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Blog Data Visualization

120+ Presentation Ideas, Topics & Example

By Ryan McCready , May 08, 2023

Did you know that  46% of people can’t sit through a presentation without losing focus? 

That’s why I wanted to learn how to make a presentation that will captivate an audience. After looking at hundreds of different authors, topics, and designs, I’ve assembled over 100 presentation ideas and tips on how to design a compelling presentation for:

• Social media
• Online courses
• Pitch decks
• Lead generation

In this blog, you’ll find 120+ presentation ideas, design tips and examples to help you create an awesome slide deck for your next presentation.

To start off, here’s a video on the 10 essential presentation design tips to make sure that your presentations don’t fall under the YAWN category.

1. Use A Minimalist Presentation Theme

CREATE THIS PRESENTATION TEMPLATE

The best designs can also be some of the simplest you see. In the Airbnb pitch deck below, they use a minimalist color scheme and font selection.

A minimalist design is sleek, organized and places the most important thing in focus: your information. There are no distracting stock images, icons, or content. Everything on this unique presentation feels like it belongs and works together perfectly. 

Learn how to customize this template:

2. Use a Consistent Design Motif Throughout Your Presentation

Here’s a go-to tip to for a cohesive presentation design: use a design motif. The motif could be a recurring shape (like circles, lines or arrows) or symbol (like a leaf for “growth” or a mountain for “goals”). For more ideas, check out our guide to common symbols and meanings used in design .

For example, this  presentation template uses circles as a design motif. The same circle icon is used in three different colors to add a bubbly touch to the design. The team photos are also incorporated using circle frames:

3. Use an Eye-Catching Presentation Background Image

Like with any type of design work, you should want to catch the eye of your audience. In a presentation, this should be done from the beginning with a  compelling background image or a color gradient.

In this presentation template, the creators were able to do just that with a landscape photo. When a presentation like this is seen on social media, during a webinar or in person, your audience will definitely listen up.

4. Visualize Your Points With Icons

Icons are the perfect visuals to include in presentations. They’re compact and can convey a concept to your audience at a glance. You can even combine multiple icons to create custom illustrations for your slides. 

Use the Icon Search in Venngage to find illustrated and flat icons:

5. Use A Black & White Color Scheme For A Corporate Presentation Design

In the presentation below there are only two colors used: black and white. Now, you might be worried that only using two colors is boring, but it all comes down to balance.

Playing off the ideas of classic minimalism, the designer made this presentation look sleek and professional. And now your content can be the main attraction of your presentation as well!

6. Repurpose Your Slide Deck Into An Infographic 

Different types of presentations serve different purposes and sometimes it helps to work smarter, not harder when you are creating a unique presentation. In fact, the spacing, layout, and style used in this presentation makes it easy to repurpose the same images into an infographic.

This allows you to create two unique pieces of content from one idea!  Which is exactly what  Officevibe did .

Join Venngage’s CEO, Eugene Woo, to learn how you can design impactful infographics that will help maintain trust, increase productivity and inspire action in your team.

SIGN UP NOW

7. Break Your Genre Mold For A Fun Presentation Idea

When I first clicked on this creative presentation from SEMrush, I was not expecting to be transported into a comic book. I’m glad I clicked because it may be the most unique slide deck I have ever seen. Going this extreme with your presentation ideas may seem a bit risky, but to be able to break the mold in this age of cookie-cutter presentations is worth it.

To leave a lasting impression on your audience, consider transforming your slides into an interactive presentation. Here are 15  interactive presentation ideas  to enhance interactivity and engagement.

8. Make Your Presentation Cover Slide Count

As I was scrolling through all of the presentations, this one made me stop in my tracks. It could be that I have a life-long love of Star Wars, or it could be that their presentation cover slide was designed to do just that: grab your attention. That’s why you should not stick with a boring, text-only title slide. Don’t be afraid to use icons and illustrations to make a statement.

9.  Alternate Slide Layouts to Keep Your Presentation Engaging

Keeping your audience engaged throughout an entire presentation is hard, even if you have been working on your presentation skills . No one wants to look at slides that look exactly the same for an hour. But on the other hand, you can’t create a unique masterpiece for each slide.

That’s why I’m very impressed with what the designers did in the presentation example above. They use a consistent visual theme on each slide, but alternate between vertical and horizontal orientations.

The swapping of orientations will show people that the presentation is progressing nicely. It can help you make a strong, almost physical, distinction between ideas, sections or topics.  

10. Make Your Audience Laugh, Or At Least Chuckle

Sometimes you need to not take your business presentations too seriously. Not sure what I mean? Go check out slide number 10 on this slide deck below.

If you did not actually laugh out loud, then I don’t know what to tell you. Small illustrated embellishments can be very powerful because they evoke an emotional response and to gain your audience’s trust.

Did you know 70% of employees think that giving a good presentation is an essential workplace skill? Check out the top qualities of awesome presentations and learn all about how to make a good presentation to help you nail that captivating delivery.

11. Supplement Your Presentation with Printed Materials

Printed takeaways (such as brochures and business cards ) give audience members a chance to take home the most important elements of your presentation in a format they can easily access without using a computer. Make sure you brand these materials in a way that’s visually consistent with your slide deck, with the same color scheme, icons, and other iconic features; otherwise, your recipients will just end up scratching their heads.

If you’re giving people multiple materials, try packaging them all into one convenient presentation folder. There are over 100 styles with a wide range of custom options, so feel free to get creative and make your folder stand out. Sometimes a unique die cut or an unusual stock is all you need to make something truly memorable. Here are some brochure templates to get you started.

12. Only Use One Chart Or Graphic Per Slide 

Having too much information on a slide is the easiest way to lose the focus of your audience. This is especially common when people are using graphs, charts or tables .

In this creative slide deck, the author made sure to only include one focal point per slide, and I applaud them for it. I know this may sound like a simple presentation tip, but I have seen many people lose their audience because the slides are too complex.

13. Keep Your Employee Engagement Presentations Light   

Sometimes you need to get away from stuffy, professional presentation ideas to capture your audience’s attention. In this case, Officevibe used some very colorful and playful illustrations to stand out from the crowd.

I mean, who could not love the plant with a face on slide number 9? And if you want to see some more icons and illustrations like this, be sure to check out our article on how to tell a story with icons.

14.  Feature a Map When Talking About Locations

Including a map in your creative presentations is a fantastic idea! Not only do they make an interesting focal point for your slide layout, they also make location-based information easier to understand.

This cool presentation example by our pro designers at Venngage uses maps to visualize information. This map both dominates the screen, and also displays all the locations being covered.

15. Use a Font That Is Large and In Charge 

If you are presenting to a small group or a packed stadium, make sure your audience can see your text! Use a large and in charge font that can be read from even the nosebleed seats. 

Honestly, you really never know where your unique presentation will be seen. It could be seen in a conference room or conference hall, and everything in between. Be ready to present almost anywhere with a bold and easy to read font.

16. Use Pop Culture References To Build A Fun Presentation 

Using a meme or pop culture reference is another way that you can jive with your audience. It can be used to quickly get a point across without saying a word or create a moment that you can connect with the room. For example in this presentation, they used Napoleon Dynamite to give the audience feelings of nostalgia.

17. Use More Than One Font Weight On Your Presentation Cover Slide

Just like you would never use one font on an infographic, you should never use just one font on your presentation (for more tips, read our guide on how to choose fonts ). In this presentation example from HubSpot, they use a bunch of different font weights to add emphasis to key words and ideas.

As you can see, they use a bold font on the presentation cover to bring attention to Steve Jobs name. This makes it easy for the audience to know what your presentation is going to be about from the beginning as well. 

18. Use A Color Theme For Each Idea 

Color is another extremely powerful nonverbal tool that you can use to guide your audience. By using a different color for each section of your creative presentation, Dell is able to clearly indicate when they are switching points or ideas.  Going from green to orange, and even red almost effortlessly.

This is a great way to design a list, guide, or a  how-to presentation as well. And each color can be assigned to a different step or number with ease. 

Need help picking the perfect color palette? Start here !

19. use illustrations instead of pictures .

An easy way to keep your design consistent throughout your unique presentation is to use illustrations like in this slide deck by Domo.

They used illustrations instead of pictures to show off their subject on slide numbers 4-10 and it looks fantastic. This will ensure that the audience focuses on the content, instead of just the photo they could have used.

It also helps that illustrations are a top design trend for 2020 .

20. Use Contrasting Colors to Compare Two Perspectives or Sides of an Argument 

Contrasting colors can be used to quickly show each side of topic or an argument. For example in this presentation, they use this trick to show the difference between their company and the competition.

They use color very effectively in this example to show their company is better, in a nonverbal way. With a lighter color and illustrated icons, the company is able to position them as the better choice. All without saying a word.  

Now if they would have used similar colors, or a single color the effect wouldn’t have been as strong or noticeable.

21. Include Your Own Personal Interests

This example is one of the most interesting and cool presentations I have seen in awhile, so I suggest checking out the entire thing. The creator inserts a bunch of his personal interests into the slide to make his presentation about education fun and relatable. And they even use a Super Mario Bros inspired presentation cover, so you know it has to be fantastic! 

22. Try To Stick To Groups Of Three 

How many major ideas should be present on your presentation aid? Never break your  presentation layout down into anything more than thirds. This means there should be at most three columns, three icons, three ideas and so on.  A great example of this idea starts on slide number 9 in this slide deck and continues throughout the rest of the presentation.

 Here is a great three columned slide template to get started with.

23. add a timeline to help visualize ideas .

One of the best ways to visualize a complex process or historical event is to use a timeline presentation. A list of all the steps or events is just not going to cut it in a professional setting. You need to find an engaging way to visualize the information.

Take the presentation example above, where they outline the rise and fall of Athens in a visually stimulating way.

24. Label Your Graphs & Charts 

If the people at Pollen VC had not added those annotations to the graphs on slide number 5, I would have definitely not known what to make of that graph.

But when you combine the visuals on a graph with descriptive text, the graph is able to paint a picture for your audience. So make your graphs easy to understand by annotating them (this is a chart design best practice ).

Create a free graph right here, right now !

25. white font over pictures just works .

There is a reason that you see so many quotes or sayings in a white font that are then overlaid on an image. That it is because it just works in so many situations and the text is very easy to read on any image.

If you do not believe me, look at the slide deck example above where they use a white font with a few different fonts and about 100 images. Plus the presentation template is chocked full of other tips on how to create a winning slideshow.

26. Color Code Your Points Across The Whole Presentation 

Here is another example of a presentation that uses color to keep their points organized. In this case, they use 10 different pastel colors to match the 10 different tips for employee engagement.

Check out our guide for how to pick the best colors for your visuals .

27.  Use a Simple Flow Chart to Break Down a Process

If you’re a fan of the movie Step Brothers , you may have heard of Prestige Worldwide before. In this fun presentation example they are back to sell you on their business model and growth plans.

This time, the presentation will be effective because it actually talks about what the business does.

Instead of making a music video, they use a helpful flowchart template to explain their business model. I would recommend following their lead and creating a dynamic flow chart to visually break down any process.  Try making your own flowchart  with Venngage.

28. Make Your Slide Deck Mobile Friendly 

As more people move to mobile as their main device each year, making your presentations mobile-friendly is becoming increasingly important. This means that the text is large and there aren’t too many small details, so everything can scale down. Just like in this presentation example from the creators at Globoforce.

29. Don’t Be Afraid To Include Too Many Examples 

If you are presenting a complex idea to a group, especially a large audience, I would recommend having a ton of good examples. Now, I would try not to overdo it, but having too many it is better than having too few.

In this creative presentation, the people at With Company spend about 20 slides just giving great examples of prototyping. It doesn’t feel too repetitive because they all are useful and informative examples.

30.  Use Consistent Visual Styles For an Elegant Presentation Design

I have already written extensively about using icons in all of your design projects . I haven’t talked as much about matching icons to your presentation template.

But that’s just as important, especially if you want to create a professional presentation for your audience.

As you can see in the example above, the designer used minimalist icons that fit the slide designs. All of the other graphics, charts and visual elements fit together nicely as well.

Plus the icons don’t distract from the content, which could ruin a stellar presentation.

31. Use A Consistent Presentation Layout 

In this example from Bannersnack, they use a consistent layout on each of their slides to help with the flow by using the same margins and text layout.

It’s a solid presentation example because they help the user know where to look immediately. It may seem like they are playing it safe, but anything that can speed up the time it takes for a user to read the content of the slides, the better.

32. Use Loud Colors As Much As Possible 

This is one of my favorite presentations because of the highlighter yellow they chose to use as their main color. It is actually very similar to one that I saw presented live a few years ago and I have used this same approach in a few presentations ideas of my own.

33. Pull Your Design Motif From Your Content 

If you are talking about an interesting topic, why not use the topic as the main design motif in your creative slide deck? For example, in this presentation about sketchbooks, the creator uses a sketchy, handwritten motif. It is something simple that helps the audience connect with the topic. Plus, it allows you to include a ton of great examples.

