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With many design-related projects on the horizon, you become confronted with the age-old question: in-house or agency? Is outsourcing or hiring in-house designers the right approach? In this blog, we’ll discuss the pros and cons of both options and highlight key points you need to consider if you decide to outsource talent through an agency.

What are the main differences between in-house vs. agency?

Before we get started, let us clarify the distinction between in-house design teams and agency design teams. An in-house design team is a group of professionals in your company that have deep knowledge of your brand identity inside and out. They are an integral part of the staff and will grow creatively alongside your company. 

On the other hand, with an agency, you work with an outsourced team of creative talents that familiarize themselves with your brand and build on it with informed recommendations. Although they may be a pricier option, agencies offer greater flexibility by providing access to valuable assets, talent, and resources that might otherwise be unavailable to you.

Hiring in-house designers

In-house designers are a team of designers who are either part of the company’s staff or individuals you plan to employ to build an internal creative team. Embracing their work requires teamwork and inter-departmental cooperation while considering several elements.

What should you consider if you choose in-house design?

When contemplating utilizing your in-house design team, you may either work with the existing design team in your company or hire designers specifically for design-related projects and tasks. Opting for an in-house designer means that you need to have regular meetings, assign design tasks, and provide them with a substantial workload with potential career growth to justify the onboarding of designers for your projects.

In what cases is an in-house designer a good choice?

If the workload involves long-term projects and requires a full-time designer, then choosing an in-house is the more practical option. Opting for an in-house designer is better if you require good design to be part of your brand’s image and would like a closer relationship with the designer. Having employees that grow alongside an evolving brand enriches a brand’s growth.

What are the advantages of hiring in-house designers?

There are several benefits associated with hiring in-house designers. First, you would have financial transparency, as they would be an employee on your company’s payroll. Plus, the proximity of the designer to you would help you assess the changes or edits a design needs. There would also be a higher level of involvement as in-house employees understood the brand, products, and company culture. Also, by being closer to other team members, they could always collaborate with or consult other team members whenever they needed, improving their productivity and design process.

What are the disadvantages of hiring in-house designers?

Although there are many benefits to using in-house designers, it can also come with a few challenges. The process of hiring and onboarding designers takes time, plus all the HR-related affairs. Additionally, no designer can do everything, and depending on the vision and scale of the project, you might still need to outsource talents from different specializations. 

Sometimes your company might already have a design team whose talents you could borrow. However, they might be swamped with work from other clients and unable to fully dedicate themselves to your project; in such cases, we advise you to hire an external team.

Hiring design agencies

A design agency’s team can offer a wide range of specialties and talents. And a much-needed fresh perspective. If the in-house team is needed for high-priority initiatives, then an agency can step in and take it from there.

What should you consider if you choose agency design?

If you’re considering hiring a design agency, it’s important to refer to and evaluate the agency’s portfolio and previous experience. You could even decide to test out their work with smaller tasks before committing. See if they suit your brand and requirements. And since they will not be in your office, you will need to schedule regular meetings to maintain constant updates and feedback. It will require effort on your part to reach out, get involved, and participate in the process.

In what cases is an agency team a good choice?

A design agency is a great option for specific design requirements that in-house designers do not have the skill set to manage. Additionally, external designers have a fresh eye and perspective that your brand can benefit from. And occasionally, when internal designers cannot squeeze in design tasks due to more time-sensitive assignments, an agency can step in to ensure seamless execution.

What are the advantages of hiring an agency?

There are many perks to hiring a design agency, starting with the fact that you are allowed to be selective. Since you are searching for a temporary external team, you will find a more diverse pool of talents, skill sets, and expertise. Usually, an agency has consultation services that help direct your project and bring it to its full potential. They are also more accommodating to different time zones and can scale their services based on your business’s growth. Plus, working with an agency means that you will be working with a whole team that you are not required to manage. By not worrying about hiring, onboarding, and micro-managing, you can save time and refocus your energy on other tasks. Although there would need to be frequent meetings to track your project’s progress, you will not be involved in the day-to-day management of the design project.

What are the disadvantages of hiring an agency? 

Note that working with an agency might include drawbacks that would typically come from working with an external team. Firstly, an agency team is a temporary team, and they will need guidance if you require their work to serve a long-term goal. Secondly, agencies also need time, from splitting their time with other clients to putting dedicated effort into their designs. The earlier you reach out, the more likely you are to receive the results within your preferred timeline. Also, an agency can be costly, and with the variety of talent that took years to develop, retaining these skills will come at a cost.

