visual presentation can be made more effective by using animation

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Blog Graphic Design Visual Presentation: Tips, Types and Examples

Visual Presentation: Tips, Types and Examples

Written by: Krystle Wong Sep 28, 2023

So, you’re gearing up for that big presentation and you want it to be more than just another snooze-fest with slides. You want it to be engaging, memorable and downright impressive. 

Well, you’ve come to the right place — I’ve got some slick tips on how to create a visual presentation that’ll take your presentation game up a notch. 

Packed with presentation templates that are easily customizable, keep reading this blog post to learn the secret sauce behind crafting presentations that captivate, inform and remain etched in the memory of your audience.

Click to jump ahead:

What is a visual presentation

15 effective tips to make your visual presentations more engaging, 6 major types of visual presentation you should know , what are some common mistakes to avoid in visual presentations, visual presentation faqs, 5 steps to create a visual presentation with venngage.

A visual presentation is a communication method that utilizes visual elements such as images, graphics, charts, slides and other visual aids to convey information, ideas or messages to an audience. 

Visual presentations aim to enhance comprehension engagement and the overall impact of the message through the strategic use of visuals. People remember what they see, making your point last longer in their heads. 

Without further ado, let’s jump right into some great visual presentation examples that would do a great job in keeping your audience interested and getting your point across.

In today’s fast-paced world, where information is constantly bombarding our senses, creating engaging visual presentations has never been more crucial. To help you design a presentation that’ll leave a lasting impression, I’ve compiled these examples of visual presentations that will elevate your game.

1. Use the rule of thirds for layout

Ever heard of the rule of thirds? It’s a presentation layout trick that can instantly up your slide game. Imagine dividing your slide into a 3×3 grid and then placing your text and visuals at the intersection points or along the lines. This simple tweak creates a balanced and seriously pleasing layout that’ll draw everyone’s eyes.

2. Get creative with visual metaphors

Got a complex idea to explain? Skip the jargon and use visual metaphors. Throw in images that symbolize your point – for example, using a road map to show your journey towards a goal or using metaphors to represent answer choices or progress indicators in an interactive quiz or poll.

3. Engage with storytelling through data

Use storytelling magic to bring your data to life. Don’t just throw numbers at your audience—explain what they mean, why they matter and add a bit of human touch. Turn those stats into relatable tales and watch your audience’s eyes light up with understanding.

4. Visualize your data with charts and graphs

The right data visualization tools not only make content more appealing but also aid comprehension and retention. Choosing the right visual presentation for your data is all about finding a good match. 

For ordinal data, where things have a clear order, consider using ordered bar charts or dot plots. When it comes to nominal data, where categories are on an equal footing, stick with the classics like bar charts, pie charts or simple frequency tables. And for interval-ratio data, where there’s a meaningful order, go for histograms, line graphs, scatterplots or box plots to help your data shine.

In an increasingly visual world, effective visual communication is a valuable skill for conveying messages. Here’s a guide on how to use visual communication to engage your audience while avoiding information overload.

5. Employ the power of contrast

Want your important stuff to pop? That’s where contrast comes in. Mix things up with contrasting colors, fonts or shapes. It’s like highlighting your key points with a neon marker – an instant attention grabber.

6. End with a powerful visual punch

Your presentation closing should be a showstopper. Think a stunning clip art that wraps up your message with a visual bow, a killer quote that lingers in minds or a call to action that gets hearts racing.

7. Tell a visual story

Structure your slides like a storybook and create a visual narrative by arranging your slides in a way that tells a story. Each slide should flow into the next, creating a visual narrative that keeps your audience hooked till the very end.

Icons and images are essential for adding visual appeal and clarity to your presentation. Venngage provides a vast library of icons and images, allowing you to choose visuals that resonate with your audience and complement your message. 

8. Show the “before and after” magic

Want to drive home the impact of your message or solution? Whip out the “before and after” technique. Show the current state (before) and the desired state (after) in a visual way. It’s like showing a makeover transformation, but for your ideas.

9. Add fun with visual quizzes and polls

To break the monotony and see if your audience is still with you, throw in some quick quizzes or polls. It’s like a mini-game break in your presentation — your audience gets involved and it makes your presentation way more dynamic and memorable.

10. Use visuals wisely

Your visuals are the secret sauce of a great presentation. Cherry-pick high-quality images, graphics, charts and videos that not only look good but also align with your message’s vibe. Each visual should have a purpose – they’re not just there for decoration. 

11. Utilize visual hierarchy

Employ design principles like contrast, alignment and proximity to make your key info stand out. Play around with fonts, colors and placement to make sure your audience can’t miss the important stuff.

12. Engage with multimedia

Static slides are so last year. Give your presentation some sizzle by tossing in multimedia elements. Think short video clips, animations, or a touch of sound when it makes sense, including an animated logo . But remember, these are sidekicks, not the main act, so use them smartly.

13. Interact with your audience

Turn your presentation into a two-way street. Start your presentation by encouraging your audience to join in with thought-provoking questions, quick polls or using interactive tools. Get them chatting and watch your presentation come alive.

When it comes to delivering a group presentation, it’s important to have everyone on the team on the same page. Venngage’s real-time collaboration tools enable you and your team to work together seamlessly, regardless of geographical locations. Collaborators can provide input, make edits and offer suggestions in real time. 

14. Incorporate stories and examples

Weave in relatable stories, personal anecdotes or real-life examples to illustrate your points. It’s like adding a dash of spice to your content – it becomes more memorable and relatable.

15. Nail that delivery

Don’t just stand there and recite facts like a robot — be a confident and engaging presenter. Lock eyes with your audience, mix up your tone and pace and use some gestures to drive your points home. Practice and brush up your presentation skills until you’ve got it down pat for a persuasive presentation that flows like a pro.

Venngage offers a wide selection of professionally designed presentation templates, each tailored for different purposes and styles. By choosing a template that aligns with your content and goals, you can create a visually cohesive and polished presentation that captivates your audience.

Looking for more presentation ideas ? Why not try using a presentation software that will take your presentations to the next level with a combination of user-friendly interfaces, stunning visuals, collaboration features and innovative functionalities that will take your presentations to the next level. 

Visual presentations come in various formats, each uniquely suited to convey information and engage audiences effectively. Here are six major types of visual presentations that you should be familiar with:

1. Slideshows or PowerPoint presentations

Slideshows are one of the most common forms of visual presentations. They typically consist of a series of slides containing text, images, charts, graphs and other visual elements. Slideshows are used for various purposes, including business presentations, educational lectures and conference talks.

2. Infographics

Infographics are visual representations of information, data or knowledge. They combine text, images and graphics to convey complex concepts or data in a concise and visually appealing manner. Infographics are often used in marketing, reporting and educational materials.

Don’t worry, they are also super easy to create thanks to Venngage’s fully customizable infographics templates that are professionally designed to bring your information to life. Be sure to try it out for your next visual presentation!

3. Video presentation

Videos are your dynamic storytellers. Whether it’s pre-recorded or happening in real-time, videos are the showstoppers. You can have interviews, demos, animations or even your own mini-documentary. Video presentations are highly engaging and can be shared in both in-person and virtual presentations .

4. Charts and graphs

Charts and graphs are visual representations of data that make it easier to understand and analyze numerical information. Common types include bar charts, line graphs, pie charts and scatterplots. They are commonly used in scientific research, business reports and academic presentations.

Effective data visualizations are crucial for simplifying complex information and Venngage has got you covered. Venngage’s chart templates enable you to create engaging charts, graphs,and infographics that enhance audience understanding and retention, leaving a lasting impression in your presentation.

5. Interactive presentations

Interactive presentations involve audience participation and engagement. These can include interactive polls, quizzes, games and multimedia elements that allow the audience to actively participate in the presentation. Interactive presentations are often used in workshops, training sessions and webinars.

Venngage’s interactive presentation tools enable you to create immersive experiences that leave a lasting impact and enhance audience retention. By incorporating features like clickable elements, quizzes and embedded multimedia, you can captivate your audience’s attention and encourage active participation.

6. Poster presentations

Poster presentations are the stars of the academic and research scene. They consist of a large poster that includes text, images and graphics to communicate research findings or project details and are usually used at conferences and exhibitions. For more poster ideas, browse through Venngage’s gallery of poster templates to inspire your next presentation.

Different visual presentations aside, different presentation methods also serve a unique purpose, tailored to specific objectives and audiences. Find out which type of presentation works best for the message you are sending across to better capture attention, maintain interest and leave a lasting impression. 

To make a good presentation , it’s crucial to be aware of common mistakes and how to avoid them. Without further ado, let’s explore some of these pitfalls along with valuable insights on how to sidestep them.

Overloading slides with text

Text heavy slides can be like trying to swallow a whole sandwich in one bite – overwhelming and unappetizing. Instead, opt for concise sentences and bullet points to keep your slides simple. Visuals can help convey your message in a more engaging way.

Using low-quality visuals

Grainy images and pixelated charts are the equivalent of a scratchy vinyl record at a DJ party. High-resolution visuals are your ticket to professionalism. Ensure that the images, charts and graphics you use are clear, relevant and sharp.

Choosing the right visuals for presentations is important. To find great visuals for your visual presentation, Browse Venngage’s extensive library of high-quality stock photos. These images can help you convey your message effectively, evoke emotions and create a visually pleasing narrative. 

Ignoring design consistency

Imagine a book with every chapter in a different font and color – it’s a visual mess. Consistency in fonts, colors and formatting throughout your presentation is key to a polished and professional look.

Reading directly from slides

Reading your slides word-for-word is like inviting your audience to a one-person audiobook session. Slides should complement your speech, not replace it. Use them as visual aids, offering key points and visuals to support your narrative.

Lack of visual hierarchy

Neglecting visual hierarchy is like trying to find Waldo in a crowd of clones. Use size, color and positioning to emphasize what’s most important. Guide your audience’s attention to key points so they don’t miss the forest for the trees.

Ignoring accessibility

Accessibility isn’t an option these days; it’s a must. Forgetting alt text for images, color contrast and closed captions for videos can exclude individuals with disabilities from understanding your presentation. 

Relying too heavily on animation

While animations can add pizzazz and draw attention, overdoing it can overshadow your message. Use animations sparingly and with purpose to enhance, not detract from your content.

Using jargon and complex language

Keep it simple. Use plain language and explain terms when needed. You want your message to resonate, not leave people scratching their heads.

Not testing interactive elements

Interactive elements can be the life of your whole presentation, but not testing them beforehand is like jumping into a pool without checking if there’s water. Ensure that all interactive features, from live polls to multimedia content, work seamlessly. A smooth experience keeps your audience engaged and avoids those awkward technical hiccups.

Presenting complex data and information in a clear and visually appealing way has never been easier with Venngage. Build professional-looking designs with our free visual chart slide templates for your next presentation.

What is a visual presentation?

A visual presentation is a method of presenting information through visual aids such as slides, images, charts and videos. It enhances understanding and retention by illustrating key points and data visually. Visual presentations are commonly used in meetings, lectures, and conferences to engage and inform the audience effectively.

What is the role of storytelling in visual presentations?

Storytelling plays a crucial role in visual presentations by providing a narrative structure that engages the audience, helps them relate to the content and makes the information more memorable.

What software or tools can I use to create visual presentations?

You can use various software and tools to create visual presentations, including Microsoft PowerPoint, Google Slides, Adobe Illustrator, Canva, Prezi and Venngage, among others.

What is the difference between a visual presentation and a written report?

The main difference between a visual presentation and a written report is the medium of communication. Visual presentations rely on visuals, such as slides, charts and images to convey information quickly, while written reports use text to provide detailed information in a linear format.

How do I effectively communicate data through visual presentations?

To effectively communicate data through visual presentations, simplify complex data into easily digestible charts and graphs, use clear labels and titles and ensure that your visuals support the key messages you want to convey.

Are there any accessibility considerations for visual presentations?

Accessibility considerations for visual presentations include providing alt text for images, ensuring good color contrast, using readable fonts and providing transcripts or captions for multimedia content to make the presentation inclusive.

Most design tools today make accessibility hard but Venngage’s Accessibility Design Tool comes with accessibility features baked in, including accessible-friendly and inclusive icons.

How do I choose the right visuals for my presentation?

Choose visuals that align with your content and message. Use charts for data, images for illustrating concepts, icons for emphasis and color to evoke emotions or convey themes.

How can I adapt my visual presentations for online or virtual audiences?

To adapt visual presentations for online or virtual audiences, focus on concise content, use engaging visuals, ensure clear audio, encourage audience interaction through chat or polls and rehearse for a smooth online delivery.

What is the role of data visualization in visual presentations?

Data visualization in visual presentations simplifies complex data by using charts, graphs and diagrams, making it easier for the audience to understand and interpret information.

How do I choose the right color scheme and fonts for my visual presentation?

Choose a color scheme that aligns with your content and brand and select fonts that are readable and appropriate for the message you want to convey.

How can I measure the effectiveness of my visual presentation?

Measure the effectiveness of your visual presentation by collecting feedback from the audience, tracking engagement metrics (e.g., click-through rates for online presentations) and evaluating whether the presentation achieved its intended objectives.

Follow the 5 simple steps below to make your entire presentation visually appealing and impactful:

1. Sign up and log In: Log in to your Venngage account or sign up for free and gain access to Venngage’s templates and design tools.

2. Choose a template: Browse through Venngage’s presentation template library and select one that best suits your presentation’s purpose and style. Venngage offers a variety of pre-designed templates for different types of visual presentations, including infographics, reports, posters and more.

3. Edit and customize your template: Replace the placeholder text, image and graphics with your own content and customize the colors, fonts and visual elements to align with your presentation’s theme or your organization’s branding.

4. Add visual elements: Venngage offers a wide range of visual elements, such as icons, illustrations, charts, graphs and images, that you can easily add to your presentation with the user-friendly drag-and-drop editor.

5. Save and export your presentation: Export your presentation in a format that suits your needs and then share it with your audience via email, social media or by embedding it on your website or blog .

So, as you gear up for your next presentation, whether it’s for business, education or pure creative expression, don’t forget to keep these visual presentation ideas in your back pocket.

Feel free to experiment and fine-tune your approach and let your passion and expertise shine through in your presentation. With practice, you’ll not only build presentations but also leave a lasting impact on your audience – one slide at a time.

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Elevating Your Presentation: The Benefits of Cool Animation Effects in PowerPoint

In the world of presentations and slide decks, captivating your audience’s attention and effectively conveying your message is vital. While content is and will always be king, the way you deliver that content also plays a crucial role. If the most impressive tree in the forest falls, but there’s no one paying attention to it; did it even fall? Quick, Eye-catching animation effects in PowerPoint can be a game-changer. They not only make your presentation visually appealing but also enhance your storytelling capabilities. Here are some reasons for incorporating good animation effects into your PowerPoint presentations.

1. Engagement and Attention-Grabbing

One of the primary advantages of using animation effects is their ability to engage your audience and grab their attention. Eye-catching animations, such as entrance or emphasis effects, can immediately draw the viewer’s eye to key points or content.

2. Improved Information Retention

Animations can help improve information retention. By using effects like “Appear” or “Fade In,” you can introduce content progressively. This prevents overwhelming your audience with too much information at once, making it easier for them to absorb and remember the key points.

3. Visual Storytelling

Animations can enhance your storytelling capabilities. Instead of presenting static slides, you can create dynamic narratives by using transitions that mimic real-life movements or actions. This makes your story more engaging and relatable.

4. Emphasis and Focus

Animation effects can be used to emphasize specific points or elements on a slide. For instance, you can apply a “Zoom” effect to magnify an important detail, ensuring your audience doesn’t miss it. This is particularly valuable in data-driven or technical presentations.

5. Smooth Transition

Transition effects, such as “Fade”, “Morph”, “Wipe” or “Push”, can create smooth transitions between slides or sections. This prevents abrupt jumps and maintains a cohesive flow throughout your presentation.

6. Interactive Elements

Animations can introduce interactive elements into your presentation. You can use “Action” animations to trigger events, like revealing additional information when a button is clicked. This level of interactivity keeps your audience engaged and involved.

7. Visual Hierarchy

By strategically applying animation effects, you can establish a visual hierarchy within your slides. Important elements can be animated to stand out, guiding your audience’s attention to the most critical information.

8. Professionalism

Well-executed animation effects can add a level of professionalism to your presentation. They showcase your attention to detail and commitment to delivering a polished, engaging presentation.

Use consistent animations across all of your slides and make sure to emphasize the key points that need focus.

9. Focus on Key Messages

Animations allow you to control the pacing of your presentation. You can time animations to coincide with your key messages, ensuring they receive the spotlight when needed.

10. Visual Appeal

Simply put, cool animation effects make your presentation visually appealing. They break the monotony of static slides and add an element of surprise and delight to your content.

There is a fine line between subtle and elegant animations that lift up your content and an out of control animation overload.

Incorporating simple and cool animation effects into your PowerPoint presentations is a powerful way to elevate your communication and captivate your audience. These effects not only enhance engagement and information retention but also enable you to tell more compelling stories. Whether you’re delivering a sales pitch, a training session, or an educational lecture, the benefits of animation effects are clear: they make your presentation more engaging, memorable, and impactful. So, the next time you’re preparing a PowerPoint presentation, consider leveraging the creative potential of animation effects to leave a lasting impression on your audience.

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Tips and tools to create a memorable animated presentation

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Articles and Insights

Inside linearity, get inspired, benjamin barnhart.

• 06 April 2024
• 17 min read

In this article

We've all had to sit through at least one long, boring presentation before.

But there's so much you can do to make professional presentations more impactful.

We'll share a few tried-and-tested techniques for creating captivating presentations that keep your audience engaged and help you communicate effectively.

Further below in this article, you can also check out our list of the top video maker tools that provide tools for all kinds of business presentations:

• Promotional videos
• Explainer videos
• Sales slide decks
• Other digital assets for marketing teams

Bring motion in-house

Animate marketing assets in seconds with Linearity Move.

What's different about an animated presentation?