34. Utilize A Call & Answer Cadence

In this SlideShare about how to create a presentation, Peter Zvirinsky uses a two-step process to present a point. First, he presents the header presentation tip in a speech bubble. Then he shows a supporting point in a responding speech bubble. This gives the presentation a conversational flow.

35. Repurpose Ebook Content Into A Creative Presentation

This slide deck was adapted perfectly from a Seth Godin ebook into the presentation example you see above. In the slide deck, they take a piece of content that would usually take a while to read and cut it down to a few minutes. Just remember to include only the most important ideas, and try to present them in a fresh way.

36. Add A Timed Outline To Your Presentation

We have already covered how important it is to have a table of contents in your slides but this takes it a bit further. On the second slide of the presentation below, the creator added how long each of the slides should take.

This is great because it helps your audience know the pace the presentation will take and will help keep them engaged. It also will help them identify the most important and in-depth parts of the presentation from the beginning.

37. Use A “Next Steps” Slide To Direct Your Audience

One of the worst things you can do as a presenter is to leave your audience without any idea of what to do next. A presentation should never just end because you ran out of slides.

Instead, use a conclusion or “next steps” slide like in the example above to finish your presentation. Sum up some of your main points, tell your audience where they can get more information, and push them to take action.

38. Go A Bit Crazy With The Design 

Sometimes you need to throw convention to the wind to create something unforgettable. This presentation from Velocity Partners does just that, and I think it is one of my favorite ones from this entire roundup.

They use unconventional typography, quirky icons, and unusual presentation layout to make each slide surprising.

39. Make Your Slide Deck Easy To Share  

If you are looking to get a lot of eyes on your presentation I would make sure people will want to share it on social media. How do you do that? By presenting new and interesting value. This means your content needs to answer a common question and your design needs to be clutter-free. For example, look at this very social media-friendly. The slides are simple and answer questions directly.

40.  Use Shapes to Integrate Your Photos Into the Slides

Want to include a bunch of images in your presentation? I say do it!

Now most of the time you would add a raw image directly to your slide. However, if you want to present images in a professional way I would recommend using an image frame .

Like in the example above, you can use these frame to create a collage of images almost instantly. Or provide a similar visual theme to all of your slides.  

Overall, I believe it’s a great way to add a new visual component to your presentation.

41. Hijack Someone’s Influence In Your Marketing Slides

If you are stuck in the brainstorming phase of your presentation, focusing on a brand or influencer is a great place to start. It could be a case study, a collection of ideas or just some quotes from the influencer. But what makes it effective is that the audience knows the influencer and trusts them. And you are able to hijack their awareness or influence.

42. Put Your Logo On Every Slide 

Whether you have a brand as powerful as Moz, or you are just getting started, you should always have your logo on each slide. You really never know where a presentation is going to end up–or what parts of it will! In this presentation template, Moz does a good job of including their branding and such to get others interested in Moz Local. Don’t have a logo yet? Our logo design tips will help you create a logo that’s iconic and will stand the test of time.

43. Lead Your Audience To It 

In this example, the creator uses something very similar to the call and answer approach I mentioned above, but with a little twist. Instead of just throwing all the info up at once, they use three slides to build to a particular point and include a subtle call to action in the third slide.

44. Make Visuals the Focal Point of Your Presentation Slides

If you haven’t noticed, illustrated icons are having a revival in 2020 and beyond. This is likely because minimalist icons dominated the design world for the past decade. And now people want something new.

Brands also like using illustrated icons because they are seen as genuine and fun.

And because they are so eye-catching you can use them as focal points in your presentation slides. Just like they did in the creative presentation example above.

Picking the perfect icon is tough, I would recommend starting here !

45. use a quirky presentation theme .

In this slide deck, the authors show you how to become an Animation Ninja…and they use ninja graphics and icons extensively. This caught my eye immediately because of the amount of work that I knew was behind this. It takes a lot of time and effort to line all of the content and graphic up to create a cohesive theme, but the payoff can be massively worth it.

46. Use A Consistent Background Image 

I am a big fan of the way that Aleyda Solís uses only a single presentation background image throughout her presentation.

By using this tactic the audience is able to focus on what is happening in the foreground. Plus it gives the whole presentation a different feel than all the other ones I have looked at.

47. Summarize Your Points At The End

It’s a good idea to summarize your points before you end your presentation , especially if you’ve covered a lot of information. In this presentation example, Deanta summarizes exactly what they do on slide numbers 16-18. They also provide their contact information in case their audience has any more questions. I think that every presentation should use this same approach, especially the ones you are presenting outside of your company.

48. Use A Minimalist Presentation Template

This slide deck from QuickBooks uses a minimalist theme to help the audience focus on what is important, the content.

There were only five colors used in the entire presentation and the graphics were simple line drawings. This made it easy to read and very pleasing to the eyes.

49. Split Your Slides Length-Wise 

Here is a simple template you can use to separate your headers, or main points, from your body text in a presentation.

Instead of using a solid presentation background, split the slide in half like Sequoia did in their slide deck. They used their brand color for the title portion and a neutral white for the supporting content.

Use this template to create a very similar slide right now !

50.  embrace a bold color scheme throughout your presentation.

My favorite part of the creative presentation example above is the use of complementary colors in each slide. As you can see, not one of the slides use the same color scheme but they all feel related connected.

This approach can be used to make your presentation visually unique, without abandoning a cohesive theme or idea.

51. Put Text In the Top Left Corner 

English speakers will instinctively try to read text from a top to bottom, left to right orientation. I would recommend using a left alignment for your text and adding additional things from top to bottom, just like Aaron Irizarry did in this presentation layout.

52. Break Up Your Tables 

A plain table with a white background with black or gray lines are difficult to read on a computer screen, so why would you create one for viewing on a large presentation screen? You shouldn’t!

Instead, follow Intuit’s lead and break up the rows with a bit of color. This applies to data visualization in general , but think it is even more important when it comes to presentations.

53.  Present Connected Information in a Visually Similar Way

In this startup pitch presentation example, they have a ton of information to get through. But they present their most important slides, the problem and solution, in a visually similar way.

By using a similar layout on each slide, the audience will be able to quickly make a connection. If you want to present two connected pieces of information, use this tactic.

From the font to the layout, it’s all basically the same. The main message they’re trying to impart is a lot more impactful to the reader.

If they would have used two wildly different presentation layouts, the message may have been lost.

54. Roundup Expert Tips Into One Presentation 

If you are looking for useful insights into the topic of your presentation, talk to some influencers in your niche. These are called “expert roundups” in the content marketing world and they are incredibly shareable.

Plus, they are pretty easy to create and have a great shelf life. In the example above, we talked to a gaggle of marketing experts about what makes a SlideShare great.

55. Use Bold & Brash Colors Throughout 

B old colors usually make your presentation template a lot easier to read and remember. Like at this slide deck made by our talented designers, which doesn’t shy away from bright, bold colors.

Want to pick a perfect color palette for your presentation? We can help!

56. make yo ur graphs easy to read & interpret .

It should not require a Master’s degree in statistics to understand the graphs that someone uses in a presentation. Instead, the axis should be easy to read, the colors should enforce the point, and the data should be clearly plotted.

For example, in this presentation on slide numbers 14 and 25, the graphs nail all of those tips perfectly.

57. Condense Your Presentation Into a Memorable Line 

If you can, try condensing your information into a simple one-liner to help the message stick with your audience. In slide number 36 of this presentation, Mika Aldaba does just that and shows that “Facts + Feelings = Data Storytelling.”

He does this again a few times throughout the presentation with other memorable one-liners.

58.  Bring attention to important figures with colorful icons

If you’re including a figure or number on your slides, I’m guessing you want the audience to actually see it.

That’s why I would recommend using an icon or graphic to highlight that figure. Maybe use a color or icon that isn’t used anywhere else in the presentation to make sure it really jumps off the screen.

In the presentation example above, all that’s used is a simple circle to make each figure a focal point. It’s really that easy, but many people leave it out of their presentations.

59. Anchor Your Text With Icons 

Having your text or content floating out in the white space of your presentation is not a good look.

Instead, you should use anchor icons to give the text something to hold onto and draw the audience’s eye. If you need some examples of good anchor icons, check out slide numbers 4, 7 and 9 in this presentation example.

60. Add Semi-Opaque Lettering As a Presentation Background 

A neat way to keep your slide deck organized is to number your slides or points using semi-opaque lettering in the background.

Then, place your slide content on top of the opaque lettering. This helps your audience know that you are on the same point or idea, plus it just looks really good when done right.

61. Use Simple Or Minimalist Borders

An easy way to class up your slides is to put a border around your text. Take this presentation from Venngage that uses a couple of different types of borders to make their slides look professional.

Plus it helps keep all of your content contained on the slide!

62. Feature One Idea Per Slide

Nothing is worse than a confusing, cluttered slide. Instead of trying to pack a bunch of ideas into one slide, focus on one core idea on each slide. If you need to flesh the idea out, just make another slide. 

Having trouble condensing your slides? Our presentation design guide can help you summarize your presentations and convey a singular idea with a clear focus.

63. Keep Your Style Consistent With Your Brand 

You might be tempted to switch up the style of your creative presentations each time, but think again. If your brand is known for fun and lighthearted content, like Officevibe, let that be your style throughout all of the presentations you publish under that brand. This will make your slide decks recognizable and will enforce your brand’s message .

64. Use Accent Fonts to Emphasize Important Numbers

Some people hate pie charts with a passion, but I think they are perfect for presentations. Especially if you want to bring attention to a figure or percentage point .

In this simple example, the pie charts are used to visualize each figure in an interesting way. Plus the pie charts fit the circular and fun theme of the rest of the presentation very well.

65. Use Patterned and Textured Presentation Backgrounds

Source  

Adding some subtle textures, icons or shapes to the presentation background can help make your slides more interesting. This is especially effective when you are only showing one point per slide, because it makes the slide design less sparse.

You can even switch up the colors on your shapes or textures to match the theme of the slide like DesignMantic did in this presentation.

66. Illustrate Complex Or Confusing Concepts With Icons 

Ideally, you don’t want every slide in your deck to just be text. Instead, switch things up every few slides by using just pictures.

This slide deck by Gluwa uses icons to create little diagrams to illustrate their presentation ideas. Their slides still communicate concepts to the audience, but in a new way.

67. Overlay Stock Photos With Color 

One problem many people encounter when creating a presentation or slide decks are finding photos with a consistent style. An easy way to edit photos to make them consistent is to add a transparent color overlay. In this example, Change Sciences uses a blue overlay on all of their photos. Plus, the color you choose can also help convey a particular mood.

68. Use Black and White Blocks 

An easy way to make your text pop, particularly on a photo background, is to use white font on a black blog background (and vise-versa). Check out this slide deck by Abhishek Shah, which uses this trick in an effective way.  

Now if you want to become a better leader this year, check out some of our favorite leadership infographics .

69. Use Photos With Similar Filters 

Using a bunch of photos with wildly different filters can be jarring in a business presentation. To maintain a consistent flow, use photos with a similar filter and color saturation.

Take a look at this example from HubSpot across slide numbers 1-6 and you can see what I mean.

70. Visualize Your Points With Diagrams 

Sometimes the best way to get your point across is to throw some diagrams into the presentation mix. But be sure to make is something that the audience can pick up on in three to five seconds tops.

For example, Jan Rezab uses a diagram to illustrate what takes up time in our lives on slide numbers 4, 5, 7 and 9!

71. Get Experts To Share Tips

If you want to provide even more value to your audience than you can offer yourself, why not call in some expert reinforcement? See what experts in your field have to say on the topic of your presentation and include their tips and insights. Plus you can hijack their influence and expand your audience fairly quickly. 

72. Mimic a Popular Presentation Style 

Uber’s pitch deck helped them raise millions of dollars in venture capital eventually leading to the glorious moment when they IPOed this year.

Aside from our sleek design upgrade (hey, we love good design!), this pitch deck template is the exact same one that Uber used to go from Idea to IPO.

And who knows? Maybe you might start the next Uber. But to raise money, you will need to create flawless business pitch decks to impress investors and raise those dollars.

73. Plan Your Presentation Idea Ahead of Time

I know that minimalist designs are all the rage this year, but there is a big difference between a well-thought-out minimalist design and a lazy design without the finish touches. The same goes for a cluttered design with too many things going on at once.

That’s why it’s worth it to take the time to really plan out your presentation ideas and design concepts. Take this slide deck about storytelling by HighSpark. A quick glance will tell you that they put a lot of thought into designing their slides.

74.  Use Tables to Compare Your Brand to the Competition in Sales Presentations/Pitch Decks

There are a lot of ways to visually compare similar things in this day and age. You could use a comparison infographic , or even a venn diagram!

However, when it comes to presentations I think that the simple table is best. Especially if you are comparing more than two things, like in this presentation example.

