Do you find that PowerPoint and your brand don’t harmonize? Today’s newsletter offers some Powerpoint design tips that help them play better together…
Want to go out on a limb? Try joining a class in traditional style singing, like I did.
In the first class we learned an Irish ballad, which we practiced in pairs. Toward the end of the class, each pair performed in front of the class, unaccompanied! Everyone was nervous. I’ve never done much singing in front of an audience, so I was super-nervous.
The power of nerves
Then I noticed something interesting. Some of my classmates sang more softly when they were stressed out – not a good approach when you are projecting your voice to reach an audience. On the other hand, some nervous singers just channeled their energy and sang louder.
The PowerPoint problem
When it comes to PowerPoint, louder is not better. Take a look at these slides I found on the web – they are screaming for attention. You want your brand to scream? Probably not.
Screamin’ PowerPoint
PowerPoint gives every user in your organization the power to choose designs – what PowerPoint calls themes.
Learn more about our healthcare branding services ››
The discordant slide show
The trouble is that many themes look awful, and none align with your brand! What makes it more painful is the clumsy default settings PowerPoint uses for typography – the type is usually way too large. It’s my job to be picky about typography – and PowerPoint can make me cringe.
PowerPoint design tips that tame the deck
The first step in taming PowerPoint is to identify ONE Windows-safe typeface – a typeface that comes installed on PCs — for everyone in your organization. When all the people who use PowerPoint, email, and communications use the same typeface, you are moving towards a more consistent brand.
For typefaces, consider Arial, Verdana, Georgia or Times New Roman.
The second step is to build, distribute, and promote a branded theme with master pages and a color palette within PowerPoint.
Here’s an example:
Branded PowerPoint theme slides
We did this for our new client HealthPass NY. This custom theme uses their logo, brand colors, and Windows-safe font, appropriately sized. We tried to anticipate every kind of page they would need, such as tables, mother-daughter grid pages, title and section pages, and we created templates for each one.
Notice that we got rid of the standard footer elements, which make the slides feel cramped and cluttered.
The result: consistent, professional slide shows, throughout your organization, that harmonize with your brand.
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FACT OF THE MONTH
Kool-Aid: The most popular flavors are: Tropical Punch, Lemonade, Cherry, Grape, Orange.