An animated presentation uses animations, slide transitions, and other visual effects to create a more visually appealing and memorable experience.

Whether for business meetings, educational purposes, or marketing campaigns, animated presentations effectively convey complex information in a compelling and interactive way.

Why video presentations are so effective

Want to grab your audience's attention and keep them engaged throughout your talk? Incorporating animation elements, custom fonts, stock images, and video clips in your presentation design will help deliver a more compelling message.

Easier to understand

Animation helps enhance understanding by visually illustrating complex concepts or ideas.

Using animation, you can break down information into bite-sized chunks, making it easier for your audience to comprehend and retain the presented information.

Animated presentations also save time. Instead of explaining each point verbally, you can share quick videos to communicate ideas and key takeaways. This also ensures that your audience can grasp the main points more efficiently.

Improves information retention

Another advantage of using animation is that it makes your presentation more dynamic and memorable. Visual learners particularly benefit from animated clips as they need visual aids to process information.

Animation adds a layer of interactivity that helps your audience engage with your content.

Choose your animated presentation software

Before starting your animated presentation, you need to pick the right software. There are a few key factors to selecting the best tool for your needs.

Consider each product's features and capabilities, such as ease of use, templates, and support for multiple formats. How many people will view your presentation, and what devices will they use? This determines the file size and format you need.

Have a look below at our top picks of software programs for creating animated presentations.

1. Linearity Move

Meet our new innovative marketing animation software, Linearity Move . It's a high-powered suite of features to take your designs to the next level.

This marketing design tool combines sophisticated animation tools with exceptional user experience , introducing a new frontier in animated presentation videos.

Linearity Move allows you to animate vector designs and reduce production costs . You can easily import your designs from various software programs such as Linearity Curve, Figma, Sketch, or Adobe Illustrator.

The easy import-click-animate workflow ensures anyone can create stunning animated presentations with full customization controls. It offers powerful features like object layers, keyframe editing , element positioning with animation curves, and seamless transitions.

Want to see two to three times higher click-through rates (CTRs), up to 30% more conversions , and higher SEO rankings? Join thousands of forward-thinking designers and marketers—get started with Linearity Move.

This animation production system was formerly known as GoAnimate and has been around since 2007. Vyond focuses on creating animated videos primarily aimed at business customers.

It offers a library of video templates you can use as a starting point for your business presentations. There are also plenty of training videos to help navigate your way through the process.

You can add customization, switch up the background music, change the video backgrounds, and more.

PowToon is one of the best animation apps for making animated presentations of all kinds, whatever your skill level is. You can easily use its drag-and-drop approach to build your entire presentation from scratch.

It has a vast library of visual content and animated assets, such as animated characters, stock images, templates, and music tracks.

This animated presentation maker is a good option for anyone wanting to make professional presentations in a simple and straightforward way. 

The software has a free option to get started immediately with basic features and limited functionality.

You can use Visme to create various assets, such as infographics, social media graphics , charts, and interactive content. It also offers pre-designed presentation templates.

The Visme library has many free photos, icons, charts, and other visuals that you can use. But you’ll need a Pro account to unlock some functionality.

Founded in Budapest in 2009, Prezi has been making presentation tools for some time. But the recent revolution in hybrid working and home offices allowed Prezi's live presentation software to flourish.

You can use its Prezi Video product to incorporate graphical elements into a live online presentation. It's compatible with video conferencing tools like Slack, Zoom, and Google Meet.

Prezi comes with templates for making standard animated presentations, plus its zoom-in feature adds a sense of dynamism to presentations. 

This presentation software uses HTML5 web language and mind-mapping techniques to create links between branches of content trees. Focusky's approach enables you to make professional presentations quickly.

It has all the presentation options you would expect for creating animated video presentations, such as transitions, animated characters , charts, and graphs. You also have a choice of video backgrounds and more.

The basic version is free and has limited functionality, and your presentations will have a watermark. You can unlock all the functionality with a standard account.

The online tool Wideo is a beginner-friendly animated presentation software. It’s intuitive, meaning a lack of animation experience isn’t a barrier to making beautiful presentations.

You can jump right in and use one of Wideo’s animated templates, such as an app demo video or an explainer video , and tailor it to suit your needs. But you can also skip the templates and create your own presentation from scratch.

Wideo uses a traditional slide-by-slide format , so it’s easy to follow the process. You can add your company branding, choose a suitable background image, select a background music track, etc.

As a piece of animated presentation software, it might not have the same additional features as others on this list. 

The free version of the software limits your videos to one minute in length, and you only get 10 templates to choose from. For longer animation times and more access to content, you can opt for a paid version of Wideo.

Moovly is an online video maker that works in your browser, so there’s no need to download any software to get started. It’s primarily aimed at business users, and its suggested uses include announcement videos and training videos.

A free version of Moovly is available, which gives access to the stock library and the ability to export presentations. These presentations will come with a watermark, so you’ll need to upgrade to eliminate them.

Upgrading allows you to export in HD quality and create your own templates.

9. Biteable

As a general video-making platform, Biteable is an excellent choice. It boasts big client names like Amazon, Disney, and Google. 

The Biteable software is easy to navigate and intuitive, keeping things simple and understandable. There's a 7-day free Biteable trial available, so you can experiment with the software before you commit.

Steps to create an animated presentation

It's easier than you think. With the right tools and techniques, anyone can create a captivating and effective presentation.

Here are some tips to help you make your own memorable animated presentation:

1. Choose a stunning presentation template

Choosing a template will set a good course when using a video presentation maker. It's a starting point that provides a solid foundation for your project.

You could opt to create a presentation from scratch, but using a template offers pre-designed layouts and slide transitions to create a good tempo for your presentation. These guide rails ensure your presentation flows smoothly and engages your audience effectively.

You also want to ensure your video presentation is on-brand with your company's look and feel. Your chosen template should reflect your brand identity with colors , fonts, images, and other elements consistent with your message.

Templates are created by design and marketing professionals who understand the principles of effective storytelling and visual communication. They offer a proven structure that has been carefully crafted to make your presentation concise and impactful.

By following a template, you can be confident that your content is organized in a logical and engaging manner.

With a range of customizable designs and animation elements available, you can add your personal touch while benefiting from the preconstructed template.

2. Add custom creative content

The content you include on your slides makes or breaks your presentation. Here are some tips for gathering content for your slides and making them more engaging:

• Select relevant information: Clearly define your key message or objective before starting your presentation. This will help you focus on gathering content that directly supports and reinforces your main points.
• Use branded elements: Incorporate your logo, hero images, and other branded visual elements. Imagery makes your content more visually appealing and helps convey complex information more effectively.
• Use text sparingly: Avoid overwhelming your audience with lengthy paragraphs. Instead, use bullet points to highlight key ideas. This makes it easier for your audience to follow along and retain the information.
• Leverage animated templates: Animated templates are a great way to add visual interest and engagement to your presentation. They offer pre-designed layouts and transition effects that can captivate your audience and keep them interested throughout.

By following these tips and utilizing animated templates, you can gather relevant and engaging information for your slides or animated videos, making your content more impactful and memorable.

3. Add animations and transitions

Adding animations and transitions to your presentation video can greatly enhance its visual appeal and watch time. To add these effects, follow these steps:

• Select the object or text you want to animate.
• Open the animation menu.
• Choose an animation effect. Popular options include fade, slide, zoom, and flip.
• Adjust the settings. This can include adjusting the animation's duration, delay, and direction. Experiment with these options to find the optimal settings for your presentation.
• Add scene transitions .
• Preview and refine. After adding animations and transitions, preview your presentation to ensure the effects appear as intended. Adjust any timing or effect settings to ensure a smooth and visually appealing flow.

These steps will help you effectively incorporate animations and transitions into your presentation and bring your content to life.

Get creative with our ready-to-use templates.

Linearity Curve offers templates for every social media platform and various use case templates for posters, business cards, slides, app store screenshots, and more.

4. Customize fonts and colors

To make your presentation stand out, it's important to customize the fonts and colors to align with your brand or personal style. Here's how you can easily modify the design elements in an animated presentation template:

• Font options: Select the text you want to customize. Look for the font menu or formatting options in the toolbar. Click on it to access a range of font options. Experiment with different fonts to find one that complements your content and enhances readability. Ensure that the selected font is consistent throughout your presentation for a polished look.
• Color options: Create cohesion by customizing the colors in your animated template. Look for the color menu where you can modify the text color, background color, or the colors of individual elements. Choose colors that align with your brand or the message you want to convey. Ensure that the selected colors are visually appealing and easy on the eyes.
• Modifying your design: Many animated presentation templates also offer the flexibility to modify design elements. This can include changing the layout, rearranging elements, or adding new ones. Explore the template's editing features to customize the design to your liking. This will ensure a unique, personalized presentation that captures your audience's attention.

You can tailor your animated presentation template by customizing fonts, colors, and design elements. Remember to keep your choices consistent and visually appealing throughout to create a cohesive and professional look.

5. Utilize visual aids to illustrate concepts

Incorporating visuals is another effective way to break up content. Visuals not only add interest and variety to your presentation but also help reinforce your message.

Graphics, diagrams, and images can visually represent what you're talking about, making them easier to understand and remember.

• Images: Including relevant images can help bring your ideas to life and make them more engaging. Images can evoke emotions, set the mood, or provide examples of your presentation topic.
• Charts and graphs: Present data, statistics, or comparisons using charts and graphs. Visualizing information in a graphical format helps to simplify complex numbers and trends, making it easier for the audience to comprehend. The rule applies: Show, don't (only) tell .
• Diagrams: Diagrams help explain processes or sequences. You can present concepts and aid the audience's understanding by breaking down complex ideas into step-by-step visual illustrations.
• Icons: Icons are simple visual symbols that represent specific ideas. Incorporating icons in your presentation can help to convey information or reinforce key points quickly. You can also use them as section markers.
• Infographics: Combine different visual elements, such as images, charts, and icons, to present large pieces of information in a visually appealing and digestible format. Infographics are especially useful when presenting complex data or statistics.

Including design elements in your presentation is crucial. Apply design principles to create an information hierarchy and lead the audience's eyes across each slide. Appropriate design styles add a layer of visual appeal to animated presentations.

Animation styles also play a significant role in enhancing your animation design. Whether you prefer sleek and modern animations or playful and dynamic ones, animation styles can help set your presentation's overall tone and visual aesthetic.

Choosing the right animation style can create a cohesive and visually appealing experience for your audience.

More tips to make an engaging animated presentation

From selecting the right background music to adjusting audio levels, these practices can enhance the overall impact of your presentation.

By incorporating these techniques, you can create visually stunning and captivating animated presentations that keep your audience hooked from start to finish.

Make an attention-grabbing opening

Begin your presentation with a captivating opening that grabs your audience's attention.

This can be achieved through an animated intro, a visually appealing slide, or a thought-provoking question.

By starting off strong, you set the stage for an engaging presentation that captures the interest of your viewers.

Use clear and concise content

Keep your content concise and focused. Break down complex concepts into easily digestible visuals and bullet points .

Avoid overwhelming your audience with too much information on a single slide . When there's too much text or your slides look too busy, the audience can easily become overloaded and lose interest in the content.

Instead, use animation to reveal key points one at a time, keeping your viewers interested in what comes next. This technique keeps the audience intrigued and focused on the presentation. By revealing text one point at a time, you can guide your audience through the information, allowing them to absorb and understand it more effectively.

Highlight one leading point on each slide to break up content. This allows your audience to quickly grasp the main points without feeling overwhelmed by lengthy paragraphs.

Shortening your slides helps focus your audience's attention on specific concepts or ideas.

Tips to achieve simplicity:

• Be short and sweet: Aim to deliver your message clearly and succinctly. Avoid information overload by focusing on the most essential points. Use animated slides to convey complex ideas and break them down into easily digestible visuals.
• Keep to an optimal video presentation length: To maximize engagement, we recommend condensing your animated presentation into a 1–2 minute timeframe. This ensures that your audience stays focused and retains the key information you present.
• Simplify teamwork: Collaborative tools can greatly simplify creating animated presentations. You can establish real-time team collaboration and manage user permissions using these tools. This enables remote and office-working team members to contribute and review presentations seamlessly.
• Customize with brand elements: Customize your animated presentations with brand elements such as logos, colors, and fonts. This enhances your professional image and helps your audience connect with your brand.

Keeping your presentations concise and to the point is key to holding your audience's attention and delivering the information well.

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Create a storytelling narrative

Present your information in a storytelling format to create a narrative flow that captivates your audience. Incorporate compelling visuals and animations that support the storyline and effectively communicate your message.

This helps to resonate with your audience emotionally and keeps them engaged throughout the presentation.

Get out there and make yourself presentable

Making your own animated presentation can feel daunting when you haven’t done it before. Hopefully, this list has helped you realize that nothing is beyond reach with the right software and presentation techniques.

Animated presentation key takeaways:

• Animated presentations can help make professional presentations more impactful and engaging.
• Using animation design in presentations helps make complex information easier to understand, saves time, and improves information retention.
• Incorporating animation elements, custom fonts, stock images, and video clips in presentations can grab and retain your audience's attention.
• Text animations, slide transitions, and other visual effects can create a visually appealing and memorable experience for the audience.

If you’re inspired to bring animation into your business, check out how animation design can boost your brand by exploring more great animation articles on our blog.

Remember to download Linearity Curve . It's the best design platform for creating all your animated assets before importing and animating them using Linearity Move.

Linearity Move is an intuitive animation software to help you take your designs to the next level. Ready to try Move’s vector drawing tools, timeline layers, and templates to create dynamic video content ? Get started for free below.

Frequently asked questions

What are the types of animated presentations.

Gone are the days of mere slide transitions. Now, we're talking about interactive storytelling. Here are some types of animated presentations you'll commonly encounter:

• Motion graphics presentations : These are the smooth operators of the animation world. Motion graphics are ideal for explaining complex topics in a digestible way, often employed to turn abstract data into visually compelling stories.
• Animated storytelling : Think of this as your classic Pixar or Disney film but in presentation form. These presentations have a narrative structure and often have characters, making them engaging and easy to follow.
• Explainer videos : A subcategory of motion graphics, explainer videos focus more on simplifying a concept or process. This is your go-to if you have a product to launch or an intricate concept to convey.
• 3D animated presentations : If you want to make an impactful presentation with depth and realism, 3D animations can be the answer. These are often used in architectural presentations or in-depth product demos.
• Interactive presentations : These presentations are not linear but allow users to click around, engage with the content, and explore at their own pace. This makes them ideal for kiosks, self-paced training modules, and more.
• Whiteboard animations : Imagine a hand sketching out ideas on a whiteboard. Whiteboard animations can be incredibly effective for educational purposes, breaking down a concept step by step.
• Isometric animated presentations : These give a pseudo-3D look with isometric illustrations, providing depth without the computational load of real 3D graphics. These are trending in the tech industry for their modern aesthetic.
• Mixed-media presentations : Combining live-action footage with animation, mixed-media presentations offer a rich, textured experience. This format effectively combines human emotion and storytelling with data or other information.
• Augmented Reality (AR) presentations : While less common, AR presentations are emerging as a novel form of conveying information. These interactive animations are overlaid in the real world, often via a smartphone or tablet, for a truly immersive learning experience.

Each type of animated presentation offers a unique set of advantages and challenges. Your choice should align with your message, your audience's expectations, and the kind of emotional or intellectual engagement you aim to provoke.

What are the different animation styles commonly used in presentations?

The animation style you choose can radically influence the tone and effectiveness of your presentation. Here are some of the commonly used animation styles in presentations:

• Flat design animation : Simplistic yet impactful, flat design animation uses two-dimensional visual elements that are easy on the eyes and straightforward. It's often employed in tech and modern business presentations for a clean look.
• Material design animation : Stemming from Google’s Material Design guidelines, this style offers more depth and shadow compared to flat design. It's tactile, grounded, and employs responsive animations and transitions.
• Cartoon style : Perfect for engaging younger audiences or for topics that benefit from a lighter tone, cartoon-style animation is entertaining and attention-grabbing.
• Skeuomorphic design : This style imitates real-world objects, often with a degree of realism. While considered somewhat dated in web design, it still holds its ground in presentations where the physical analogy aids understanding.
• Retro style : Heavily inspired by styles from the '70s, '80s, or '90s, this nostalgic animation style can add a unique flair and stand out for its creativity.
• Abstract animation : Often used to evoke emotions or concepts, abstract animation can be non-linear, featuring geometric shapes, patterns, or a mishmash of various elements.
• Stop motion : This animation style involves manipulating real-world objects and photographing them one frame at a time. Digital emulation of stop motion in presentations can add a tactile and artisanal feel.
• Line art animation : With its roots in traditional sketching, this animation style is versatile and can range from simplistic to incredibly detailed, based solely on lines and shapes.
• Particle animation : Ideal for conveying complex processes or phenomena, particle animation uses dynamic, small graphical units to represent data or elements. It's particularly impactful in scientific or tech-based presentations.
• Cinematic animation : Incorporating elements of film techniques like depth of field, lens flares, and high-quality rendering, this style adds sophistication and is often used for corporate storytelling.
• Kinetic typography : Often overlooked but incredibly potent, typography animation focuses on animating text to convey emotion or stress key points. From simple fades and swipes to more elaborate motions like spiraling or flipping, the text itself becomes a dynamic part of the visual storytelling. This style is particularly useful when working with text-heavy presentations that still need that "wow" factor.

The choice of animation style will invariably depend on your target audience, your message, and the aesthetic you aim to achieve. Each style carries its own connotations and impact, so choose the one that best aligns with your vision.

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Ben is the Principal Copywriter for Linearity, living in Berlin. His hobbies include board games, cooking, reading, and writing.

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How to Make Animated Presentations [Use Cases +7 Animation Tools]

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Creating videos can be a great way to share your knowledge with the world, but it’s important to make sure they’re engaging and interesting. Animated presentations can help you do just that, by adding some visual stimulation to your content.

In this blog post, we’ll discuss how to make animated presentations, and share some tips on how to make them effective.

Let’s get started.

