting. Choose the colors that are most relevant to your brand identity. Use a consistent palette so that your site has a consistent look and feel.

Be consistent with your font. Overall consistency enhances your professional appearance. Don’t switch between caps and lower case, Times New Roman and Comic Sans, or 8 and 30-point text size. Stick with one font and one size throughout.

Format to perfection. Your slides are a huge part of your presentation. Make sure they look professional and are easy to read. Visuals are a great way to present information, but they need to look good. A wonky line on a slide or a badly pixelated graphic will put some people off, as it will look like you haven’t tried very hard.

Have Another Pair of Eyes Look It Over

Just as a well-worn pair of shoes can become shiny and new after a few rounds of cleaning, a good presentation can actually get better with each round of editing and polishing.

Start by writing down your ideas in a nonlinear fashion. Use a tool like Milanote that allows you to rearrange your ideas and see connections that you might not have seen otherwise.

Another person can often see things you might miss. Get a trusted friend or colleague to review your work. If you don’t know anyone who can help, you may want to try an online writing assistant like ProWritingAid or Grammarly.

And last but not least, if you don’t have the time or the bandwidth to do presentation design on your own, you can always give us a holler and we will gladly put together a stellar presentation.

 

Introduction

We live in a very noisy world that’s full of distractions and has ever-shrinking attention spans. The # 1 challenge for all companies—big, small, or anything in between—is how to create a brand around what you do that cuts through the noise. And the truth is that very few companies have been able to achieve that.

In this blog, we are going to attempt to figure out the secret to winning the marketing game and how YOU, regardless of your industry, market, or company size, can become better at being noticed.

Figure out your brand’s identity

The greatest brands on the planet such as Coke, Disney, Apple, Nike, and Tesla, do not talk about being better than the competition in a very narrow sense of the word. Nike did not build itself by talking about how much more comfortable their shoes are compared to Puma. Apple didn’t do it by “one-upping” on bits and megabits when compared to IBM.

It seems that a great brand mostly does not talk about the product it is trying to sell. Interestingly, they figure out what they are all about. It’s a laser-focused promise that is a common thread that runs through everything they do. Nike is about honoring great athletes and athletics, Tesla is about creating a greener planet, and Apple, with its “Think Different” ethos, is about breaking the shackles of an Orwellian world (at least, that’s the message that resonated the most during the Macintosh launch).

Figure out who you are and what you stand for. Many companies might think they have this figured out, but one of the best litmus tests for that is to ask yourself these questions and then notice if you have a clear, concise, laser-focused answer that cuts to the heart of everything you are about. If you do not have that for your company, you need to go back to the drawing board and figure this out before you think of logo design ideas and advertising budgets.

Figure out your brand’s values

Many would argue that the markets have changed, the customer has changed, or newer technologies have changed the industry landscape. However, the idea behind really figuring out your core promise and values is that they’re not affected by market changes or changes in the industry. Nike always did and still does stand for “great athletes and athletics.” Though their products have changed tremendously, however, that core value still holds.

The marketing piece of the puzzle is born from first figuring out the core value and promise. It’s the physical representation (so to speak) of those values.

This quote by Seth Godin hits the nail on its head. You can read the full post here:

A brand used to be something else. It used to be a logo or a design or a wrapper. Today, that’s a shadow of the brand, something that might mark the brand’s existence. But just as it takes more than a hat to be a cowboy, it takes more than a designer prattling on about texture to make a brand. If you’ve never heard of it, if you wouldn’t choose it, if you don’t recommend it, then there is no brand, at least not for you.

Examples:

To drive our point home, here are some more inspirational ads that encapsulate their brand’s DNA and core values. We are not writing any explanations for these ads as they speak for what they stand for without help (which is the whole idea in the first place!).

Harley Davidson 

Coca-Cola

Tesla

Nike

Looking for a branding company in Dubai that just gets it? Reach out to Prezlab and tell us what your brand stands for.