How to make the most of working with an agency?

Hiring an agency’s design team would be a great choice for bigger projects that require more resources and expertise than your current team might lack. Yet, there are points you must consider to make the most of your collaboration with an outsourced team. 

Define your goals

Before you begin, present a design brief to determine the roles in the project and the responsibilities expected from both sides. Set up a meeting with the project manager and involved team members to define any expectations about the project before starting. Moreover, establish a line of communication to keep the conversation about the project’s progress active and transparent.

Be clear about what you need

In addition to the roles and responsibilities, work out the purpose and details of your project. 

• What is the project for? 
• Who is it targeting? 
• What is it meant to achieve? 

These are the kinds of points you should agree on with the agency’s team to be on the same page with them on the project’s objectives.

Set a budget

Before starting a project, decide on a budget that is reasonable for you and that you’re willing to spend. After you’ve determined your budget, begin to research agency and talent costs, market trends, predicted timelines, and potential setbacks that you’d need to prepare for. Once you’ve decided on the budget, you will have set perimeters for the project that you can work within.

Set a timeline

Design agencies juggle multiple projects at once and naturally have busy schedules with several projects in progress simultaneously. This is why it is crucial to have a transparent discussion regarding their availability, which will impact the project timeline and your preferred deadline. Moreover, discuss what would be a realistic timeline for the project and its different milestones that both the agency and company can agree on.

What to consider when deciding between an agency and in-house design resources?

In the end, you are the one who best understands what your company needs. Whether you decide to hire an agency or an in-house design team is a choice that depends on your circumstances, project scale, resources, and intended outcomes and goals. To help you make your choice, consider the following points to better understand which option best suits you.

Your company’s needs

Understanding your company’s needs helps determine whether or not an in-house team or agency is the right option for you. You need to ask yourself:

• What are your organization’s long-term goals and vision? 
• If you are planning to grow your company, how does hiring designers fit into the long-term plans for your company? 
• Are creativity and design core values for your company? 
• Is innovative and captivating design something you wish your company would grow into?

The costs

Hiring an in-house designer involves a long-term investment in your company’s infrastructure; you will gain a dedicated team member who will remain with you for years. On the other hand, working with an agency can give you flexibility if you are only looking for temporary projects. Do you wish to invest in a continuous solution, or do you desire the adaptability with cost and budgeting that hiring an agency would allow?

Your project’s size

As your company evolves, internal departments will face increased demands and strains. In-house design teams would be overwhelmed with their tasks and might not have the skills required for a specific project. Depending on the project’s size, adding pressure on them would not be sustainable. Choosing a well-rounded agency with experts in different domains such as animation, branding, and strategy would deliver a strong result and alleviate the pressure on the in-house team.

Your team’s skills

Based on your projects and marketing strategies, your current in-house team might lack specialization in a particular area, like web development, for example. Although it’s natural, it takes time to create a diverse and well-rounded creative team—time you might not always have. Here, agencies will fill a skill gap and provide your team with the support and talent they need for a particular campaign. 

Your team’s location

When an agency operates in another time zone, it ensures that no moment is wasted as the project is being prepared. The agency’s design team will be filling in the gaps when you are off-hours. Also, the difference in location can bring out a distinct perspective and a different creative mindset based on cultural and local differences.

Your company’s culture 

It is natural to prefer working with creatives and marketers who align with your company’s values and goals. This is made possible by investing in an in-house design team that is interested in seeing the company grow and succeed. Furthermore, an agency’s design team offers a fresh pair of eyes to look at your ideas and encourage improvements. 

Deciding between an agency design team and hiring your in-house team requires reflection on the present state of your company and your plans for the future. In-house designers will continuously evolve and grow with your creative team, but an agency can offer specialized services that are absent in your current capacity. It all comes down to your priorities; whichever option you choose should help grow your brand into a dynamic business.

 If you would like to understand the kinds of services offered by an agency, you could contact our team. Prezlab lends its creative team to all kinds of brands to develop their creative vision and bring it to life, from presentation design to animated videos to brand development.  