The Power of Animation

A well-designed animation can convey complex information in an easy way.

Animation in video can be used to tell stories, convey messages, and even promote products. A customer of Vyond reported a 38% boost in video sharing on social media platforms just by using animated videos.

Perhaps the most important use of animation is to educate. By its very nature, animation is extremely versatile. It can be used to explain complex concepts in a simple and engaging way.

This makes it an ideal tool for teaching difficult topics such as science and history in school. In fact, a Google 2020 report showed that younger generations seek out short tutorials and video clips like animations to help them learn and for entertainment.

In addition, animation can also be used to teach adults about new technologies and ideas.

Animated Presentations are Great for Your Business

Animated presentations offer a great way to make your business more engaging and exciting. By using animation, you can add visual interest to your presentation and make it more enjoyable for your audience.

By using animation to break down information into manageable chunks, you can help your audience understand and retain the information you are presenting.

In addition, animated presentations are a great way to add personality to your business. By infusing your presentation with your company’s unique voice and style, you can create a presentation that is truly memorable.

Tell a Visual Story to Create Engaging Presentations

You’re in a meeting, and the presentations are droning on. You’ve seen the same three slides for what feels like hours, but wait…is that a gif? And is it .. .moving? Suddenly, you’re riveted to the screen as the presenter brings their data to life with moving visuals. This is the power of animation.

By adding movement to otherwise static images, you can create engaging presentations that capture your audience’s attention and help them better understand complex concepts. Whether you’re using simple animations to highlight key points or creating richly detailed visual stories, animation can help you take your presentations to the next level.

Animation Keeps Attention

Animation offers a great way to keep your viewers’ attention. When used sparingly, it can add interest to an otherwise static image. Animation can also be used to highlight important information or to direct the viewer’s gaze to a particular area of the screen. However, it is important that you don’t go overboard with animation, as too much can be overwhelming and distracting.

Animations are Great Tools to Explain Complicated Concepts in a Simple Way

With animations, you can break down complex ideas into manageable chunks and explain them step by step.

This makes animations an ideal tool for teaching difficult concepts to students of all ages. In addition, animations can be a fun and engaging way to learn. They can help to hold attention and interest, and they can be used to review key points later on. Whether you’re trying to explain the laws of physics or the inner workings of the human body, animations are a great tool to have in your arsenal.

Animated Videos are Very Affordable and Easy to Make

Animated videos are very affordable and easy to make, and they can help you reach a wide audience. They also offer a unique way to tell your story and explain your products or services in an engaging and visually appealing way.

Animated Videos Impress and Convert

Animated videos grab attention and get your message across. They’re also highly effective at converting viewers into customers or clients.

The reason they’re so successful is that they’re able to engage viewers on an emotional level while also providing information in an easily digestible format. Animated videos are also highly shareable, meaning they have the potential to reach a wide audience.

Uses for Animated Videos

Awesome explainer videos.

If you’re looking for an engaging and effective way to explain your product or service, animated videos are a great option. You can create animated videos without coding skills or expensive software.

In addition, you can easily create professional animations with just a couple of clicks.

Whiteboard Animation

If you’re looking for a creative and engaging way to create videos, whiteboard animation is a great option.

Using simple illustrations and captivating narration, whiteboard animations can bring your ideas to life in a truly unique way. Plus, the medium is extremely versatile – it can be used for everything from educational videos to marketing campaigns.

Visualize Your Data

Animations offer a unique means for visualizing your data. By animating your data, you can see patterns and relationships that would otherwise be hidden. Animations can also help you to understand complex processes. For example, by watching an animation of a chemical reaction, you can see how the reactants interact with each other to form the products.

Instructional Videos

Animations can help bring instructional videos to life. By adding visuals, you can provide a more engaging and exciting experience for your viewers.

Animations can help to break up the monotony of a talking head vide o, and they can also be used to illustrate complex concepts. In addition, animations can add a touch of humor to your videos, making them more enjoyable to watch.

Best Animation Presentation Software

Presentations are a staple of the modern workplace. Whether you’re pitching a new product to potential clients or presenting your findings to your boss, being able to deliver an engaging and effective presentation is essential.

While there are a variety of software programs that can help you create a great presentation, not all of them are equally well-suited for animation. If you’re looking for the best animation presentation software, here are the top programs to take a look at.

1. Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft PowerPoint is the most popular presentation tool, with over 90 million downloads per month.

And a Microsoft 365 family subscription is very affordable. In fact, it costs less than $10 per person per month.

While PowerPoint is not typically known for its animation capabilities, with a little creativity and imagination, it can be used to create simple or complex animations.

To create an animation in PowerPoint, you will need to add images, shapes, or text to a slide and then use the software’s built-in tools to animate them.

• You can use the “Motion Paths” tool to make objects move along a predetermined path.
• Or, you can use the “Timeline” tool to control the order and timing of your animations.

By leveraging the powerful features of Microsoft PowerPoint, you can create impressive animations that will captivate your audience.

Prezi is a web-based platform that allows you to create stunning visual presentations.

It’s a great tool for creating animated presentations and Prezi’s interface is simple and intuitive.

Unlike traditional presentation software, which relies on slides, Prezi uses a zooming interface to allow you to zoom in and out of your content. This makes it easy to add animation and movement to your presentations, and it’s also great for presenting complex information in an engaging way.

Plus, Prezi is really easy to use – even if you have no experience, you’ll be able to create a beautiful presentation with Prezi in no time.

3. Google Slides

Google Slides is a free tool that allows people to easily make and share presentations.

It’s a great tool for creating simple animations. By adding multiple images to a single slide and then changing the image order, you can create the illusion of movement.

This technique is often used to create GIFs, which can be used to add visual interest to presentations or simply to share fun moments with friends.

To create an animation in Google Slides, start by adding the images that you want to use. Then, select the slide that you want to animate and click “Insert.” Lastly, select “Animation” from the menu and choose the animation that you want to use. With just a few clicks, you can add some excitement to your Google Slides presentation.

4. Haiku Deck

Haiku Deck is a great tool for creating slideshows and presentations.

It’s very easy to use, even for beginners.

Haiku Deck offers a wide range of templates, so users can create their presentations from scratch or choose from a selection of pre-made templates. The app also supports a wide range of media types, so users can include photos, videos, and audio in their presentations.

PowToon allows you to create presentations without having any coding knowledge.

It’s a tool that allows users to create animations, which can be used for a variety of purposes, such as creating video lessons or explainer videos. The interface is user-friendly and the results can be quite professional.

Powtoon is a great option for those who want to create animations without spending a lot of money on professional software.

Vyond offers you a point-and-click way to create professional-looking videos, slideshows, infographics, and animated GIFs.

It’s simple to use and has a wide range of features, making it perfect for both beginners and experienced animators.

With Vyond, you can create both 2D and 3D animations, and the software supports a variety of different file formats. You can also add audio tracks and special effects to your animations, which really helps to bring them to life.

Visme is easy to use and has a variety of features that make it perfect for creating high-quality animations. One of the best things about Visme is that their Basic plan is free.

You can create an account and start animating right away.

Visme also offers a wide range of templates and illustrations that you can use to create your animation. If you’re not an artist, don’t worry – Visme’s drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to create animations without any prior experience. Simply select the elements you want to use and drag them into place. Visme also offers a wide range of different exporting options, so you can easily share your animation with others.

FAQ on Making Animated Presentations

What are the 4 types of animation.

There are four main types of animation: 2D, 3D, stop-motion, and vector. Here is a quick run-down of each:

• 2D animation is drawn on a flat surface, often using software like Adobe Flash or Toon Boom Harmony.
• 3D animation is created using computer graphics, and objects are given a three-dimensional appearance.
• Stop-motion animation involves taking photographs of physical objects that have been slightly adjusted between each frame.
• Vector animation uses mathematical curves to create movement and is often used for video games or explainer videos.

What makes a good animation?

Some people might prefer the more traditional hand-drawn style of animation while others might prefer the aesthetic of CGI.

A good animation should be able to transport you into its world and make you care about its characters. It should be visually stimulating and make clever use of its medium to tell its story.

How do you make animated cartoon presentations?

When it comes to making animated cartoon presentations, there are a few different software options that can help you get the job done. One popular option is Adobe After Effects .

After Effects is a powerful tool that can be used to create sophisticated animations. However, it can also be used to create simpler animations, making it a good option for those who are just getting started with animation.

Another popular option is Toon Boom Harmony . Toon Boom Harmony is a professional-grade animation software that is used by animators all over the world. It offers a wide range of features and is capable of creating high-quality animations. However, it can also be quite expensive.

For those on a budget, there are also free options such as Pencil2 D and Synfig Studio . While they may not be as feature-rich as professional software, they can still be used to create basic animations.

How do you make animated educational videos and presentations?

Some common choices include Adobe After Effects , Powtoon , and Vyond . Each has its own set of features and capabilities, so it’s important to choose the right one for your project.

• After Effects is a powerful tool that can create complex animations, but it can also be used for simple tasks like creating text animations.
• Powtoon is a great option for creating cartoon-style videos.
• GoAnimate is ideal for creating educational videos with a more serious tone.

What online tool is used in creating whiteboard animations?

There are a number of online tools that can be used for creating whiteboard animations . Some of the most popular options include Animaker , Vyond , and Doodly .

These tools allow users to create animated videos by adding text , images, and other graphical elements to a virtual whiteboard. The videos can then be exported as MP4 files or shared online. Whiteboard animations are an effective way to communicate ideas and information, and they can be used for a variety of purposes, including marketing, training, and education.

What are the 4 types animation of in PowerPoint?

There are 4 types of animation of PowerPoint: 1. Entrance; 2. Emphasis; 3. Exit; 4. Path.

The entrance animations bring your slide content in, and the exit animations take it away again. Entrance and exit animations can be set to occur automatically when the slide appears or is advanced, or they can be set to occur in response to a mouse click. Emphasis animations draw attention to specific elements on a slide, such as bullet points or charts.

Path animations allow you to create complex motion paths for your slide objects. For example, you could have an object travel across the screen, bounce up and down, or spin around before coming to rest in its final position.

When used sparingly, animation can help to highlight important information and make your presentation more engaging. However, too much animation can be distracting, so use it sparingly and only when it genuinely adds value to your presentation.

What is the best free animation software?

There are a number of free animation software programs available, and the best one for you will depend on your needs and preferences. If you’re looking for something that’s easy to use and doesn’t require a lot of experience, then using GIMP for simple animations might be a good option. It offers a wide range of features and is fairly user-friendly.

For something that’s more versatile and geared towards professionals, Blender is worth checking out. It has a steep learning curve but is packed with powerful tools. And if you’re after something specifically for 2D animation, then Pencil2D could be what you’re after. It’s open-source and relatively straightforward to use.

Bottom Line: Make Animated Presentations

Animated presentations are an engaging and powerful way to communicate your ideas.

They can help you stand out from the competition, make a complex topic easier to understand and keep your audience engaged from start to finish.

If you’re not using animated presentations in your video strategy yet, now is the time to start.

Lisa Parmley

Lisa Parmley is the founder of coursemethod.com. After gaining a Master's degree, she worked in research for about seven years. She started a training company in 2001, offering a course helping people pass a professional exam. That course has earned multiple 7 figures. She created SEO and authority site building training around 2007 which went on to earn well into the 6-figure mark.

She has 22+ years of experience in the trenches creating and selling online courses. Get help starting and growing your online course business here .

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How to create animated presentations [Easiest Way for 2023]

Guru - November 22, 2022 - Leave your thoughts. 11 min read

animaker deck , animated presentations , online presentation maker , presentation maker

It's no secret that traditional presentations can get boring for the audience as they often include many sentences, subheadings, and images—and that's just the beginning. 

You also don’t want it to look like a high school science project: all over-the-top formatting and an overwhelming amount of text.

So how can you make your presentation more engaging? Well, don’t worry anymore, we have got an alternative for you!

This is where animated presentations come in. 

In this article, we have compiled the quickest and easiest steps to create an animated presentation using Animaker Deck .

Introduction to Animaker Deck

With Animaker Deck, you can create your own animated characters and use tons of pre-built templates, millions of stock assets, real-time collaboration, and more! 

It can do everything that Powerpoint can do and much more!

If you want to ensure your presentation keeps people engaged and interested, it’s time to change things up a bit from the usual way of creating a presentation.

So why wait? Let’s jump right into the steps!

Signing up with Animaker Deck

Understanding the user interface.

• Ways to create an animated presentation in Animaker Deck

Creating an animated presentation from scratch

Creating an animated presentation from templates, previewing & presenting the slides, sharing your work-of-art.

Click here to log into Animaker if you're already a registered user. If you are new to Animaker, you can sign-up and create an account with Animaker Deck for free.

Before we start to create a presentation, let’s spend some time understanding the user interface of the Animaker Deck app. 

On the left side, we have the Library section . Under the library section, you can access the Templates, Characters, Properties, Text, Background, Images, and Upload features with a single click.

Moving on, to the right, we have the Slides section , where you can re-arrange the slides, duplicate the slides, delete the slides, and even make edits to the slides, such as transition effects.

In the center, we have a Workspace displaying the selected slide. Here you will add fonts, and images, change the background and other properties and make all the slides customizations.

And at the top, you will find options to Share, Import, and Present the slide deck.

We shall look into each option in depth in the upcoming steps.

Ways to create an animated presentation in Animaker Deck:

 There are two ways to create an animated presentation in Animaker Deck

Customizing the Background

Introducing characters, using properties, adding text .

      2. Creating an animated presentation from templates

Selecting a template

• Editing the text

Customizing the Character

Editing the background images.

Let's get started right away!

One way of creating an animated presentation in Animaker Deck is from scratch on a blank canvas. Here’s what we will cover:

Using the Backgrounds feature, you can easily search and apply backgrounds according to your preferences. 

The best part is that you can customize the background colors to match your slide style.

For instance, let’s say you want to create an intro slide for your business. First, choose a suitable background for your slide from the Library.

Once you find and select a suitable background, it will appear in the central workspace. Also, you will notice a few options pop up in the workspace. It is called an “item menu.” 

You can customize the colors, add filters, swap elements, and resize and delete the elements in the slide from these options.

Do all the presentations you have made so far lack personality? 

You can now infuse life into the slides with the help of Animated Characters.

With Animaker Deck, you can create your personalized characters or use the built-in characters from the Library section, whichever fits your scenario.

In this instance, let’s choose one from the built-in character library.

The selected character will appear in the slide, along with the item menu. Use the options in the item menu to customize the character per your preferences.

Also, you can find the Actions and Expressions section on the right side of the workspace. Apply a suitable action and expression to your character from the available options. 

If you are not happy with the pre-built characters, you can even create and introduce your own custom characters into the slide deck.

Use the Create Your Avatar button under the Characters feature to create your own custom character.

Animaker Deck offers you options to create a character between Young Adults and Children.

Pick the one as per your preference. Once you select the type, you will be taken to the character customization screen. 

Here you can customize each and every aspect of your character, starting from head to toe.

This is the cherry on top of the Animaker Deck app. This way, you can introduce yourself as a character in your presentation as well. 

Once you have finished the customizations, save your character and refresh the project. You can find the newly created character in the My Characters tab under the Character feature.

Animaker Deck is loaded with tons of Properties. Icons, Graphs, Charts, Numbers, Illustrations, or anything you name, are covered under the properties section. 

Now, let’s add a speech bubble to the character. You can do this by searching for a speech bubble under the properties section in the library.

Once you select the speech bubble, it will appear in the workspace. Use the item menu options to customize the size and color. 

You can also add animation effects to the speech bubble from the options available on the right side of the workspace.

Introducing entry and exit animations to the properties in the slide adds extra appeal to the presentation overall.

Using the Text feature, you can add text to your slides in two ways. 

One is to choose and edit from the built-in text templates designed along with animation effects, and the second is to enter the text manually with text boxes.

Select a suitable text design from the Text feature under the library section.

Once you select the text design, it will appear in the workspace; now, you can type in the required text and use the item menu options to customize the color, font style, size, and alignment and adjust the case sensitivity of the text. 

In this instance, we have used the empty text box design and entered the text manually. You can also use the built-in text design templates and edit them accordingly. 

Also, it is possible to add animation effects to the text just like we did to the properties earlier. 

You can even adjust the transparency of the text by using the transparency slider beneath the animation effects on the right side of the workspace.

This way, Animaker Deck gives a complete customization option for the users to edit and change the slides according to everyone’s preferences.

Another way of creating an animated presentation is from pre-built templates. 

Here’s what we will cover:

Animaker Deck offers more than 50 professionally designed templates to choose from. 

Use these templates to inject fresh ideas into your static slides!

The templates feature is on the left side under the library section.

Go carefully through the different templates and select a suitable one for your use case. Then click Add all. 

A pop-up window will appear, asking you to overwrite; click confirm to insert the template.

Once you have clicked the confirm button, all the slides will be inserted into the project.

Now the best part about creating an animated presentation from templates in Animaker Deck is that every aspect of the template is completely customizable. The three main aspects of the template that you can customize as per your preferences are 

• Background Images

Editing the Text

Select the Text that you want to edit. Then click on the Settings option from the item menu. You can find different options to customize the text on the right side.

For instance, you can choose a different font, change the font’s color, and adjust the line spacing. You can also make the text a Hyperlink by toggling the Hyperlink button.

Use all these options to edit the text according to your preference. 

Select the Character and use the item menu to customize it. You can alter the color of the character and its attire as per your preference.

You can also introduce actions and expressions to the character and bring life to your presentation. Simply select an action under the action tab, and it will reflect in character immediately. It’s that easy to animate your characters. 

Also you can even introduce your own custom characters into the slide deck. 

Animaker Deck, in partnership with GIPHY, PEXELS & PIXABAY, provides access to thousands of quirky gifs and iconic images which can be used in your slides with a single click.

You have the flexibility to even customize the existing background image in the template as per your preference.

Select the Background image and use the Item Menu options to edit the elements present in the background image.

For instance, you can alter the color of the elements, resize them, group them together or delete them. 

