In this Issue:

PowerPoint: Style Matters

  PowerPoint Tip

Visual Tool: Facial Expressions (I)      

  Application  

  Drawing Lesson

Related Resources

     (919) 309-4016

www.divers-e.com

Issue 3

Thanks for subscribing to the newsletter of Diverse Solutions, your resource for clear and visual communication.  Visit our site at www.divers-e.com to see how we can help you design effective PowerPoint® presentations, logos, workshops and meetings using the power of image.  

PowerPoint:  Style Matters

We've come a long way since the days when PowerPoint was just used to display text in a slide format!  Visual elements are a standard in presentations anymore -- and everybody knows how to browse the template and clipart catalogs to enliven their presentation.  In a pinch, a template and an image straight from the catalog are better than nothing (in some cases, anyway!).  Yet, as a presenter, your personal style will influence how your audience perceives you -- and your PowerPoint presentation should reflect your style.  

The question then becomes:  What is your style?  And how do you portray it in your presentation?  Style is highly personal, which is one of the reasons it is advisable to get help when making image decisions --  none of us can be entirely objective about ourselves.  But whether you do it with help or on your own, consider the following dimensions of slide design and how you can use them to enhance your message.

Colors:  As a general rule, pick no more than 3 colors (including your background) and stick to them!  The elegance of your presentation is inversely correlated to the number of colors you use, i.e., the fewer the colors, the more elegant the design.  How do you pick the colors . . . ahh, that's a tricky question.  Colors have symbolic meanings and they also provoke physiological/psychological responses in people, so you want to be thoughtful about this.  The next issue will explore the question of color in more depth.  The point here is:  Choose the colors and then make sure the graphics are colored in the same tones.  If they aren't, recolor them to match (see PowerPoint Tip below).  

Graphics:  Again, less is more when using images.  Images are not space fillers, and there is nothing wrong with having just text on some slides!  Images must have meaning and purpose.  Beyond that, you must also consider image style. What do I mean by style?  When you pick a clipart image, it typically will fall into a stylistic category:  

• Representational:  The picture looks like a drawing of the real thing.  There is nothing exceptional or unusual about it.  These types of drawings are are useful for instructional presentations, but do little to augment a message intended to persuade or influence an audience.
• Stylized:  In this case, you still know what the image represents, but it is simpler and less detailed.  A good example are the international symbols for telephone, hotel, restrooms, etc..  
• Abstract:  This depiction may or may not look much like the real thing -- it may look plain weird!  You'll probably be struck by shapes and colors more than by its realism.  They are often attention-getters.

Whatever style you prefer, try to stick to it throughout the presentation.  Mixing styles screams "I did this in a hurry!"  If you are in a hurry (more often the case than not) pick an image that you really like and use it in different (and meaningful) ways on various slides.  Recolor it, add shapes to it, hide parts of it, resize it.  We'll cover ways to do this in a future issues.  The bottom line here again:  less is more.

White Space:  White space is "visual silence" and refers to the part of your screen (or page) that has nothing on it.  Your use of white space conveys something about you.  Filling every inch of a screen is like giving a speech without any pauses or punctuation.  Would a presenter who did this leave you with the impression that s/he is confident and knowledgeable?  I think not!  The good news here is that leveraging white space will save you time finding and manipulating graphics.  White space is your friend.  Like silence, it may be uncomfortable at first, but can be a high impact presentation tool.  

Now, look at your current presentation. 

• Identify the core colors.  
• Find an image you like that represents the idea you want to convey.  
• Consider ways you can adapt the image so you can use it (meaningfully) more than once in your presentation.  
• Finally, assess the white space in your presentation -- don't be afraid to aim for 30% of blank space.  

Once you've done that, you're off and running on defining your presentation style!  Look for more presentation design tips in the upcoming newsletter. 

Click to request a free Visual Audit of graphics, layout, organization and wording in your presentation!