 

It is no exaggeration to say that video is the most effective information medium of the moment. Social media sites have all added video or reel features to their platforms to adapt to the increasing reliance on video to share entertainment and information. Presentations should be no exception. A well-placed and relevant video adds a welcome change of pace and dynamic feel, so this article will discuss how to use and embed video in a presentation.

Why should you add videos to your presentation?

Make your presentation more powerful

Pack a punch with an appealing and attention-grabbing video to draw in your audience. A video with an emotional or thought-provoking message can uplift your presentation and push for the intended effect.

Set the mood for your audience

A video in a presentation should have an impact like excitement, inspiration, or thoughtfulness. It must be relevant to the tone and topic of the presentation and help get the audience in the right mood.

Keep your audience engaged

As we mentioned earlier, there are many ways video helps keep your audience engaged; it offers a change of pace from the typical presentation program. Audiences connect with what they see more than what they hear, a captivating video works as an ad for your presentation and keeps the listeners involved. 

Do more with less 

At Prezlab, we often go back to the concept of less is more as a principle in presentation design. Using little text, a video that covers your main points does the talking on your behalf. Having a couple of videos makes for a memorable way to summarize your main ideas.

The difference between embedding and linking a video 

There are two ways of putting a video into a PowerPoint presentation from your computer, whether it is a PC or a Mac. You can either insert an embedded video or link to the video file. Both options have pros and cons, so you can decide which is more appropriate for you.

When you embed a video, you add the video to the presentation file. Meaning you can play the video directly from the presentation itself. However, that also means that the presentation will have a larger file size.

On the other hand, inserting a video link from your computer follows a similar process but keeps the presentation file size smaller. It is important to note that you should have the video saved on the same computer for a video link to work. If the video file has been moved or deleted, then the video will not play, and the link will break. To be safe, have the linked video saved in the same file as the PowerPoint, and if sending the presentation to someone else, send the video file as well.

How do you embed video in your presentation from your computer?

PowerPoint 

In PowerPoint, you will need to go to the Insert tab, select Video, and choose This Device.

Select the file you want to use and click on Insert.

Then adjust the settings in Video Format and Playback to suit your needs.

Finally, Preview your presentation to check that everything is working.

Google Slides

In a Google Slides presentation, go to the slide you want the video to be in. Then click on the Insert tab and select Video.  

If your video is saved on your computer, you will need to upload it to Google Drive and insert it as a Google Drive file. Select the video you want to insert.

Finally, play around with the Format options and adjust how it appears on the slide.

Keynote 

Using Mac’s Keynote, you go to Insert and click on Choose.

It will open a file showing the different folders on your computer. Click on your video, and it will drop into your presentation slide.

Click on Format and the Movie to find the video settings, and finally edit them based on what works best for your presentation, including the option for playing the video automatically.

What are the options for adding a video to a presentation?

When you decide to add a video to your presentation, you begin to consider the many different resources available to obtain your video. You can consider searching for a video or creating your own. Whether linking or embedding is the more practical option for you, regardless of the presentation software you use, there is a way to make it work in your presentation.

Option 1: Use an Online Video Platform

Video-sharing platforms such as YouTube, Vimeo, and Dailymotion have a wealth of educational and entertaining videos. If you find a clip that helps you drive home your main points, you can embed the video in your presentation by inserting a video By URL on Google Slides or through Online Videos on PowerPoint. You can just copy and paste the video link to insert the video. 

Option 2: Use a Video Converter

If you made the video you want to use or have a downloaded video ready, you sometimes discover that certain video formats are not allowed in PowerPoint. In that case, video converter tools are your savior. There are many online sites for converting video files, such as Kapwing, or free softwares such as HandBrake.

Option 3: Use a Screen Recording Software

Sometimes, you want to elaborate on a point through a brief video tutorial. In this case, you can create your own by screen-recording your process. Screen recording software like Bandicam or extensions like Chrome’s Screen Recorder helps you create straightforward video tutorials that you can embed in your slides.

Tips for video-focused presentations

When searching for a video to feature in your presentation, you want to ensure that the video is interesting. Otherwise, it just becomes a weak interlude. What should you keep in mind when selecting a video for your presentation?

Be clear with your script.

A video is a supplementary resource, so it shouldn’t leave any room for vagueness or uncertainty. Its purpose is to aid and explain your ideas. A video is not worth including if it doesn’t help simplify or clarify your points.

Pick colors that pop.