 

 

Introduction

We all hate those long and boring presentations—all of us have been there, and we know exactly how it feels to be on the receiving end of one of those presentations. The thought of us being the ones creating them, let alone delivering them, is enough to give us sleepless nights. Prezlab is all about presentation design and fighting the death by PowerPoint and going to extreme lengths to turn average slides into blockbusters. In this blog, we wanted to share some insider secrets about how we do what we do.

Whether you are putting together a presentation for your university project, work, or even a fundraiser for a nonprofit, you want to make sure it has the impact it should have and that it sticks with your audience.

01 Know Your Audience  

The first step is to thoroughly understand your audience. Know for whom you are designing the presentation. We cannot stress this point enough. This will determine how much depth and technical detail you should go into with your slides.

To give a drastic example, you wouldn’t want to put together the same presentation for a group of high school students as you would for a group of startup founders and CEOs. To the best of your ability, try to figure out where your audience works and which industries they are in. A killer presentation for one type of audience could go completely bust for another.

02 Presentation Structure

Build on ideas by structuring your slides. If all the points you want to make are randomly tossed around without any structural sense, not too many people are going to enjoy your presentation, and neither will they remember it. Work on making sure that each new idea builds on the previous ones and that they connect in logical ways.

03 A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Using the right visuals, such as charts, graphs, and infographics are a great way to cement your ideas in the minds of your audience. As many as 65% of people are visual learners; therefore, using visuals ensures a more powerful impact on your audience. Showing 200% growth on a graph is far more impactful than mentioning it in words.

04 Repetition is a Good Thing When it Comes to Presentations

In our experience, it’s best to start the presentation with one key point or core message to set the stage and let the audience know what you will be arguing for. Then repeat this core message at least once within the presentation to reinforce it. And then finally repeat it at the end to wrap things up and ensure that your key message is what they see and hear last and therefore what they remember.

05 Have a Story to Tell

A story is a difference between an average presentation and a great one. Stories are much easier to remember since they have emotional hooks that hardwire the accompanying message into the audience’s minds.

If you want to see some of these points in action and watch an entertaining and highly insightful talk on How to get your ideas to spread then watch this talk by Seth Godin.

Conclusion

If you are looking for seasoned veterans who are experts in presentation design services in Dubai and across the GCC, hire us at Prezlab. We are also equally talented in branding, infographics design, video, motion graphics design, social media management, web design, and SEO.

Introduction

“Motion graphics is animation, but with text as a major component. Essentially, it’s animated graphic design.” It’s no surprise that all types of motion graphics, like Explainer Videos, are an effective communication method to get your message across. Its effectiveness is actually two-fold:

1. The copy, the music, and the elements in motion come together to paint a picture about a certain concept where you don’t have to do it yourself. It already creates and tells that story for you.

2. Motion graphics are aimed at “engaging audiences and compelling them to take action, make a purchase, or see a concept with fresh eyes.”

The 5 Main Benefits of Motion Graphics for Your Brand

The questions begin to write themselves down; how can motion graphics impact your content marketing strategy? How do you choose between video or motion graphics that engage with your audience and achieve your goals?

A healthy content strategy includes a mix of content, including articles, infographics, e-books, and more. But there’s no denying people are more and more interested in video.

Here are some interesting facts for you!

By 2022, 82% of all internet traffic will be comprised of video views, according to Cisco, a multinational telecommunications technology company.

“More media platforms support video, and people are coming to prefer—if not expect—information to be delivered in that package. (Studies show that 40% of consumers said they would rather watch a brand video than read the same information.)”

Motion graphics offers a mix of two things; what they do for the viewer and how they help you tell your brand story. So here are the 5 main benefits of including motion graphics in your content marketing efforts:

01  They distill information for easy comprehension. 

Don’t you often hear the sentence, “I’ll understand it better if I see it?” That’s because visual communication targets the way your brain processes information. “In fact, visual processioning is nearly instant.”

Therefore, the visual storytelling element in motion graphics helps break down complex information, making it easier for the message to be delivered easily and clearly.

