Presentation Makeover: The Big Picture

Michael BelfryNo CommentsMicrosoft PowerPoint

Most of us rely on PowerPoint’s built-in customization settings. We select one of the default themes, we assume the layouts provided are the only options we have, and we rarely give much thought to our fonts. We’re like hermit crabs – we find a suitable shell for our presentation and move right in!

The problem with PowerPoint’s default themes is that they’re so generic. They’re simple enough for novice users and they’re designed to work with a wide range of topics but they’re boring. Let’s look at how a typical PowerPoint layout incorporates a photo.

Before

In the slide below, I used PowerPoint’s “Wisp” theme and selected the Title and Content layout. I didn’t reposition or resize either placeholder. I inserted additional text boxes at the bottom of the slide.

This slide isn’t ugly. It’s better than a lot of PowerPoint slides I’ve seen. It’s uncluttered, the text is easy to read, and the photograph is engaging. The guys in the photo look like they’re having so much fun, it makes me want to join in!

But it doesn’t stop me in my tracks.

After

One of my favourite techniques in PowerPoint is to flip a slide like this one around. Instead of showing a slide with some text and a photograph, I show a slide with an amazing photograph that fills the entire slide and contains just enough text to communicate an essential point. Done correctly, it can have a powerful impact on your audience and evoke an emotional response that words alone cannot.

I call this technique the “big picture”.

I took the same photograph and resized it to fill the entire slide. I layered a few text boxes (and a line) on top of a semi-transparent rectangle. I think the end result speaks for itself.

This slide is infinitely more engaging because the photograph draws you in. You feel like you’re sitting in the living room with these guys, having a blast. I can practically hear the ice cubes clinking against the glass in my gin and tonic… OK, maybe that’s just me. ; )

The text communicates an essential message but you build an emotional connection with your audience via this amazing photograph.

Recommendations

If you want to utilize the “big picture” technique, keep the following points in mind:

  • Use a high-resolution photograph. The image will fill your entire PowerPoint slide. The image that I used was 2,048 x 1,365 (pixels).
  • Communicate your essential message succinctly. Your job, as the presenter, is to tell a story and provide context. An engaging, carefully-selected photograph will help you build an emotional connection with your audience.
  • Use this type of slide sparingly. The “big picture” technique is for making essential points memorable – but to make an impact, it has to be dramatically different from the slides before and after it.

Image credit: Featured image photograph by Andrea Rose via CC 2.0 license.