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Understanding Data Presentations (Guide + Examples)

In this age of overwhelming information, the skill to effectively convey data has become extremely valuable. Initiating a discussion on data presentation types involves thoughtful consideration of the nature of your data and the message you aim to convey. Different types of visualizations serve distinct purposes. Whether you’re dealing with how to develop a report or simply trying to communicate complex information, how you present data influences how well your audience understands and engages with it. This extensive guide leads you through the different ways of data presentation.

Table of Contents

What is a Data Presentation?

What should a data presentation include, line graphs, treemap chart, scatter plot, how to choose a data presentation type, recommended data presentation templates, common mistakes done in data presentation.

A data presentation is a slide deck that aims to disclose quantitative information to an audience through the use of visual formats and narrative techniques derived from data analysis, making complex data understandable and actionable. This process requires a series of tools, such as charts, graphs, tables, infographics, dashboards, and so on, supported by concise textual explanations to improve understanding and boost retention rate.

Data presentations require us to cull data in a format that allows the presenter to highlight trends, patterns, and insights so that the audience can act upon the shared information. In a few words, the goal of data presentations is to enable viewers to grasp complicated concepts or trends quickly, facilitating informed decision-making or deeper analysis.

Data presentations go beyond the mere usage of graphical elements. Seasoned presenters encompass visuals with the art of data storytelling , so the speech skillfully connects the points through a narrative that resonates with the audience. Depending on the purpose – inspire, persuade, inform, support decision-making processes, etc. – is the data presentation format that is better suited to help us in this journey.

To nail your upcoming data presentation, ensure to count with the following elements:

• Clear Objectives: Understand the intent of your presentation before selecting the graphical layout and metaphors to make content easier to grasp.
• Engaging introduction: Use a powerful hook from the get-go. For instance, you can ask a big question or present a problem that your data will answer. Take a look at our guide on how to start a presentation for tips & insights.
• Structured Narrative: Your data presentation must tell a coherent story. This means a beginning where you present the context, a middle section in which you present the data, and an ending that uses a call-to-action. Check our guide on presentation structure for further information.
• Visual Elements: These are the charts, graphs, and other elements of visual communication we ought to use to present data. This article will cover one by one the different types of data representation methods we can use, and provide further guidance on choosing between them.
• Insights and Analysis: This is not just showcasing a graph and letting people get an idea about it. A proper data presentation includes the interpretation of that data, the reason why it’s included, and why it matters to your research.
• Conclusion & CTA: Ending your presentation with a call to action is necessary. Whether you intend to wow your audience into acquiring your services, inspire them to change the world, or whatever the purpose of your presentation, there must be a stage in which you convey all that you shared and show the path to staying in touch. Plan ahead whether you want to use a thank-you slide, a video presentation, or which method is apt and tailored to the kind of presentation you deliver.
• Q&A Session: After your speech is concluded, allocate 3-5 minutes for the audience to raise any questions about the information you disclosed. This is an extra chance to establish your authority on the topic. Check our guide on questions and answer sessions in presentations here.

Bar charts are a graphical representation of data using rectangular bars to show quantities or frequencies in an established category. They make it easy for readers to spot patterns or trends. Bar charts can be horizontal or vertical, although the vertical format is commonly known as a column chart. They display categorical, discrete, or continuous variables grouped in class intervals [1] . They include an axis and a set of labeled bars horizontally or vertically. These bars represent the frequencies of variable values or the values themselves. Numbers on the y-axis of a vertical bar chart or the x-axis of a horizontal bar chart are called the scale.

Real-Life Application of Bar Charts

Let’s say a sales manager is presenting sales to their audience. Using a bar chart, he follows these steps.

Step 1: Selecting Data

The first step is to identify the specific data you will present to your audience.

The sales manager has highlighted these products for the presentation.