Review one of Prezlab’s high-level animated videos for one of our top clients: 

02 They’re a passive experience

Videos, essentially, don’t ask much from the viewer. They don’t have to read, explore data, or exert much mental energy when watching a video. Motion graphics are the same. Remember, the majority of consumers would rather watch than read the piece of information.

Review one of Prezlab’s high-level explainer videos for one of our top clients:

You might also like to read: Presentation Designs: How to give power to your point 

03  They’re emotionally captivating

Generally, you know if someone is a good storyteller by how they make you feel after they tell the story, right? Motion graphics gives you the tool to help you communicate your idea in a beyond attention-grabbing way, as it also affects your emotions. It’s a biological response. (It’s why we experience physical fear in a horror movie or joy in a rom-com).

The collective effort of the moody music, powerful voiceover, and stunning visuals help build an impactful story. And that is why motion graphics give you more control over how you tell a story than any other video format. Here’s a rule of thumb, if it’s on the storyboard, you can do it. There is no need to rely on anything else, such as actors, weather… etc., as you would for live-action production for instance.

Review one of Prezlab’s high-level video designs for one of our top clients:

04 They can be repurposed

Another great thing about content pieces like motion graphics is their flexibility and adaptability. You can use an evergreen topic or explainer video differently and on different platforms, for example, to help extend the lifecycle of a campaign.

You might divide a video into smaller pieces of content tailored for specific groups or maybe even place it in a presentation or an e-book.

With a variety of social and media platforms that support video format, you can have part of a well-designed piece of media that can serve you for years.

Review one of Prezlab’s high-level animated videos for one of our top clients:

05 They’re great when you’re short on time

Most motion graphics are 30 seconds to 3 minutes long, which is incredibly helpful when you need to make an impact ASAP. Studies have shown that even “watching a video under 10 seconds can help increase brand awareness and build purchase intent.”

Their inherently visual nature also makes motion graphics useful if you are in an environment where you can’t rely on audio (e.g., a busy trade show floor).

Review one of Prezlab’s high-level animated videos for one of our top clients:

Conclusion

When talking about motion graphics and other types of animation and video content pieces, it can get a little difficult to choose the right format for the message you want to deliver.

Remember, content creation is all about testing out the waters; feel free to test out one particular message using different video and motion graphics methods.

And no matter which type of animated video you use, you’re on your way to more engaging content for your audience. We at Prezlab are here to help you get it right every time. So, reach out, and let’s talk concepts.

Introduction

We understand that designing for some people might be a waste of time, but getting the message across is the whole point of presenting an idea. It’s the context that matters.

Well, we are here to tell you that you might be right, but not quite. Although you make a fair point, that the main goal is in fact to get your message across, however, ask yourself this:

Also read: The benefits of motion graphics for your brand

When great presenters, such as Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Stephen Covey, Sheryl Sandberg, and every TEDX speaker present – what do they all have in common? Is it only the importance of the message that they get across that people consume the information right away? Is it only because of the way they speak that brings you in automatically with their charisma that they may or may not be born with?

Maybe it’s actually because they are already famous that the audience has no choice but to listen and engage. They expect great things from great minds, and so when they present, greatness is inevitable.

The above points might be some reasons why these presenters have impactful presentations. But trust that they are way down the list.

First, let’s touch on some important principles that you need to know about presentation design, shall we?

The Basics of Presentation Design

For each profession, there is a professional. In business, there is a businessman, in art, there is an artist, in marketing, there is a marketer. In Presentation design, there is a presentation designer.

“Presentation design designers craft an array of ideas, stories, words, and images into a set of slides that are arranged to tell a story and persuade an audience.” With this skill, which should not be taken lightly, they can present a new design solution to deliver ideas through well-crafted and detail-oriented slides.

At Prezlab, we create presentations for our clients that not only cater to all levels but also aim to cut through the noise. We understand the importance of being able to communicate effectively. And so, by creating story-driven presentations, ordinary data is transformed into impactful information and content.

“A great presentation gives smart ideas an advantage”

How to Use Different Types of Presentation Design to Your Brand’s Advantage

With the evolution of many things in life, visuals have had an exponential rise in terms of their format, their impact, their purpose, and even the public’s preferences for their versatility.