With a table, you can clearly lay out all the pros and cons of each idea, brand or topic without it being overwhelming to the audience. Plus, virtually everyone knows how to follow a table, so your information will be easy to consume.  

See more examples of the best pitch decks .

75. Blend Icons & Content Effortlessly

Usually, icons are used as eye-catching objects detectors or anchors for text in a slideshow. But they can be used for so much more than that!

Like in this marketing presentation from Constant Contact they are very large but do not distract from the content.

76. Make Your Audience Want More 

This tactic has been used by everyone since the idea of marketing was invented (or close to that). In this presentation example called “100 Growth Hacks, 100 Days” the creator only shows the audience the first 10 days of it and then uses a call to action at the end of the presentation to encourage them to seek out the rest.

The only risk with these kinds of presentation ideas is if your initial content is not great, you can’t expect your audience to seek out more information.

77. Use Memes (For Real, Though) 

Usually, memes do not have a place in a serious business setting, so maybe don’t use them for formal presentations. But if you’re covering a lighter topic, or if you’re going for a fun presentation that will connect with your audience, don’t be afraid to throw a meme or two into the mix.

The audience immediately knows what you are trying to say when you use a popular meme in your presentation. For example, on slide number 7, the creator uses a meme to show that it will be hard to create great content

78.  Include a Slide that Introduces Your Team in Pitch Decks

In this presentation example, the creators decided to include their team on a slide. I think it’s a great gesture.

Showing your team can help the audience put a face to your brand and make the whole company feel more genuine. So if there is a team that has helped you get where you are today, give them some recognition!

79. Feature A Complementary Color Palette

Even though I am not a formally trained designer, I still understand that proper color usage is the base of any good design. Although not all of the tenets of color theory work great for presentations, complementary colors are always a great pick.

Take a look at the color usage in this business presentation from Gary Vaynerchuk below . The purple and Snapchat yellow, which are complementary colors, look fantastic and the content jumps off the screen.

80. Use A Heavy Or Bold Font 

The very back of the room should be able to read your content if you are giving a group presentation. To ensure that your entire audience can read the slides I would not only use a large font, but also use a heavy font.  If you are confused by what I mean by a heavy font take a look at this unique presentation example by Slides That Rock.

81. Do The Math For Your Audience

If you are going to use a graph in your presentation to compare data you should do the match for your audience. Do not make them do the calculations in their head because you will quickly lose their attention. For example, on slide number 5 the people at Sickweather lay out exactly what figures they want the audience to take from the slide.  

82. Use Unique Colors For Different Sections

The example below has 145 slides but it does not feel overwhelming or confusing.

That’s because each section has a different corresponding color, which makes it easier to flip through the slide deck and find a particular part.

83.  Give Your Presentation a Catchy Title that Anyone Can Remember

What I really love about the presentation example above is that it features a catchy tagline on the second slide–“The 3S Framework.” It’s simple but it works!

This motto helps outline the structure of the presentation, and each slide referring back to it. Plus, the tagline will give the audience something to latch onto and remember from the presentation.

84. White Backgrounds Are Not Always Bad 

A lot of people think that plain white background is a boring presentation faux pas. So the first thing they do is add color or image, which is not a bad thing at all.

But I also think that when used correctly, like in this example, plain white backgrounds can lead to beautiful presentations.

85. Split The Header Text From The Body Text

This idea is very similar to the one-two punch tactic that I talked about above, but it spreads the content over two slides as opposed to a single slide.

Use this design choice when you have fairly easy to follow presentations, like the one below from Steve Young. I know that this is effective because it allows the audience to focus on the main point before he drives it home with the supporting details.

86. Feature Circle Image Frames  

I am a big fan of the design choices that Frank Delmelle uses in this slide deck about content strategy. He uses circles as his main design motif and frames his images in circles as well.

87. Talk Directly To Your Audience 

This slideshow tops out at 70 slides but it’s a breeze to flip through. That’s because the creator, Ian Lurie, decided to present it in the form of a conversation instead of a classic slide deck.

While each slide only has one or two sentences, it flows just like a friendly chat. He also includes the necessary pauses, breaks and other conversational tics that helps make it even more convincing.

88. Illustrated Icons Are Key This Year 

Icons add a fun and functional element to your designs. In this presentation by Iryna Nezhynska, they use illustrated icons to make a potentially intimidating topic seem manageable.

89. Highlight Key Numbers and Percentages 

Surprising percentages have the ability to excite and shock an audience. To make the percentages on your slides even more impactful, present them in a different color or font than the rest of the text.

In the presentation example above, Contently uses that exact tactic to bring more attention to key numbers.

90. Use a Gradient as Your Presentation Background 

Just like bold color schemes, gradients are a current social media graphic design trend . They may feel retro to some, but I believe they will be around well into the future.  

Gradients are perfect for presentation backgrounds because they are so versatile and eye-catching. I mean, you can literally create a gradient with any colors you can think of! And they look a lot more interesting than a simple flat background.

So embrace the future and use a gradient in your next presentation!

91. Track The Steps In a Process 

In this example, the creators from O.C. Tanner add a very interesting feature to their slides, starting on slide number 6. If you take a look at this business presentation template, you will see that they number the steps in a process and track which step they’re on at the bottom of the slides.

92. Use Mind Blowing Font Pairings 

The creator of this slide deck uses at least 10 different types of fonts. And it looks fantastic because they know that one font choice is boring. But this does not mean that you should use a bunch of random fonts–pick font pairs that play well together and keep your font choices for different types of information consistent throughout the presentation.

93. Make Your Ideas As Obvious As Possible 

Your audience shouldn’t be guessing at what you mean. That is why I think that this presentation example from In a Rocket is so powerful because they make the information easy to digest.

Learning to code can be challenging, but they break the information down with simple diagrams and clear examples. Heck, I have not touched CSS in a few years and I could still follow what they were instructing.

94. Use Images That Will Actually Scale 

A large mistake that you can make in your slide deck is using low-quality images. They may look great on your computer, but as soon as the slides are put up on a screen, the low quality will show. In this example by ThoughtWorks, all of their presentation background images look great and will scale well to a bigger screen. And that is even after the image compression that LinkedIn most likely does!

95. Take Risks With Your Presentation Layout

I honestly was blown away the first time I saw this presentation because it capitalized on such a risky design idea. The creators from Weekdone literally turned their presentation into an 8-Bit video game. A nd if you are looking for something that will stick with your audience, I would take a few creative cues from them!

96. Seriously, You Better Use Memes 

In this day and age memes are mainstream, so why wouldn’t you use them in a creative presentation? These do not have to be the coolest meme that all the hip kids are sharing, they can be some of the classics. Like the one that Dana DiTomaso uses on slide 16 to emphasize that it’s a trap!

97. Follow a Clear Design Rhythm

I really like how this presentation introduced each new point in three or four steps, using the same design. It gave the presentation a rhythm that flowed almost like a song!

I would recommend using this approach if you have to introduce multiple points per slide.

98. Use LOTS Of Icons

If you have made it this far in the list you have already probably seen how effective icons are in presentations. They are the perfect way to support your ideas and make your presentation more pleasing to the eyes.

For example, take a look at all the icons SlideShop uses in this presentation. Almost every slide has at least one icon and a few have more than ten!

99. Give Each Slide Its Own Spark

I know this goes against earlier points I had about creating a cohesive theme in your presentation layout, but everyone knows that rules are made to be broken (if you can do it better)!

In this slide deck, the team at Officevibe literally created different designs for all 27 of their slides. And to top it off, each of the designs fit the quotes they used extremely well.

100. Use LARGE Header Cards 

An easy way to stick to that “one piece of content on each slide rule” is to use header cards. They are basically the header that you would normally use in a blog post or article, but it gets is own slide before the content. Here is an example of that idea in the real world in this presentation from Brian Downard.

101. Ask Your Audience Questions 

I think one of the most common elements I saw in all the slide decks was that they asked the audience questions. You can use questions to engage with your audience and get them thinking a bit harder about the topic. The Site By Norex team did an exceptional job of this when they explored what the topic of what makes up a brand.

Need some more info about creating a memorable brand? Check out some of the best branding stats for 2020 and beyond!

102. Introduce Yourself and Your Brand 

I would say that a majority of presentations that I looked at in this list just jumped right into the content without an introduction to the author or brand in the actual slide deck.

This introduction is very important because it establishes your credentials from the beginning, especially if someone is just reading the slide deck. In this example from Losant, they do just that by spending the first few slides telling the audience who they are.

103. Mix Up Your Mediums 

Finally, this slide deck effectively marries two very distinct content forms together: digital images and hand-drawn illustrations. In this example, Freshdesk uses the timeless classic of a comic strip, Calvin & Hobbes, in something so modern to inform the audience in a fun way.

104. Show Off Your Credentials 

Just like with any piece of content, people are more likely to believe what you are saying if they know what your company does. That is why I really like when people insert their qualifications right into the presentation slides. Just like Andreas von der Heydt, from Amazon, did at the beginning of this presentation about thinking big.  

105. Highlight Key Data Points 

If you are presenting a chart or graph on a dry topic, I would recommend using a single color to highlight the most important data point. For example, the investment firm a16z uses orange to highlight the data points they want their audience to focus on in each of their charts.

Check out some examples of how to highlight your key information in bar charts .

106. Show Your Audience Where To Find More Information 

A lot of people end their presentations by literally just running out of slides, and that is the wrong way to do it. Instead, CBInsights consistently pushes their readers towards another piece of content at the end. This is also where you can insert a call to action!

107. Tell Your Origin Story

  Source

This idea is kinda similar to showing off your company qualifications at the beginning of your presentation. But with this approach, you are trying to make an emotional connection with your audience instead of just showing off accolades.

And Rand from Moz does this extremely well in the presentation example above.

108. Use One Focused Visual 

This presentation uses a central visual of a structure, with each slide moving down the levels of the structure. This is incredibly powerful because the entire presentation is about sinking your company, and the visual they designed mirrors that idea perfectly. Using one focus visual also makes your slide deck design cohesive.

109. Don’t Take Presentation Design Too Seriously

Sometimes we get caught up trying to make the perfect presentation and it ends up making us crazy!

But in this presentation example, Jesse Desjardins uses a mix of wit and hilarious retro images to create a memorable and light-hearted presentation.

110. Use Size To Your Advantage 

I am a big fan of using bubble charts and other charts that use size to compare two pieces of data. That is why I like this pitch deck from the ShearShare team that utilizes a size-based chart on slide number 9. The chart is used to illustrate the massive growth potential in their industry.

111. Split Section Headers From The Main Content With Different Background Colors 

In this presentation, Seth Familian uses alternating colors in a very interesting way. For each of the title slides, he uses a black color background, but for the content slides he uses a white background.

This helped the readers follow along and comprehend what was on the page even faster. And when you are presenting to hundreds of different types of people, this can make or break your presentation.  

112.  Have A Conversation With Your Audience 

Take a conversational tone in your presentation is a great way to encourage your audience to participate.

In this slide deck example, we presented a simple storyline and use questions to engage with the audience throughout. And it helped create a flow throughout the  presentation template  that is easy to follow.

113.  Include Your Branding Throughout Your Presentation Ideas

Another thing that people seem to forget when they are working on a presentation is to include their business’s branding. You honestly never know where your work is going to be shared, so it is important to make sure people know it’s yours. HubSpot does an outstanding job of this on all their presentations, as you can see in the bottom left corner of each slide.

Plus you have spent a ton of time creating your  brand guidelines , might as well use them.

114.  Include Multiple Slides To Build To Your Main Point

Try using multiple slides to build to your main point. This helps you walk through the components of one overarching point while also building suspense. In this slide deck, the creator uses 6 slides to build up to one main point, adding a new illustration to the diagram on each slide.

115.  Split The Difference 

Use either the left or right side of the slide to hold your text and the opposite to display an image. If you are using a photo or graphic as the main background in your slides, this is a great way to keep things organized. 

116. There Are Millions Of Fonts Out There…Use Them

Hey, I love simple fonts just as much as the next guy, but sometimes you need to step up your font game to stand out. For example, WebVisions uses a very gritty, probably custom font in their unique presentation that fits the topic extremely well. Take a look!

117.  Build Your Presentation Content Around Icons 

Try using icons as the focal points of your presentation layout. This example from Omer Hameed  uses icons to draw the audience’s eyes  right to the middle of the presentation, where the main points and headers are located.  

118.  Mix Up Font Style To Emphasize Important Points

If you would like to draw some extra attention to a certain word or idea,  switch up the font  to one that is bolder. For example, in this oldie but goodie presentation from HubSpot they use a heavy sans-serif font to highlight ideas, as opposed to the serif font for the other text.

119.  Add Personal Touches To Your Presentation

If you want to create a truly unique presentation, add personal touches. In the slide numbers 6-13 from this presentation, the creator adds something to their design that no one else could ever have: they use original drawings they did themselves.

120.  Harness the Power of Your Own Brand Colors

Sometimes people forget that they already have a battle-tested color palette that they can use in their  brand colors . I try to incorporate one of our brand colors in most of my designs and it makes so much easier to choose colors.