Also, you can introduce animation effects to the background image to lit up the presentation.

However, if you are still unhappy with the customizations, Animaker Deck has covered you with the Upload option.

Animaker Deck offers up to 25 GB of storage space for you to upload your custom files onto the slide decks.

That’s some steal, right?

You can upload your own custom images and images into the slide decks by using the Upload feature in the library section.

Click on the Upload button to browse files from your local disc and upload them directly to your project. 

Another simpler way of customizing your background is by playing around with the colors.

You can use solid colors as a background, or even better, you can use gradient colors matching your presentation style.

You can add up to five colors and create a gradient-style background on your own!

This way, you get complete control over the selected template and customize it as per your needs. 

Once you’ve finished customizing the template, click on the present button to preview the entire presentation. 

Once you have added the character, text, and properties and selected the suitable background, it’s time to preview how everything looks together when presented.

To do this, head to the Present option in the top menu. Clicking on the Present button will allow you to preview the slide in fullscreen. 

This way, you can check and alter the slide's contents accordingly. It’s that simple to create an animated presentation from scratch in Animaker Deck.

Similarly, you can add more slides and customize them according to your use cases.

If you are working in a team, the next step is to get your presentation reviewed by your tea members. A collaborative review process can help elevate your presentation’s quality.

Use the Share button in the top right to share the presentation with your team. All you need to do is enter your colleagues' email addresses and choose between copy and edit links.

Animaker Deck makes it easy for you to collaborate with your entire team and edit your slide decks together in real-time.

Also, there’s an option to preview the created slide decks with the help of the Present button in the top right corner. 

Use this present button to review all the changes, animations, and other transition effects made (if any) throughout the slide.

And that’s a wrap!👏 

You have now successfully learned how to create kick-ass animated presentations in a jiffy. 

With the advent of influential online presentation makers like Animaker Deck, creating professional-looking animated presentations has become easier and more affordable than ever before. 

It is only the beginning! The world of presentations awaits you!

Get started and sweep your audiences right away!

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Animating Ideas: Harnessing Animations in Presentations

Digital communication is paramount today. This means it’s crucial to use every tool available to you to ensure that you create digital content that is both visually stunning as well as compelling. One such tool is animations in presentations and harnessing these has become a fundamental skill. From business meetings to academic symposiums, creative and thoughtfully designed animations can significantly enhance the clarity of your message and the engagement of your audience. But how can one use animations effectively? And what are the potential pitfalls to avoid? This article explores these questions and offers practical tips to leverage the power of animations in your next presentation.

The Power of Animations in Presentations

Enhancing communication.

Animations in presentations can be a game changer in the realm of communication. They can transform a static slide into a dynamic visual story, thereby enhancing understanding and recall. Animated diagrams or flow charts, for instance, can illustrate complex processes in a digestible and engaging manner. Is it not more impactful to see a process unfold step by step rather than viewing a static, crowded diagram?

Engaging the Audience

Presentations, at their core, are about connecting with your audience. Animations add an element of surprise and delight, which in turn, increases audience engagement. Incorporating animations allows you to make your content more relatable and memorable. After all, wouldn’t you remember an animated character explaining a concept better than a mere bullet-point list?

Strategies for Using Animations Effectively

While animations in presentations can be powerful tools, they must be used strategically to avoid overwhelming or confusing the audience. Here are some best practices:

Keep it Simple

In the realm of animations, adopting a minimalist approach can often yield the most effective results. While animations add dynamism to your presentation, using them excessively or in overly complex ways can turn into a visual overload, diverting your audience’s attention from the key message. Therefore, employ animations judiciously and simply ensure that they serve as a guide to drawing focus to important points rather than being used for spectacle or ornamental purposes. Their role is to bolster and enhance your narrative, providing additional support to your content rather than dominating it or creating unnecessary distractions.

Consistency is Key

Maintaining consistency in the animation style throughout your presentation is crucial for professional aesthetic coherence and smooth delivery. A haphazard mix of styles can come across as unprofessional, potentially disrupting the narrative flow and confusing the audience. Similarly, applying consistent animations for similar points or topics can establish a recognizable visual pattern. This repetition aids in audience comprehension, providing a clear structure that intuitively guides viewers through the presentation. Ultimately, consistency in animations fosters a harmonious viewing experience, reinforcing your message and boosting audience engagement.

Choose the Right Animation

The selection of animations should be mindful of both the nature of your content and the characteristics of your audience. For instance, while a whimsical animation might perfectly suit an informal, creative presentation, it might seem out of place in a serious business context. Moreover, animations should serve a purpose beyond mere aesthetic appeal. Therefore you must ensure that they are in harmony with your narrative, acting as a powerful tool to emphasize and reinforce key points. Hence, thoughtful selection and application of animations can significantly enhance the overall effectiveness of your presentation.

Pitfalls to Avoid

Despite the benefits of using animations in presentations, some pitfalls can detract from their effectiveness.

Overuse of Animation

While animations can add a dynamic layer to your presentations, their overuse can backfire. It often results in a cluttered visual space and an information overload for your audience. This overstimulation can dilute the impact of your core message, creating confusion instead of clarity. It’s crucial to remember that the primary objective of utilizing animations is to enhance your presentation, guiding the audience’s attention and reinforcing key points, rather than generating unnecessary complexity.

Inappropriate Animation Choice

Incorporating irrelevant or inappropriate animations can risk detracting from the professionalism and effectiveness of your presentation. This could potentially harm your credibility in the eyes of your audience. It is therefore critical to consider the audience’s expectations and the context of the presentation when choosing animations. Ensure that each animation aligns with your message, enhances your narrative, and resonates with your audience. In doing so, you can greatly improve the overall quality and impact of your presentation.

Technical Glitches

Technical issues can pose a significant challenge during a presentation, disrupting the flow and potentially undermining your message. It is therefore crucial to ensure that your animations run smoothly on the platform you’re using. This might involve testing your presentation in advance and familiarizing yourself with the technology. Moreover, having a contingency plan ready can provide a valuable safety net, helping you maintain professionalism and composure even in the face of unexpected technical difficulties.

Final Thoughts

When used correctly, animations in presentations can transform the way you communicate your ideas. They can make your content more engaging, memorable, and effective. However, they require strategic planning and thoughtful execution to ensure they support, rather than detract from, your message. Are you ready to incorporate animations into your next presentation and take it to the next level?

In conclusion, it’s essential to remember that animations are tools at your disposal. They should be tailored to your content and audience, and not just added for their own sake.

Take Your Presentations to the Next Level with Fully Decked Up

If you’re looking for professional help to make your presentations stand out with effective use of animations, look no further than Fully Decked Up. As a premier presentation design agency, Fully Decked Up has a wealth of experience creating dynamic, engaging presentations for a diverse range of industries, both locally and globally.

Why Choose Fully Decked Up?

Here are just a few reasons why Fully Decked should be your go-to agency for presentations:

Industry Experience: Fully Decked has worked with a plethora of industries, understanding their unique needs and preferences.

Global Reach: We’ve created presentations for clients across the globe, demonstrating our adaptability to different cultures and markets.

Quality Designs: With a focus on quality and innovation, Fully Decked ensures that your presentations not only look good but are also effective in conveying your message.

The artful integration of animations in presentations can truly elevate your communication, drawing your audience in and making your message resonate. Whether it’s a simple fade effect to highlight your main points or a complex animated sequence to illustrate a process, every animation can contribute significantly to the success of your presentation.

Yet, the key to success lies in thoughtful planning, strategic application, and attention to detail. Too many animations can overwhelm, and too few can lead to monotony. Finding the perfect balance can be challenging, but that’s where we come in.

At Fully Decked Up, we have a team of expert designers who understand the intricacies of animation usage in presentations. We work closely with you, ensuring that each animation is purposeful, and relevant, and effectively enhances your presentation.

Are you ready to harness the power of animations in your presentations? If so, get in touch with Fully Decked Up today, and let’s bring your ideas to life!

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20 Ways to Create an Interactive Presentation That Stands Out

Written by: Chloe West

When you’re putting together a presentation, you want it to be engaging. Whether you’re presenting it live or embedding it on your website, you want to keep your audience entertained.

The best way to do that is by creating an interactive presentation that holds audience's attention and even allows them to participate.

Sitting in a boring presentation where the speaker simply talks at their audience can make eyes glaze over and cause the speaker to lose their listener.

Adding interactivity to your presentation is the best way to spice up your speech, engage your audience and stand out from other presenters. The best part is, it doesn't have to be more work!

With these 17 ways to create an interactive presentation, you’ll be sure to grab your audience’s attention and keep them entertained throughout the entire presentation.

Here’s a short selection of 10 easy-to-edit job presentation templates you can edit, share and download with Visme. View more templates below:

• An interactive presentation is a dynamic type of presentation that supports increased engagement and interactions with the audience.
• Try integrating media techniques like video clips, audio narratives, music, and interactive quizzes.
• Involve your audience by polling them, encouraging movement, getting them to ask questions, letting them lead the direction, and asking them to share with a hashtag for social interactions.
• Play with non-linear and other creative transitions, animations, and even props.
• Include animated data visualizations and stories to enrich the interactivity in your presentation.

Before we jump right in, let’s explain what an interactive presentation is

What is an Interactive Presentation

An interactive presentation is a dynamic type of presentation that supports increased engagement and interactions with the audience. It involves using interactive elements to create a more personal and engaging experience with your audience.

Whether you’re doing a live or pre-recorded presentation, there are various interactive tools for presentations and interactive ways to present information. It could be as simple as embedding audio and video in your presentation. Or, it could take the form of using charts, surveys, navigation, transitions, hyperlinks, hotspots and other elements in your presentation.

If you ever wondered how to make a presentation interactive, this is your opportunity to try out a variety of techniques. Implement one or two ideas first and see how it fits with your brand guidelines.

Remember that any interactivity you add to your presentations must make sense with the rest of the content, otherwise, it could be distracting instead of engaging.

If using Monday.com , create and share your presentation and collaborate easily inside your workspace using our account integration. Also, take advantage of our wide range of integrations to boost productivity.

Here’s how to make an interactive presentation

1 Start your interactive presentation with an icebreaker.

The first step is creating a rapport with your audience. You can do this by helping them to get to know you a little better and get to know each other as well.

The way you go about this will depend on the size of your audience. If you’re presenting in a small group setting or workshop, you can easily go around the room and have everyone share a bit about themselves.

However, if you’re speaking with a crowd or at a conference with a larger audience, it would make more sense to simply have your audience introduce themselves to a neighbor or two before you dive in.

You could ask the audience to answer a question out loud or to their neighbor, ask them to prepare a few questions about your topic or a list of things they'd like to learn or put together a fun icebreaker game.

Visualize the icebreaker question on a slide using text animations. Your Visme editor offers a variety of eye-catching movements for your textual content. Choose from options like typewriter, rise up, ease in and more.

Here are just a few icebreaker games you can choose from for your next interactive presentation. Also, read this article on how to start your presentation and 12 ways to keep your audience hooked.

2 Use video clips in a slide or two.

You don’t have to be the only one talking during your presentation. Videos are one of the most effective interactive learning tools for presentations.

Embed a video into one of your slides to switch up your audience’s focus. With Visme's animated presentation software , you can easily embed a YouTube or Vimeo video into your slide for your audience to view on their own or for you to feature during your interactive slideshow. Here's how you can do that.

Simply go to the Media tab in the left sidebar of your Visme editor and click on Insert Video.

Add a video from anywhere, your computer or your phone. Download the Visme iOS app and add videos to your presentations in minutes. Edit your presentation effectively by resizing, placing into shapes, trimming with the timeline editor and selecting playback settings.

Sharing video clips can be a great way to further emphasize your argument by bringing in other opinions or even to just add a break for your audience during longer presentations. You can also share a video of yourself demonstrating how to do something.

If you’re embedding the slideshow on your website, adding a video to a slide or two allows your audience to take a break from reading and jump into a different way of consuming your content.

There are so many other types of content you can embed into your presentation with Visme as well, like quizzes, surveys and more!

3 Add Animated Icons

Create interactive slides with unique touches like animated icons. Using vibrant design elements like beautiful icons that move your audience’s attention to the areas you want them to notice. Also, using icons instead of text offers white space for the viewer to feel a sense of balance on the slide.

Here’s how to do it:

Choose a slide where you’d like to add an animated icon. In terms of options, you have two; use the native, animated icons or animate static icons with the animation tools.

On the left toolbar, click on graphics and select the icons you want. The animated ones are at the bottom next to the animated illustrations, customizable characters, avatars and 3D arrows.

Place the icon and click on the Animate button on the top right. Select the style of animation and duration for each icon and ensure everything is balanced and not overdone. You might not need more than one or two repetitions for each icon.

4 Add Pop-Ups with Extra Info

A great way to inspire your audience to interact with your presentation is to add popups with extra info using hotspots. This is how you can do it.

Click on a text, shape or object you’d like to add a popup and hotspot to and click on the Actions button on the top right. Add an action and choose the function; it can be another slide, or a popup that you can design from scratch.

Add visual hotspots as markers for the audience to know there is something special going on.

Watch this video to learn how to create interactive pop up effects in Visme

Make your popups more interesting by using AI-generated graphics prompted by your visual brand guidelines.

5 Make your interactive presentation non-linear.

Not every slideshow you create needs to simply flow from slide to slide. Get creative with it and see if it makes sense to add in a non-linear flow. So, what exactly is a non-linear presentation?

When you create links between slides so you can click around different areas of your presentation, you’re putting together a non-linear presentation.

You’re not going from slide one to slide two to slide three, and so on. Instead, you’re creating an interactive way for you and your audience to jump around your presentation.

You can create a table of contents page and link it to the slides that start each section. If your presentation is embedded, this allows your audience to navigate in their own preferred order.

It also gives your presentation a different edge from the regular flow, and can keep readers intrigued about what’s coming next.

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6 Have a Q&A session.

Want to get the audience involved? Ask them questions! This is a must-have interactive tool for presentations.

It’s also one of the most popular ideas for interactive presentations.

While many presenters always plan to host a Q&A at the end of their presentation for the audience to ask questions , it can go both ways.

You can easily put together a few slides where you’re asking your audience questions throughout your presentation. Before you move onto the next section, ask your listeners what they think first.

Don’t make it intimidating, like a pop quiz. A simple “What do you think about..?” can work wonders.

You can also take several breaks throughout your presentation to give the audience a chance to ask you questions. If you had them write down a few things they want to make sure they learn from you at the beginning of the presentation, this is a great time to ask.

7 Create an interactive quiz.

Take it a step further and actually create a quiz in your interactive presentation. This engaging presentation idea works well for both live and embedded presentations.

In Visme, you can link elements in your slide together so that one element appears when another element is clicked. So ask your audience a question, gather their answers and then click to expose the correct answer.

If you’re embedding the presentation, make sure you include a button that says something like “Click to see if you’re right!” so that your viewer knows they’re able to interact with the slide.

While you don’t necessarily want to use this as a way to sneakily check if your audience has been paying attention, it can be a fun way to gauge expertise in your audience and understand how much information you should cover.

Struggling to generate content for your quiz? Use Visme’s AI writer to generate high-quality content for your presentation, quiz or other aspects of your presentation.

8 Add a Flipbook Effect

Add another dose of interactivity for the audience’s viewing experience by using Visme’s flipbook effect . Mixing a physical “flipping” action with a digital document or presentation makes it easy for the audience to swipe from slide to slide. It’ll also create an emotional association with magazines and books, these are generally positive associations.

All presentations made with Visme, when shared via a live Visme link, will be viewable as a flipbook. You can turn the option and off in the sharing settings.

Flipbook isn’t just available for presentations, any document and even whiteboard can be shared as a digital flipbook. All your audience has to do is swipe and the slides/pages will flip like a magazine.

Like Kimberly Barrett, Wellbeing Consultant at Ameritas says, “You can do everything within Visme, you don’t have to use multiple tools to get something completed and delivered. Everything is just in one place, and it’s all-encompassing.”

9 Bring props along to your interactive presentation.

Want to really grab your audience’s attention? Want to really grab your audience’s attention? Props are also useful interactive tools for presentations.

Bringing props along with you to help you demonstrate and visually tell your story can be a great way to keep people watching and listening.

The first thing to keep in mind when deciding which props to help convey your story is that they need to be relevant. Don’t bring random props that are interesting but are a huge stretch to fit in with your content.

Instead, bring props that intrigue your audience but still make sense with the information you’re sharing.

Here’s a great example of a prop that definitely secured the audience’s full attention. Bill Gates released a swarm of live mosquitos into the audience during his TED Talk on Mosquitos, Malaria and Education.

Sanitary? Maybe not. Attention getting? You bet.

10 Tell your audience a story.

One of the most interactive ways to present information is storytelling. It’s an undeniable strategy for drawing your audience into your presentation. Even if your topic covers a lot of data, facts and statistics, your speech doesn’t have to be dry.

There are many different ways to incorporate stories into your presentation effectively.

A good story helps to create an immersive effect , bringing your audience in and making them feel like they’re a part of your presentation. It taps into their emotions, causing them to hang onto your words, making your presentation much more memorable in the long run.

Here's a great example of a presentation filled with data that still hooks the audience in with great storytelling.

11 Add an audio narrative.

You don’t have to speak the entire time. Much like videos, audio and sounds are helpful interactive tools for presentations.

In fact, sometimes, it can be nice to give yourself a break and pre-record some of your slides. This is also a great strategy to include for embedded presentations.

With Visme’s presentation maker , you are able to upload audio files that play in your slideshow. You can also record your own audio directly inside the Visme editor.

Some Visme users even create pre-recorded webinars using the software.

Adding audio into an embedded slideshow can be a great way to create an interactive presentation experience. You can add music or sound effects to slides to make them stand out. Or you can add an audio narrative that talks about your slide content in even more depth than your slide design allows.

12 Poll your audience.

Looking for other activities for presentations to keep your audience engaged?  Get your audience involved in your presentation by polling them. Give them multiple choice options to see which one is the most popular. Ask them to raise hands.