• Product A: Men’s Shoes
• Product B: Women’s Apparel
• Product C: Electronics
• Product D: Home Decor

Step 2: Choosing Orientation

Opt for a vertical layout for simplicity. Vertical bar charts help compare different categories in case there are not too many categories [1] . They can also help show different trends. A vertical bar chart is used where each bar represents one of the four chosen products. After plotting the data, it is seen that the height of each bar directly represents the sales performance of the respective product.

It is visible that the tallest bar (Electronics – Product C) is showing the highest sales. However, the shorter bars (Women’s Apparel – Product B and Home Decor – Product D) need attention. It indicates areas that require further analysis or strategies for improvement.

Step 3: Colorful Insights

Different colors are used to differentiate each product. It is essential to show a color-coded chart where the audience can distinguish between products.

• Men’s Shoes (Product A): Yellow
• Women’s Apparel (Product B): Orange
• Electronics (Product C): Violet
• Home Decor (Product D): Blue

Bar charts are straightforward and easily understandable for presenting data. They are versatile when comparing products or any categorical data [2] . Bar charts adapt seamlessly to retail scenarios. Despite that, bar charts have a few shortcomings. They cannot illustrate data trends over time. Besides, overloading the chart with numerous products can lead to visual clutter, diminishing its effectiveness.

For more information, check our collection of bar chart templates for PowerPoint .

Line graphs help illustrate data trends, progressions, or fluctuations by connecting a series of data points called ‘markers’ with straight line segments. This provides a straightforward representation of how values change [5] . Their versatility makes them invaluable for scenarios requiring a visual understanding of continuous data. In addition, line graphs are also useful for comparing multiple datasets over the same timeline. Using multiple line graphs allows us to compare more than one data set. They simplify complex information so the audience can quickly grasp the ups and downs of values. From tracking stock prices to analyzing experimental results, you can use line graphs to show how data changes over a continuous timeline. They show trends with simplicity and clarity.

Real-life Application of Line Graphs

To understand line graphs thoroughly, we will use a real case. Imagine you’re a financial analyst presenting a tech company’s monthly sales for a licensed product over the past year. Investors want insights into sales behavior by month, how market trends may have influenced sales performance and reception to the new pricing strategy. To present data via a line graph, you will complete these steps.

First, you need to gather the data. In this case, your data will be the sales numbers. For example:

• January: $45,000
• February: $55,000
• March: $45,000
• April: $60,000
• May: $ 70,000
• June: $65,000
• July: $62,000
• August: $68,000
• September: $81,000
• October: $76,000
• November: $87,000
• December: $91,000

After choosing the data, the next step is to select the orientation. Like bar charts, you can use vertical or horizontal line graphs. However, we want to keep this simple, so we will keep the timeline (x-axis) horizontal while the sales numbers (y-axis) vertical.

Step 3: Connecting Trends

After adding the data to your preferred software, you will plot a line graph. In the graph, each month’s sales are represented by data points connected by a line.

Step 4: Adding Clarity with Color

If there are multiple lines, you can also add colors to highlight each one, making it easier to follow.

Line graphs excel at visually presenting trends over time. These presentation aids identify patterns, like upward or downward trends. However, too many data points can clutter the graph, making it harder to interpret. Line graphs work best with continuous data but are not suitable for categories.

For more information, check our collection of line chart templates for PowerPoint and our article about how to make a presentation graph .

A data dashboard is a visual tool for analyzing information. Different graphs, charts, and tables are consolidated in a layout to showcase the information required to achieve one or more objectives. Dashboards help quickly see Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). You don’t make new visuals in the dashboard; instead, you use it to display visuals you’ve already made in worksheets [3] .

Keeping the number of visuals on a dashboard to three or four is recommended. Adding too many can make it hard to see the main points [4]. Dashboards can be used for business analytics to analyze sales, revenue, and marketing metrics at a time. They are also used in the manufacturing industry, as they allow users to grasp the entire production scenario at the moment while tracking the core KPIs for each line.

