What we often see going wrong:
Insufficient Layout Options
A template should make it easier for you to create a slide and help you tell a story. If you have too few layout options, or if your layouts are too generic, you won’t be able to find a layout that is suited for your content. The result, you will have to rework your slide or you will have to start from a blank slide. Not helpful.
It’s also important to realize that there is a difference between presenting slides and reporting slides. A well thought out template offers layouts for both.
Generic Placeholders Instead of Specific Placeholders
A slide layout is made out of various components. Ideally, every component has a specific function and a specific place on the slide. That way, it is clear what to fill out where. Additional benefit is that if you ‘reset’ your slide or if you switch layouts. All content will appear in the right place.
Colors Setup
Another thing we often see going wrong is the way colors and fonts are set up in a PowerPoint template.
With pre-set colors - shapes, elements and texts will automatically appear in the right color. Pre-set colors also help you to change colors of an element, but still be brand complaint. It’s important to realize that the order of your pre-set colors have impact on the way graphs and charts are visualized. It is important to have enough versatility in your colors to have enough contrast in graphs and tell the difference between bars.
Fonts Setup
As far as fonts go, we would always recommend to have a system font in your template. That way, you will never have any font issues if you send your presentation to someone else.
Naming Layouts
Naming your layouts correctly has it’s advantages. Its easier to determine which layout to choose for a quote for example, or for a chapter slide. But it might just have become even more important.
As we’re slowly getting closer to collaborating with AI on our presentations, naming your layouts correctly will make it easier for AI to work with your corporate deck.