You can even use a polling software and have your audience input their answers via their smartphone and watch the results come in live on your screen.

Have fun with it. Ask your audience about their favorite football team, which ice cream flavor they’d choose between vanilla and chocolate and more. This is a great way to do icebreakers, as well as break up your presentation with some mindless fun.

Of course, you can also have polls relevant to your presentation topic . Consider all of the ways you can use a poll in your next interactive presentation.

13  Include discussion questions.

If you’re still searching for how to make a PowerPoint presentation interactive , consider adding discussion questions in. You can break your audience into small groups to discuss your questions or simply have them discuss it briefly with their neighbor.

Seminar presentations are the perfect setting for discussion questions, and this can also work well if you’re putting on a presentation to a group of people that are sitting at tables.

All you need to do is put a discussion question up on the board and ask your audience to go around their table with their answers. This creates an interactive environment with very little effort on your part.

14  Encourage movement in your audience.

Another way to create an interactive environment is by encouraging movement within your audience.

This can be as simple as taking an intermission during a longer presentation or giving your audience a few minutes to get up and stretch their legs.

Other methods include asking your audience yes or no questions and having them answer by raising their hands or standing up, having your audience move to different seats and introduce themselves to new neighbors, or calling people up on stage to participate.

15  Get your audience asking questions.

As I mentioned earlier in this post, having your audience take time at the beginning of your presentation to list out their questions on your topic is a great idea.

It’s a proven technique to make your PowerPoint presentation interactive.  

Several times throughout your presentation, take a pause to ask for audience questions. Allow your listeners to ask questions about the slides you’ve already covered and the ones that may be coming up.

Getting your audience to ask questions, and letting them know that there will be several opportunities to do so, is a great way to ensure they continue to pay attention, take notes and write down potential questions throughout. Make sure you set some time aside at the end of your presentation for the rest of their questions.

Worried that people won’t speak up? Have a few allies in your audience that start the question asking.

No, this is not sneaky or shady. Sometimes people need a bit of encouragement, and asking a friend that you know will be attending to start off the questions can help.

16  Let your audience decide the direction.

Again, your presentation doesn’t have to be linear. You can have a slide setup with your four (or however many you have) main points and ask your audience which one they want to hear first, second and so on.

This makes it fun for the audience because they actually get to participate in the order of your presentation.

While this means you need to be extra prepared for whatever route your presentation may take, it creates a fun, interactive setting that your audience will remember for years to come.

Try a unique presentation structure like this, or one of these seven that your audience is sure to love.

17  Share a hashtag for social interaction.

If you’re speaking at an event that already has a branded hashtag, encourage your audience to tweet about your presentation using that hashtag. If you’re hosting a standalone presentation, come up with your own hashtag for your audience to use.

Your viewers can then share tidbits from your presentation as well as use the hashtag to ask questions for you to monitor and answer throughout.

Not only does this help to get your audience engaged, but it even helps to get their audiences engaged, learning about who you are, and interested in your content and presentation.

18  Add music to your interactive presentation slides.

Create a different ambiance by adding background music to your slides. Or get your audience pumped for new and exciting information with a pop song transition.

With Visme, you can easily upload audio files, including music clips, so that you can create an interactive experience for your audience. Your entire presentation doesn’t have to be centered around the sound of your voice. Adding in a music clip is a great way to refocus your audience on your content.

Plus, it can be a nice added touch in an embedded presentation.

19  Play with transitions and animations.

There are so many different ways to animate your slides , each more exciting than the next. You can animate different elements in your slides, like in the animated slideshow below.

You can also create seamless transitions between your slides by having each one of your elements slide in on its own, like in the presentation example below. To see the effect in action, click on the arrow buttons to transition to the next slide.

You can even add animated graphs and charts to your presentation slides . Animation should be fun, and toying with different ideas can make for great interactivity.

This is actually a big mistake that most people make while creating a presentation. If you're using a software like PowerPoint, you might go overboard with all the different options you have. Use a tool like Visme so you can access handpicked, proven animation and transition styles, like in the examples shown above.

Just remember to be consistent with your animations and transitions. Keep the same look and feel throughout your entire presentation rather than a million different animation types.

20  Use data visualization in your interactive presentation.

Last, but certainly not least, use data visualization to showcase your information in an engaging and easy-to-understand format.

Whether you’re a data expert, business leader, or trainer, interactive data visualization is a staple. It’s one of the most interactive ways to present information, especially when detailing with figures and statistics.

Data visualization can be anything from a chart or graph that visually represent actual statistics and numbers to an icon or graphic that represents words.

Visualizing your points can be a great way to argue your point, and creating charts, graphs and other figures helps your audience digest your content that much quicker and more easily.

Plus, Visme offers tons of ways to visualize data within your presentation slides.

Choose from one of our many data visualization tools, such as animated charts , graphs and data widgets, to start visualizing your facts and figures in a more interactive format.

Once you’re satisfied with how your presentation looks, you can share it online using a live link or download it in multiple formats, such as PPTX, PDF, PNG, JPG, MP4 and more. Also you track the performance (views, unique visits, average time spent and completion) of your presentation using Visme analytics .

Interactive Presentation FAQs

Q. why is interactive content better.

Interactive content is more effective because it grabs attention and provides an engaging and immersive experience that keeps users hooked on your content. This attribute makes it a brilliant strategy for educating your audience, increasing audience participation, boosting engagement, and improving their overall learning experience.

According to a DemandGen report , up to 90% of marketers admit interactive is effective in educating buyers but other marketers use it for lead generation (58%), brand awareness (57%) and conversion (49%).

Q. What Is the Best Interactive Presentation Tool?

There are many interactive presentation tools out there. Visme is the best, primarily because it offers a user-friendly interface, a full suite of animation and interactive tools, multiple customization options, an extensive library of templates and much more.

You can access animated 2D and 3D graphics, icons, illustrations and special effects that level up your visual content, as well as, animated enter and exit effects for your text and other design elements.

In addition, you can create a clickable menu or interactive table of contents, ink slides, pages or content blocks to objects on your canvas, and create hover effects or clickable pop-ups that reveal information when users take action.

The best part? Visme offers a variety of interactive templates and ready-to-use graphics that help users save time and create high-quality presentations quickly.

Q. Which Type of Presentation Is the Most Interactive?

When it comes to interactive presentations, there are several types that can be quite effective.

However, one of the most interactive types of presentations is one that involves the audience directly in the discussion and allows for active participation.

This can be achieved by using interactive presentation examples and tools such as videos, live polls, quizzes, Q&A sessions, interactive games, and hands-on activities. By engaging with the audience in this way, presenters can create a memorable experience that not only educates but also entertains.

Q. How Do I Make My Presentation Stand Out?

There are a few things you can do to make your presentation more memorable.

First, make sure you have a clear and concise message you want to convey to your audience. This will help you stay focused and avoid getting sidetracked during your presentation.

Next, use visuals like images, graphs, and charts to help illustrate your points and break up the text on your slides. Don't be afraid to use humor or storytelling as well, as these can help engage your audience and make your presentation more entertaining.

You can also consider adding animations and interactive elements to your presentation to make it more engaging. Interactive elements, such as quizzes, polls, or games, can also help to engage your audience and keep them interested in what you're saying.

Animations can be used to bring your content to life and keep your audience's attention focused on the screen. For example, you can use animations to highlight key points or to add a bit of visual interest to your slides.

Finally, practice your delivery and try to be confident and enthusiastic when you present. This will help you connect with your audience and leave a lasting impression.

Q. Are Interactive Presentations More Effective?

Interactive presentations can be more effective than traditional, static presentations because they engage the audience and keep them interested throughout the presentation.

When the audience is hooked, they become active learners and are more likely to retain the information.

Interactive presentations can also be customized to meet the specific needs and interests of the audience, making them more relevant and impactful.

Overall, incorporating interactive elements into a presentation can help to create a more dynamic and memorable experience for the audience.

Q. Is an Interactive Presentation Different From Interactive Content?

Yes, an interactive presentation and interactive content are two different things.

An interactive presentation is a type of content that conveys engaging information using multimedia elements such as videos, animations, and interactive graphics.

Interactive content, on the other hand, refers to any type of content—such as quizzes, polls, and games— that requires your audience to participate actively rather than consume the information passively.

Visme: The Best Interactive Presentation Software

Before now, you were probably thinking of which option you would use for your presentation to engage your audience. Before now, you were probably thinking of which option you will use for your presentation to engage your audience or how to make presentations interactive.

So now you see? Your next presentation doesn’t have to be boring and predictable. By incorporating these interactive presentation ideas , your audience will be engaged and their phones will be put away.

Visme offers tons of interactivity features right within our presentation software . Sign up and create a free account today to start trying them out. And if you’re running out of time, you can use AI Presentation Maker to create your presentation in minutes.

Beyond presentations, Visme offers an all-in-one visual content platform. You can use our infinite online whiteboard to brainstorm and build projects collaboratively, create marketing material, schedule and share it on social media right from the editor and access tons of design elements and tools to create powerful content.

Try Visme today and make your presentations interactive, entertaining and successful.

Did you find this article helpful? Which interactive presentation feature is your favorite? Let us know your thoughts and questions in the comments below!

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Art of Presentation: A Guide to Captivate Your Audience with Visuals

Andrew Herkert

April 17th, 2023

Whiteboard Video

Presenting a complex topic often results in an audience with glazed -over expressions, or hours of agonizing preparation to avoid those blank stares. Preparation is essential and can be simplified when you know how to use visuals to engage, explain and boost retention.

There is no definitive answer to whether drawn images are better than photos, videos, charts, or graphs. The choice largely depends on the type of information being presented and the presentation objectives. Each type of visual has strengths and weaknesses.

Charts and Graphs

Charts and graphs often simplify presenting complex data sets in a concise manner that summarizes a state or condition. They are effective because visual representation transforms numbers and abstract concepts, revealing the most important aspects of the information. Charts and graphs, however, are limited in their ability to tell a story or convey the nuances behind the numbers.

Photos and Vide os

Photos and videos, on the other hand, can provide a more realistic and immersive audience experience. They are particularly effective for demonstrating real-life situations and processes,  conditions, procedures, or actions. Photos and videos can also convey emotion and social cues, making them suitable for presenting social science topics. The challenge is often finding or capturing the exact best image(s) to support the message. Searching or producing what’s required can involve considerable time and expense to capture quality images.

Drawn Images

Drawn images offer unique flexibility and broader application than any other single visual approach. The ability to create, re-create, conceptualize, and summarize with imagery checks a lot of application boxes. Ultimately drawn images allow the audience to focus immediately on the most important aspects of the information. When verbal delivery and images are synchronized, it enhances the clarity and understanding of the story. The images also provide visual cues and details that support the message, making it easier for the audience to follow along and recall. Images can also convey emotions that may be difficult to express through dialogue alone.

The choice between static drawn images or animation also depends on the presentation objectives and the type of information being presented. Animation can provide an interactive learning experience by demonstrating processes and procedures in real-time, illustrating cause-and-effect relationships or conveying emotions and social cues.

However, the detail and motion of animation can distract the viewer from important aspects of your message. It can also be more complex and time-consuming to create compared to drawn images. It requires additional resources, like software and premade stock images. Stock images aren’t custom made for your message so they may not fully connect with your audience. Custom animations require expertise in animation design to produce high-quality content. Regardless of quality, animation can lack authenticity, or a feeling of human connection. 

A compelling solution is hand-drawn whiteboard video where an artist’s hand is filmed as it creates the drawings. This form of drawing is particularly excellent in providing a framework for understanding complex topics. Moreover, the neuroscience behind it explains its power to engage audiences and boost retention.

Things to Consider When Planning Your Visuals

Ultimately, the choice of presentation visuals depends on the presentation objectives and the audience. Visuals make it easier to absorb information by enabling the brain to process information quickly and retain it for longer periods. Here are some considerations in planning presentation visuals:

To take your presentations to the next level, consider using hand-drawn whiteboard video. This powerful medium will illustrate complex ideas and engage your audience in a dynamic and interactive way. To learn more about how hand-drawn whiteboard video can enhance your presentation, contact us today . Let us help you deliver presentations that leave a lasting impression on your audience.

• Understand the purpose: Before creating visuals, understand the role they will play. What is the goal of using visuals? Are they meant to explain a concept, highlight important points, or provide a summary? Knowing the purpose will help you to create relevant and effective visuals.
• Choose appropriate visuals : The choice of visuals should be guided by the content being presented. Are you explaining a process? Are you presenting data or are you interpreting it? Choose visuals that are easy to understand and support the presentation objectives.
• Consider relationships: How do your visuals connect with your message points? How much space/time should a visual have in your presentation? It will help your audience understand better and remember longer if the visuals sync with what is being said. Present your visuals in manageable chunks that directly support your message.
• Keep it simple : Visuals should be simple and easy to understand. Avoid cluttering the visual with too much information or using complicated graphics. Use colors  sparingly and fonts that are easy to read. Create a visual hierarchy that guides the eye.
• Make it accessible : Ensure visuals are accessible to everyone in your audience, including those with visual impairments. Use alternative text, captions, and audio to make visual content accessible.

Incorporating visuals into your presentation is a powerful way to engage and communicate complex information. By understanding the purpose of your visuals, choosing appropriate visuals, organizing the information, keeping it simple, and making it accessible, you can create effective presentations that will stick with your audience long after your presentation is over.

10 Expert Tips to Make Your PowerPoint Presentations More Engaging and Effective!

• Sathish Shanmugam
• January 8, 2023
• No Comments

PowerPoint presentations are an essential part of many business meetings, conferences, and even online classes. However, while PowerPoint can be a great tool to get your message across, it can also easily become boring and unengaging if not done right. Luckily, you can use plenty of tips and tricks to make your presentations more effective and engaging. 

Here are ten expert tips to help you create powerful and engaging PowerPoint presentations.

Table of Contents

1. Organize your content for maximum impact

Use 10-20-30 rule, use colors, shapes, and images effectively to draw attention, ensure design consistency, use visuals to support the narrative, benefits of using animation, things to consider when using animation, incorporate audio, video, and interactive elements, balance multimedia content with other elements, use charts and graphs to illustrate data points, understand the audience, utilize a logical structure, incorporate design templates and slideshows, prepare a script to help you stay on track, 8. consider using presentation platforms, 9. encourage audience participation, ask for feedback, review the notes, check the presentation, follow up with the audience.

Organizing content for PowerPoint presentations is important as it helps to keep the presentation focused and engaging. When organizing content, it is important to create an introduction, body, and conclusion that flow logically. Additionally, it is important to use visual cues such as headings and images to help the audience follow the presentation. Finally, it is important to use a consistent color palette, font, and style to help create a cohesive presentation that is visually appealing and easy to understand.

2. Choose an engaging visual design

When it comes to making a PowerPoint presentation engaging, visuals are key. Visual designs can help set the tone of your presentation and get your message across. Here are some tips on choosing an engaging visual design for your PowerPoint presentations .

The 10-20-30 rule for slideshows suggests that you should have no more than ten slides, 20 minutes of content, and 30-point font size. This is important because too many words or slides can be overwhelming and distracting. Instead, focus on the most important points and let visual elements do the work.

Consider using abstract shapes, large-high-quality photos, and vibrant colors to ensure that the visuals you choose are appealing and draw attention. Additionally, make sure that the visuals you choose are relevant to your message. For example, use visuals to show off its features if you’re discussing a product. You can also embed attractive QR codes with logos to provide more information on that product by linking to external resources.

To ensure that you keep your design consistent throughout the presentation, you must use similar colors and font sizes throughout. To make this easier, you can use dynamic presentation software or a template with hundreds of example slides that all follow the same design theme.

Visual design is an incredibly powerful tool for enhancing the narrative of a PowerPoint presentation. With the right elements, visuals can help to make a presentation more interesting and memorable for the audience. Visuals should be used strategically to support the narrative. Using visuals that reflect the presentation’s theme will help create a cohesive story that resonates with the audience.

Check out the video to learn about the core prinicple of visual design:

3. Enhance the presentation with animation

Animation can enhance a PowerPoint presentation by making it more visually engaging and helping control information flow.

•   Animation can add energy to static images and text and can also be used to add surprise elements that help make the content more memorable.
• Animations can help to draw your audience’s attention, making it easier for them to stay focused and remember the key points of your presentation. 
• It is important to use animations sparingly, as too many animations can detract from the main message of your presentation. So, make sure to use animation to control the presentation’s pace and keep the audience engaged.
• When adding animations, wait until you have added all the information and objects to the slides.
• Ensure that animations are visible and clear in a PowerPoint presentation to help the audience follow the content.
• Animations should also be used to keep the audience on track and help them to jump back into the topic at any time.

How to make animated powerpoint slide?

4. Include multimedia components

Including multimedia components in PowerPoint presentations is an effective way to make them more engaging. Multimedia combines different types of media, such as audio, video, animation, and images, which can help capture and maintain your audience’s attention.

Including multimedia components in Powerpoint presentations is quite easy. For example, you can crop images to fit shapes, play music in the background, embed YouTube videos , insert screenshots or screen clippings, remove background from pictures, combine shapes to create a custom shape, add sound effects to animations, etc.

Multimedia content can be a great way to bring your presentation to life, but it should not be the only element you use. While multimedia content can be eye-catching, too much of it can distract from the message you are trying to convey.

 Instead, try to use a mix of multimedia content, text, images, and diagrams that will help ensure that your presentation is visually appealing and informative. For example, if you have a video clip, don’t just rely on it to convey the message, but rather provide some additional information in the form of a text block or image that summarises the key points of the clip. This will provide context and help support the message you are trying to get across.

 Additionally, consider using multimedia content and other elements such as text, images, and diagrams to create a more interactive presentation. This will help keep the audience engaged and allow them to better understand the message you are trying to communicate.

5. Utilize data visualization and infographics

Utilizing data visualization and infographics in PowerPoint presentations can be beneficial for a few reasons. First, data visualization and infographics can help to illustrate complex concepts in an easy-to-understand way. Additionally, data visualization and infographics can help to make the content more engaging and visually appealing. Furthermore, data visualization and infographics can help ensure the audience can retain the information presented. Finally, data visualization and infographics can help to add a professional look to the presentation.