Real-Life Application of a Dashboard

Consider a project manager presenting a software development project’s progress to a tech company’s leadership team. He follows the following steps.

Step 1: Defining Key Metrics

To effectively communicate the project’s status, identify key metrics such as completion status, budget, and bug resolution rates. Then, choose measurable metrics aligned with project objectives.

Step 2: Choosing Visualization Widgets

After finalizing the data, presentation aids that align with each metric are selected. For this project, the project manager chooses a progress bar for the completion status and uses bar charts for budget allocation. Likewise, he implements line charts for bug resolution rates.

Step 3: Dashboard Layout

Key metrics are prominently placed in the dashboard for easy visibility, and the manager ensures that it appears clean and organized.

Dashboards provide a comprehensive view of key project metrics. Users can interact with data, customize views, and drill down for detailed analysis. However, creating an effective dashboard requires careful planning to avoid clutter. Besides, dashboards rely on the availability and accuracy of underlying data sources.

For more information, check our article on how to design a dashboard presentation , and discover our collection of dashboard PowerPoint templates .

Treemap charts represent hierarchical data structured in a series of nested rectangles [6] . As each branch of the ‘tree’ is given a rectangle, smaller tiles can be seen representing sub-branches, meaning elements on a lower hierarchical level than the parent rectangle. Each one of those rectangular nodes is built by representing an area proportional to the specified data dimension.

Treemaps are useful for visualizing large datasets in compact space. It is easy to identify patterns, such as which categories are dominant. Common applications of the treemap chart are seen in the IT industry, such as resource allocation, disk space management, website analytics, etc. Also, they can be used in multiple industries like healthcare data analysis, market share across different product categories, or even in finance to visualize portfolios.

Real-Life Application of a Treemap Chart

Let’s consider a financial scenario where a financial team wants to represent the budget allocation of a company. There is a hierarchy in the process, so it is helpful to use a treemap chart. In the chart, the top-level rectangle could represent the total budget, and it would be subdivided into smaller rectangles, each denoting a specific department. Further subdivisions within these smaller rectangles might represent individual projects or cost categories.

Step 1: Define Your Data Hierarchy

While presenting data on the budget allocation, start by outlining the hierarchical structure. The sequence will be like the overall budget at the top, followed by departments, projects within each department, and finally, individual cost categories for each project.

• Top-level rectangle: Total Budget
• Second-level rectangles: Departments (Engineering, Marketing, Sales)
• Third-level rectangles: Projects within each department
• Fourth-level rectangles: Cost categories for each project (Personnel, Marketing Expenses, Equipment)

Step 2: Choose a Suitable Tool

It’s time to select a data visualization tool supporting Treemaps. Popular choices include Tableau, Microsoft Power BI, PowerPoint, or even coding with libraries like D3.js. It is vital to ensure that the chosen tool provides customization options for colors, labels, and hierarchical structures.

Here, the team uses PowerPoint for this guide because of its user-friendly interface and robust Treemap capabilities.

Step 3: Make a Treemap Chart with PowerPoint

After opening the PowerPoint presentation, they chose “SmartArt” to form the chart. The SmartArt Graphic window has a “Hierarchy” category on the left.  Here, you will see multiple options. You can choose any layout that resembles a Treemap. The “Table Hierarchy” or “Organization Chart” options can be adapted. The team selects the Table Hierarchy as it looks close to a Treemap.

Step 5: Input Your Data

After that, a new window will open with a basic structure. They add the data one by one by clicking on the text boxes. They start with the top-level rectangle, representing the total budget.  

Step 6: Customize the Treemap

By clicking on each shape, they customize its color, size, and label. At the same time, they can adjust the font size, style, and color of labels by using the options in the “Format” tab in PowerPoint. Using different colors for each level enhances the visual difference.

Treemaps excel at illustrating hierarchical structures. These charts make it easy to understand relationships and dependencies. They efficiently use space, compactly displaying a large amount of data, reducing the need for excessive scrolling or navigation. Additionally, using colors enhances the understanding of data by representing different variables or categories.