Let the videos you use be a fun respite or a break in the routine. An eye-catching and bright video engages the viewer and energizes them before getting back to the original program.

Keep it short and sweet.

A benefit to using videos is that it diversifies the presentation’s mediums, but even the novelty can wear off if it’s too heavy-handed. If a video is too long, you risk losing your audience, so it’s best to keep it short and to the point. You can even use an edited fragment or excerpt to get the point across more quickly. 

A video in a presentation is a welcome change of pace, it adds variety and snaps back the attention of your audience. It’s important to know how and when to link or embed video to help you take advantage of the medium and add some life back into your presentation.  

There are many moving parts in a design project from developing ideas, brand assets, the budget, timeline, etc. Unless the client and designer agree on all the details beforehand, they will be tricky to juggle and keep up with. Here’s where the design brief comes in, giving all those involved a blueprint to work with and covering all the background information needed.

In this blog, we’ll be discussing how to develop a design brief that is effective and useful for designers, and optimized for the best possible results.

We even have a free template to get you started! Read to the end of this article to download your own customizable template with all the main sections of a design brief.

What is a design brief?

A design brief is a document that outlines all the essential details of a project. It addresses the strategy, scope, and constraints of a project. It informs the workflow, pace, and decisions involved throughout since it covers all the main components of a creative project including the main vision, inspiration, and branding guidelines. The brief also outlines an agreement on the budget and timeline. It is a document that helps both the client and designer decide and agree on how the final product will look.

Why is a design brief important?

When you provide a design brief, you lay out all your ideas for the designers to better understand your project and vision. Describing your industry, company, culture, and project gives designers a blueprint to follow.

Designers will usually not know your industry or company. By providing context and explaining your project, background, and interests, they get insight into your objectives and can begin brainstorming.

For example, PayPal’s creative brief aims to simplify and explain its services to younger users who might be new to handling financial transactions. Its main message is highlighted in the end, and any content designed will connect to and communicate that initial message.

Who writes the design brief? 

Often, a company director, marketing manager, executive, or director writes the design brief. Although knowing how to write a design brief is helpful for startup founders and small business owners as well.

What sort of projects are design briefs used for?

Typically, a client writes a design brief to plan projects such as branding, website development, architecture, e-commerce, and any design-related industry. It will make the process much easier when they can describe their perspective and give insight into what they imagine the project to be.

What is the ideal length of a design brief?

A design brief is a short document, usually a page or two. They specify the overall project’s needs and outline how to achieve them.

What does a powerful design brief include?

The document should have an overview section that clearly outlines the design project. A good design brief should consider the project’s target audience and competitor information. Ask yourself what the project needs from both practical and creative perspectives. What is the purpose here? What are you aiming to accomplish or solve?

Your brief should cover the following details:

An overview of the business and project

First and foremost, the main feature of a design brief is the context of the client and company. What do you do? What is your industry? What is your role within the company or the company’s role within the industry? What makes you different from those in your industry? What are your company’s values and mission?

Your design brief should provide an overview of the project and what it is meant to accomplish for you or your company, similar to how you would describe it in a business case.

Goals and objectives of the design project

Before beginning a design project, the client and designer must align on the goals and objectives of the project. There is a difference between goals and objectives, which is why it is necessary to outline both. A goal would cover the overarching aim of a venture while an objective is the measure of success for a goal. Discuss each point specifically to avoid confusion and make the roadmap clearer.

The target audience and market

Assess who your target audience is. Once you understand their demographics and psychographics, you can determine how the design should communicate the message. What are the ages and genders of your audience? Are they in a particular region or industry? What problem do they face that this project could solve? How would they use your product or service?

The competition

Competitor information helps simplify the industry’s landscape. With an in-depth competitor analysis, a design brief can map out a clearer picture of its strategy. The brief should elaborate on the ways the project aims to stand out from the competition.

Project design information

It is not expected of a client to give creative direction, but there are elements in a design brief that would offer the designer much help such as brand guidelines, references, and mood boards. Fonts, colors, or personalities coherent with the brand’s visual identity help guide the designer through working with a cohesive and relevant style that suits the client.

Project deliverables

One of the purposes of a design brief is for a client and designer to align on a project’s deliverables. When unaddressed, many misunderstandings could arise that only creates delays for everyone involved. Agree on what formats, sizes, aspect ratios, and image resolutions of the content you expect to receive by a certain deadline.