Charts and graphs are powerful tools to make your PowerPoint presentations more engaging and effective. Not only do they help to break up the presentation to make it easier for the viewers to digest, but they also allow you to provide a visual representation of complex data that is easy to understand.

Here are some tips on how to use charts and graphs effectively in your PowerPoint presentations:

• Choose the right type of chart or graph: You have to choose the right charts or graphs depending on your data. For example, bar graphs are better suited for categorical data, while pie charts are better for numerical data.
• Keep it simple: Avoid overloading your charts and graphs with too much information, as this can make them difficult to read. Stick to just one or two key points you want to illustrate, and choose colors and fonts that are easy to read.
• Label your axes: Make sure your x and y axes are clearly labeled so audiences can easily follow the data points.
• Make sure your data is accurate: Before you present it, double-check to ensure it is accurate and up-to-date. This will ensure that your conclusions are reliable.
• Use the right scale: When creating your chart or graph, make sure that the scale is appropriate. If the scale is too large or small, it can be difficult to interpret the data.

How to make good infographic?

 6. Create an effective structure and flow

Creating an effective structure and flow to make your PowerPoint presentation more engaging is key to captivating your audience. Here are a few ways to create a flow and structure for your PowerPoint presentation .

The first step is understanding your audience and what their needs are. Knowing your audience’s interests can help you tailor your presentation to be more engaging and interactive. Once you have a good idea of who you’re speaking to, create an outline that will focus on the important points of your presentation. You can use the best AI presentation maker to help you with this.

A logical structure helps to organize the information clearly and logically, making it easier for the audience to follow and understand. It also helps to keep the presentation focused and on track, preventing it from becoming disorganized or tangential. A logical structure can be achieved through the use of clear headings and subheadings and visual aids such as charts and diagrams to illustrate key points.

Use design templates and slideshows to keep the look of your presentation consistent and visually appealing. Ensure to align all objects with the grid to ensure your visuals are perfectly in line.

7. Rehearse and practice

Preparing and rehearsing your presentation allows you to get comfortable with the material and will help you convey your message in a more confident and engaging way.

Having a script for your PowerPoint presentation can be an invaluable tool to ensure that you stay on track and keep to the main points you want to make. In addition, by preparing a script, you can ensure that your presentation runs smoothly and is more engaging and effective.

Here are some tips to help you write an effective script:

• Start with an outline of your presentation. This will help you organize your thoughts and ensure you don’t forget any important points.
• Write down the main points you want to make. Think about what information you want to convey in each section and decide how to present it.
• Include visuals. Think about how visuals or diagrams can help illustrate your points.
• Make sure your language is clear and concise. Avoid jargon and long sentences.
• Keep it conversational. Speak to your audience as if you are having a conversation with them.
• Become familiar with it and make sure you don’t forget any important points
• Timing yourself is an important factor in creating a good PowerPoint presentation. It is important to allocate enough time to cover all the necessary information but not so much time that the presentation becomes tedious for the audience. When practicing, note how long it takes to go through each slide. This will allow you to adjust the length of the presentation as needed and ensure that it flows smoothly.

Presentation platforms offer a wide range of features to help you create an interactive, visually appealing experience for your viewers. Many of these platforms have built-in templates and tools that make it easy to customize the look and feel of your slides. They also provide interactive elements such as quizzes, videos, audio clips, and animations that can add life to your presentation and keep your viewers engaged.

Encouraging audience participation is key to making a PowerPoint presentation more engaging. There are several techniques that can be used to foster engagement with the audience during a PowerPoint presentation.

• Firstly, maintaining eye contact, smiling, and using dynamic gestures and facial expressions will help make your message more memorable and engaging.
• Secondly, hosting an expert discussion panel or inviting guest appearances on stage can add an extra layer of engagement for the audience.
• Thirdly, you can use props or tangible objects to demonstrate ideas and allow the audience to engage with them.
• You can ask questions to keep your audience engaged with your PowerPoint presentations. Questions help to build suspense for the next slide, engage the audience in real time, and make people pay closer attention. It also causes people to reflect rather than merely take in the information one way.
• You can use live polling tools to get real-time feedback.

Effective methods to engage an audience in a presentation

10. Follow-up and review

Following up and reviewing a PowerPoint presentation is important in ensuring that the presentation is effective and that the audience understands the main points. There are several ways to follow up and review a presentation:

Ask the audience for feedback on the presentation, including what they found most useful or interesting and what they would like to see more of in the future.

Go over the notes you made during the presentation to see if there are any areas you may have missed or could have explained more clearly.

Review the presentation and make any necessary edits or updates based on the feedback you received.

Follow up with the audience after the presentation to see if they have any additional questions or concerns and to address any issues that may have come up during the presentation.

Creating engaging and powerful presentations with PowerPoint doesn’t have to be daunting. With the right tips and tricks, you can create presentations that will grab and hold your audience’s attention. Try out some expert tips to take your PowerPoint presentations from boring to brilliant! You can also take the help of professional designers to help you out with the visual aspect of  your presentation.

At Graphically.io , we are your go-to for all your creative needs! Our global network of customers can enjoy unlimited, custom-designed graphics and illustrations for one flat rate. We are committed to delivering exceptional and affordable designs, always ready for when you need them, no matter how soon. We also offer video creation in our standard package at no extra cost that can capture and captivate the attention of your clients and potential customers.

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5 Tips To Help You Use Animations Effectively in Presentations

Posted by David Watson . on November 4, 2020

Whilst it may be tempting to add more animation to your presentation, adding too much can in fact be overwhelming. Rather than trying to use animation at every available opportunity, try to keep it to a minimum. Only use animation when you need to. This will help your presentation be more focused and will ensure that the impact of any animation that is used much more powerful.

Consider your content carefully and aim to only animate the most important content. The aim, ultimately, is to use animation to aid your message or to enhance the visual effect, not to detract from it.

Be Consistent

Consistent animations are essential. Rather than using a new type of animation on each page, consider using only two or three types and use these consistently throughout your presentation. Whilst there are many exciting animations available, you want to try to use the one which is most relevant and applicable to your content.

“Using too many different types of animation throughout the course of your presentation can become visually exhausting and cause your audience to completely disengage,” explains James Cormier, a business writer at Paper Fellows and OXEssays . “For this reason, you should think carefully about the impact your chosen animations have on your audience. It’s more effective to have your animations all entering from the same side consistently, helping your audience to stay focused, rather than causing them to get distracted and even miss the message altogether.”

Consider Timing And Pacing

Timing is an important factor where animations are concerned. If you don’t get the duration of the animations right, this could have a negative impact on the whole pacing of your presentation. Slow animations, although interesting and impressive at first, quickly become tedious if used repeatedly throughout the presentation. In general, you want to aim to have fast animations.

“Play around with the duration and timings of animations,” says Ashley Baldwin, a presentation coach at Essay Help and State Of Writing . “Once your presentation is complete, go through it again, but pay specific attention to your animations. Honestly assess whether the pacing and duration is correct and whether the animations are actually contributing to the content or not. Typically, you should aim for animations to have a timing of about 0.5 seconds. Save slower animations for when they are really needed and can make the biggest impact.”

Create A Story

Think about creating a storytelling experience for your audience. Find ways in which slides can connect to one another, creating a path for the audience to follow. An effective way to achieve this is to have connecting elements between each of the slides, so individual slides seem as though they are only pieces of a larger picture. However, you need to ensure that the elements in the slide, particularly if animated, move in the same direction as the transitions to make the effect work successfully.

Make Sure Information Is Clearly Understood

Above all, you need to ensure that your presentation and the subsequent animations that you use make the information being presented easy to understand. Consider how the audience might scan the slide for information and ensure that you add animation effects which help to highlight the important information. Use the animation as a lens to help guide the audience to specific details.

When using animations in your presentation, frequently check whether they are consistent and appropriate. Are the animations helping to present the information and get your message across or are they detracting from it? How are they impacting the pace of your presentation and are they helping to guide the audience or not? Fewer, carefully chosen and powerful animations, can have a bigger, more successful impact on your whole presentation.

Katherine Rundell is a presentation writer at Write My Paper and Dissertation Services . When not writing for Assignment Writer , Katherine works on her first novel.

About Author

David Watson is the founder of DesignDrizzle and is a professional website designer for over 10 years. He has competence in creating visually appealing and user-friendly websites for all the clients. He likes to explore new and creative ideas for designing, photography effects and other inspirational subjects

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.css-1qrtm5m{display:block;margin-bottom:8px;text-transform:uppercase;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5714285714285714;-webkit-letter-spacing:-0.35px;-moz-letter-spacing:-0.35px;-ms-letter-spacing:-0.35px;letter-spacing:-0.35px;font-weight:300;color:#606F7B;}@media (min-width:600px){.css-1qrtm5m{font-size:16px;line-height:1.625;-webkit-letter-spacing:-0.5px;-moz-letter-spacing:-0.5px;-ms-letter-spacing:-0.5px;letter-spacing:-0.5px;}} Best Practices The #1 rule for improving your presentation slides

by Tom Rielly • May 12, 2020

When giving presentations, either on a video conference call or in person, your slides, videos and graphics (or lack of them) can be an important element in helping you tell your story or express your idea. This is the first of a series of blog posts that will give you tips and tricks on how to perfect your visual presentations.

Your job as a presenter is to build your idea -- step-by-step -- in the minds of your audience members. One tool to do that is presentation graphics, such as slides and videos.

Why graphics for your presentation?

A common mistake is using slides or videos as a crutch, even if they don’t actually add anything to your presentation. Not all presentations need graphics. Lots of presentations work wonderfully with just one person standing on a stage telling a story, as demonstrated by many TED Talks.

You should only use slides if they serve a purpose: conveying scientific information, art, and things that are hard to explain without pictures. Once you have decided on using slides, you will have a number of decisions to make. We’ll help you with the basics of making a presentation that is, above all, clear and easy to understand. The most important thing to remember here is: less is more.

Less is so much more

You want to aim for the fewest number of slides, the fewest number of photos, the fewest words per slide, the least cluttered slides and the most white space on your slides. This is the most violated slide rule, but it is the secret to success. Take a look at these examples.

As you can see in the above example, you don’t need fancy backgrounds or extra words to convey a simple concept. If you take “Everything you need to know about Turtles”, and delete “everything you need to know about” leaving just “turtles”, the slide has become much easier for your audience to read, and tells the story with economy.

The above example demonstrates that a single image that fills the entire screen is far more powerful than a slide cluttered with images. A slide with too many images may be detrimental to your presentation. The audience will spend more mental energy trying to sort through the clutter than listening to your presentation. If you need multiple images, then put each one on its own slide. Make each image high-resolution and have it fill the entire screen. If the photos are not the same dimensions as the screen, put them on a black background. Don’t use other colors, especially white.

Your slides will be much more effective if you use the fewest words, characters, and pictures needed to tell your story. Long paragraphs make the audience strain to read them, which means they are not paying attention to you. Your audience may even get stressed if you move on to your next slide before they’ve finished reading your paragraph. The best way to make sure the attention stays on you is to limit word count to no more than 10 words per slide. As presentation expert Nancy Duarte says “any slide with more than 10 words is a document.” If you really do need a longer explanation of something, handouts or follow-up emails are the way to go.

Following a “less is more” approach is one of the simplest things you can do to improve your presentation visuals and the impact of your presentation overall. Make sure your visuals add to your presentation rather than distract from it and get your message across.

Ready to learn more about how to make your presentation even better? Get TED Masterclass and develop your ideas into TED-style talks.

© 2024 TED Conferences, LLC. All rights reserved. Please note that the TED Talks Usage policy does not apply to this content and is not subject to our creative commons license.

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• Inspiration

17 fun presentation ideas (with video!) to wow your audience

• 30 Mar 2023

So you want to be the next Steve Jobs. Or Martin Luther King. Or any other dazzling orator you look up to. But you need a little something to add to your presentation ideas – you don’t want to bore people to death with Powerpoint.

Whether you’re creating a sales presentation, an event presentation, or just showing your travel video to Uncle Ron, we’ve compiled some of the best ways to get your audience seriously hyped up about your message.

Biteable offers online video presentation software, so we know a thing or two about making engaging presentation videos. In this guide, we share some of our favorite video presentation inspiration and show you some of the different types of presentations you might consider.

When you’re ready to make your own video presentation, head over to  Biteable  for hundreds of brandable templates, video scenes, and workplace-ready animations. With Biteable, making a video presentation is as easy as making a PowerPoint – only a whole lot more fun.

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Types of video presentations

If you’re looking to win over your audience with a presentation, videos are the best way to do it. According to Insivia, viewers retain  95% of a message  when they see it in a video, but only 10% if they have to read on-screen text.

When you’re making your presentation, you could either make your video the whole presentation, or just a part of the whole. Did you know, for example, that you can  embed a video in a Powerpoint document?  Either is possible with our video templates and it can be interesting to mix things up once in a while.

There are four main types of presentations:

• Informative
• Demonstrative
• Inspirational

Picking the right one will ensure you’re onto a winner with your video presentation. For example, if you’re onboarding some new employees, you might choose a video template that’s an informative presentation like this one:

Or, if you want to show off how something works, a demonstration presentation might be what you want to create:

A persuasive presentation would involve creating a video more like this charity infographic example:

And if you want something a little more inspirational, try something like this positive quote video template.

But that’s not all, folks! If you’d like to check out more awesome Biteable video templates, visit our  templates page here .

Creative (and fun!) video presentation ideas

You’ve now picked the type of presentation you need. But how do you get creative with your video?

First of all, it’s important your video is top-notch. Without high-quality graphics and production value, your message may fall by the wayside. Choose online  video presentation software  that’s easy to use and makes great-looking videos. That’s where Biteable comes in.

Whatever the topic of your presentation, your video format and design need to match the overall tone and message.

Delivering a corporate presentation on climate change? A fast-paced, wildly colorful template with upbeat music is going to feel a little off-message.

To identify how to design your presentation, think about the feelings you want to evoke in your audience. Want them to be crying with laughter? Moved to tears? Motivated into taking action? Pinpointing the emotions behind your presentation will help you choose the right template and make the best video possible.

17 great video presentation ideas

Now you’ve nailed down the type of video presentation you want to make, it’s time to master the finer details. Here’s just some of the ways you can make your message sing.

1. Start with a bold statement

A bold statement can capture your audience’s attention right from the get-go. Your statement should offer something slightly unusual and maybe even a little controversial. Something to make people sit up and take notice.

2. Tell a story

One of the best ways to get your audience’s attention is to tell a story – it’ll hit them right in the feels.

A personal, human story works because it the audience can relate to it on a personal level. Think about some stand-out examples of human stories that relate to your business or idea, and tell that story so people will connect with the central character. The bigger the emotion the better: love, longing, overcoming obstacles, things we’ve all had to deal with at some point in our lives.

Think about the  ‘story arc’  – how will you frame your message so the audience immediately empathizes?

If you’re selling trainers, perhaps you’ll talk about someone who’s training for a marathon. If you’re lobbying for women’s rights, perhaps you’ll tell a story of when a passing comment affected you deeply. Maybe you should think back to the decision that started your business, and start your presentation with that.

Here’s a great example of storytelling from one of the world’s top brands:

3. Use music

Music has great power to support and enhance the emotion in a video presentation, and has been proven to sustain an audience’s attention and aid in information retention. Music is used in movies to suggest an emotional state to the viewer, so why not in a video presentation?

Modern, up-tempo music will snap people to attention at the right moment, while slow, minor-key sounds relax the brain, which is useful for reviewing content so it can slip more easily into long-term memory.

It can be a struggle to find good quality  royalty free music , but here at Biteable we have a selection of great royalty free tracks (or you can upload your own if you’re that way inclined).

Music is one of the most critical (and often overlooked) aspects of any presentation. Here’s a good example of a Biteable template where the music does a great job of supporting the message.

4. Visual metaphor

Research has shown that combining pictures and text is one of the best ways to help people engage with and retain information. There’s something about how our brain works that makes text by itself far less memorable, so if you can combine something visual with your message, you’ll keep people’s attention longer and they’ll remember more of your presentation.

Talking to a group of people about taking action on something that scares them? A picture of someone diving or bungee jumping could work. Telling your boss how important that company retreat is next year? Show them an image of happy, relaxed people with their toes in the sand.

It doesn’t have to be obvious and clichéd, either. Closed doors, wide open roads, and lighting a candle all have subconscious messages that you don’t really need to explain. (Whatever you do, just don’t use the ultimate cliche: the overused  ‘water ripple’ .)

5. Use questions

Questions can be a great way to open a presentation, because they encourage the audience to think for themselves. It opens them up to a realm of critical thinking, which is perfect when you’re gonna sock it to them with your impactful message.

‘Did you know 15 billion trees are cut down each year?’

‘Have you ever considered what life would be like if you didn’t have to save money?’

The art of asking questions in a presentation means you can incorporate them into your video as a great lead-in. Combined with some appropriate music, it can really get your audience thinking about the issue, and then you’ll go on to explain exactly what your solution is.

Having a laugh can really do a lot to win over an audience. There’s no need to be too serious, and even if you’re dealing with a heavy topic, lightening the mood can work wonders.

Whether you’re looking to create a funny sales video, an event presentation, or a presentation for an interview — one thing’s for sure, you can’t go wrong by including humor.

7. Repetition

Simple. Effective. Powerful.

Repetition can be used in several ways: by offering several one-word sentences in a row (the repetition is in the rhythm), or by repeating a word or a key phrase several time throughout your presentation.

In his famous Stanford speech in 2005, for example, Steve Jobs concluded by saying  “Stay hungry. Stay foolish.”

Repetition is powerful. It drives home your key message and strengthens your position.

8. Motion Graphics

Motion graphics  are basically animation with text as a major component, and is a staple of what we do at Biteable.