In this simple presentation example, Spitfire Creative used a palette that had both of their brand colors throughout the slideshow.

121.  Used Dark-Colored Blocks to Highlight Words

I have seen this trick used in a lot of presentations and it works well. Highlight certain words or phrases by laying them overtop a colored rectangle. Take slide number 7 in this presentation example as a great guide. Use it to bring attention to a saying or idea you really want your audience to remember.

122.  Show The Audience Your Mug 

This presentation example comes from the same presentation as a previous one, but it was too good not to share. Throughout the slides, you will see Rand from Moz pop up to add a human element to the design. Using an image of your team or yourself can put the audience at ease and make it easier to connect with the presenter.

123.  Include A Helpful Table Of Contents 

I only saw this presentation idea used a few times throughout my research, but I believe it should be used a lot more. A table of contents will help the audience know what to expect and keep their focus throughout. Especially if you are creating a presentation that is a bit longer than normal.

124.  Do Not Post Just Screenshots, Do More

Screenshots of a program or app are very common in any blog post, but I think you can do a little better when it comes to presentations.

So instead of just posting a boring screenshot, add a little more to the slide by using illustrations and product shots. If you are not sure what I am talking about, just check out how great the screenshots look at slide numbers 7 and 8 in this presentation.

125. Highlight Keywords Using BOLD Color 

Here’s another slide deck that uses different colors and blocks to highlight keywords. If you are going to use text-heavy slides, then make sure the key points are easy to pick out. Take this slide deck: starting in slide number 4, they highlight exactly what they want you to take away from the text on each slide!

Enough Presentation Ideas For You?

You made it! I applaud you for making it through all those presentations. Hopefully, now you have a few nifty presentation ideas ready for when you need them.

The next step is to create a presentation that will captivate a meeting room, an amphitheater, and even the world (hey, it doesn’t hurt to dream big).

Microsoft 365 Life Hacks > Presentations > 7 Simple Presentation Design Ideas That'll Captivate Any Audience

7 simple presentation design ideas that’ll captivate any audience

Visual aids are essential to communicating your ideas and connecting with audiences, but cluttered slides, cheesy stock art, and other distracting design elements can derail an otherwise great presentation and undermine your credibility as a speaker.

Whether you’re creating a deck for an upcoming charity event, helping your kids build their first school presentation, hosting an online meeting with your volunteer group, or working on a branded template for your business, visuals help keep viewers rapt. To choose the right visuals, however, you must know your audience.

And while tailoring your visuals to the audience at hand is important—some rules are universal.

Tell your story with captivating presentations

Powerpoint empowers you to develop well-designed content across all your devices

Here’s how to make your next speech pop by following these seven presentation design ideas and layout tips:

1. Show, don’t tell.

The fastest way to bore any audience to tears is to plaster a wall of text or bullet points across a screen. When in doubt, it’s always better to use less text and more visuals. This saves you time when putting the presentation together but also keeps your audience focused on what you’re saying. (Otherwise, it’s like trying to read a book while watching TV; one of those things is not getting your full attention.) Fortunately, everything from stats to timelines to company goals can be rendered visually or, at a minimum, accompanied by a strong image or illustration.

2. Keep it simple.

Using rainbow-bright colors, a dozen fonts, complex graphics, and flash animation does not make your presentation stand out; it makes it feel chaotic. A slide is not a magazine spread and your audience does not have time to read more than a few lines of text. So don’t try to cover too much ground in a single slide. One idea per slide is ideal—particularly when showing bar graphs, pie charts, and other numerically driven data. If that would make your presentation too unwieldy, follow the rule of thirds. When using a grid layout, split the slide into equal thirds so it appears well-balanced. The 6×6 rule is also worth bearing in mind for bullet-heavy slides: No more than six lines of text with six words per line. Any more than that and your audience will be reading your magnum opus (or tuning out altogether) instead of listening to you talk.

3. Choose your fonts wisely.

All typography sends a message. Sure, if you’re pitching investment bankers, choose a serious font that says “I mean business.” But you’re probably not. So, if you’re trying to reach a younger group like teens, for example, choose a trendier font that shows you’re down with the kids. Serif fonts like Times New Roman and Garamond are better for printed pages, whereas sans-serif fonts like Helvetica, Verdana, and Tahoma are easier to read on screens. Sticking to two contrasting fonts—ideally one serif and one sans-serif, e.g., Minion and Futura or Garamond and Liberal—can be effective, so long as you keep legibility top of mind. Use a minimum point size of 24 but ideally closer to 30; the people in the back row shouldn’t have to squint to read your slides. And whatever you do, don’t use all caps (NO NEED TO SCREAM!) or wacky fonts like Papyrus, Curlz, and—sin of all sins—Comic Sans.

4. Consider the informational hierarchy.

When it comes to layout , English speakers will instinctively try to read text from top to bottom, left to right. For text-heavier slides, control what your audience reads first by aligning the text flush left, increasing the point size, or coloring key lines. Like a theater usher for the eyes, it directs the audience to the most important information first and makes a slide more scannable.

5. Use high-quality art and imagery.

Bad visuals are worse than no visuals. If you want your presentation to feel trustworthy, don’t rely on trite stock photos, amateur-hour illustrations, or grainy low-res images you plucked off the internet. If you must use stock art, you can make photos look less banal by manipulating them with editing tools—cropping the images, adding gradients or background fills, or overlaying a transparent color to alter the mood and make your presentation more cohesive from slide to slide. And remember: This isn’t a vacation scrapbook. It’s better to use one compelling image per slide than multiple mediocre images.

6. Think in color—but don’t go overboard.

Accenting a presentation slide with loud colors like highlighter pink or yellow can be bold and eye-catching. But neon-bright hues should never be used on body copy, as they can cause eye fatigue. Instead use dark text on a light background and light text on a dark background, avoiding intense gradients that can make copy difficult to read. If you want to compare two perspectives or post a list of pros and cons, illustrate those points in a split screen with contrasting colors (e.g., navy blue text on a light gray background on the left and light gray text on a navy blue background on the right). For preset color combinations that are perfectly balanced, try these presentation templates .

7. Have fun with it—just not too much.

An audience can only take so many bar graphs and pie charts before their eyes glaze over. Unless your topic is very traditional, or deadly serious, it’s OK to experiment with visual aids like word clouds, pictographs, cartograms, blueprints, and tree charts. Conservative slides can be classed up with elegant borders, or you might weave a hint of color into those graphs and charts . ( Researchers have found that color visuals increase an audience’s willingness to read by an impressive 80 percent.) For more light-hearted presentations, you can illustrate points with pop culture references, memes, comic strips, or TikTok clips. But everything in moderation, right? Visual aids are meant to support your major talking points, not dominate the speech.

When you are equipped with powerful infographics and well-designed slides, you don’t need bells and whistles like clip art, slide transitions, and goofy sound effects to keep an audience engaged. (Those swoosh-y sounds on bullet points? So dated.)

So, practice your speech and trust in the quality of your work—and you won’t fall prey to amateur-hour gimmicks.

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There's nothing better than to have the perfect presentation to impress your audience. Create a professionally made presentations with our equally well-written  presentation templates . We offer you 100% customizable documents with different designs and formats. All editable templates are suitable for any business and academic purposes—whether for company meetings, restaurant sales, research studies, thesis presentations, insurance agencies, etc. You will have our printable templates downloaded in your devices within minutes! These ready-made templates are made available for personalizing in any device you have with all versions of Microsoft Word. Stop wasting time and get your presentations done without any hassle with our presentation templates today!

How to Prepare Presentations with Microsoft Word

A presentation is a process of presenting a product or topic to an audience intended to inform and demonstrate that particular subject. Creating the perfect presentations will support your pitch and could get you to the next level of your objectives. Presentation materials could be a series of creative slides, brochures , flyers , or posters . The document is your key to impress your viewers. Don't have any idea on how to start one? Feel free to read further to find tips and steps on how to create a presentation effectively.

1. Determine the Presentation's Purpose

First and foremost, you should know the purpose of your presentation materials. Are you using it to present new products or  project proposals ? Do you want to show annual sales? You need to consider your intentions to deliver precise information to your audiences.

2. Choose a Layout Design

Presentations come in different layouts. You need to incorporate your design into the purpose of your material. Most presentation materials have simple arrangements with minimal designs. Others prefer their content to have beautiful backgrounds and a clean layout that makes it look appealing. For example, you are doing a presentation for annual sales report. You can choose designs that help you emphasize  datasheets  and numbers for your material to be readable.

3. Pick a Presentation Template

If you don't want to waste time creating presentations from scratch, look for presentation templates on our site that fits your preferences well. These ready-made templates come with unique and aesthetic designs that you can freely adjust. You will find different styles and themed materials to suit any field you are assigned. The editable templates are downloadable in any device you have, along with its graphic designs in file formats like Microsoft Word.

4. Come Up with Essential Details

Once you have your presentation templates with you, start filling in the details you need. Presentations need to be short and precise. You have to summarize your topics no matter how broad it is. Even if it's an annual business report or  proposals , your audiences won't be interested in it if you have wordy slides to present. Make sure you have displayed the critical areas of your topic and have it straightforward. 

5. Finalize Infographics 

It is better to add infographics like charts , timelines, and illustrations on your presentation to avoid making your material dull and boring. Audiences prefer visual content than texts. They take in more information expressed through figures and images than have it in paragraphs. Infographics will also help you summarize your topics and allow you to squeeze them in one graph or chart.

6. Make your Presentation Engaging

Presentations are more fun and enjoyable if you often interact with your viewers. Get your audience to participate in your discussion as much as possible—it prevents your viewers from getting bored. If you are doing a presentation for a product, it is better to bring in a prop like a physical sample, to entertain your viewers more. It's also the same if you are presenting services. Try handing our marketing brochures and flyers to your audiences to have them more engaged.

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Once you've turned on "connected experiences," PowerPoint automatically shows you design ideas when you're creating your slides. Over time PowerPoint learns from your experience using design ideas and shows you design ideas at the appropriate time. 

Scroll through the suggestions in the Designer pane on the right side of the window.

Click to select the design you want, or else close the window. If you select one of the ideas, your slide is changed accordingly.

You can also select another idea from the pane or go back to your original slide design: Press Ctrl+Z to undo a design change you've just selected.

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When you start a blank presentation and enter words on the slide, Designer recommends high-quality photos that reflect the slide text, plus a design scheme with colors that complement the photograph you choose. All the slides in the presentation will fit together visually.

Professional layouts

Designer detects pictures, charts, or tables on a slide and gives you several suggestions for arranging them in a cohesive, attractive layout.

More visuals, less text

Too much text on your slide? Designer can turn text such as lists, processes, or timelines into an easily readable graphic.

Bulleted lists get suggestions for an icon to accompany each bullet item. If you don't like a suggested icon, just select it and use our on-the-spot replacement button:

Illustrations

Designer watches for key terms and concepts that it has illustrations for, and it shows you those illustrations in various layouts. The Illustrations are from the Microsoft 365 icons library.

Designer and "ink"

(Only for Microsoft 365 subscribers) Designer recognizes when you draw or write with ink, and it incorporates that content into the design ideas it shows you.

Turn off Designer

If you don't want Designer to automatically offer suggestions:

On the File menu, click Options .

In the PowerPoint Options dialog box, click the General tab on the left, then scroll toward the bottom and clear the Automatically show me design ideas check box.

Requirements

Requirements for designer on windows.

Ask for design ideas any time by choosing Design > Designer on the ribbon.

The first time you try out Designer, it asks your permission to get design ideas for you. If you want to use Designer, select Turn on or Let's go .

Once you've turned on intelligent services, PowerPoint automatically shows you design ideas when you add photos to your slides.

You can also select another idea from the pane or go back to your original slide design: Press ⌘+Z to undo a design change you've just selected.

SmartArt graphics

Designer can turn text such as lists, processes, or timelines into an easily readable SmartArt graphic.

If you don't want Designer to offer suggestions:

On the PowerPoint menu, select Preferences .

Under Authoring and Proofing Tools , select General .

In the General dialog box, under PowerPoint Designer , clear the Automatically show me design ideas check box.

• The Designer button is grayed out

If you can see the Designer button in PowerPoint but it's grayed out, it means:

You aren't connected to the internet, or

A slide isn't selected. (This can be the case when multiple slides are selected in the slide thumbnail pane in Normal view, or when the focus in the thumbnail pane is between two slides. It also is the case when the focus is in the Notes pane or you are in Slide Show view rather than Normal view.)

The Designer button isn't there

Designer is a feature for Microsoft 365 subscribers. If you don't see the Designer button, you're using an older version of PowerPoint for Mac, rather than PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 for Mac.

Requirements for Designer on the Mac

PowerPoint shows design ideas for your slide.

If you can see the Designer button in PowerPoint but it's grayed out, it means that someone else is currently also editing the slide:

If you're co-authoring a presentation with someone else and more than one person is actively editing a single slide at one time, Designer won't give design suggestions on that slide.

