Picture this: You are sitting in a meeting when your boss transitions to yet another busy PowerPoint slide. The slide is filled with lengthy paragraphs, distracting cartoons, and extensive data. Your brain struggles trying to figure out where to focus and read everything on the slide.
At this point, have you heard anything that was said?
Poor slide design can cause audiences to spend valuable time sorting through data rather than comprehending the key takeaways.
Here are 3 easy ways to adjust your slides and create a clear message for your audience.
1. Leverage Titles as Succinct Sentence Headlines
Try expanding your slide titles to help orient your audience to the slide’s content and emphasize your main point. According to research, using succinct sentences as slide titles leads to a greater retention rate compared to using short words or phrases.
2. Highlight the Highlights
Highlight key information with shapes or contrasting text colors when presenting data heavy slides. This can help quickly focus the audience’s attention on the core message you are conveying, while still showcasing all relevant data.
3. "Picture it" When Possible
Fun Fact: The brain processes visual signals 60,000 times faster than words. Swap out wordy content with visual ques. Graphs are a useful way to show data trends or display information on a timeline. Done well, information is more easily retained and readily repeated.
Contact Kristy Pepple at to learn more about our resources to help you simplify your slides and amplify your message.