In some cases, treemaps might become complex, especially with deep hierarchies.  It becomes challenging for some users to interpret the chart. At the same time, displaying detailed information within each rectangle might be constrained by space. It potentially limits the amount of data that can be shown clearly. Without proper labeling and color coding, there’s a risk of misinterpretation.

A heatmap is a data visualization tool that uses color coding to represent values across a two-dimensional surface. In these, colors replace numbers to indicate the magnitude of each cell. This color-shaded matrix display is valuable for summarizing and understanding data sets with a glance [7] . The intensity of the color corresponds to the value it represents, making it easy to identify patterns, trends, and variations in the data.

As a tool, heatmaps help businesses analyze website interactions, revealing user behavior patterns and preferences to enhance overall user experience. In addition, companies use heatmaps to assess content engagement, identifying popular sections and areas of improvement for more effective communication. They excel at highlighting patterns and trends in large datasets, making it easy to identify areas of interest.

We can implement heatmaps to express multiple data types, such as numerical values, percentages, or even categorical data. Heatmaps help us easily spot areas with lots of activity, making them helpful in figuring out clusters [8] . When making these maps, it is important to pick colors carefully. The colors need to show the differences between groups or levels of something. And it is good to use colors that people with colorblindness can easily see.

Check our detailed guide on how to create a heatmap here. Also discover our collection of heatmap PowerPoint templates .

Pie charts are circular statistical graphics divided into slices to illustrate numerical proportions. Each slice represents a proportionate part of the whole, making it easy to visualize the contribution of each component to the total.

The size of the pie charts is influenced by the value of data points within each pie. The total of all data points in a pie determines its size. The pie with the highest data points appears as the largest, whereas the others are proportionally smaller. However, you can present all pies of the same size if proportional representation is not required [9] . Sometimes, pie charts are difficult to read, or additional information is required. A variation of this tool can be used instead, known as the donut chart , which has the same structure but a blank center, creating a ring shape. Presenters can add extra information, and the ring shape helps to declutter the graph.

Pie charts are used in business to show percentage distribution, compare relative sizes of categories, or present straightforward data sets where visualizing ratios is essential.

Real-Life Application of Pie Charts

Consider a scenario where you want to represent the distribution of the data. Each slice of the pie chart would represent a different category, and the size of each slice would indicate the percentage of the total portion allocated to that category.

Step 1: Define Your Data Structure

Imagine you are presenting the distribution of a project budget among different expense categories.

• Column A: Expense Categories (Personnel, Equipment, Marketing, Miscellaneous)
• Column B: Budget Amounts ($40,000, $30,000, $20,000, $10,000) Column B represents the values of your categories in Column A.

Step 2: Insert a Pie Chart

Using any of the accessible tools, you can create a pie chart. The most convenient tools for forming a pie chart in a presentation are presentation tools such as PowerPoint or Google Slides.  You will notice that the pie chart assigns each expense category a percentage of the total budget by dividing it by the total budget.

For instance:

• Personnel: $40,000 / ($40,000 + $30,000 + $20,000 + $10,000) = 40%
• Equipment: $30,000 / ($40,000 + $30,000 + $20,000 + $10,000) = 30%
• Marketing: $20,000 / ($40,000 + $30,000 + $20,000 + $10,000) = 20%
• Miscellaneous: $10,000 / ($40,000 + $30,000 + $20,000 + $10,000) = 10%

You can make a chart out of this or just pull out the pie chart from the data.

3D pie charts and 3D donut charts are quite popular among the audience. They stand out as visual elements in any presentation slide, so let’s take a look at how our pie chart example would look in 3D pie chart format.

Step 03: Results Interpretation

The pie chart visually illustrates the distribution of the project budget among different expense categories. Personnel constitutes the largest portion at 40%, followed by equipment at 30%, marketing at 20%, and miscellaneous at 10%. This breakdown provides a clear overview of where the project funds are allocated, which helps in informed decision-making and resource management. It is evident that personnel are a significant investment, emphasizing their importance in the overall project budget.

