2 simple design ideas for how to avoid bullets:
PowerPoint gets a bad rap as a design tool – it does have limitations, but only a bad worker blames their tools. In the right hands, PowerPoint is a fantastic design tool. So even when you have to keep all of your text (and we mean you really have to), there are still layout options that will improve your slide.
These slide examples will give you some inspiration:
How to avoid bullets – sample 1
BEFORE:
This “Technology” slide shows a typical bullet list layout. It’s a default layout that we see everywhere and is far from interesting to look at. (It’s also challenging to remember the content, but that’s another story!) Additionally, the title of this slide also had very little meaning – until we developed it.
AFTER:
Dividing 3 bullets into 3 columns makes for an easy yet powerful layout. It’s a simple how to avoid bullets technique.
The new heading and visuals help to lift the slide and ignite more interest. This particular slide is best delivered in an email format – simply because there’s still too much text onscreen for effective presentation delivery. To present onscreen: we’d recommend using light animation to control the flow of information. Animation can prevent the audience from feeling overwhelmed or reading ahead and getting out of sync with the presenter.
Avoid bullets – sample 2
BEFORE:
Another boring looking list with plenty of text. (We’ve swapped out the content with Lorem Ipsum).
AFTER:
The addition of the image creates visual interest, and the icon for “explore” does a good job of leading the eye to the action points. Yet it’s still text heavy, and the image is purely decorative. However, for situations where you have to keep your text this is simply far far better than the before version. And there’s nothing here that is complicated or difficult for anyone using PowerPoint to reproduce.
Images, panels, boxes, icons: all simple tricks to help avoid bullets on the slide. Or at least the “look and feel” of bullets!
With PowerPoint it’s usually the lack of ideas that is the negative driving force behind so many slides.
We hope this gives you a couple of pointers. The principles are easy! But then, we would say that…
More visual guidance on designing to avoid bullet points.
For those situations where you have to keep your text – here’s another brilliant solution: Print Notes View to PDF in PowerPoint
Drop us a line if you need any help.
