Creating a professional PowerPoint template takes time and effort, but is well worth it for delivering polished and impactful presentations. Follow these 7 tips to design templates that make your content shine.
1. Choose a Simple and Flexible Slide Master
Start by selecting a basic slide master or template that has a clean, uncluttered design. The sample content should demonstrate good slide design principles like alignment, contrast, and clear visual hierarchy[4]. Avoid templates with flashy animations or complex backgrounds that could distract from your actual content.
Focus on flexibility – make sure the slide master has several useful layouts for titles, text, images, charts, etc. that will work for a range of presentation needs[21].
2. Use Branding Elements Consistently
Once you’ve selected a template, add your company logo, brand colors, and fonts to create a cohesive branded theme. Apply these visual elements consistently across all layouts[19]. Having unified design elements will make your presentation templates look polished.
3. Organize Content with Sections
Use PowerPoint’s section feature to categorize slides into logical groups[20]. Add descriptive section names to provide clarity. Collapsing these sections simplifies navigating more complex presentations.
4. Align Objects Clearly
Carefully align text, images, charts and other elements using PowerPoint’s alignment tools[16]. Use gridlines while designing slides to ensure objects are properly positioned. Crisp alignment makes slides look sharp and professional.
5. Limit Text and Bullet Points
Too much dense text makes slides tedious to read. Limit text to key ideas and terms only[2]. Use more slides with fewer bullet points – one idea per slide is best. Verbose slides overload audiences and diminish retention.
6. Use High-Quality Visuals
Images and graphics boost engagement and recall[9]. Use high-resolution, relevant photos from trusted sources. Cite images with permissions for use. Original graphics like icons, diagrams or charts better reinforce key messages.
7. Check Accessibility
Evaluate slides for accessibility issues to ensure usability for viewers with disabilities[6]. Add alt text descriptions for images, use color contrast checker, and check reading order. An inclusive design works for all audiences.
Following these best practices for PowerPoint template design results in professional, cohesive, and effective presentations. Well-structured and visually consistent templates empower users to easily build presentations that impress and inform audiences. Invest time in crafting excellent templates, and your hard work will be reflected in the quality of finished slide decks.