Pie charts provide a straightforward way to represent proportions and percentages. They are easy to understand, even for individuals with limited data analysis experience. These charts work well for small datasets with a limited number of categories.

However, a pie chart can become cluttered and less effective in situations with many categories. Accurate interpretation may be challenging, especially when dealing with slight differences in slice sizes. In addition, these charts are static and do not effectively convey trends over time.

For more information, check our collection of pie chart templates for PowerPoint .

Histograms present the distribution of numerical variables. Unlike a bar chart that records each unique response separately, histograms organize numeric responses into bins and show the frequency of reactions within each bin [10] . The x-axis of a histogram shows the range of values for a numeric variable. At the same time, the y-axis indicates the relative frequencies (percentage of the total counts) for that range of values.

Whenever you want to understand the distribution of your data, check which values are more common, or identify outliers, histograms are your go-to. Think of them as a spotlight on the story your data is telling. A histogram can provide a quick and insightful overview if you’re curious about exam scores, sales figures, or any numerical data distribution.

Real-Life Application of a Histogram

In the histogram data analysis presentation example, imagine an instructor analyzing a class’s grades to identify the most common score range. A histogram could effectively display the distribution. It will show whether most students scored in the average range or if there are significant outliers.

Step 1: Gather Data

He begins by gathering the data. The scores of each student in class are gathered to analyze exam scores.

After arranging the scores in ascending order, bin ranges are set.

Step 2: Define Bins

Bins are like categories that group similar values. Think of them as buckets that organize your data. The presenter decides how wide each bin should be based on the range of the values. For instance, the instructor sets the bin ranges based on score intervals: 60-69, 70-79, 80-89, and 90-100.

Step 3: Count Frequency

Now, he counts how many data points fall into each bin. This step is crucial because it tells you how often specific ranges of values occur. The result is the frequency distribution, showing the occurrences of each group.

Here, the instructor counts the number of students in each category.

• 60-69: 1 student (Kate)
• 70-79: 4 students (David, Emma, Grace, Jack)
• 80-89: 7 students (Alice, Bob, Frank, Isabel, Liam, Mia, Noah)
• 90-100: 3 students (Clara, Henry, Olivia)

Step 4: Create the Histogram

It’s time to turn the data into a visual representation. Draw a bar for each bin on a graph. The width of the bar should correspond to the range of the bin, and the height should correspond to the frequency.  To make your histogram understandable, label the X and Y axes.

In this case, the X-axis should represent the bins (e.g., test score ranges), and the Y-axis represents the frequency.

The histogram of the class grades reveals insightful patterns in the distribution. Most students, with seven students, fall within the 80-89 score range. The histogram provides a clear visualization of the class’s performance. It showcases a concentration of grades in the upper-middle range with few outliers at both ends. This analysis helps in understanding the overall academic standing of the class. It also identifies the areas for potential improvement or recognition.

Thus, histograms provide a clear visual representation of data distribution. They are easy to interpret, even for those without a statistical background. They apply to various types of data, including continuous and discrete variables. One weak point is that histograms do not capture detailed patterns in students’ data, with seven compared to other visualization methods.

A scatter plot is a graphical representation of the relationship between two variables. It consists of individual data points on a two-dimensional plane. This plane plots one variable on the x-axis and the other on the y-axis. Each point represents a unique observation. It visualizes patterns, trends, or correlations between the two variables.

Scatter plots are also effective in revealing the strength and direction of relationships. They identify outliers and assess the overall distribution of data points. The points’ dispersion and clustering reflect the relationship’s nature, whether it is positive, negative, or lacks a discernible pattern. In business, scatter plots assess relationships between variables such as marketing cost and sales revenue. They help present data correlations and decision-making.

