You may recall a recent post that discussed screen ratios for PowerPoint. (Using a 16:9 format is better suited for the widescreen technology the vast majority of us use today.) As our first instructor-led training session approaches, PowerPoint is at the forefront of my mind. While they’re industry leaders and wonderfully knowledgeable, our subject matter experts aren’t the best designers. I spent a lot of time sharing PPT tips, design suggestions, and facilitation ideas.
It isn’t always easy to explain design best practice to someone who doesn’t see PowerPoint as a visual communication tool. We suggest 20 or fewer words on each page. (And in my opinion, 20 still seems like too many!) We suggest high-quality art. Still, most presentations I see are text laden, using clip art, on a generic/corporate template. Besides well designed PPT files, what can I share to communicate good examples of visual design?
It hit me one night while cooking dinner. (Our kitchen has a small pass through where I can keep an eye on the local, evening news when it is my turn to prepare a meal.) Our television weather persons/meteorologist are great visual communicators!
Their graphics share a wealth of information with minimal text. Based on a simple picture (combined with their knowledgeable narration) I know how to dress for the next day’s temperature and whether I should pack an umbrella or get my raincoat and weather boots from the closet. I can even determine what may be the best or worst time to take the dog for a walk. Their graphics tell me if there is any risk for storms (which is extremely important news for a native of tornado alley whose dog has storm aversions). During this time of year, there is even a simple graphic to alert me to pollen levels, which can help me decide if I should take allergy medicine or postpone washing my car.
Now imagine if our meteorologist or newscasters attempted to present all that data and science with text instead of a graphic, reading from a slide instead of articulating more information about a well designed image. It might be easier for them (or the staff graphic designer) to simply type out the data or information, but it would certainly make less of an impact on their audience. What if you had to read the weather forecast instead of seeing it? “Today the forecast is mild so you may want to take a light sweater. There is a chance of rain tomorrow morning so allow extra time during your commute to work. You may need to consider an anti-histamine as pollen levels continue to rise. A weather system forming along the west coast may impact your outdoor weekend plans, but we’ll have a better idea of what may happen within in the next few days.”
Ironically, I’ve described a visual design success using text, but if you’re interested of seeing this sort of visual design in action pay close attention next time you’re watching television news and the weather forecast airs. You can also click here to visit the social media page for my local news station to see many of the graphics I’ve mentioned above, and I’m sure you can find similar images from your own local station.
Is there a place, a source where you find inspiration for visual design? Be sure to share your ideas in the comment space!