BtD #012: The Craft of Contrast: Exploring the Art of Visual Dynamics in PowerPoint
In this edition of Beyond the Deck (BtD), we're diving into the world of contrast. We’ll explore how this powerful design technique can skillfully transform your slides into captivating visual experiences that engage, inform, and leave a memorable impression.
The Power of Contrast
At its core, contrast is about differentiation - the art of making elements stand out. When we talk about contrast, most minds leap to color.
But it's so much more.
Think of your slide as a stage. Contrast is the spotlight that guides your audience’s gaze, highlighting what's crucial while subtly shading the rest. It structures the visual flow of information, creating focal points that navigate the viewer through your narrative.
The Role of Contrast in Visual Communication
These elements of contrast don't just beautify your slide. They are the play of light and dark, the juxtaposition of big and small, and the harmony of varying shapes and textures.
It’s the culmination of a plan: creating expectation through established patterns and doing something unexpected to heighten awareness.
It’s in this space of receptivity that your audience is ready, just as the apex of your story peaks. This is the sacred space where a lasting memory with your audience is created. It’s also where, carefully crafted contrast blossoms in its full glory.
Unveiling Contrast Techniques in PowerPoint
Color Contrast for Impact
While color is not the only form of contrast, it is one of the easiest way to guide your audience’s eye. However, the use of color goes far beyond the focal hue on a slide.
The slide to the right has been taken out of context but you can still sense the narrative: The dark background feels cold. There is a lone orange arrow moving away from the pack. In context or out, the slide is telling a story. It’s the story within the story, as the presenter simultaneously provides support and speaks of the courage it takes to change.
Color is an emotion. Use it wisely.
Shaping Perceptions
Shapes are the silent narrators of your slide's story. Rounded corners can soften a message, while sharp angles might suggest precision and efficiency. And some shapes convey meanings of their very own (a red octagon or location pins).
When selecting the shape of your message, do so intentionally. Pairing softer shapes with linear concepts (e.g. finance) can make the deck feel friendlier. Alternatively, using upward pointing △ triangles can convey progression, direction, and movement in an otherwise soft narrative.
Shapes can be a strategic branding decision or an individual slide statement. In either case, you are driving the narrative
Scaling for Emphasis
You’ve heard the phrase 'Go big or go home.' Well, in slide design, sometimes going big is exactly what you need to do. Using size contrast can be a dramatic way to ensure your key point is literally the 'big idea'. But it's a delicate balance. Too much, and your slide looks crowded. Too little, and it loses impact.
Imaging Effects
PowerPoint’s Artistic Effects are underrated and underutilized. These magical modifications are the perfect solution for mixing a message. Highly complex, serious or technical topics can at times benefit from visual “decompression,” like the ‘Pencil Sketch’ skull on the lower right.
The ‘Artistic Effects' commands are available any time a photograph has been selected. They range from ‘Plastic Wrap’ to ‘Watercolor Sponge’ and everything in between. One method of working with this technique is to create a playful version of an otherwise cerebral image. In this example, I would likely scale down the modified photo and use it as the supporting image on a transitional slide (like a section divider) within a presentation.
Before
After
Consistency and Contrast: The Rhythm of Design
One way to incorporate contrast into a deck’s design is by looking at the BIG picture.
Presentations are the way we move an audience from A to Aha! There is a pivotal moment in a presentation’s delivery when the message has been received. The audience gets it.
The Aha! moment is palpable. During the outlining phase, I plan for this moment. It’s the single slide all the others are leading up to. It’s also the slide where the most contrast is usually found: evocative image, effective animation or even a blank slide.
Beyond
As you become more comfortable with contrast techniques (these are just a few), I encourage you to push the boundaries. Experiment with juxtaposing unexpected colors and shapes to create the impact you’re looking for.
Each slide is a canvas, and you are the artist. The more you play with contrast, the more you'll discover its potential to transform your presentations from mundane to magnificent.
Thank you for joining me 🤍!