Project timeline

One of the most important things to clarify before starting a project is the project timeline. Know if the designer’s schedule can accommodate your requirements within the desired timeframe. Agree on a realistic and flexible timeline by deciding when the project could begin and end and whether the designer is available throughout that period.

Project budget

One of the most crucial sections of a design brief is the part that covers the design project’s budget. Set expectations and constraints early regarding the budget and whether or not this includes the testing costs. Establish where there could be flexibility in the budget and be realistic with the project costs.

Project approval

Finally, this is the section that details the contributors and stakeholders involved in a project and the roles they play. This is to determine a point of contact with the designer as well as a person in charge of signing off on the deliverables. Here, all of the team members involved in the project are listed along with their details and contact information. Make clear who the point of contact is and mention those involved in the review and approval process for the project.

This creative brief by Hush Puppies is a strong example of an ideal brief where all the primary concerns a designer could have is covered, from the background, target audience, and objective.

Design brief mistakes to avoid

When developing your brief, there are two qualities it must have: clarity and comprehension. When you neglect these aspects, you end up with a confusing and incomplete document. Keep in mind these common brief writing mistakes:

Being indecisive. Know what you want and when. Decide on practical details such as the deadline and budget to avoid misunderstandings later.

Not knowing who you’re targeting. You know your audience better than the designer does. Elaborate on who you are aiming the content at.

Too many details and descriptions. There’s no need for a brief to be so airtight and specific. You limit the final product when the designer cannot maneuver or be creative.

Design brief examples and templates

As a design agency, we have gone through hundreds of design briefs: the good, the bad, and the godsends. Throughout the years, we learned what makes a brief practical for our designers and what inhibits them from creating their best work. So we’ve developed an ideal template that covers all the necessary elements of a good design brief.

The introduction is to share the basic details of a creative project such as the name, projected timeline, and budget.

Then it covers three sections that provide an overview of what the designer will need to proceed with the project. First are the contact details for the person managing the project, the company, and the middle management between the agency and the project’s team.

And it gives space to describe the project details to discuss the project’s objectives and messages. It also explains the project’s intended audience and mentions any available assets used or referenced by the designer.

Finally, the last section covers the project deliverables. This section is where the client and designer agree on the items to be delivered from videos, logos, ads, or other designs. It’s also good to clarify the deliverables that are of high priority and are the most urgent.

Fill in the template to plan your design project including all the primary creative and tonal components. Begin describing your project using the layout we’ve created to produce a powerful and effective design brief.

Download Design Brief Template

 

With the abundance of data available online, there has been a rise in infographic design and information technology as communication tools. The way content is presented and created has transformed, people seek structured content that presents information to them efficiently and attractively.

What are infographics?

The word infographics itself sums it up pretty well, it is a medium that combines information and graphics. Meaning that data and information are represented visually in graphics such as charts and diagrams to make the information clear and understandable. As a visual medium, infographics explain dense and complicated facts and figures for simple and transparent understanding.

Reasons to use infographics

They are appealing

Infographics share information in an engaging and interactive visual format. The motion and colors in an infographic make it an attractive and compelling vision that draws the eye.

They present ideas more clearly

Many people are visual learners, so infographics are perfect for condensing complex ideas in simpler terms for all types of audiences to understand.

They create interest

When information is presented through an eye-catching and fluid design, viewers are more likely to be interested in what a visual is trying to say.

They are accessible

They make big chunks of data less intimidating and overwhelming so that all kinds of people are able to learn from them.

They are persuasive and memorable 

Data and information are made more interesting with creative and narrative visuals, which make them more memorable in people’s minds.

Who can use infographics?

Infographics simplify and explain complex concepts for audiences of different ages and backgrounds, which makes infographics ideal for individuals and businesses across all fields use infographics. Marketers and consultants use infographics to build brand awareness and connect with clients by explaining industry-related concepts. While, government agencies, nonprofits, and educators use infographics for purposes related to educating students or the general public on certain initiatives or to create awareness.

How does infographic design grab attention?

Infographics are a compelling format, they are sleek, informative, and work for a variety of different audiences and niches. When done well, infographic design can communicate valuable information in a purely visual manner. This is, of course, when it is created thoughtfully it commits to a tone, provides a concise summary, and ensures a clear statement that is tailored for its target audience.