However, as soon as there's only person editing the slide, Designer will begin offering design suggestions again once that person does an action (such as adding a photo) that Designer can respond to.

Requirements for Designer on PowerPoint for the web

Ask for design ideas any time by choosing Design > Design Ideas on the ribbon.

Scroll through the suggestions in the Design Ideas pane on the right side of the window.

The Design Ideas button is grayed out

If you can see the Design Ideas button in PowerPoint but it's grayed out, it means you aren't connected to the internet.

Requirements for Designer on iOS

Requirements for Designer on Android

Requirements for Designer on Windows Mobile

Troubleshooting.

• Which problem are you having?
• I don't see the Designer button
• I clicked the Designer button, but no suggestions are offered

Design ideas are only available to Microsoft 365 subscribers

On desktop versions of PowerPoint, only subscribers get design ideas. You can try or buy a subscription here .

On PowerPoint for the web, design ideas are available to everyone.

One Microsoft 365 subscription package doesn't include design ideas: Office 365 Germany Germany .

Turn on the Office connected experiences

To use Designer, make sure that Office "connected experiences" are turned on:

Go to File > Account , and under Account Privacy select Manage Settings .

See Enabling and disabling intelligent services for more information.

An administrator may have turned off Designer

Designer is a feature for Microsoft 365 subscribers, but some organizations turn off the feature. If you have an Microsoft 365 subscription but don't see the Designer button, ask your IT department.

Reinstall Office to get subscriber features

If you've upgraded from Microsoft 365 to an Microsoft 365 subscription, you need to uninstall Microsoft 365 and then reinstall in order to get the subscriber features. See the instructions in these articles:

Uninstall Office from a PC or Uninstall Office 2016 for Mac

Reinstall Microsoft 365

Restart the app to get Designer

Sometimes users find that the first time they start PowerPoint after installing Microsoft 365, the Designer button isn't available. Restarting the app fixes this problem.

If there are no design ideas available for you, a few things might be the cause. First of all:

Make sure you're connected to the Internet. Designer goes online to get its design ideas.

Use a theme that comes with PowerPoint (not a custom theme or one that you've downloaded from elsewhere).

Following are other problems and how to solve them:

No design ideas for slides with pictures

Make sure your slide has either the Title or Title + Content slide layout applied.

Don't use any additional objects or shapes on the same slide as your photo.

Use a maximum of four photos (.jpg, .png, .gif, or .bmp) per slide, and make sure they're larger than 200 x 200 pixels in size.

No design ideas for process-based slides

Make sure your slide has the Title + Content slide layout applied.

Don't use any additional photos, objects, or shapes on the same slide as your process text.

Because Designer is a relatively new service, it is still learning new tricks. If Designer can’t generate high-quality options for you, it won’t show any options at all. We're working hard to be able to generate great design ideas for more varieties of your content.

And of course, if you don’t find Designer useful, you can turn it off by going to File > Options > General , and then clearing the box that says Automatically show me design ideas .

Someone else is editing

No design ideas for slides that have shapes or text boxes.

Designer isn't able to suggest design ideas when a slide has a shape or text box drawn on it. You can have photos and you can have text in a placeholder.

You aren't connected to the internet , or

A single slide isn't selected . This can be the case when multiple slides are selected in the slide thumbnail pane in Normal view, or when the focus in the thumbnail pane is between two slides. It also is the case when the focus is in the Notes pane or you are in Slide Show view rather than Normal view.

Combining colors in PowerPoint: Mistakes to avoid

Format the background color of slides

Start with a presentation template

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April 24, 2023

Best Topics Idea (Fun & Interesting & Good Presentation Topics)

Here we specifically listed 50+ creative presentation ideas to inspire you to create extraordinary presentations with ease for any occasion. You can be that professional speaker to wow audiences and focus their eyes on your presentation content and leave them a mark.

Can't find what you're looking for?

What's Inside?

With over 50,000 presentations being created every day it is easy to wonder, what in the world are people creating all these presentations about.

Sure, a solid portion should be professional, academic, or business-related presentations created out of an obligation of some kind.

But what about the rest? Let’s do a quick activity. Think of the most absurd thing that pops into your head in 1 second. (pause and reflect for a second)

What was it? A duck on a tricycle? Melting ice cream on the pavement? A dog wearing glasses?

Whatever it was I can bet that this image has somehow made its way into a presentation. Presentations need not be professional all the time.

Although some people (especially students) tend to dislike presentation related tasks , presentations have become a standard and creative means for us to express our thoughts, needs, and feelings.

Naturally, they started to take all shapes and forms and can now be about anything! We do this exercise all the time, Google search what people are asking about presentations and here there are:

• Presentation Slide Ideas
• Presentation Design Ideas
• Presentation Template Ideas

and the list goes on...

Top 10 Best Performing Business Presentation Ideas

Some of the best business presentation ideas include using infographics, using data visualization, and using storytelling. Other great ideas include using humor, using props, and using multimedia. Additionally, consider using case studies, using customer testimonials, and using expert opinions to make your presentation more engaging and informative.

• How to start your own business
• How to be a successful entrepreneur
• How to write a business plan
• How to market your business
• How to finance your business
• How to build a successful team
• How to manage your time
• How to negotiate effectively
• How to close a deal
• How to scale your business

Presentation Topics or Blog Ideas That Will Make Your Audience Laugh

A birthday party quiz slide.

‍ This user created a quiz presentation for their father’s birthday party. The questions were featuring intimate details about the father and the person who got the most number of questions right would get the first slice of the cake.

This might be the one thing that saves the next family gathering you have! Not only in family gatherings, generally in primary schools and high schools, birthdays are great activity for engagement.

So this is the number one presentation idea for teachers to interact with students.

Google search results facts for class

Apparently, the presenter thought that the best place to hide a dead body is Page 2 of Google search results. We would agree!

When was the last time you actually went out of your way to look at page 2 of Google search results? This could be interesting to look at as you never know what you will find in there.

You could also try typing in random words to your browser and see what is being suggested!

We saw this on a Facebook group where teachers look for class presentation ideas.

A teacher suggested typing a keyword related to the class and look for what question appear to answer for the students.

Teachers are really creative when it comes to presentation ideas. So make sure to chat a little when you find one!

How to bathe a cat for friends

Now I am no cat expert but I am pretty sure you are not supposed to bathe a cat full stop. But evidently, this user decided it should be a good class presentation topic.

Maybe do your research next time? This might be a fun way to make laugh students in the classroom. So we count this on the list of presentation ideas for class, teacher, and students.

Why I love Justin Bieber for friends

I remember those times when Bieber fever was a thing. Maybe it still is. In fact, I recall watching a young girl on the news actually having a tantrum because she went to a Justin Bieber concert and he walked past her but didn’t say hi.

On another note, Bieber was also one of the most hated celebrities for his time. In fact, we had used his celebrity status as a debate topic in class.

After the common apples vs oranges and Apple vs. Samsung debates, naturally came pro or against Bieber debate.

• How to laugh every day in the life  
• If I stop working, I will ... 
• My motto: I am flexible out of indecision ‍
• Ways to remember birthdays ‍
• For those who don't "I do" no need, nothing is impossible 
• How to give your dog or cat a pill 
• Why men are proud of themselves  ‍
• How to cheat on poker the nice way  ‍
• Why I don't want to be a millionaire 
• Eating flowers is possible 
• How to realize you are addicted to the Internet  ‍
• How Murphy's Law works ‍
• Wine / beer / cocktail of the month 
• How to be a charming host at any event 
• Demonstrate a wine tasting at a 
• Yes I'll be my boss, so ... 
• Happy puppies make people happy. 
• How to deny reality.  ‍
• Ten fun things to do during a test . 
• Urban stunts to run ‍ ‍
• ‍ Ten ways to order a pizza  ‍
• Your guide to life 
• Chasing idle dreams is a good habit 
• How to throw a paper airplane in class  ‍
• Ten things you learned from your pet  ‍
• Personal mistakes are great fun topics for a speech
• My most profitable mistake
• Funny computer terms and phrases
• What women say when talking to men
• Why I should drop out of college
• Funny parties in other countries 
• How to find funny talking topics in 24 hours 
• Woman marries a much younger man 
• Unexpected disasters that can happen 
• Funny facts about men 
• Funny facts about women ‍
• How to become a rat and make a fortune ‍
• Rules for guys who want to date their sister
• Funny first date experiences
• A true story that ends up not being true
• Unusual incidents ‍
• Funny candidate stories  ‍
• How I pick friends 
• People with mediocre talent succeed and people with high talent do not. 
• ...from my neighbor 
• Strange speed limits and reasons.

Come Up with Presentation Topics for Creative Presentations

So, are you lost for a creative idea for your next presentation? Well, look no more!

We will list out the most interesting presentation topics we have run into so far. People actually created these!

These could help you create a presentation by inspiring you from 4 h presentation ideas to graph presentation ideas that could be a real ice breaker at the beginning of your next meeting.

Why is yoga so popular for teachers

‍ Namaste... We've all been there; making fun of someone who is boasting about their new hot yoga class, or how they started meditating every morning and it has "changed them".

The number one reason for yoga's ever increasing popularity is the growing conversation surrounding personal mental and physical wellbeing.

For this, yoga has proven benefits: apart from increasing strength, balance and flexibility, yoga can help you sleep better, reduce stress, and lift your moods.

Explore how yoga can help you and if it worth the hype in your presentation to anger or support your fellow "mindfulness"- lovers in class.

Are horoscopes accurate for content

A clinical psychology article manifested that horoscopes may be perceived as accurate as they lack specificity and generally point to positive phenomena about someone's personality.

Indeed, many people are able to apply this positive trait to personal experiences or fit it into their lives. Dive deeper and dispute the well-established claims about horoscopes.

Beware though; you might anger Professor Trelawney from the Divination Class when you say fortune telling and horoscopes are inaccurate. Let's admit it, sometimes it can be fun to talk and laugh about weird things in classrooms.

So teacher presentation ideas list can take this one too. It's always a great to exercise to talk about what is not logical and what is...

Show The Audience Your Mug for fun

We all have a mug in our lives. Whether it is for the start of the day or when you are feeling under the weather, there is always one on hand to make your mornings and evenings easier.

Perhaps you even use one as an office reminder! But how often do you think about what that mug says about who you are? I know that my coffee mugs say something different every season because they remind me of where I am and what time of year it is.

They also serve as a constant reminder of my favorite things to do like reading and cooking! So do it in the way that Sarah Blakely does. Show your mugs and create a fun and engaging story!

Why you should not follow your parents on your Finsta for content

‍ A personal anecdote; everybody loves one. Muse on the story of how you once created a Finsta where you posted wildly ridiculous and embarrassing videos and photos of yourself.

Remember that time you were puking in the entrance of Six Flags, or the time you sent an inappropriate text, or the failed attempts at singing or dancing...

Get ready for experiences worst than those: your parents are accidentally granted access to your page! What went down: explain in your presentation!

Giraffes, myth or reality for students

It made you wonder for a second didn’t it. If you think about it, have you ever actually seen a live giraffe. In all reality, a good majority of giraffes live in African savannas and it might have been difficult to spot a giraffe unless you went to a zoo.

So, it is actually remotely possible for you to convince someone that they may be a myth.

For more on this, refer to this blog by Bored Panda!

What’s a list of “most interesting presentation topics” without an additional list of the dullest and problematic ones? Here are a few for your reference.

How I changed through high school

‍ All humor aside, unless your audience is your family or if you are an influential person whose self-development could be education to those you mentor, a presentation entirely focusing on your changing high school identity might not be the way to go.

So let's not add this into the class and student presentation ideas list. This can be weird in the classroom.

A comparison between John Cena and Jesus Christ

As absurd a comparison as it is, one should keep in mind the religious implications of this subject area.

Why you should give me an A

This is basically the top student presentation idea ranking on channels like TikTok but we simply cannot imagine a teacher that will be okay with this kind of presentation and will accept it as homework.

In fact, it could create the exact opposite effect and land you an F.

Should you include humor in your presentations?

One of the most powerful communication tools you can use to get your message across is humor. It is what makes it true. And when used correctly, it can be one of the most effective ways to make your presentation memorable.

Because there is too much of a good thing. Your presentation can't be joke after joke, you're not there to do a stand-up comedy routine.

No, when I say you have to use introductory humor appropriately, this means that you should use it to break the tension or provide a brief relief from the intensity of your presentation; the average human adult can focus their attention for about five minutes, so it is a good rule of thumb to enter your speech.

Adding a humorous element least as often: Break your presentation down into manageable timeframes (in terms of your listener's attention span) to keep your audience occupied so you can focus for another five minutes.

Unless your company is selling clown costumes (and even if it is), business presentations are difficult. They are packed with numbers, facts, and all sorts of jargon.

It is easy for all of these serious business conversations to cause a person's attention span. For this reason, using humor in a business presentation is just as important as adding it to an informative or educational presentation.

