4.3Professional design: layout, typography & colors
The essentials in 30 seconds
- One slide = one message; the title is this post, not a label (“Results”).
- Strong contrast, 2 fonts max, 1 accent color: the survival palette.
- White space is a tool, not waste: never fill in “because there’s room.”
Mini-spun case — Professional design: layout, typography & colors
Amel professionalizes the layout: grid, typography, spacing, hierarchy and consistency of visuals. She wants a presentation that inspires confidence from the first slide.
Continuation of the common theme: the Blida agri-food SME is preparing its market launch.
1. The grid: the invisible order
Display → Guides + Gridlines + Align: any object aligns on the grid, equal spacing (Align → Distribute). Constant margins, titles at the same height on all slides: the eye senses the order without seeing it. The “je ne sais quoi” of the pro is the grid.
2. Typography: contrast and consistency
Titles 32 pt+ bold, text 24 pt, only one family (two weights), line spacing 1.2-1.5, never full caps on sentences, never underlining (reserved for links). Contrast ≥ 4.5:1: test by projecting a photo of the background + text, or using the accessibility checker.
3. Color and space: the luxury of emptiness
60-30-10: 60% neutral, 30% secondary, 10% accent. Breathable margins (nothing less than 1 cm from the edge), only one strong idea per slide, emptiness is not emptiness: it is what makes you look at the essential. Compare in Sorter: the airy slide always wins.
🔎 Concrete example — Real-world example — Makeover an amateur slide
FRONT: 4 fonts, 5 colors, 16pt text stuck to edges
1. Change everything to the theme font, titles 32 / text 24
2. Align on marks, margins 1 cm, distribute the 3 blocks
3. One accent (key number), the rest in neutral
AFTER: same content, consultative renderingReading: nothing added, everything ordered.
Lesson: design is 90% removal.
Section vocabulary
- Visual hierarchy
- The eye must know where to look first: ONE dominant element per slide (size, color, position).
Simple example: Amel mobilizes “Visual Hierarchy” in preparing for the launch.
What it is not: Treat “Visual Hierarchy” as a detail unrelated to the message.
Reflex: Does this choice make the presentation clearer for the audience?
- Contrast
- Sufficient text/background brightness ratio: dark to light or light to dark — verifiable using the “back of the room test”.
Simple example: Amel mobilizes “Contraste” in preparation for the launch.
What it is not: treat “Contrast” as a detail unrelated to the message.
Reflex: Does this choice make the presentation clearer for the audience?
- White space
- The void around the elements: it ventilates, groups and highlights. Filling it out is the reflex to unlearn.
Simple example: Amel mobilizes “White Space” in preparing for the launch.
What it is not: Treat “White Space” as a detail unrelated to the message.
Reflex: Does this choice make the presentation clearer for the audience?
- Repeat rule
- Same positions, fonts, colors from one slide to another (the mask ensures this): consistency is reassuring.
Simple example: Amel mobilizes “Rule of repetition” in preparing for the launch.
What it is not: Treat “Repetition Rule” as a detail unrelated to the message.
Reflex: Does this choice make the presentation clearer for the audience?
- Affirmation Slide
- A message title (“Teleworking reduced absenteeism by 12%”) + visual proof: the most impactful format.
Simple example: Amel mobilizes “Slide of Affirmation” in preparation for the launch.
What it is not: Treat “Affirmation Slide” as a detail unrelated to the message.
Reflex: Does this choice make the presentation clearer for the audience?
In practice — Makeover of a cluttered slide
- Deliberately create a bad slide: 8 bullet points, 3 colors, a stretched image, a vague title (“Results”).
- Step 1 — the message: replace the title with the key statement (“CA: +18% thanks to digital”).
- Step 2 — cutting: keep 3 bullet points maximum (the rest goes in the notes), restore the image to its proportions and align it on the grid.
- Step 3 — sobriety: a single accent color on THE key number, everything else in neutral. Compare before/after in slideshow.
Ready-to-say script — Professional design: layout, typography & colors (25 sec)
“Apply the principles of slide design (hierarchy, contrast, space, rules to avoid). Concretely, I check this point before projecting: a slide = a message; the title is this message, not a label (“results”). »
Short wording, to be adapted to the audience and the context of the meeting.
Copy and paste template — “Professional design: layout, typography & colors” checklist
CHECKLIST — Professional design: layout, typography & colors
1. One slide = one message; the title is this post, not a label (“Results”).
2. Strong contrast, 2 fonts max, 1 accent color: the survival palette.
3. White space is a tool, not waste: never fill in “because there’s room.”
4. In case of aesthetic doubt: the Designer always offers a sound basis.
EXPECTED RESULT: The 3-step makeover method: message, cut, sobriety — applicable to any existing slide.Express version
Apply only the essentials and the first key point, then check the rendering in projection.
Remote
Share the file and check fonts, contrasts and text size before the video conference.
As a team
Lock in the common model and document choices to keep colleagues consistent.
Printed version
Keep the message titles and the text outline; remove animations that are no longer needed.
✓ Best practices
- Benchmarks + Distribute systematic.
- 32/24 pt, contrast checked.
- 60-30-10 and margins of 1 cm.
✗ Common pitfalls
- Objects posed “to the eye”.
- Underline + italics + bold together.
- Fill every cm² (fear of emptiness).
Key takeaways
- One slide = one message; the title is this post, not a label (“Results”).
- Strong contrast, 2 fonts max, 1 accent color: the survival palette.
- White space is a tool, not waste: never fill in “because there’s room.”
- In case of aesthetic doubt: the Designer always offers a sound basis.
48 hour challenge — apply tomorrow
Take a makeover of an overloaded slide on Amel's launch presentation: Create a bad slide on purpose: 8 bullet points, 3 colors, a stretched image, a vague title ("Results"). Time 20 minutes and note what has changed for the audience.
- I can explain and apply: One slide = one message; the title is this post, not a label (“Results”).
- I can explain and apply: Strong contrast, 2 fonts max, 1 accent color: the survival palette.
- I can explain and apply: White space is a tool, not waste: never fill in “because there’s room.”
Frequently asked questions
Light background or dark background?
Bright room/dim spotlight: bright background (safer). Dark screens/room: Dark background looks elegant. The important thing: stick to it throughout the entire presentation and guarantee the contrast of the text.
Where to find good free images?
The integrated PowerPoint bank first (royalty free, in the tool), then Unsplash/Pexels for atmospheric photos. Avoid pixelated images and dated ClipArt.
What makes a professional slide?