How to use infographic design effectively for businesses

When making infographics, infographic design impacts the overall outcome. An infographic is effective when it conveys its message in a manner that is comprehensive and understandable to its target audience. But how is an infographic originated, and how can one make it truly effective?

Outline Your Goals

Decide on your infographic’s main objectives. Think of the narrative you want the infographic design to depict. Depending on the purpose or goal you want to achieve, you are then able to whittle down and choose the information you want to include. Afterward, you begin developing an outline for your infographic design that features the headers, data, and any design elements you intend to use.

Collect Data

Once you’ve decided on your infographic’s goals, you should begin collecting all the relevant information about the details of your topic. That includes information about your target audience, their interests, hobbies, ages, or other demographic information and reliable sources that authenticate your research. With all your research at hand, you can decide how the infographic is arranged and highlighted, as well as what information is worth disposing of.

Create Visuals

Making infographics uses compelling graphics that attract and engage the target audience while simultaneously communicating your message. The layout of the information is an essential component of infographic design, so it’s important to be thoughtful of the style used in showcasing your information. Again, depending on the goals of your infographic, your layout will determine how the information is perceived. The layout will differ whether the infographic is to explore a concept, compare information, share information, visualize trends, or depict data.

Develop a Template

A template is super useful when it comes to deciding how you want to arrange and present your data and the elements you want to incorporate. Focus on the structure of your outline, how does it flow? Are there enough elements included or is it too crowded? Once you have a template, you can then customize it and manipulate it to serve your goals.

Incorporate Style and Design

When making infographics, there are several design elements to include from icons, shapes, lines, and others. The common elements used in infographic design include text, color, white space, and the use of alignment. Design elements are used to provide context, highlight certain points, bring consistency, or make the design more readable. Your template might give you an idea of where and how to use elements, but the elements you decide on, however, must remain consistent all throughout.

Share Your Infographic

Decide on the platform that can help you best reach your target audience. Then share it on the channels where your audience is most likely to find them.

What are the important things to consider when designing infographics?

Be simple

The purpose of an infographic is to condense lots of data into a design that breaks it into smaller, digestible pieces of information. “Less is more” is the key here, the design should be easy to follow without overwhelming the audience.

Be universal

By opting for a visual language of its own, infographics showcase information in a manner accessible to audiences across different groups.

Be original

Considering the density of brands and content out there, it is more important than ever to find ways to stand out. Incorporating your brand identity and voice through the use of color, fonts, text, images, and more will portray an original aesthetic and topic that is relevant to your organization.

Types of Infographics: Importance & Effectiveness

There are several types of infographic design styles, all of which vary depending on the kind of information being displayed and the platform it is intended for. The most common infographic designs are:

Static Infographics

Static infographics follow a format that does not move. Static infographics are proper for professional settings since you can use them in many different ways and across many different platforms. They can be used in blogs, articles, advertising, brochures, etc.

Prezlab: Static Infographic Work Sample

Animated Infographics

With the popularity of video content online, animated infographics effectively gain views and attention on social media. Using moving illustrations or motion graphics is also ideal for articles and tutorials online to give a more visual aid.

Prezlab: Animated Infographic Work Sample

Interactive Infographics

In interactive infographics, the viewers are invited to participate to learn about the data. This infographic design style lets the viewer explore the information at their own pace, and guides them along the narrative. Ideal for handling large data sets, interactive infographics allow the viewer to make decisions that impact the story.

Prezlab: Interactive Infographic Work Sample

Statistical Infographics

Since statistics are based on studies, evidence, and experiments that are great for reinforcing an argument. In a statistical infographic design, the charts and numbers are the main stars, with much less focus on text and narrative.

Informational Infographics

In an informational infographic, a topic is explored in depth using images and heavy text. Thorough and comprehensive, these infographics simplify the main ideas by making specific or niche subjects understandable.

Timeline Infographics

Timeline infographics use a linear structure to portray information chronologically. Often this structure is used to present topics related to historical events, project milestones or timelines, the evolution of a product or business, plans, or biographical information regarding an influential person.

Process Infographics

In a process infographic design, instructions or strategies are outlined in steps. A process infographic applies a balance of images and text to make it accessible to all types of learners. Usually used to convey information related to topics like product guides or digital marketing strategies.