The best time to come up with a serious point that you want to take home is right after the laugh. Why? Because laughter relieves tension. When your audience is relaxed and attentive, you can hit them with something you want them to remember.

How To Add Humor In Presentations Your Presentations?

For humor in presentations to be effective, you need to plan for it. Sure, there are times when you can improvise (e.g. when something goes unexpectedly wrong - humor can be a great way to recover from a presentation mistake) but it really should be an element that you consciously plan and use to run.

The process is knowing that the audience will "understand" your humor. Pop culture-related jokes won't get the same response from a group of older people as they would from a room full of teenagers.

A joke about ledgers and profit and loss accounts is lost on people who have no clue about bookkeeping. Take into account the demographics and general interests of your audience.

Everyone loves to laugh. The more information you have about your listeners, the easier it will be to tickle their funny bones. Need any fun presentation ideas on how to add some humor to your next appearence? Try these:

Personal anecdotes

The easiest (and usually the best) person to tease is yourself. Share a personal story that fits the point.

Personal stories are always full of funny details, and when you talk about something that happened to you, people can sometimes relate to it, so the story is funny.

Know how to tell them because you've probably been sharing them for years (unless something happened on the way to the presentation). 

Funny quotes

Did you know that the Beatles songs "A Hard Day's Night", "Eight Days a Week" and "Tomorrow Never Knows" come from the word mix by Ringo Starr? People say the boldest things and it can be pure gold - just ask the Fab Four.

Find a fun quote that fits your topic and use it at the right time. Switch to Google and search for "funny quotes" but remember to do your homework and check that a) the quote is correct; and b) is assigned to the correct person. 

Funny analogies

Winston Churchill once said that "a good speech should be like a woman's skirt: long enough to cover the subject and short enough to spark interest."

This is a one-two punch - not only is it a fun quote, but it's also a great analogy. An analogy makes a comparison between two different objects or concepts to highlight some kind of similarity.

They're not always easy to find, so listen to what the people around you are saying. If you hear a funny analogy, take note of it. Even if it isn't perfect for your presentation, you can always change a few words or actions to make it work. 

With Decktopus, you can add gifs, cartoons, and lovely images to your deck. How many times have you spoken to someone and the conversation reminds you of a funny cartoon or meme you saw on Facebook? Why can't it be the same with a presentation?

Whatever your topic, chances are there is a fun cartoon hanging over it.

7 Ways To Point Out To Use Humor In Your Presentation

Remember: You're Not Doing a Stand Up Funny Dinner Guests and the colleague who makes your office coworkers laugh doesn't earn their humorous reputation by firing off dozens of hilarious phrases or on a particular one Allude to the topic, like the best comedians.

Rather, they recognize the humor that is present in everyday situations and convey it through funny conversation observations. It's a formula that works well for most presentations - think of humor, not jokes.

Microphone night, but you will surely appreciate a speaker who can successfully deliver humorous comments, funny stories, compelling comments, irresistible ironies, and catchy jokes.

But being funny doesn't help you. The humor you use should serve your message and give context and depth to your main points. It's also an effective tool to incorporate into your opening or closing.

You just don't want your audience and our jokes to remember at the expense of your core message. 

In general, the humor that you use in your presentation should serve to enhance and illustrate the points you are aiming for.

When used properly, humor can also make fun of human weaknesses without sounding critical, encourage your audience to question weak assumptions without compromising their beliefs, and offer new perspectives on old ideas.

In his TED talk, The Happy Secret to a Better Job, psychologist and bestselling author Shawn Achor successfully used humor throughout his talk, including its opening. ranges from about 0:10 to 3:05) to grab your audience's attention and make them the focus of your talk. 

‍ During your opening, you use a story that many of us can relate to. His humorous story effectively illustrates the main topic of his speech. Here it is: Don't beat your credibility. Humble humor is one thing.

In fact, in one study, employees found that corporate leaders who mock themselves are more trustworthy and caring, but there's a fine line between laughing at their own expense and evaluating their experience.

Your credibility or downplay the topic of your presentation. You don't want to draw attention to your weaknesses either ("I've never made a virtual presentation, so good luck everyone!"). 

‍ Keep it fair In real life, the jokes of Dunder Mifflin's fictional regional manager Michael Scott , played by Steve Carrell on the TV show " The Office ," would have been a nightmare for any true human resource specialist. Don't be Michael Scott.

In general, it's best to stay away from cheeky, daring, political, or mundane humor. If you're not a full-time comedian, you may feel stressed out finding inspiration for your humorous comments and anecdotes. It's like an inside joke.

It could work if everyone participates. Failure to do so could result in conflict or emotional injury. Be confident you don't have to worry about interrupters, but your audience will pick you up when in doubt.

When you're funny, play out your strengths. Deliver your funny anecdote with confidence and ease that suggests you will enjoy telling it as much as you hope your audience will enjoy hearing it.

If you share your personal stories or are having difficulty finding material, there is always room to borrow and share material, be it a funny story you've heard, a hilarious cartoon, or some famous humorous text. funny makes you funny even if you are not the creator.

An educator and best-selling author, Ken Robinson is watched by over 66 million people and provides a great example of how to borrow and deliver a great story. Starts around the 3:20 mark: Not all humor needs to be said. 

How Should I Use Creativity in My Presentation? 

Here's the scenario: Our team is on the kick-off call with a new client and is starting to work on their great company presentation. The CEO will be giving this presentation on the main stage and speaking about industry trends in front of this specific group of people.

We know there will be suits and ties, we know the audience is over 50, and we also know that the CEO is a straightforward guy with a lot of experience as a speaker. For both the designer and the content strategist of the call, the question now arises: How creatively can we design this presentation?

Despite the formal venue and audience, it is important to leave open the possibility of highly creative presentations. You never know exactly what kind of tone the speaker might want to use during their presentation.

Our job is to evaluate the level of creativity desired by the customer and then write our releases accordingly. But what about your project?

Here are some ways to judge whether you should go for a more creative presentation, be it fun, minimalist, or off the beaten path compared to your previous work. What does the audience want and expect? See your audience as a whole.

Have you ever seen a presentation like yours? Or, in the case of an annual report, have you seen too many presentations like yours? It is important to assess not only what the audience wants (informed, entertained, challenged, etc.) but also what the audience expects (bored, learning something new, etc.)

‍ In most cases, we recommend bringing the unexpected with you. Your presentation to arouse the interest of the audience and stand out from the crowd. How creative should my presentation be? What does its content dictate?

Sometimes the content offers “scope” for creativity, as a financial presentation with lots of statistics. When you think of all of the information that needs to be conveyed, try creating a written metaphor to express the main ideas. Also, you can benefit from content creation apps .

For example, think of the word "growth" and use plant or garden terminology throughout your content to see if a creative metaphor suits you.

If something as simple as a vegetable metaphor feels too wild and out of place, your content may be too unique to be taken as a whole. Who is doing the presentation

The moderator's personality has a lot to do with the creativity on each slide. Do you enjoy presenting a narrative?

Do they bring a lot of energy and fun into the presentation? Or are you used to a more conservative and direct approach?

If you have an energetic presenter who is open to creativity, don't limit them!

Your presentation will benefit from getting the most out of your speaker. If you want your presentation to be unexpected, if your content is flexible enough to use a metaphor, and if your speaker has the right energy, then he's perfect for a more creative approach.

Storytelling, unique metaphors, minimal text, and bold design are all ways to make your presentation stand out. Where does your presentation range from very conservative to very creative?

How can I create creative presentation ideas on my own?

Creativity is a spectrum. Presentations can range from being highly creative to being extremely dull. It is up to the presenter to determine which type of presentation they would like their audience to receive.

But it is important to remember that creativity can be used for good and bad. It is possible to go overboard and come across as unprofessional; or, on the other hand, you could use too much creativity and the message your audience is left with can be unclear.

As a presenter, it is important to keep in mind that most of your audience will not be familiar with you or your brand.

That is why it is essential to present in a clear and entertaining way. It's also important to remember that creativity should work with the message, not just for the sake of being creative. In the world of social media, content is king .

For this reason, it is important for any business to create interesting and informative content in order to capture an audience. When it comes to content, a business needs to create interesting and informative content in order to keep their audience interested.

Of course, awareness comes before interest. Businesses leverage content distribution tools and strategies for their content to reach their audience. For instance, thousands of successful business owners on LinkedIn use Hashtag Analytics to retrieve effective hashtags. Subsequently, they optimize their content with the best hashtags and improve their reach.

Visual content is the most powerful content so pictures can say a thousand words. 

How will you frame your message so the audience immediately empathizes?

The answer to this question is that you have to make sure the audience empathize with your message. To do this, you need to frame your message in the right way. There are different ways to do this. Below are a few examples of how to frame your message so that it instantly empowers the audience to empathize with you:

Teaching for emphasis

Some people feel they had been cheated in life, but there are ways to deal with this. The trick is to learn from those who have done it before and then implement the same strategies.

Inspiring for emphasis

Some people feel that they lack confidence, but there are ways to bond with them. How? By inspiring! Inspiring, motivational and powerful presentations always take the attention of audience!

Couraging for emphasis

Some people feel like they lost important opportunities. Everyone has "I wish I had..." word. Try to point that question and always give people courage to step out of comfort zone by giving them power to say beter "Oops than what if."

Do you know what's awesome? Inspiring presentations. Do you know what's not so awesome? Presentations that are boring and put the audience to sleep. We are going to show you how to customize your presentation with a simple 3-step process that will inspire your audience in 2022!

How to Quickly Customize Creative Presentations That Inspire (In 2022)

Ever feel like you don't know what to do with your presentations? Don't worry, we have some great advice. There are a lot of ways that you can customize creative presentations that will inspire and impress the audience.

The key is to make everything visual. That's why probably most of the time teachers search for visual presentation design ideas. Because people love visualization. So let's dive into how to make a killer presentation design with a visual appearance.

Here are just a few tips for making your next presentation captivating and memorable...

Use A Minimalist Presentation Theme

Are you a student, business professional, or keynote speaker? Are you in need of a minimalist and visual presentation idea or theme that is not only easy to use but aesthetically pleasing as well? Decktopus has six great options for that.  

It's easy to go overboard with your presentation design and end up with a slide deck that is too busy. Simplify your slides by using minimalist themes like these ones:

‍ Whatever your needs maybe there is an option out there just waiting for you! It's time to simplify things with these minimalist themes and bring your visual presentation design ideas to life today!

Use a Font That Is Large and In Charge

Have you ever gotten an email or seen a blog post with words so small you can't read them? Annoying isn't it? You're not alone. We know that as technology advances, font sizes get smaller and smaller, but this is something we want to fix!

As of right now, there are many people who are unable to enjoy reading our content due to font size issues. Below you will find 1-second font size optimization on Decktopus for effortless presentation design.

Designed and engineered by professionals, the software shows you where it is optimum to change font sizes.

Start working on your presentation with your design assistant.

It's not just about how your words look on the page - it's also about what they say. It may seem like a no-brainer that you should be using a font size that is large and in charge, but when you're looking at the fonts available to you, there are so many options !

What do you choose? How does choosing one font over another effect the message of your text? Your audience deserves a solid presentation design to read something well-written with an eye-catching intro paragraph!

Let them know they've come across this blog post by using a font that is large and in charge!

Font: Corben

Font: fira sans, font: boogalo, use pop culture references to build a fun presentation.

In a world where we are bombarded with constant information, how do you break through the noise? One way is to use pop culture references in your presentations.

The internet has made it easier than ever for people of all ages to understand and connect with content that they know from popular media. Whether using quotes, song lyrics, or movie titles; drawing on something familiar can help make your presentation more memorable and engaging for the audience.

Point out how what is happening in the news relates to your topic - this way you'll make it relevant as well as funny!

Another idea is quoting someone famous; if they have said something witty about the subject then it will really resonate with listeners. If not quoted then paraphrase their ideas and add your own take on them.

Finally, try using videos from YouTube while presenting - interesting clips can liven up even the driest topics!

Use A Consistent Presentation Layout

Presentations are a crucial part of your business and sometimes your grades. Edtech is expanded and class presentations are more and more important for teachers and students especially after COVID.

They allow you to communicate your ideas and persuade others by the presentation design. If you want to be taken seriously, it’s important that the presentation design idea is polished and professional-looking.

One way to do this is through a consistent design layout for each slide in the presentation. If you have ever had someone speak with a PowerPoint template (or Keynote) slideshow behind them and they were not prepared, their slides looked like an absolute mess, or worse yet there was no organization at all then you know how unprofessional it looks when people don't make the effort.

But you don’t have to put so much effort because an average person does not born with graphic design skills! That’s why the number one rule is to use a consistent template or follow consistent colors, fonts, and layouts.

If this is too complicated for you just use tools like Decktopus , Slidesbean, Beautiful.ai.

