I was recently invited to be part of the Creative Process for SlideComet‘s new deck “How To Create Presentation Slides That Are Out Of This World” . (Woo, that was a mouthful) I aided in Creative Direction and the Cover. Besides creating a great deck, I got to try out a new process:
Conceptualizing
Something special this time; the Conceptualizing stage of the Presentation began neither on the computer or on paper.
It began on a whiteboard
We tried out mind-mapping and ideating on a whiteboard for the first time. ( the sketches were a little too illegible to post up )
The Whiteboard truly was a canvas of possibilities. It offered a larger space for sketches and mind-maps and more versatility as compared to using a computer. Through this brainstorming process some great ideas and structures for the deck were fleshed out as well as spillover ideas for future creations.
Why I love the Whiteboard
1. It’s idiot-proof enough and allows mistakes to be easily removed with an eraser
2. It gives you an overall view of the whole ideation process.
3. It allows you a ton of space to write down your ideas. ( Brainstorming )
Sketching
Some Sketches
Inevitably, the next step was to sketch out the storyboard. It ensured logical flow as well as clear transitions between certain key points in the deck. Through this stage, we further simplified the content and selected only the dominant 3 points to bring forward. A rough sketch of images to look for was also done for each slide which definitely made the transition to Rendering a lot smoother.
Why Sketching is important before Rendering on a Computer
1. It saves time when it comes to Rendering as you already have a concrete idea.
2. It’s easier to make amendments at this stage. ( sorta saves time too )
3. You can manipulate a pencil better than a mouse.
Rendering The Cover
Then came the time to make some magic on Keynote.
The Cover
After rendering a considerable amount of Presentation decks, the importance of a good Cover Slide becomes ever so apparent. I felt that this should be my main contribution to the deck.
Why Do I think a Cover is Important
1. It the Agenda for the rest of the presentation.
2. It’s the Audience’s first contact with the presentation, it’s the first chance to grab their attention.
3. It creates a theme that the rest of the presentation can emulate. (in this case Space).
In any case it was a good experience working with the team at SlideComet, there is much to learn in the world of Presentation Design and we may do so by experimenting and ideating consistently.
Here’s the Completed Product! Enjoy!:
What does your Presentation Creative Process Look Like?