Real-Life Application of Scatter Plot

A group of scientists is conducting a study on the relationship between daily hours of screen time and sleep quality. After reviewing the data, they managed to create this table to help them build a scatter plot graph:

In the provided example, the x-axis represents Daily Hours of Screen Time, and the y-axis represents the Sleep Quality Rating.

The scientists observe a negative correlation between the amount of screen time and the quality of sleep. This is consistent with their hypothesis that blue light, especially before bedtime, has a significant impact on sleep quality and metabolic processes.

There are a few things to remember when using a scatter plot. Even when a scatter diagram indicates a relationship, it doesn’t mean one variable affects the other. A third factor can influence both variables. The more the plot resembles a straight line, the stronger the relationship is perceived [11] . If it suggests no ties, the observed pattern might be due to random fluctuations in data. When the scatter diagram depicts no correlation, whether the data might be stratified is worth considering.

Choosing the appropriate data presentation type is crucial when making a presentation . Understanding the nature of your data and the message you intend to convey will guide this selection process. For instance, when showcasing quantitative relationships, scatter plots become instrumental in revealing correlations between variables. If the focus is on emphasizing parts of a whole, pie charts offer a concise display of proportions. Histograms, on the other hand, prove valuable for illustrating distributions and frequency patterns. 

Bar charts provide a clear visual comparison of different categories. Likewise, line charts excel in showcasing trends over time, while tables are ideal for detailed data examination. Starting a presentation on data presentation types involves evaluating the specific information you want to communicate and selecting the format that aligns with your message. This ensures clarity and resonance with your audience from the beginning of your presentation.

1. Fact Sheet Dashboard for Data Presentation

Convey all the data you need to present in this one-pager format, an ideal solution tailored for users looking for presentation aids. Global maps, donut chats, column graphs, and text neatly arranged in a clean layout presented in light and dark themes.

Use This Template

2. 3D Column Chart Infographic PPT Template

Represent column charts in a highly visual 3D format with this PPT template. A creative way to present data, this template is entirely editable, and we can craft either a one-page infographic or a series of slides explaining what we intend to disclose point by point.

3. Data Circles Infographic PowerPoint Template

An alternative to the pie chart and donut chart diagrams, this template features a series of curved shapes with bubble callouts as ways of presenting data. Expand the information for each arch in the text placeholder areas.

4. Colorful Metrics Dashboard for Data Presentation

This versatile dashboard template helps us in the presentation of the data by offering several graphs and methods to convert numbers into graphics. Implement it for e-commerce projects, financial projections, project development, and more.

5. Animated Data Presentation Tools for PowerPoint & Google Slides

A slide deck filled with most of the tools mentioned in this article, from bar charts, column charts, treemap graphs, pie charts, histogram, etc. Animated effects make each slide look dynamic when sharing data with stakeholders.

6. Statistics Waffle Charts PPT Template for Data Presentations

This PPT template helps us how to present data beyond the typical pie chart representation. It is widely used for demographics, so it’s a great fit for marketing teams, data science professionals, HR personnel, and more.

7. Data Presentation Dashboard Template for Google Slides

A compendium of tools in dashboard format featuring line graphs, bar charts, column charts, and neatly arranged placeholder text areas. 

8. Weather Dashboard for Data Presentation

Share weather data for agricultural presentation topics, environmental studies, or any kind of presentation that requires a highly visual layout for weather forecasting on a single day. Two color themes are available.

9. Social Media Marketing Dashboard Data Presentation Template

Intended for marketing professionals, this dashboard template for data presentation is a tool for presenting data analytics from social media channels. Two slide layouts featuring line graphs and column charts.

10. Project Management Summary Dashboard Template

A tool crafted for project managers to deliver highly visual reports on a project’s completion, the profits it delivered for the company, and expenses/time required to execute it. 4 different color layouts are available.