As we stated in the beginning, context is very important. But it is merely a supportive element in the big picture. The context of your visualization will have an important impact on your design choices.

Here are the three types of presentation design:

Static Presentation Design

This is your standard presentation design option. It requires careful thought about what data and information is or isn’t being displayed to the audience.

Static presentations are your go-to if your goal is to hold the audience’s attention with a logical and structured approach. With the use of striking images and condensed pieces of content that adheres to your brand’s guidelines, static presentation design gets your message across directly and seamlessly, without any distractions.

Animated Presentation Design

Animation is an important aspect of the presentation that you can leverage in your efforts to produce a professional and effective business presentation.

Animated presentations with motion effects can help you:

• Pace the delivery of your information
• Illustrate processes
• Reinforce key concepts
• Grab the audience’s focus
• Enhance visual interest and impact

The most important principle when creating animated presentations specifically, is that you don’t want to go too overboard with the motion effects as they end up undermining the presentation’s message. And so our advice to you, knowing when and where to draw the line between dynamic content and distraction becomes a handy skill to have.

Interactive Presentation Design

The level of interactivity of your presentation can depend on whether the primary purpose is to explain what is already known or uncover meaningful and important unknowns.

Interactive designs, unlike static ones, offer the following:

• Input mechanism: They present readers with more viewing options and therefore contain rich data displayed subtly; It allows them to navigate the content in the way they want by sliding, pressing certain trigger buttons, and hovering/un-hovering.
• The pivot point for new exploration: They demand more from users to think and decide how to view the data rather than presenting them with pre-determined views
• Enhance display: Interactivity and user autonomy are essential for the visualization to serve its purpose and meet the user’s goals.

Metaphorically speaking: “Users move through visualizations like people walking through a building. Visualizations, like buildings, are built based on the user’s needs. As they are able to navigate through the data sets.”

Perfect Pitch: It’s Not Only in the What, It’s in the How.

Going back to our ideal presenters – what are we missing?

We have the right message, the right target audience, and the right data and content, we may or may not have the right level of confidence or charisma…. But what is that missing link?

Read the headline again. It’s in the HOW.

Design. Design. Design.

How you choose to present this message visually is and will always be a vital component of an effective and memorable result.

Here’s why:

It’s your chance to showcase your expertise:

Whether you’re speaking at a conference or pitching to investors, you are communicating your level of expertise, talent, and professionalism. If your visual standards are low, your audience may as well assume that you have cut corners elsewhere.  

It will reinforce your brand:

A well-crafted, visually appealing business presentation can say a lot about how you do business. It shows that you are professional and value quality.

The business world is all about first impressions. A business presentation in itself is often the first document about your organization that your clients or partners get to see. By making use of information architecture and presentation design, you will be imposing yourself and your business in the best light.

There’s a science to it:

• We’ve seen that a well-designed presentation that conveys the right message and is also visually appealing has as much as 60% higher chances of conversion.
• 90% of the information transmitted to the brain is visual.
• We process visuals 60,000 times faster than text.

“Effective presentation design is as important as the message itself.”

Keep the importance of visual information at the forefront of your mind. And make sure your presentations from here on out are more “show and tell” than “tell and tell.”

Stories are Data with a Soul

Give your presentation a story.

Presentations build towards an impactful moment and unleash a wave of momentum that changes people’s perceptions and preconceived notions. Good stories aren’t boring and neither are good presentations.

What might be the purpose behind creating and delivering a presentation? It certainly depends on the audience and the context itself, but the main reasons include: informing, instructing, entertaining, inspiring, activating, and persuading.

With this kind of power, designers can’t afford to view presentations as “just another deck.” We shouldn’t use the same formulaic templates or fail to educate our clients about the importance of high-quality image assets.

Instead, we need to see presentation design as an opportunity to craft a compelling narrative that earns big wins for our clients.

Conclusion

With presentation design, you don’t just make your point. You give power to the point you make. And that should always be the aspiration. Give power. Make change. Impact lives.