Highlight Keywords Using BOLD Color

Bold is a great way to highlight keywords in the content/presentations. One of the class presentation slide ideas we have is bold keywords and quotes. The bold font catches the eye and visually emphasizes certain parts of the text. Bolding important words in your blog posts will make them more readable, which will increase readership and engagement on your site.

When you write a sentence with keywords in bold, it's also good to indent those sentences so they stand out from other paragraphs or sections of the article. That way, when someone skims their eyes across the screen, they'll be able to quickly identify what information is most important for them to read first without having to re-read sentences over and over again trying to find where one paragraph ends and another begins.

An example of how this might look:

What to Do If I Have Stage Fear?

‍A problem that many speakers face is the fear of forgetting their lines. It's a common fear, and it will happen to all of us at some point in our lives. But instead of worrying about this happening, we can take steps now to prevent it from happening altogether!

Here are 5 tips for preventing stage fright: ‍

- Practice your speech out loud with an audience repeatedly; you'll get used to being on stage and hearing yourself talk

- Use the same chair every time so you know where everything is

‍- Have someone read your speech aloud while you listen or watch

- Try practicing with bright lights off so when they turn them on during rehearsal, it won't be as much of a shock

- Take deep breaths

This is all to say that a presentation can literally be about anything. What’s more, you can make it seem professional and well thought out even if it is indeed a presentation about a duck on a tricycle. Just use Decktopus for your next presentation and see how a seemingly absurd or mundane topic be converted into a full-scale presentation! Check out decktopus.com and sign up for a subscription now!

Some articles for inspiration:

• What Makes for a Good Presentation?
• An Effective Presentation, Why Does it Matter?
• Early Stage Entrepreneur Hack: Talking to Users

Also make sure to check out our social media accounts to get daily insights about presentations, public speaking and inspirational quotes:

Yes, you’ve guessed it! We have a survey too. Make sure you fill out the survey to support the content and community team and help us improve your Decktopus experience.

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Home Blog Presentation Ideas Powerful Words to Use in Presentations: Ultra Long List 

Powerful Words to Use in Presentations: Ultra Long List 

The power of words is immense and palpable when it comes to sharing ideas with others. The way you frame your sentences and cherry-pick specific words will affect how the audience preserves you. Not just that. Well-selected power words can shape narratives around businesses, distort (positively and negatively) their perception, and impact the listener’s decision to purchase. That’s why top copywriters and public speakers alike spend a great deal of time brainstorming different word combos and obsessing over their selection of action verbs, adjectives, and linking phrases.

Granted, you no longer need to do that. Just grab a PowerPoint template of your choice and start populating it with our big list of power words! 

What are Power Words?

Power words are persuasive words and phrases that evoke a positive or negative emotional response. Our selection of verbs, adjectives, and adverbs can convey different emotions from slight excitement to rightful outrate. That’s why public speakers , authors, and copywriters always carefully choose their words to convey the right idea and sentiment. 

Power words and phrases can make the same idea sound very different. Let’s take Apple’s famous slogan as an example: Think different. 

You can also convey the same idea using other descriptive words: Don’t think like everybody else, think outside the box, be creative 

However, each variation has a somewhat different ring to it. Ultimately, your word choice also impacts how others perceive you based on your speech.

Researchers found that word selection can have a massive impact on people, businesses, and society as a whole. Individual word choices can indicate the speaker’s mental state and impact the outcomes of a negotiation. Business power words shape customer experience with the brand and affect conversions. Action words, chose by the media, influence public perception of a social issue. 

Interestingly a group of researchers from Wilfrid Laurier University in Canada and Wharton in the US also found that word choices impact the song’s popularity. By applying text mining analytics to Billboard charts, the group found that songs with somewhat more unique texts performed better than those with pretty standard lyrics. A 16% differentiation in lyrical topics within a song was enough to propel it higher than songs in similar genres. 

The takeaway:

Our word choices have a profound impact on how others perceive us, as well as the actions they take afterward. Thus, if you want to be a Rockstar presenter , you need to choose your words carefully and prioritize powerful words! 

List of Powerful Words to Use in Presentations 

The English language has about 170,000 words in use . But an average person has an active vocabulary of 20,000 – 30,000 words. Among them is a smaller range of powerful adjectives and action verbs to make your presentations and speeches more impactful. 

Action Verbs to Use in Your PowerPoint Presentation

As the name implies, action verbs denote some dynamics — state, movement, result, etc. We use action verbs in our everyday speech a lot to describe what and how we do things. As author Elwyn Brooks White suggests : 

“Write with nouns and verbs, not with adjectives and adverbs. The adjective hasn’t been built that can pull a weak or inaccurate noun out of a tight place.”

Strong verbs don’t need adverbs to reinforce them. Compare these two statements: 

• I walked quickly towards the door. 
• I rushed out of the door. 

The first sentence merely states the fact. But the second one better conveys the emotion, the urgency of getting out of the room. It adds color to the narrative and sets the right mood.

In business presentations, action verbs help imply action to the user. They are good to use for both throughout the copy and the closing slide when you describe: 

• Main action points 
• Accomplishments
• Next steps 
• Results 

As you proofread your slide deck, look for weaker verbs and then replace them with stronger synonyms. Some common offenders include: 

• State-of-being verbs such as am, does, do, could, might, etc. While they have their merit, oftentimes, you can find a more descriptive alternative, conveying an extra emotion. 
• Verbs ending in -ing : wishing, planning, forgetting. Be bolder. Use present or past tenses instead. 
• Verbs in conjunction with an adjective: walked quickly, talked loudly, etc. Again, these can be replaced with snappier one-word alternatives. 

List of powerful verbs to make your language more persuasive: 

• Accelerate 
• Alter 
• Maintain 
• Regard 
• Convince 
• Boost 
• Ignite 
• Surge 
• Disrupt 
• Rejuvenate 
• Smash 
• Supercharge 
• Report 
• Change 
• Explore 
• Re-define 
• Strategize 
• Maximize 
• Capture 
• Achieve 

Powerful Adjectives to Use In Your Presentation 

The goal of adjectives is to reinforce your nouns and verbs. Use them to convey specific emotions and set the scene for the audience. 

But be sparring. You are not writing a novel. Too many adjectives can make your slide deck look cluttered, as you’d have to skim on white space to fit longer sentences. Also, excessive use of adjectives can muddle the main idea behind your key statements.

Below is our quick collection of power adjectives you can use to punch up your presentation: 

Power Words for Motivation

• Awe-inspiring
• Exquisite 
• Blissful 
• Brilliant 
• Dynamic 
• Burgeoning 
• Breathtaking
• Accomplished
• Successful 
• Enterprising 
• Venturesome
• Life-changing
• Encouraging 
• Baffling 
• Sensational 
• Incredible 

Power Words for Sales (Adjectives) 

• Cost-effective 
• Exorbitant 
• Knock-out 
• Science-proofed 
• Limited-time 
• Fully-booked
• Refundable 
• Negotiable 
• Below market average 
• Too-good-to-miss
• Budget-friendly
• Optimal 
• Exclusive 
• Time-sensitive
• Efficacious
• Sensible 
• Stylish 
• Unique 
• Profitable 

Power Adjectives to Persuade

• Verified 
• Risk-free 
• Effective 
• Tested 
• Solution-oriented
• Vetted 
• Non-negotiable
• Quality-controlled 
• Reliable 
• Legitimate 
• Lifetime 
• Market-tested 
• Foolproof 
• Surefire 
• Ingenious 
• Innovative 
• Cutting-edge 
• Exceptional 
• Game-changing
• Ground-breaking
• Flagship 
• Assured 
• Collateralized 
• Painless 
• Diciest 
• Tamperproof
• Immutable 

Coherence Markers 

Coherence markers are conversational words and phrases we use to denote logical connections between different ideas. They are not meaningful standalone words. Yet, they play a huge role in making your presentation copy more compelling.

Take a look at these two versions of Dove ad copy:

• Your skin’s natural oils keep it silky and supple. As you age, it becomes less elastic, and the production of oil slows down. Aging can cause dull, dehydrated skin.
• Your skin’s natural oils keep it silky and supple. But as you age, your skin becomes less elastic, and the production of oil slows down. That is why aging can cause dull, dehydrated skin.

The bolded coherence markers help digest the claims by establishing logical connections between the ideas. Research shows that adding such links to any copy (or speech) improves clarity and boosts persuasion. Therefore, sprinkle some coherence markers in your presentation to help the reader or lister mentally justify what you are saying. 

Coherence Markers to Use in a Presentation 

• Now do it 
• So go ahead
• Due to 
• That’s why 
• Given that 
• Here’s the deal:
• That’s right 
• By contrast 
• Beyond that 
• For starters
• What’s the bottom line?
• You might be wondering
• By now you should 
• Better still…
• The general conclusion is that
• Compound this with 
• What does this mean for you?
• Inferring from above 
• Just imagine
• You’ve tried everything. But
• You start to worry that
• Let me guess 
• What’s the catch?
• I know that’s what you’re thinking, right?
• But one thing’s for sure
• Let me say this straight
• Now consider it this way 
• It gest better (or worse)
• But here’s the kicker
• As if that’s not enough
• Best of all

Metaphors 

A metaphor is a figure of speech used to represent or symbolize another object or concept. For example, time is the greatest gift given to you . 

Writers love using metaphors to act depth and eloquence to their narrative. At the same time, top presenters use these to help the reader picture an intangible concept. 

As research found, metaphors help with persuasion by helping the reader or listener form a concrete mental image of the discussed concept. For example, you can say that your printing equipment works fast. But how fast do you mean? A metaphor can help make it more clear, e.g., “Our printing machines an equivalent of Ferrari in terms of speed.”  

Check our complete guide to using metaphors in presentations for more insights. Or swipe of some of the examples from our list below: 

Metaphors for Professional Presentations 

• Zeus-like 
• Drag-and-drop interfaces 
• To be worth waiting for 
• Glue for the Internet 
• To stay afloat 
• Off the shelf 
• Custom-made 
• To get up to speed
• App-like functionality 
• blue ocean / red ocean 
• Bumps on the road 
• Jump on the bandwagon 
• Tossed its cap
• The veneer on the credenza.
• Moonshot project
• More complicated than one-color puzzles.
• Lion-tamer-sky-diver fun
• Pack a punch 
• At the foothold of new 
• Buckets of questions 
• Going against the grain
• The epitome of something else
• From full throttle to a halt

To Conclude

Positive power words speak straight to the hearts and minds of the audiences. They encourage, inspire, motivate, bring up, and help move on in the right direction. If your goal is to hammer in a clear idea and prompt subsequent desirable action, these words are your best buddies to use all through your presentation slides and during delivery! 

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One Response to “Powerful Words to Use in Presentations: Ultra Long List ”

Great article! it helped me ALOT. Thank you.

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25 English Presentation Phrases to Impress Your Audience

Does giving a presentation make you feel a little nervous?

Well, you’re not alone.

According to Forbes , giving a presentation makes 80% of us feel nervous !

The good news is that feeling nervous might be a good thing. This feeling pushes us to prepare ourselves better, and as long as you’re well prepared, you’ll do just fine.

So then, let’s take a look at how we can  prepare ourselves to give amazing presentations in English . Today, we’re going to focus on the business English phrases you can count on (depend on) to make your presentation go more smoothly from start to finish.

But first, here are some tips to use when preparing for your presentation.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Greeting Your Audience

You’re now standing in front of your audience. Before you begin your presentation, start by greeting your audience, welcoming them to the event and introducing yourself.

1. Good morning/afternoon/evening, everyone.

2. welcome to [name of event]..

Sample sentence: Welcome to our 3rd Annual Sales Leadership Conference.

3. First, let me introduce myself. I am [name] from [company].

Beginning your presentation.

After you have given an introduction, you are ready to begin speaking about your topic. Use these phrases to get started.

4. Let me start by giving you some background information.

Use this phrase to give your audience a brief overview of the topic you’ll be discussing. This is a good way to give them an idea of what’s going on and to bring them up to date.

5. As you’re aware, …

If you’re bringing up a topic that your audience already knows about or is aware of, then you can use this phrase to introduce this known topic.

Sample sentence: As you’re aware , the CEO of DHL Express has often said that globalization is here to stay.

Transitioning to the Next Topic

Before you move on to your next point, be sure to make it clear to your audience that you’re now starting a new topic. Let them know exactly what that new topic will be. The two phrases below are very similar in meaning, and they can both be used for transitions.

6. Let’s move on to…

Sample sentence: Let’s move on to our second sales strategy.

7. Turning our attention now to…

Sample sentence: Turning our attention now to the results of our 2016 customer survey.

Providing More Details

Use these phrases to tell your audience that you’ll be giving them a more detailed explanation of the topic. Both the words ‘expand’ and ‘elaborate’ mean to explain more fully.

8. I’d like to expand on…

Sample sentence: Now I’d like to expand on my point about increasing our market share.

9. Let me elaborate further.

Linking to another topic.

When making reference to a point you made earlier, or to remind your audience about something you said before, use these phrases to that link.

