Level Up Your Multimedia Presentations with Simple Design Concepts

Preparing a presentation, whether it’s for your course or an upcoming conference, can be daunting for instructors not fluent in graphic design concepts. However, you don’t have to be a multimedia expert to create an impactful presentation.

Small considerations can go a long way in improving the look and effect of your work. By understanding your end goal, keeping your content succinct and clear, choosing strong images, and taking advantage of existing resources like templates, you can ensure your knowledge and insight connect with your audience. 

My video covers some tips and tricks for creating multimedia content that delivers maximum impact. With a little extra effort, you can build engaging presentations that best capture your message.

Practical Tips

• Set slide dimensions: Determine what your final product will be (video, slide presentation, PDF, etc.), and research the ideal settings for that product. For example, if you’re creating video, look up the recommended specifications for recording, such as resolution and format.
• Think small: Check your design for legibility at the smallest size your audience will view it, such as on a mobile phone.
• Consider hierarchy: Lead each slide with a key message, keeping the words active and clear and avoiding lengthy sentences.
• Use professional images: Choose sharp, interesting images with minimum resolution (72 dpi/ppi for screen, 150 dpi/ppi for print), making sure they’re at least the same size as the horizontal or vertical dimensions of your slides.
• Make it accessible: Ensure everyone in your audience can engage with your slides with correct color and contrast choices and other structural considerations.

• Choose the right fonts: Use two fonts – a sans serif and a serif font – and use the correct text size, with headings twice as large as body text.

Resources

Digital Accessibility at University of Michigan

Michigan Commons

Michigan Photography

U-M Brand Office

Center for Academic Innovation Media Design