When you use moving graphics in a presentation, it instantly captures attention. If your audience is just taking their seats, or are halfway through hearing your story, there’s no doubt they’ll sit up and take notice if you introduce some cool motion graphics, like this Meeting Tips example.

Although they can sometimes feel clichéd, quotes are a great way to impart a message in a presentation. Want your audience to understand something complex? A quote from Einstein should do it. Or would you like to say something meaningful and poetic? A couple of lines of Shakespeare should convey some wisdom.

10. Audio narration

Narration can give a different mood to your presentation, especially if the voice is powerful and the words are heartfelt. Use it to change the tone or pace of your presentation and it will certainly keep your audience hooked if there’s a danger of them losing interest.

11. Go bright with color

Color can have a huge effect on how your video comes across. Don’t be afraid to experiment. The contrasts of black and white can be extremely effective, but you can also grab people’s attention with some carefully-chosen primary and secondary colors, like in our Motion Graphics template.

12. Use illustrations

Illustrations are a great way to communicate information, especially if you’ve got lots to say. Whether you want to create a crowd of people or a cool depiction of some new fancy gadget, illustrations can draw the eye and make your presentation more interesting.

13. Infographics

When you utilize infographics, you can pack in a huge amount of data and information without confusing your audience. Think pie charts, digital numbers, and ascending animated graphs. These can show your audience boring data in an exciting way.

14. Create interesting transitions

The one advantage of video over a standard presentation is that you can do all types of funky things with transitions, like a whip pan transition, when the camera quickly pans between scenes. It’s a bit like a wipe, but much faster. Check out our full article on transitions  here .

15. Make it look cinematic

Adding a cinematic touch can help your audience feel receptive to your message because subconsciously, they will associate these elements with being at the cinema, eating popcorn, and generally having a good time.

16. Go retro

A cool, retro look for your presentation will make it hard to ignore. By going retro, you add a little bit of cheeky style to your message. You don’t need to go  quite as retro as the template below, but taking a step back in time is a sure way to add a little bit of zing to things.

17. End on a meaningful note

Your presentation will only give your audience a lasting impression if you end it right.

It’s important to let the audience know what you want them to do next: to visit a website for more information, to ponder an idea or new direction, or to take action toward a particular goal.

An attention-grabbing visual will work really well here, along with a meaningful end to the music – a change of pace, volume, or pitch.

What’s the takeaway message? A strong CTA (call to action) will ensure your presentation is memorable and much more likely to be talked about.

Video brings your presentation alive

Of course, we’re a little biased here at Biteable, but we’ve also sat through enough mind-numbingly dull presentations to know that video offers a delightful treat for your audience. It brings your message to life in a way no other medium can.

Ready to start crafting your presentation? Check out our range of templates  here .

Make stunning videos with ease.

Take the struggle out of team communication.

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The Power Of Visuals: How To Use Images And Graphics To Enhance Your Presentations

Nothing is as frustrating as sitting in a boring presentation where you struggle to concentrate for hours. Various reasons can cause a boring presentation. For example, a speaker who uses confusing language or doesn’t know how to keep an audience engaged. Boredom can be avoided by using visuals. Visuals are magnificent in showing your ideas to your audience and guiding them with context and data. So let’s explore the power of visuals in enhancing presentations.

What Are Visuals in a Presentation? The Answer

Visuals are usually graphic and used to emphasize something rather than words. Visual presentation examples include graphs, diagrams, animations, video clips, and photographs.

Why Visuals Are Important in Presentation: Reasons and How to Use Them

There are various reasons visuals are important in a slideshow. They include:

• Hooking the audience
• Enhancing understanding
• Making the exhibition memorable

Now that you know what visuals are and their importance during presentations, let’s see how to use them to enhance a presentation.

Keep Them Simple

Whether you make the deck yourself or outsource it to experts such as SlidePeak , the visuals should be easy to read and retain the message you are putting across. To achieve this, avoid confusing images and graphics. The visuals should be easy to understand even by looking at them from a distance. If you are using text, minimize them and choose a font size that is big enough to read.

Apart from being simple, ensure the visuals apply to your message. Irrelevant images will detract the audience from the topic. Instead, create visuals for presentations that relate to the discussion and enhance your slideshow.

Use High-Quality Images

High-quality images can substantially affect how your audience views your message. Low-quality visuals are blurry and won’t display your message clearly, making your audience lose interest. Consider several things when you want your images to be of high quality. The first is the resolution of the image. Resolution refers to the number of pixels in an image and determines its clarity and detail. The higher the resolution, the clearer and more detailed the image. Also, make sure your images are large enough for your intended use. You can check the size of an image by looking at its dimensions in pixels or inches.

Use Animations Moderately

Animations are significant in enhancing your presentations, but you should strategically use them. Use animations only when they add value to your presentation and help to clarify or emphasize a specific point. For example, avoid using animations to make your slideshow more visual. Instead, provide context and introduce the video to your audience. Explain how the video relates to your message and what your audience can expect to learn or gain from watching it.

Incorporate Videos

Adding videos to your deck allows you to illustrate complicated thoughts, show real-life examples, and provide an interactive presentation. Ensure your video is at the point of your discussion to avoid detracting from the topic. Also, do a brief introduction of the video. Finally, explain to your audience what the video is about and how it’s related to your topic so they can gain some information from it. Remember, most videos are copyright protected. So, ensure you have paid for the video you’ll use or you get permission from the owner.

Types of Visuals for Presentations: Top Ones That Will Spice Up Your Exhibition

There are various types of visuals for exhibitions. But the effectiveness of visuals in a good presentation depends on what you are presenting. So pick the most suitable ones. The different types include:

• Slideshows – contain a variety of slides with text and images.
• Storyboards – have sketches or mages that outline film production visuals.
• Interactive presentations – are designed as a connection to the audience. An example of interactive presentations is quizzes.
• Virtual reality presentations – use VR technology to build captivating experiences for the audience.
• Images – pictures that add context, create emotional impact or illustrate a point.
• Charts and graphs – act as a way to represent data visually. They help clarify complicated ideas and make them accessible to the audience.
• Diagrams – diagrams are visual representations of processes, systems, or concepts. They can help to simplify complex ideas.
• Videos – videos can add variety to your presentation and provide a more dynamic experience for the audience. They can also show a process or concept.

Final Thoughts

There are numerous types of visual presentations, which are vital for any successful presentation. They help keep the audience by grabbing their attention and making complex ideas simple. You can design a memorable and engaging slideshow using various visuals, like graphs or images. So whenever you are creating a deck, remember to add visuals to enhance the impact of your message.

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• Communication

How to Tell Effective Visual Stories in Your PowerPoint Presentations (+Video)

Long, boring presentations don't work. They're full of text-heavy slides and the conclusions tend to be hidden at the end of the presentation, taking too much time to reach. Those presentations are bound to be forgotten.

The solution is to get visual. Charts and graphs, infographics, stock photos and more can combine to combat the text-heavy slides that give PowerPoint a lousy reputation.

Great presentations take your audience on a journey. Visuals support that journey by immersing your audience. In this tutorial, I'll give you visual presentation ideas , and help you build an engaging presentation. Let's dive in.

Key Components of Great Visual Storytelling in PowerPoint

When it comes to storytelling using PowerPoint, it’s crucial to focus on business storytelling. The story you share, while it's about your business, has to resonate with your audience and encourage them to take action.  

In a lot of ways, business storytelling isn't all that different from the stories we remember from our childhood. In order for your story to resonate, you've got to have the key elements of a great narrative: 

• Traditional story structure . Your story needs to have a beginning, a middle, and an end. This is the simplest structure you can follow and incorporate into your presentations for more impact.
• Human element . Your story also needs a hero. It should be someone your audience can relate to, someone who makes them stop and think why they should care about the topic of your presentation. Introduce your hero at the beginning. Then share a relatable background story that'll hook them into wanting to learn more.
• Conflict . The middle of your presentation should introduce a conflict. In a business setting, this can be all about challenges and obstacles your hero needs to overcome. What burning problem does your audience have? What’s preventing them from taking the plunge and investing into your products and services?
• Resolution . The end of your story needs a happy resolution. This is the area where you can use graphs, charts, icons, and infographic elements to show what the success looks like. Remember to always refer to the hero and what the data has to do with them.

The elements above are the basics for building a great narrative. But those elements alone aren't enough to make a great presentation. You also need visuals to go with it.

According to research (source: Boston Globe, Global Business Hub), we’re able to process images 60,000 faster than information presented as text alone. Also, we can recall up to 65% of information received if it’s accompanied with an image three days later.

Align your story with your visuals to make it come to life and engage your audience.

Top Tips on How to Tell Effective Visual Stories in Your PowerPoint Presentations (Video)

Do you want a quick headstart with some of our best tips for storytelling using PowerPoint? Check out our video below:

5 Quick Tips to Tell More Effective Visual Stories in PowerPoint

So, you already know that visuals matter. You might be wondering how to build an effective visual presentation. There are so many different ways to craft a presentation that it can be daunting to know where to start. Storytelling in PowerPoint is all about reaching an audience in a unique way that stands out.

Let's look at four tried-and-true PowerPoint visual tips for building a visual presentation. Use these tips in your next PowerPoint to make sure that your presentation makes an impact and drives the story in the way you imagined.

1. Align Your Story With Your Visuals

A story is more effective when you've got PowerPoint visuals that align with it. Create a stronger emotional connection with your audience and make a greater impact with your presentation. If you want your visuals to be effective, keep the following in mind:

• Use authentic photos . Styled feeds and flawless images are beautiful. But they won’t help you make a connection with your audience. Opt for candid shots and look for images that convey what you stand for as a brand. 
• Make them relevant . Be aware of what’s happening in the world around you. Use photos that are relevant to the time and the culture. Remember, your brand doesn’t exist in a bubble. Ignoring current events can do more harm than good.
• Use images that engage the senses . As great as your images are, they're not a replacement for the real thing. But you can get pretty close by using images that engage the senses. Use macro shots and closeups to show textures. Or opt for a long shot that offers a wide perspective so your audience can immerse themselves into the scene.

2. Convert Data Tables to Graphics

Whether you're giving a business pitch or reviewing the results of a project, it's likely that your slides include some data. After all, hard facts and stats can show that your company or project is moving in the right direction.

The mistake that I see many presenters make is loading up slides with critical data and statistics in plain text format. When you overwhelm the audience with  too many  data points, it's likely that they'll forget them. 

That's why you should consider converting basic data sets to charts and graphs instead. Line charts, bar charts, and more can all convert flat data into effective visual presentations.

If you're getting started in working with data in PowerPoint and want to help your audience visualize it, check out the tutorial below:

3. Remove Unnecessary Elements

You're the presentation when you're speaking to an audience. The slides are just a supporting point.

Rookie presenters often the slide up with every imaginable detail—this is a mistake! You'll know this has happened if the audience's eyes glaze over and they start checking their cell phones. To avoid losing your audience's attention, remove any element that doesn't make an impact.

Here are a few common mistakes I see in content-heavy slides:

• Paragraphs  with many sentences have no place in a presentation. Instead, convert these to talking points instead.
• Too many  animations bring the content on in too many stages, creating distractions that dilute the message.
• As mentioned above, eschew  data tables  and represent information as a simple visual chart instead.

A visual presentation should focus on a few key objects. Use only as much as needed to tell the story, and no more.

Many times, excess slide content should be moved into a non-visual speaker note and presented verbally. Learn more about using the speaker notes feature in the quick video lesson below:

It's fine to use PowerPoint to build files that are detail rich. For example, I often use PowerPoint to create work instructions for my team or clients. 

But this isn't the type of  presentation  that I plan to present to an audience. Learn the difference between PowerPoint as a layout tool, and PowerPoint as a tool for building visually appealing presentations.

Less is more. If you remove unnecessary slide elements, your audience will re-focus on the key points. That helps you drive your message. This is a crucial principle for visual presentation ideas.

If your PowerPoint slide layout has too many elements on it, whittle it down to the key concepts with the tutorial below:

4. Add Images, Video, and Graphics

This tip seems like a no-brainer: to be visual, you've got to include visual elements on your slides. Luckily, PowerPoint does a great job of handling images and visuals:

• Stock photos  are a great way to put your audience in the middle of a scene. Professional photography brings a sense of polish to almost any presentation.
• Short video clips  provide a nice change-of-pace. They can present your idea from a different perspective. For example, consider a YouTube explainer video that discusses an expert's view on an issue.
• Graphics and illustrations  can add another visual element to explain ideas. Like the graphic in the opener to this tutorial, for example!

Typically, I source all these from Envato Elements when building a presentation . The advantage of using Elements is that it's a flat-rate subscription model. It includes access to many creative tools , like PowerPoint presentation templates, stock photos, and graphics.

To keep learning more about how to include multimedia in your visual PowerPoint presentations, jump over to the articles below:

5. Show Off Process Steps With Infographics

Processes keep the world running. Whether it's the way that a company handles its order system, or a university admitting students step-by-step, robust processes make sure that teams can grow, and things run smoothly.

It's common to show off a process in a presentation. It's better to use visual elements than walls of text to describe a process. That's why I often use infographics to add a visual angle to explaining a process.

 An infographic is all about taking simple information and transforming it into a visual explainer. Of course, infographics can cover a lot more than process steps. But the idea is the same: take text-based information and convert it to great visuals for presentations.

For visual PowerPoint presentation examples that include the best infographics, check out the two pieces below:

Use Templates for Visual Stories in Microsoft PowerPoint

Throughout this tutorial, we've showcased example slides that include the best visual presentation ideas. All the examples I've shown you for visual presentation examples are included at a flat rate , thanks to Envato Elements.

If you want visual presentation ideas, then the Envato Elements library is for you. Best of all, you can jump from one presentation template to the next to glean your favorite ideas. Borrow concepts and slide designs from each template to bring together a cohesive presentation.

I always recommend adding imagery, video, and graphics to take your visual presentation to the next level. Elements also includes unlimited access to those as well. There's a huge stock photo library that you can use to improve your presentation.

Using templates is all about giving you visual presentation ideas. The graphic designers and expert presenters that build these templates have given you a head start in designing your next presentation. 

5 Top PowerPoint PPT Templates for Better Visual Storytelling

Now you know how to use storytelling to create more engaging presentations. Plus, you know where to find the best templates to use as a starting point for your presentation.

Here are our top five PowerPoint templates from Envato Elements. Download your favorite today and start working on your presentation slide deck: 

1. Be PowerPoint Template

The Be PowerPoint template has a beautiful, clean design. You’ll find 125 unique slides that combine text, images, and other visual elements to help you create an engaging story. The template also includes 550+ unique icons and image placeholders for easier editing. It was designed in full HD resolution and it’s easy to customize. 

2. Kalium PowerPoint Presentation

Kalium is another gorgeous PowerPoint presentation designed for business presentations. It offers text slides, image slides, and a combination of text slides with images so you can tell your story effectively. It’s easy to customize and comes with 50 unique slides designed in full HD resolution.

3. Minimalism PowerPoint Template

Try this template if you’re looking for a way to make an impact with your story. Clear of clutter and distractions, the minimalist slides help draw attention to the text and make the visuals stand out. The template includes:

• more than 50 unique slides
• image placeholders
• custom icons
• and vector shapes 

4. Permanent PowerPoint Template

The Permanent template is a great choice if you want to pair color psychology with storytelling for the most impact. This slide design features full color backgrounds. Easily customize them with your brand colors. The template comes with 32 master slides designed in standard 4:3 resolution.

5. Clean Business PowerPoint Template

This clean business PowerPoint template offers several slides that use photos as the background. The slides also incorporate a subtle text overlay. This makes them a great choice for enhancing your presentation with story. The template comes with 50 slides in full HD resolution and image placeholders for easy editing.

Learn How to Make Great Presentations (Download This Free eBook)

Take the PowerPoint tips you learned in this article further with our eBook: The Complete Guide to Making Great Presentations ( grab it now for FREE ) . 

It'll help walk you through the complete presentation process. Learn how to write your presentation, design it like a pro, and prepare it to present powerfully.

Tell an Effective Visual Story in PowerPoint Today

Effective visual presentations are a must. They cater to the expectations of modern audiences and help you tell a story with images, graphs, and more. The visual angle of a presentation explains ideas in a way that reaches your audience.

The easiest way to tell a great visual story is to start with a template that already has a wealth of visual ideas for a presentation. Jump over to Envato Elements for an all-you-can-download option for sourcing visual presentation ideas . 

Editorial Note : This post was originally published on April of 2019. It's been comprehensively updated with special help from Brenda Barron . A video has been added by Nathan Umoh .

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How to Make a “Good” Presentation “Great”

• Guy Kawasaki

Remember: Less is more.

A strong presentation is so much more than information pasted onto a series of slides with fancy backgrounds. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others. Here are some unique elements that make a presentation stand out.

• Fonts: Sans Serif fonts such as Helvetica or Arial are preferred for their clean lines, which make them easy to digest at various sizes and distances. Limit the number of font styles to two: one for headings and another for body text, to avoid visual confusion or distractions.
• Colors: Colors can evoke emotions and highlight critical points, but their overuse can lead to a cluttered and confusing presentation. A limited palette of two to three main colors, complemented by a simple background, can help you draw attention to key elements without overwhelming the audience.
• Pictures: Pictures can communicate complex ideas quickly and memorably but choosing the right images is key. Images or pictures should be big (perhaps 20-25% of the page), bold, and have a clear purpose that complements the slide’s text.
• Layout: Don’t overcrowd your slides with too much information. When in doubt, adhere to the principle of simplicity, and aim for a clean and uncluttered layout with plenty of white space around text and images. Think phrases and bullets, not sentences.

As an intern or early career professional, chances are that you’ll be tasked with making or giving a presentation in the near future. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others.

• Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist at Canva and was the former chief evangelist at Apple. Guy is the author of 16 books including Think Remarkable : 9 Paths to Transform Your Life and Make a Difference.

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Learning Animation Principles for Stunning Visuals

• Published: July 23, 2024
• By: Yellowbrick

When it comes to animation, understanding and applying animation principles is crucial for creating visually captivating and engaging content. Whether you’re a seasoned animator looking to enhance your skills or a newcomer eager to dive into the world of animation, mastering these principles will set you on the path to success.