10. As I said at the beginning, …

This phrase lets you remind your audience about a point you made earlier. It can also be used to emphasize a point or theme.

Sample sentence: As I said in the beginning , we’ll see an increase in profit if we follow these five steps.

11. This relates to what I was saying earlier…

This phrase will help you make connections between ideas in your presentation. It shows that two different ideas are connected.

Sample sentence: This relates to what I was saying earlier about increasing production to meet the year-end demand.

12. This ties in with…

Sample sentence: This ties in with the way we’ve been doing business for the past 20 years.

Emphasizing a Point

Use these phrases to draw attention to an important point that you want your audience to note.

13. The significance of this is…

The word “significance'” is similar in meaning to “importance.”

Sample sentence: The significance of this is , if we complete this project on schedule, we’ll have more people available to work on the next project.

14. This is important because…

Sample sentence: This is important because any marketing effort we put in now will help to boost demand for our products in the long run.

15. We have to remember that …

Sample sentence: We have to remember that people are our most important resource.

Making Reference to Information

Very often, you may need to support your discussion points by drawing attention and making reference to information and data from studies, reports and other sources.

16. Based on our findings, …

Sample sentence: Based on our findings, 74% of our market is made up of teenagers who find our clothing line stylish and upbeat.

17. According to our study, …

Sample sentence: According to our study, 63% of working people in this city go directly to the gym after work.

18. Our data shows …

Sample sentence: Our data shows that more than 23% of men in this town who used to drive to work now prefer to save money and the environment by cycling instead.

Explaining Visuals

To present a clearer picture of your point, you may show your data, information or examples in the form of visuals such as charts, tables and graphs.

19. I’d like to illustrate this point by showing you…

The word “illustrate” means “show,” usually with examples, data or visuals.

Sample sentence: I’d like to illustrate this point by showing you a chart of the number of people in each age group who prefer to shop online.

20. This chart shows a breakdown of …

A “breakdown” refers to the detailed parts or figures that make up the total picture. A breakdown is often used in a presentation to show all the smaller parts behind something bigger.

Sample sentence: This chart shows a breakdown of the ingredients we use in our gluten-free products.

Restating Your Point

Sometimes in order to emphasize your point, you have to state it in a way that’s easier for your audience to understand and remember. This often involves rephrasing, simplifying or clarifying your point.

21. In other words, …

Use this phrase to rephrase or reword your point in another way.

Sample sentence: In other words , we need to change our current design to make it more attractive to older children.

22. To put it simply, …

Use this phrase to simplify points that are complex or difficult to understand.

Sample sentence: To put it simply , we’ll need you to work harder at making this launch a success.

23. What I mean to say is …

Use this phrase to explain your point in a way that’s easier for your audience to understand.

Sample sentence: What I mean to say is that we need to change the way we market our products.

Concluding Your Presentation

This is the very end of the presentation. You have said everything you need to say, and now you need to finish it nicely. You may also have some time for questions. If there is time for questions, invite your audience to ask any questions they have.

24. In conclusion, let me sum up my main points.

As part of your closing statement, “sum up” (summarize, state briefly) your speech by mentioning the main points of your speech.

25. Thank you for your attention. Now I am happy to answer any questions you might have.

End your presentation by thanking your audience and offering to answer their questions.

The Top 3 Tips for Preparing Your Business Presentation in English

1. have a plan.

Always have a plan. Spend some time thinking about not only what you’re going to say but how you’re going to say it.

If English isn’t your native language, it’s very important that you think about what language you’re going to be using. Think about all the vocabulary, phrases and grammar that will make your message clear and easy to understand.

What are the big ideas you want to explain for your presentation? Which words will express these ideas best? I recommend:

• Have a clear goal in mind to help you stay on track and be logical. Whenever you feel lost during the presentation, just remember this clear, main goal. An example of a goal could be to convince potential clients to work with you. Whenever you don’t know what to say next, remember to focus on the advantages you want to present and on examples of what you did in the past to deserve their trust. Encourage them to ask you questions related to this goal.
• Research content. If you know your facts, you already have the core of your presentation prepared. Write these facts down on topic cards, give out handouts (papers) with important information or include them on your PowerPoint slides.
• Prepare the delivery. Rehearse giving the presentation several times. Some people like recording themselves, others prefer practicing in front of a mirror or having friends listen to them while presenting. Choose the method that works best for you.
• Decide whether you are going to read or speak freely. Reading can sound unnatural, but you can use certain tricks to avoid this. You can underline important sentences which you can memorize, so that from time to time you can stop reading, say your memorized lines and look at the audience. In this way, reading can be made more natural. Make sure you slow down so that the audience can follow you.

Speaking freely is much better if you can remember everything you want to say, because you will seem more knowledgeable, prepared and confident. However, this can be more stressful.

2. Use Visuals

Using some visuals can make your presentation more entertaining, easier to understand and can get your points across more convincingly. My advice:

• Decide whether you need a PowerPoint presentation or not. Do you have graphs, results or other things like this to show? Then yes, you need one. Are you just telling a story? Then you probably do not.
• Do not fill your slides with too much information. Use a maximum of seven short lines of text—even seven can be too many. Highlight key words so the audience can see the main ideas right away. Use bullet points rather than full sentences.
• If you are presenting graphs or charts , give the audience time to read them.  Do not show a huge table of data if they audience will not have time to read and understand it. Make sure you try reading each slide while timing yourself to see how long it takes, so you do not jump to the next slide too early during your presentation.

3. Structure Your Presentation Well

It is a common mistake to give an unclear and unorganized presentation. This happens when the presenter just starts speaking without a clear goal in mind. They might suddenly realize their allotted speaking time has ended, or that the audience is bored because they are not following what is being said. Here’s what you should do instead:

• Decide on three main points (or less) that you want to make. Audiences can’t usually focus on more than three points.
• Tell them from the beginning what points you will be making. Audiences like to know what to expect. Tell them the main goals of your presentation directly in the introduction.
• Presenting main points: firstly, secondly, last but not least
• Making additions: moreover, furthermore, in addition, besides, what’s more
• Making purposes clear: in order to, so as to
• Presenting reasons and causes: on account of, due to, since, seeing that
• Presenting consequences: consequently, as a result, therefore
• Expressing contrast: in spite of, despite, although, even though, however, nevertheless, in contrast, on the contrary

So with this, you’ve mastered the 25 most commonly used phrases used in presentations and my three favorite tips.

Once you learn them, I think you’ll find them very useful to you in any presentation.

Become familiar with them and I promise you’ll feel much less nervous in your next presentation.

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What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation

• Carmine Gallo

Five tips to set yourself apart.

Never underestimate the power of great communication. It can help you land the job of your dreams, attract investors to back your idea, or elevate your stature within your organization. But while there are plenty of good speakers in the world, you can set yourself apart out by being the person who can deliver something great over and over. Here are a few tips for business professionals who want to move from being good speakers to great ones: be concise (the fewer words, the better); never use bullet points (photos and images paired together are more memorable); don’t underestimate the power of your voice (raise and lower it for emphasis); give your audience something extra (unexpected moments will grab their attention); rehearse (the best speakers are the best because they practice — a lot).

I was sitting across the table from a Silicon Valley CEO who had pioneered a technology that touches many of our lives — the flash memory that stores data on smartphones, digital cameras, and computers. He was a frequent guest on CNBC and had been delivering business presentations for at least 20 years before we met. And yet, the CEO wanted to sharpen his public speaking skills.

“You’re very successful. You’re considered a good speaker. Why do you feel as though you need to improve?” I asked.

“I can always get better,” he responded. “Every point up or down in our share price means billions of dollars in our company’s valuation. How well I communicate makes a big difference.”

This is just one example of the many CEOs and entrepreneurs I have coached on their communication skills over the past two decades, but he serves as a valuable case in point. Often, the people who most want my help are already established and admired for their skills. Psychologists say this can be explained by a phenomenon called the Dunning-Kruger effect. Simply put, people who are mediocre at certain things often think they are better than they actually are, and therefore, fail to grow and improve. Great leaders, on the other hand, are great for a reason — they recognize their weaknesses and seek to get better.

The following tips are for business professionals who are already comfortable with giving presentations — and may even be admired for their skills — but who, nonetheless, want to excel.

1) Great presenters use fewer slides — and fewer words.

McKinsey is one of the most selective consulting companies in the world, and one I have worked with many times in this area. Senior McKinsey partners have told me that recent MBA hires often try to dazzle clients with their knowledge — and they initially do so by creating massive PowerPoint decks. New consultants quickly learn, however, that less is much more. One partner instructs his new hires to reduce PowerPoint decks considerably by replacing every 20 slides with only two slides.

This is because great writers and speakers are also great editors. It’s no coincidence that some of the most memorable speeches and documents in history are among the shortest. The Gettysburg Address is 272 words, John F. Kennedy’s inauguration speech was under 15 minutes, and the Declaration of Independence guarantees three unalienable rights — not 22.

Key takeaway: Reduce clutter where you can.

2) Great presenters don’t use bullet points.

Bullet points are the least effective way to get your point across. Take Steve Jobs , considered to be one of the most extraordinary presenters of his time. He rarely showed slides with just text and bullets. He used photos and text instead.

Experiments in memory and communication find that information delivered in pictures and images is more likely to be remembered than words alone. Scientists call it “ pictorial superiority .” According to molecular biologist John Medina, our ability to remember images is one of our greatest strengths. “We are incredible at remembering pictures,” he writes . “Hear a piece of information, and three days later you’ll remember 10% of it. Add a picture and you’ll remember 65%.”

Key takeaway: Complement text on slides with photos, videos, and images.

3) Great presenters enhance their vocal delivery.

Speakers who vary the pace, pitch, and volume of their voices are more effective, according to a new research study by Wharton marketing professor, Jonah Berger.

In summary, the research states that effective persuaders modulate their voice, and by doing so, appear to be more confident in their argument. For example, they raise their voice when emphasizing a key message, or they pause after delivering an important point.

Simply put, if you raise and lower the volume of your voice, and alternate between a high pitch and low pitch while delivering key messages, your presentation will be more influential, persuasive, and commanding.

Key takeaway: Don’t underestimate the power of  your voice to make a positive impression on your audience.

4) Great presenters create “wow” moments.

People don’t remember every slide and every word of a presentation. They remember moments, as Bill Gates exemplified back in 2009 in his now famous TED talk .

While giving a presentation on the efforts of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to reduce the spread of malaria, Gates stated: “Now, malaria is, of course, transmitted by mosquitos. I brought some here just so you could experience this.” And with that, he walked out to the center of the stage, and opened the lid from a small jar containing non-infected mosquitoes.

“We’ll let those roam around the auditorium a little bit.”

This moment was so successful in capturing his audience because it was a surprise. His audience had been expecting a standard PowerPoint presentation — complete with graphs and data. But what they got instead was a visceral introduction to the subject, an immersive experience that played on their emotions.

Unexpected moments grab an audience’s attention because the human brain gets bored easily. According to neuroscientist, A.K Pradeep, whom I’ve  interviewed : “Novelty recognition is a hardwired survival tool all humans share. Our brains are trained to look for something brilliant and new, something that stands out, something that looks delicious.”

Key takeaway: Give your audience something extra.

5) Great presenters rehearse.

Most speakers don’t practice nearly as much as they should. Oh, sure, they review their slides ahead of time, but they neglect to put in the hours of deliberate practice that will make them shine.

Malcolm Gladwell made the “ 10,000-hour rule ” famous as a benchmark for excellence — stating, in so many words, that 20 hours of practice a week for a decade can make anyone a master in their field. While you don’t have nearly that long to practice your next presentation, there’s no question that the world’s greatest speakers have put in the time to go from good to great.

Consider Martin Luther King, Jr. His most famous speeches came after years of practice — and it was exactly this level of mastery that gave King the awareness and flexibility to pull off an advanced speaking technique: improvisation. King improvised the memorable section of what is now known as the “Dream Speech” on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. When he launched into the “I have a dream” refrain, the press in attendance were confused. Those words were not included in the official draft of the speech they had been handed. King read the mood of his audience and, in the moment, combined words and ideas he had made in previous speeches.

It’s believed that King gave 2,500 speeches in his lifetime. If we assume two hours of writing and rehearsals for each one (and in many cases he spent much more time than that ), we arrive at the conservative estimate of 5,000 hours of practice. But those are speeches. They don’t take into account high school debates and hundreds of sermons. King had easily reached 10,000 hours of practice by August of 1963.

Key takeaway: Put in the time to make yourself great.  

Never underestimate the power of great communication. It can help you land the job of your dreams, attract investors to back your idea, or elevate your stature within your organization. But while there are plenty of good speakers in the world, using the above tips to sharpen your skills is the first step to setting yourself apart. Stand out by being the person who can deliver something great over and over again.

• Carmine Gallo is a Harvard University instructor, keynote speaker, and author of 10 books translated into 40 languages. Gallo is the author of The Bezos Blueprint: Communication Secrets of the World’s Greatest Salesman  (St. Martin’s Press).

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