 

PowerPoint® Tip

"Gosh, that is a great graphic . . . if only that red flower could be blue instead." Often, IT CAN!  Most clipart images are really a collection of shapes, each of which you can manipulate like you would a circle or a square.  You just have to disassemble the graphic in order to make the change -- and then put it back together again.  Here's how:

1. Ungroup the graphic:  Click on the image to select it.  Then go to  Draw>Ungroup.  If the image is editable it will now be broken into its component parts (you'll know that by the many little selection handles on the image).  If the image does cannot be ungrouped, you will get a message to that effect -- and you will need to look for a new image.

2. Make the Change:  Deselect all the objects by clicking off of the image.  Then select the shape you want to recolor and apply the fill color you want as you would any other object.

3. Regroup the graphic:  When you're done, regroup all the components back together by clicking and dragging your cursor to select them all.  Click Draw>Group.  You're good to go!

Visual Tool:  Facial Expressions (II) 

In the last issue we focused on drawing the human figure using sticks, stars and loops.  In this issue, we explore ways to incorporate the human facial expressions to give your characters some personality.  There are basically two types of 'customization' we make to faces: expression/emotion and physical characteristics.  We'll concentrate on emotions this time.  Everyone knows how to draw a smiley face -- and we all know what one means.  Yet, life is full of non-smiley moments so the resulting expressions we'll cover today are pleased, angry and uncertain.  Sure, emotions are easier to draw than they are to express, but you've got to start somewhere!

Application

Here's a few ideas you can try right away:

• Mood-ometer:  Instead of (or in addition to) a DO NOT DISTURB sign on your door, how about adding a face that tells would-be visitors why they should not disturb you?  Both inform and humor!

• Get to the truth:  If you are examining several options/situations and want to get a reading on folks' responses to them, you can make index cards for each participant with the emotions you anticipate (e.g., pleased, angry, uncertain).  Ask people to hold up the one that best represents how they feel.

• Humorous apology:  Maybe you're not the verbal type, but you really are sorry for something you did to someone you care about.  Write something like, e.g., "how I feel about what I said earlier." with an arrow pointing to the embarassed (uncertain) face.   I can't guarantee forgiveness, but you might at least bring a little levity to the situation! 

 Drawing Lesson  

We'll start with the basic face and then embellish accordingly.  Here’s the sequence for a basic "neutral face" that we will use for a base for the other expressions.  (This is a useful face on its own, by the way, that leaves much to the imagination of the viewer.) 

Neutral

Now let's take that basic face out of neutral . . .

Pleased

Angry

Uncertain

The variations are endless.  For instance:

• Move the pupils around in other directions -- or make them cross-eyed!  
• Raise or lower the eye position on the face.  
• Add a thought balloon containing another image or some words.  
• Vary the shape of the head into a longer oval, a squarish shape or whatever you like.

Remember there is no right or wrong with faces.  Have fun with these -- and look for more faces in future issues!

Related Resources 

Put visual thinking to work in setting goals for your life or your business, visualizing the life you want.  It’s not enough to say it and write it –  you must be able to “see it” in order to “get it.”  However you choose to do this, make it graphic and post it where it is visible daily to keep the vision “fresh.”

A partner in this process, a coach, a mentor, or anyone else you trust, is invaluable for supporting your vision.  Partners at the top of my list include:

• Blue Sage Group:  To those entrepreneurs who are challenged by visioning their business brand, I suggest visiting www.bluesagegroup.com.   Through BlueSage, you may attend free teleclasses on the topic of branding hosted by Genece Hamby, the brand sage!

• Career Aspirations:  Are you ready to go to the next level of achievement in your work or personal life?  Then contact Deb Weiler, at coach@careeraspirations.com, executive and sports coach for individuals facing the next challenge on the horizon.  

To subscribe, click here to create a "Sign Me Up!" email and click 'send.' 

To unsubscribe, click here create an "Unsubscribe" email and click 'send.'