1. Timing and Spacing

One of the fundamental principles of animation is timing and spacing. This involves determining the speed and rhythm of movements within a scene. By manipulating the timing and spacing of keyframes, animators can convey different emotions and actions effectively. Understanding how to control the pace of movements is essential for creating realistic and engaging animations.

2. Squash and Stretch

Squash and stretch is a technique that adds a sense of weight and flexibility to objects and characters in motion. This principle allows animators to exaggerate movements to create a more dynamic and expressive animation. By applying squash and stretch effectively, animators can breathe life into their creations and make them more engaging to the audience.

3. Anticipation

Anticipation is the principle of preparing the audience for an upcoming action. By incorporating subtle movements or gestures before the main action occurs, animators can make the animation feel more natural and believable. Anticipation helps build anticipation and adds depth to the character’s movements, making the animation more engaging and realistic.

4. Follow Through and Overlapping Action

Follow through and overlapping action are techniques used to create a sense of fluidity and natural motion in animations. Follow through involves animating the parts of a character or object that continue moving after the main action has stopped. Overlapping action refers to the movement of different parts of a character at varying speeds to mimic real-life motion. By incorporating follow through and overlapping action, animators can make their animations more lifelike and dynamic.

Arcs are essential in animation as they mimic the natural movements of objects and characters. Most movements in real life follow an arc trajectory, and animators use this principle to create smooth and realistic animations. By animating characters and objects along arced paths, animators can make their animations more visually appealing and believable.

6. Exaggeration

Exaggeration is a key principle that allows animators to emphasize and amplify movements or expressions to create a more engaging and expressive animation. By exaggerating certain aspects of a character or action, animators can convey emotions more effectively and make their animations stand out. Finding the right balance of exaggeration is crucial to create visually appealing animations without losing the essence of the character or scene.

Staging in animation refers to the presentation of an idea, character, or action in a clear and visually compelling way. Effective staging directs the audience’s attention to the most critical elements of the scene and helps convey the intended message or emotion. By carefully planning the composition and framing of each shot, animators can create visually stunning and impactful animations.

8. Solid Drawing

Solid drawing is the foundation of good animation, emphasizing the importance of understanding form, weight, and volume in characters and objects. By mastering solid drawing techniques, animators can create more realistic and three-dimensional animations. Strong drawing skills are essential for bringing characters to life and conveying their personalities effectively through animation.

Appeal is a crucial principle in animation that focuses on creating characters and designs that are visually appealing and engaging to the audience. Animators strive to design characters with unique personalities and traits that resonate with viewers. By incorporating appealing character designs and animations, animators can captivate their audience and leave a lasting impression.

10. Secondary Action

Secondary action refers to the additional movements or actions that complement the main action in a scene. These secondary actions help add depth and complexity to animations, making them more engaging and immersive. By incorporating secondary actions that support the main movement, animators can create more dynamic and visually interesting animations.

By knowing these animation principles, you can elevate your animation skills and create stunning visuals that captivate audiences. Whether you’re creating animations for entertainment, advertising, gaming, or any other industry, understanding and applying these principles will set you apart as a skilled animator in the competitive world of animation.

Key Takeaways:

• Learning animation principles is essential for creating visually captivating and engaging content.
• Key principles include timing and spacing, squash and stretch, anticipation, follow through, arcs, exaggeration, staging, solid drawing, appeal, and secondary action.
• Understanding and applying these principles can elevate animation skills and create stunning visuals.
• These principles enhance the quality of animations and bring characters and scenes to life.
• Mastering these principles makes animations more realistic and engaging.
• Both seasoned animators and newcomers can benefit from mastering these principles.
• Success in the competitive animation industry is achievable by mastering these foundational principles.

Consider taking the NYU Animation Industry Essentials online course and certificate program offered by Yellowbrick to further enhance your animation skills and gain valuable insights into the industry. This comprehensive program will provide you with the knowledge and tools needed to succeed in the ever-evolving world of animation. Elevate your animation career today with NYU Animation Industry Essentials!

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Using visual aids during a presentation or training session

June 21, 2018 - Gini Beqiri

Visual aids can enhance your presentations – they can increase the audience’s understanding of your topic, explain points, make an impact and create enthusiasm. It has become more important to make information visual:

“Something is happening. We are becoming a visually mediated society. For many, understanding of the world is being accomplished, not through words, but by reading images” – ( Lester, 2006 )

In this article, we discuss how to use visual aids for presentations or training sessions.

What are visual aids?

Visual aids are items of a visual manner, such as graphs, photographs, video clips etc used in addition to spoken information. Visual aids are chosen depending on their purpose, for example, you may want to:

• Summarise information.
• Reduce the amount of spoken words, for example, you may show a graph of your results rather than reading them out.
• Clarify and show examples.
• Create more of an impact, for example, if your presentation is on the health risks of smoking, you may show images of the effects of smoking on the body rather than describing this. You must consider what type of impact you want to make beforehand – do you want the audience to be sad, happy, angry etc?
• Emphasise what you’re saying.
• Make a point memorable.
• Enhance your credibility .
• Engage the audience and maintain their interest.
• Make something easier for the audience to understand.

Preparation and use of visual aids

Once you have decided that you want to use a visual aid, you must ensure that the audience is able to quickly understand the image – it must be clear. They can be used throughout your speech but try to only use visual aids for essential points as it can be tiring for the audience to skip from one visual to another.

Preparation

• Think about how can a visual aid can support your message. What do you want the audience to do?
• Ensure that your visual aid follows what you’re saying or this will confuse the audience.
• Avoid cluttering the image as it may look messy and unclear.
• Visual aids must be clear, concise and of a high quality.
• Keep the style consistent, such as, the same font, colours, positions etc
• Use graphs and charts to present data.
• The audience should not be trying to read and listen at the same time – use visual aids to highlight your points.
• One message per visual aid, for example, on a slide there should only be one key point.
• Use visual aids in moderation – they are additions meant to emphasise and support main points.
• Ensure that your presentation still works without your visual aids in case of technical problems.
• Practice using the visual aids in advance and ask friends and colleagues for feedback. Ask them whether they can clearly see the visual aid and how they interpret it.

During the presentation

• Ensure that the visual aids can be seen by everyone in the audience.
• Face the audience most of the time rather than the image.
• Avoid reading from the visual aid.
• As soon as you show the visual aid the audience’s attention will be drawn to it so you must immediately explain it. You will be ignored if you talk about something else.
• Make it clear to the audience why you are using it.
• When you no longer need the visual aid ensure that the audience can’t see it.

Tailor to your audience

Choose your visual aids tactically so you appeal to your audience. This means finding images your audience can relate to, images they will find familiar and images they will like. Also think about what style of visual aid is suitable for the audience; is it quite a serious presentation? Can you be humorous? Is it more formal or informal?

Example of using visual aids

When watching this video, notice how the presenters:

• Talk to the audience while writing
• Turn their body to the audience while writing
• Don’t spend too long writing in one session

Types of visual aids

There are a variety of different types of visual aids, you must decide which will suit your presentation and your audience.

Microsoft PowerPoint is widely used for presentations because it’s easy to create attractive and professional presentations and it’s simple to modify and reorganise content compared to other visual aids. You can  insert a range of visual items  into the slides which will improve the audience’s focus. Also, the audience can generally see slideshows better than other visual aids and you don’t have to face away from them. However, your presentation can look unprofessional if this software is used poorly.

• Have a clear and simple background.
• Avoid using too many different types of fonts or font sizes.
• Only use animations for a purpose, such as, to reveal the stages of a process, otherwise this can be distracting and look amateurish.
• Use a large font size – a minimum of 24pt.
• Use bullet points to summarise key points.
• Consider providing handouts of diagrams because the audience will find the diagrams easier to read.
• Avoid putting too much text on a slide.
• Avoid using red or green text as it’s difficult to read.
• There should only be one key point for each slide.
• Always have a back-up plan in case there is a technical issue and you cannot show the visuals on the day, for example, bring handouts or a poster.

Whiteboards

Whiteboards are great for providing further explanations, such as, showing the order of a process, creating diagrams or explaining complex words or phrases. They’re often used to display headings and write down audience suggestions. Whiteboards are also ideal for displaying important information for the entire duration of the presentation, such as, key definitions, because the audience can just glance at the whiteboard for a reminder.

• Ensure that enough time has passed for the audience to take notes before rubbing something off of the whiteboard.
• Write concisely to avoid facing away from the audience for too long.
• Handwriting must be large and legible.
• Practice beforehand as you may feel nervous about writing in front of an audience at the time.

Handouts are papers that contain key information from your presentation or they may provide further information. They prevent you from overwhelming the audience as there will be less information on the slides and therefore less information they need to write down.

You must consider when you want to give the audience the handouts:

• If given at the beginning and middle of your presentation the audience may be reading rather than listening to you or they might not pay attention to what you’re saying as they already have the information.
• If given at the end of your presentation the audience may be trying to take lots of notes which may reduce the amount of information they are actually understanding.

To manage this, provide the audience with partially completed handouts so they will have to listen to what you’re saying to be able to fill in the gaps. Providing the audience with graphs and charts beforehand is also beneficial because the audience will find them easier to read than, for example, from a slide.

• Tips on creating handouts for your presentation

Video clips

Using videos are a great wait to  engage the audience  and increase their interest. Use video to bring motion, images and audio into your presentation.

• Ensure that any videos used are relevant to the presentation’s content.
• Only show as much of the video as necessary.
• Never show a really long clip.
• Videos can be difficult to fit into the structure of a presentation so ensure that you tell that audience why you’re showing them a clip and tell them what to look for.
• Inform the audience how long the video will last.

Flip charts offer a low cost and low tech solution to record and convey information as you speak. They’re more beneficial for smaller audiences and they are favoured for brainstorming sessions as you can gather ideas easily. Flip charts are also widely used for summarising information and, like with a whiteboard, you can use them to show permanent background information.

• Before your presentation, place the flip chart in a location that you can easily access.
• Prepare any sheets you can in advance, even if you can only write down the headings.
• Flip charts can be moved so you can avoid facing away from the audience – stand next to it and continue to face the audience.
• Have only one main idea per sheet.
• Write legibly, largely and in block capitals so it’s more visible.
• Check with the audience that they can read the text – do not use a flipchart if there is a large audience.
• Only write in black and blue ink. Red ink is good for circling or underlining.
• Using a pencil write notes to yourself beforehand so you remember what to include – the audience will not see this writing. Also drawing lines in pencil beforehand can keep your handwriting straight.
• Flip back through the sheets to consolidate points.
• Practice writing on the flip chart advance as you may feel nervous at the time of presenting.

Poster boards can be created using a variety of visual devices, such as graphs and images. They’re generally quite portable and you can make them as elaborate as you want. However, they can be expensive to produce if the poster is quite complex.

• One poster per message or theme
• Use block capitals
• Avoid using posters when presenting to large audiences as they will not be able to see the content

Product, objects or artefacts

Objects can be useful tools for making an impact or even for making a dull topic more interesting. Sometimes they’ll be needed for technical and practical reasons, such as, showing a model or conducting an experiment.

• If you are presenting to a small audience consider passing the object around but provide enough time so they won’t have to divide their attention between the object and what you’re saying.
• If the audience is large ensure that you move the object around so everyone sees it.
• The audience will be more distracted from what you’re saying when they’re looking at the object so keep it hidden until the right time and provide the background information before revealing it.
• Explain why you’re using the object.
• If you are conducting an experiment or demonstration, move slowly with exaggerated movements so the audience can follow. Also explain precisely what’s going on.

Two examples of live product demos:

Key points for using visual aids

Try to find out what the presentation room is like beforehand, such as, the layout of the room, the equipment etc, so you can see if your visual aids are appropriate and whether they will work there but always have a contingency plan regardless. Also remember that the audience should be able to understand an image almost immediately.

Before your presentation, ensure that you  practice with your visual aids  so you know how to operate the equipment. If something goes wrong you’ll have a better chance of solving the problem.

Research suggests that using colour increases people’s motivation to read and their enthusiasm for a presentation. Software like PowerPoint is great for producing colour visuals.

Using the colour wheel can help when choosing your presentation’s colours:

• Colours opposite each other in the wheel are complementary and they create contrast. Using complementary colours makes your text more readable.
• Colours next to each other are analogous and they are harmonious. Using analogous colours makes your presentation more unified.

The  Adobe colour wheel , which helps you pick complementary colours for your presentation design.

Avoid using too many colours in your presentation as this can look cluttered and unprofessional and keep your colour themes continuous, for example, if you highlight all the key words on one slide in blue, continue to do this throughout the presentation. Also be careful with colour associations, for example, in many cultures red is linked to danger. Try to represent your words and topics with colours that make sense and are appropriate.

Many people are blue-green or red-green colour-blind so avoid putting these colours next to each other’s in, for example, a graph. If you cannot avoid placing these colours next to each other then use text to clearly label items.

Research suggests that information displayed visually is well remembered: “retention of information three days after a meeting or other event is six times greater when information is presented by visual and oral means than when the information is presented by the spoken word alone.” ( U.S. Department of Labor OSHA Office of Training and Education, 1996 )

There is also significant evidence suggesting that most learning occurs visually – some researchers suggest that 83% of human learning happens visually. The psychologist Bruner conducted multiple studies which suggest that people remember 80% of what they see and do, 20% of what they read and only 10% of what they hear.

Visual aids are worth including in your presentations because they can help you explain information more coherently which makes presenting easier for you and learning easier for the audience. They also help add variety to your presentation thus making it more interesting for the audience. If the audience understand what you’re saying and they are more engaged, they’re more likely to be persuaded by you.

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Autodesk Maya: Create expansive worlds, complex characters, and dazzling effects

3D animation and visual effects software

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What is Maya?

Autodesk Maya is professional 3D software for creating realistic characters and blockbuster-worthy effects.

Bring believable characters to life with engaging animation tools.

Shape 3D objects and scenes with intuitive modeling tools.

Create realistic effects—from explosions to cloth simulation.

See system requirements

Maya overview (video: 7:18 min.)

Hyperrealistic model made with Maya by Youssef Abbas 

Stylized character made in Maya by Alexandre Mougenot

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness VFX by Framestore

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Silhouette by VES-winning students of ArtFX School of Digital Arts

Why use Maya?

Accelerate workflows

Maya’s powerful tools help you iterate faster so you can focus on creativity and meet deadlines.

Deliver stunning visuals

Add fine details to characters and scenes, and deliver quality work that keeps clients coming back.

Scale for complexity

Top artists in the industry rely on Maya to create the most complex shots, characters, and worlds.

What you can do with Maya

Still from the film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Image courtesy of Framestore.

Breathe life into 3D models with powerful animation tools

Whether you’re animating lifelike digi doubles or lovable cartoon characters, Maya has the animation toolset to bring your 3D assets to life.

Environment created with Bifrost for Maya. Image courtesy of Lucien Wutsh Michanol.

Create detailed effects and environments with Bifrost

From blazing explosions to luscious forests, Bifrost for Maya makes it possible to create complex simulations and worlds in a single visual programming environment.

“To create something new, unique, and never seen … we went for 3D dry brushes drawn on planes in Maya [for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ].”

—Gaspard Roche, Associate Head of Characters, Mikros Animation

“Maya and our other Autodesk tools have played an essential role in allowing us to excel in our animal and creature work.”

—Amaan Akram, Head of VFX, Untold Studios

“From Maya for 3D animation to Arnold for 3D rendering, these tools enabled us to bring the extraordinary to larger-than-life.”

—Jocelyn Birsch, Director of Experience, The Mill

“We used Bifrost to scatter everything that enriched the fantastic forest sequence in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania .”

—Thomas Kutschera, Head of Groom CFX, Pixomondo

Workflows and use cases

Animating Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 characters

Watch how Framestore developed stunning character animations for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 with Maya.

Streamlining teamwork: Qvisten’s OpenUSD asset pipeline

Qvisten Animation built an OpenUSD (Universal Scene Description) asset pipeline with Maya to streamline teamwork and future-proof productions.

An Inside Look at the Hogwarts Legacy Game

Discover how the team at Warner Bros. Games Avalanche created and refined characters, animations, and cinematics for the highly anticipated fantasy game using Maya.

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Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

What is maya used for.

Maya is a professional 3D animation, modeling, simulation, and rendering toolset, designed for creating realistic characters and blockbuster-worthy effects. From fantastic creatures to sweeping landscapes and explosive battle sequences, top artists, modelers, and animators rely on Maya’s award-winning toolset to bring today’s most-loved animated and live-action films, TV shows, and video games to life.

Who uses Maya?

Maya is used by 3D modelers, animators, lighting artists, and FX artists across the film, TV, and games industries.

Maya vs 3ds Max

Maya and 3ds Max are used by creative studios around the world for animation, modeling, visual effects, and rendering. Learn when to choose Maya  and when to choose 3ds Max .

Which operating system does Maya run on?

Maya can run on Microsoft® Windows®, Apple® macOS®, and Linux®. See Maya system requirements  for details.

How do I download Maya?

Autodesk provides download and install instructions for individuals and administrators . Your available downloads appear in Autodesk Account . Find your product, select a version, platform, language, and download method. For more information, visit   Autodesk support .

Can I install Maya on multiple computers?

With a subscription to Maya software, you can install it on up to three computers or other devices. However, only the named user can sign in and use that software on a single computer at any given time. Please refer to the Software License Agreement  for more information.

How do I convert my Maya free trial to a paid subscription?

Launch your trial software and click Subscribe Now on the trial screen or buy Maya here . When buying your subscription, enter the same email address and password combination you used to sign in to your trial. Learn more about converting a trial to a  paid subscription .

How much does a Maya subscription cost?

. If you have infrequent users and are interested in a pay-as-you-go option, please visit www.autodesk.ca/en/flex to learn more.

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Students and teachers  at qualified academic institutions worldwide are eligible for free access to Autodesk software for one-year through the Autodesk Education Community .

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