Last Updated on May 15, 2025 by admin
When it comes to PowerPoint presentation design, there’s no shortage of avenues you can take.When it comes to PowerPoint presentation design, there’s no shortage of avenues you can take. While all that choice — colors, formats, visuals, fonts — can feel liberating, it‘s important that you’re careful in your selection as not all design combinations add up to success. In this blog post, I’m sharing some of my favorite PowerPoint tips and templates to help you nail your next presentation. Table of Contents What makes a good PowerPoint presentation? PowerPoint Design Ideas Best PowerPoint Presentation Slides Good Examples of PowerPoint Presentation Design What makes a good PowerPoint presentation? In my opinion, a great PowerPoint presentation gets the point across succinctly while using a design that doesn’t detract from it. Here are some of the elements I like to keep in mind when I’m building my own. 1. Minimal Animations and Transitions Believe it or not, animations and transitions can take away from your PowerPoint presentation. Why? Well, they distract from the content you worked so hard on. A good PowerPoint presentation keeps the focus on your argument by keeping animations and transitions to a minimum. I suggest using them tastefully and sparingly to emphasize a point or bring attention to a certain part of an image. 2. Cohesive Color Palette I like to refresh my memory on color theory when creating a new PowerPoint presentation. A cohesive color palette uses complementary and analogous colors to draw the audience’s attention and help emphasize certain aspects at the right time. 3. Contextualized Visuals An image does speak more than words. And it’s been proven that the human brain is wired to process visuals much faster than words. I take advantage of that by including graphs, photos, and illustrations to help me build upon my point. Pro tip: When you include visuals, make sure you contextualize them by explaining verbally why the image is there. That way, you don’t risk confusing your audience. PowerPoint Design Ideas It‘s impossible for me to tell you the specific design ideas you should go after in your next PowerPoint, because, well, I don’t know what the goal of your presentation is. Luckily, new versions of PowerPoint actually suggest ideas for you based on the content you’re presenting. This can help you keep up with the latest trends in presentation design. PowerPoint is filled with interesting boilerplate designs you can start with. To find these suggestions, open PowerPoint and click the “Design” tab in your top navigation bar. Then, on the far right side, you’ll see the following choices: Click the “Design Ideas” option under this Design tab, as shown in the screenshot above. This icon will reveal a vertical list of interesting slide layouts based on what your slides already have on them. Don’t have any content on your slides yet? You can easily shuffle this vertical list of slide design ideas by clicking various themes inside the color carousel to the far left of the Design Ideas icon, as shown below: As you browse and choose from the themes shown above, the Design Ideas pane to the right will interpret them and come up with layouts. Here are 15 PowerPoint design ideas I love: 1. Use neon colors. Image source Mesmerize your audience by adding some neon colors and effects to your PowerPoint slides. Adding pops of color to your presentation will create visual interest and keep your audience engaged. What I like: Neon will add personality and depth to your presentation and will help the information you’re providing stand out and be more memorable. 2. Use an interesting background image. Image source Do you have some interesting nature photos from a recent road trip? Or maybe a holiday passed, and you have gorgeous photos to share? If so, consider incorporating them into your PowerPoint. What I like: PowerPoints don’t have to be stuffy and boring. They can be fun and a unique or interesting background will enhance the experience of your presentation. 3. Or be minimal. Image source Have you ever heard of K.I.S.S.? Not the band! I mean, Keep It Simple, Sweetheart. If you’re worried too many colors or visuals could take attention away from the message of your presentation, consider going minimal. Pro tip: Stick to no more than three colors if you’re going for a minimalist design in your slides. 4. Incorporate illustrations. Image source Illustrations are a great way to highlight or break down a point in your presentation. They can also add a bit of whimsy and fun to keep viewers engaged. 5. Use all caps. Image source Using all capital letters can draw your audience’s eyes to where you need them, helping cement your message in their minds. It can also just be aesthetically pleasing. Pro tip: If you choose to use all capital letters, use varying fonts so readers can tell which information is important and which are supporting details. 6. Alternate slide layouts Image source You don’t want readers to grow bored with your presentation. So, to retain visual interest, use alternating slide layouts. The example above shows PowerPoint slides alternating between vertical and horizontal layouts. This keeps things interesting and ensures your presentation isn’t monotonous. 7. Inject a little humor. Humor is a great way to drive a point home and help people remember the information you’re presenting. People remember a good joke, so if you have a funny pun to connect to a concept in a presentation, why not use it in a slide? Pro tip: Remember you’re in a professional setting, so keep your jokes appropriate. If you’re worried a joke can get you a meeting with HR, then keep it to yourself. 8. Use duotones. Image source Duotones (or gradience) can take the aesthetic of your PowerPoint to new levels. They can provide a calming energy to your presentation and make viewers feel relaxed and eager to stay focused. 9. Include printed materials. Let’s say you have a PowerPoint you’re proud of, but you