Geographic Infographics

A geographical infographic handles regional data such as weather patterns, global trade patterns, population growth, or mapping the physical locations of a target market audience.

Hierarchical Infographics

Hierarchal infographic designs separate information based on categories or levels, creating a hierarchy. Typically, this type of infographic uses flow charts or pyramids to portray the information and uses elements such as lines and arrows to highlight connections. Hierarchical infographics are often used in showing family trees and management hierarchies.

List Infographics

List infographics summarize information and highlight the important takeaways through clever design. They are used to help remember information and use elements such as icons to list bullet points and summarize textual information.

When developing an infographic, you are making the bundles of data more accessible to an audience. It is a process of deciding on the type of infographic that best serves your data, to thorough research to be applied to a design that tells a story while being informative.

References:

• https://www.pinterest.com/pin/3025924741010342/?mt=login
• https://www.behance.net/gallery/5722533/Infographic-for-American-Stroke-Prevention-2012
• https://www.behance.net/gallery/71209893/History-of-Graphic-Design-Timeline-Infographic
• https://www.behance.net/gallery/51723765/Design-Process-Infographic
• https://www.visualistan.com/2018/12/a-literary-map-of-united-kingdom.html
• https://advisor.visualcapitalist.com/hierarchy-of-financial-needs/
• https://venngage.com/templates/infographics/how-to-summarize-information-for-presentations-infographic-6a1d022b-abd0-48d8-b64c-66ec74c92aa3

 

 

 

Graphic design is a vast field, so where do you begin? To break it down, the design elements are your toolbox, and the design principles are the instruction manual. These two factors work together to shape how a viewer perceives and interacts with a brand, offering a guideline for engaging and pleasing visuals.

What are the design elements?

Design elements are the basic components of graphic design that designers use to create compelling visuals. The elements represent the aspects of an image that define a visual such as shape, color, texture, or symmetry. We arrange the design elements to convey a particular mood or steer attention in a certain direction.

Point

A super basic design element, the point can be used on its own or in a group to form a shape. It is a single mark that does not extend but can be used to highlight a relationship between positive and negative space.

Line

A line refers to the way two or more points are connected. Lines could be horizontal, vertical, zigzagged, curvy, diagonal, thick, or thin. Seamless and versatile, they could be layered to create patterns, curved into shapes, create outlines, or help direct the eye toward certain elements in a visual. They are often used to organize elements in a visual by emphasizing or separating specific components of an image.

Shape

Shapes are all around us. There are three types of shapes that we distinguish: organic or natural shapes, geometric shapes, and abstract shapes. And like color, shapes are imbued with meaning that we associate with them. In geometric shapes, for example, rounder shapes signify safety, sharper shapes like triangles often imply danger or action, and rectangles and squares are balanced, invoking a sense of stability. This is why, in graphic design, understanding these connotations helps when selecting the appropriate shapes for your visual.

Form

The form refers to the way a shape occupies a space. The basic forms include spheres, cubes, and cylinders. It is a design element that adds dimension to a shape. Using light, shadow, and negative space, designers turn shapes into 3D forms by giving them the appearance of height, width, and depth.

Color 

Color is an essential component that characterizes a subject in a visual, so it’s important to use it wisely and consider the subjective perceptions of color according to factors such as profession and culture. Using color theory, designers refer to the color wheel and develop color schemes that help convey a certain mood.

Value

The value refers to the lightness or darkness of a hue, usually pictured as a gradient that showcases the different shades. From the colors portrayed, designers could use different colors to incorporate shadow and volume into an element.

Texture

The texture is the design element that depicts the tactile feel of an object. It could be smooth, rough, grainy, or otherwise. In graphic design, the texture should help the viewer imagine the palpable feeling of a visual.

Space

Using space wisely is the best way for a viewer to understand your design’s objective. The positive space is where your design’s focal point is centered, and by using white space (or negative space), you redirect the viewer to the image’s subject. When a design is crowded, it is usually because of a lack of negative space that overwhelms the visual.

Symmetry

Symmetry refers to shapes with a balanced proportion whose opposites mirror each other. Symmetry creates patterns that are familiar to us and that humans are naturally drawn to and find very aesthetically pleasing. Note that symmetry does not need to be perfect; it only needs to be suggested.

What are the design principles?

