I recently watched a presenter share a compelling pitch about the impact that cognitive bias has on decision making. The data was compelling and the presenter did a great job creating a case for his hypothesis. But as the presentation went on, it became clear that this presenter had made one fatal flaw: poor execution of his visual data. The graphs were confusing and difficult to comprehend on the fly, and the charts left you wondering what the intended purpose was.
With visual information garnering 94% more views than text-based information, it is clear that creating engaging visuals is important to every presentation. But it’s vital that those visuals are not simply bars and charts; rather, each visual should be clean and easy to engage with quickly.
With a need for compelling visuals, the team at Ethos3 has put together 4 things to consider when designing your next visual.
Leverage easy-to-see colors.
When looking to portray data in a visual manner, it is important that your audience can quickly distinguish what you are showing. By using colors that that are easy for the eye to see, you are setting your audience up to comprehend your data quickly. Using contrasting colors allows your audience to see even the smallest of differences in charts and diagrams.
Avoid clutter.
In an effort to keep presentation slides to a minimum, presenters often add a lot of data to a single slide. What happens inadvertently is that the visual becomes cluttered and, once again, hard to comprehend quickly. Rather than packing a lot of data on one slide, consider creating several slides to unpack and display your data. A simple click can keep your audience engaged rather than running the risk of losing their attention quickly.
Choose your background wisely.
Selecting a clean and engaging background will help move your data from facts and figures to real life. When selecting an image, consider who your audience will be and select images that are relevant to them. Be sure to include images of people with diverse physical characteristics to appeal to all audiences. It’s also important to select images that are not busy and cluttered since you will be placing data over top.
Use color overlays.
Color overlays are an easy way to help your data pop off the screen. By placing a color overlay over a background image, you gain the ability to use white font which will draw the eye of your audience. Creating color overlays is easy, and if you want to learn more, click here. It is important to note that when selecting the color of your overlay, you should consider your overall brand color as well as presentation color scheme.
Compelling visuals are key to delivering impactful data. As a presenter, it is your job to bring that data to life. By embracing these 4 tips, you have all you need to create clean and powerful designs that will wow your audience.
Don’t have time to worry about design? Contact the team at Ethos3 to find out how we can take your presentation design to the next level.
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This article first appeared in www.ethos3.com
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