The other day, a friend of mine wanted my advice on pricing the redesign of her client’s pitch deck, the initial presentation shown to a prospect to get hired. When I opened the presentation, my jaw literally dropped because it was an 11-page résumé in 16-point type sandwiched between a title slide … [Read more...] about You are not the focus of your PowerPoint presentation
Audiences expect and deserve great PowerPoint design
For the past several years, I have been working with people who share my conviction that the same design principles that are used to create award-winning websites, compelling logos, and stunning point-of-purchase displays can and should be used in PowerPoint presentations. This viewpoint isn't … [Read more...] about Audiences expect and deserve great PowerPoint design
Good presentations start with good scripts
A gentleman once asked me to provide a quote on redoing a PowerPoint presentation. He provided a link to the presentation, which included a voiceover narration. I had to explain to him that he'd be unhappy with the results if I just did the cosmetic fixes he'd asked for. Sure, the presentation … [Read more...] about Good presentations start with good scripts
March Slide Makeover of the Month
This month's slide comes from Design Dispatch subscriber Bob Carpenter of BidRx. His company wants to become the eBay or the Priceline of the pharmaceutical business. By logging on to BidRx, people will be able to get competitive pricing on their prescription medicine and save a bundle in the … [Read more...] about March Slide Makeover of the Month
Six reasons you should pay for PowerPoint design
I make a lot of prospecting calls to tell people about my presentation design services and to ask for their business, so I hear many variations on “We don't want any,” such as, “We already have a template,” “We do all of our PowerPoint in house,” and “My admin takes care of that.” Maybe you are … [Read more...] about Six reasons you should pay for PowerPoint design
How much does it cost to redesign a PowerPoint deck?
People always ask me "How much is will it cost to redesign my presentation?" Every design job is different so the costs vary from project to project. I'm not trying to hide a trade secret here, it's just the way it is. Only after I've had a conversation with a potential client and reviewed his deck … [Read more...] about How much does it cost to redesign a PowerPoint deck?
February Slide Makeover of the Month
With February comes Valentine's Day so I thought I'd draw inspiration from William Shakespeare to address a common problem in slide layout: How do you format a quotation? Before Snore. Apart from the pleasant background color and graphics, this quotation is about as florid as a wet dishrag. This … [Read more...] about February Slide Makeover of the Month
How do you show bad news in PowerPoint?
Sometimes it's necessary to tell your audience something that's not so great. Most presenters really don't want to be the Bad Guy, but it's important that their audiences have all the facts about what's going on, whether it's an underperforming fund, a bad quarter, negative ratings, or flagging … [Read more...] about How do you show bad news in PowerPoint?