Design principles refer to the ways a designer might use an element when creating a visual; they offer recommended guidelines to create good designs. The design principles serve different purposes, from highlighting certain elements to creating overall appeal and harmony. However, note that these principles are connected, so the challenge becomes finding a way to coordinate them for a cohesive final piece.

Balance and alignment

Balance occurs when elements are aligned evenly, spacing out the different elements to create a harmonious equilibrium in a design. A lack of balance happens when no alignment guides the viewer to a visual’s subject. Balance could be symmetrical or asymmetrical, meaning that a lack of symmetry does not entail a lack of balance.

Emphasis

Using emphasis in a design ensures that a viewer’s attention is directed toward the most important message first. Whether it’s a title, a text, or a subject, for the design’s main purpose to be highlighted, a designer would emphasize it by presenting it cleverly to focus the user’s attention.

Movement

Movement is the design principle related to motion. It arranges the elements for the eye to fluidly move between pieces of information the way they’re intended to be received. Movement gives visuals a narrative or story by presenting the main information in a hierarchy that makes sense to the viewer.

Pattern

Whenever a shape or symbol is presented repeatedly, it creates a pattern. There are many ways to experiment with patterns: you could alternate shapes or use consistent repetition or switch up repetition styles.

Repetition 

Repetition occurs when design elements are duplicated in a design, it could occur either as a motif or as a pattern. The repetition principle creates an effective brand identity, and unlike patterns, repetition is not limited to shapes. Repetition of colors and styles creates a sense of familiarity in bigger projects or dense designs.

Proportion

Once you understand balance, alignment, and contrast, handling proportions should become easier to grasp. Proportion refers to the size of elements in a visual (think aspect ratio) and their composition to establish a sense of order. It’s easy to start by grouping elements together; thinking in sections allows for more thoughtful compositions.

Rhythm 

Rhythm can apply to a wide range of disciplines aside from music, such as art and design. Rhythm in graphic design refers to the spacing and arrangement of elements in a visual to develop the desired pace for how the design is received.

Variety

Variety in design refers to the combination of different elements, such as lines, colors, values, shapes, and textures, to create a diverse and visually interesting design. The trick is finding ways to unify all these elements so that they complement each other in a cohesive design.

Unity

Unity as a design principle applies to the ways various elements interact and complement each other. Unity refers to both conceptual and types of visual unity. Conceptual unity is concerned with the information in the design making sense, while visual unity is for the colors, shapes, and textures placed to achieve a harmonious balance.

Contrast

Contrast highlights an element by placing it in an unconventional position. Using contrast creates a visual interest that makes the viewer want to follow the odd element. Common ways to create basic contrast are by using contrasting colors, shapes, or sizes.

White space

White space, or negative space, refers to the empty space in a visual. Using the white space to your advantage, you can create sparse designs with room for your elements to breathe. It is a design principle concerned with what you don’t add to a design. It creates a hierarchy and helps organize the visual to prioritize the subject.

Hierarchy 

When creating a visual hierarchy, you want the viewer to follow a particular order when scanning the information in a design. It is about structuring the elements to highlight the main subject and information first and portray a rational flow of information. When a design lacks prioritization, it feels purposeless and cluttered, so it’s important to have an emphasized element that the design focuses on.

How to use the principles of design?

Familiarize yourself with the above design principles and get comfortable with them. Not every design has to use these principles to be good, but after understanding design principles, you can experiment and break away from them. In either case, the priority is to convey the image’s ideas and information.

What are the differences between the elements and principles of design?

The main difference between design elements and principles is that one is a set of rules, while the other is a collection of components to which these rules apply.

Design elements are the basics of graphic design, the most simple elements one needs to create any design. Lines, colors, shapes, and textures, are fundamentals featured in nearly every visual.

Meanwhile, the design principles are concerned with how to use these elements. They are the rules to keep in mind when using the elements to give visual design cohesion and clarity.

What is the relationship between principles and elements in a design?

While the design elements are the basic elements for any visual, the design principles provide guidelines for working with them and using them to their full potential.

When can you break the rules of design?

Although following what seems like a long list of design rules can feel stifling, good design does not rely on them. Design principles are helpful when trying to achieve a certain goal with your visual. Even though you could be walking a fine line, it is neither uncommon nor discouraging to break these rules sometimes.

All of these elements and principles are the primary building blocks of any design project. Once you develop fluency in all of these aspects, you can break them down and be flexible and creative with them.

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