Design First, Software Second

Display of slide deck for Alpha Foods

Welcome back to the blog!

Today's thoughts?

Presentation designers need to be designers first and software experts second.

Design vs. Software

Something I've long championed in the presentation space is the idea of design over software, that those who create presentations and by extension, design them should be designers first, and software experts second. Too many times, I see legacy experts in the space who know everything about the software and very little about design.

And the reality is that those outdated designs are why everyone still fears Death by PowerPoint. Don't believe me?

Nearly every conference I have been to this year where I was the principle designer, I have had someone ask me if I really used PowerPoint to make what I made for them. And every time, they are shocked that I did.

So many presentations are still locked in the design aesthetics and trends of the 90s which don't have a place in the year of our lord 2025 (or if they do, it's to be used very sparingly).

Clients expect better and frankly, they deserve better.

Why?

All design comes down to being able to think in problem solving terms for communication purposes. It's the thing that separates graphic design from art (though the two can and certainly do overlap).

When we're designing a piece of information--in this case a presentation--design is crucial to how it's communicated and consumed by an audience. Design is what makes sense of the chaos, it's what cuts up the information in ways that make it more digestible for the people you're talking to. If your messaging isn't backed by design that helps communicate it, you've lost out on certain members of your audience who couldn't engage with you. Not to mention, disaster slides hurt you and your reputation as a professional because if you can't give attention to those little details, what does your actual work look like? This is doubly true for events.

Now, that's not to say that design outweighs messaging because it doesn't. If your content isn't on lock and your messaging solid, design is about as useful as tits on a frog (yes, we say that in Idaho). But design helps solidify, parse, and illustrate that message so it stays with your audience and sticks with them.

Countless studies have shown how much graphic elements help people retain information than just audio alone. I mean, look at unaided recall tests. More often than not, people remember the logo more than they do the name or anything else about a brand.

Surely, design isn't that important?

The day I say that design isn't important is the day I die.

Design really is that important. It's how advertising works. It's how marketing works.

It is how business works.

Without design, the message can get lost under clunky slides, crowded charts, and meaningless bullet points. Your slides should work for you, not against you, and knowing all the things about PowerPoint isn't going to make up for poor design sense or skills.

Software understanding still matters

Now, this isn't to say that a presentation designer shouldn't have mastery over the program because they still should. It is, after all, how you are able to execute the design and animation process. But you have to understand how to use that software effectively because it is otherwise rendered moot if you don't. There's zero point in having the skills of understanding the software if you can't actually execute anything meaningful with it

And there you have it friends. My long-winded thoughts about design and the software we use to make it happen as presentation experts. Hopefully there was a little nugget of thought in there for you somewhere.

Until next time!