11. Profit & Loss Dashboard for PowerPoint and Google Slides

A must-have for finance professionals. This typical profit & loss dashboard includes progress bars, donut charts, column charts, line graphs, and everything that’s required to deliver a comprehensive report about a company’s financial situation.

Overwhelming visuals

One of the mistakes related to using data-presenting methods is including too much data or using overly complex visualizations. They can confuse the audience and dilute the key message.

Inappropriate chart types

Choosing the wrong type of chart for the data at hand can lead to misinterpretation. For example, using a pie chart for data that doesn’t represent parts of a whole is not right.

Lack of context

Failing to provide context or sufficient labeling can make it challenging for the audience to understand the significance of the presented data.

Inconsistency in design

Using inconsistent design elements and color schemes across different visualizations can create confusion and visual disarray.

Failure to provide details

Simply presenting raw data without offering clear insights or takeaways can leave the audience without a meaningful conclusion.

Lack of focus

Not having a clear focus on the key message or main takeaway can result in a presentation that lacks a central theme.

Visual accessibility issues

Overlooking the visual accessibility of charts and graphs can exclude certain audience members who may have difficulty interpreting visual information.

In order to avoid these mistakes in data presentation, presenters can benefit from using presentation templates . These templates provide a structured framework. They ensure consistency, clarity, and an aesthetically pleasing design, enhancing data communication’s overall impact.

Understanding and choosing data presentation types are pivotal in effective communication. Each method serves a unique purpose, so selecting the appropriate one depends on the nature of the data and the message to be conveyed. The diverse array of presentation types offers versatility in visually representing information, from bar charts showing values to pie charts illustrating proportions. 

Using the proper method enhances clarity, engages the audience, and ensures that data sets are not just presented but comprehensively understood. By appreciating the strengths and limitations of different presentation types, communicators can tailor their approach to convey information accurately, developing a deeper connection between data and audience understanding.

[1] Government of Canada, S.C. (2021) 5 Data Visualization 5.2 Bar Chart , 5.2 Bar chart .  https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/edu/power-pouvoir/ch9/bargraph-diagrammeabarres/5214818-eng.htm

[2] Kosslyn, S.M., 1989. Understanding charts and graphs. Applied cognitive psychology, 3(3), pp.185-225. https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA183409.pdf

[3] Creating a Dashboard . https://it.tufts.edu/book/export/html/1870

[4] https://www.goldenwestcollege.edu/research/data-and-more/data-dashboards/index.html

[5] https://www.mit.edu/course/21/21.guide/grf-line.htm

[6] Jadeja, M. and Shah, K., 2015, January. Tree-Map: A Visualization Tool for Large Data. In GSB@ SIGIR (pp. 9-13). https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-1393/gsb15proceedings.pdf#page=15

[7] Heat Maps and Quilt Plots. https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/research/population-health-methods/heat-maps-and-quilt-plots

[8] EIU QGIS WORKSHOP. https://www.eiu.edu/qgisworkshop/heatmaps.php

[9] About Pie Charts.  https://www.mit.edu/~mbarker/formula1/f1help/11-ch-c8.htm

[10] Histograms. https://sites.utexas.edu/sos/guided/descriptive/numericaldd/descriptiven2/histogram/ [11] https://asq.org/quality-resources/scatter-diagram

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Present Your Data Like a Pro

• Joel Schwartzberg

Demystify the numbers. Your audience will thank you.

While a good presentation has data, data alone doesn’t guarantee a good presentation. It’s all about how that data is presented. The quickest way to confuse your audience is by sharing too many details at once. The only data points you should share are those that significantly support your point — and ideally, one point per chart. To avoid the debacle of sheepishly translating hard-to-see numbers and labels, rehearse your presentation with colleagues sitting as far away as the actual audience would. While you’ve been working with the same chart for weeks or months, your audience will be exposed to it for mere seconds. Give them the best chance of comprehending your data by using simple, clear, and complete language to identify X and Y axes, pie pieces, bars, and other diagrammatic elements. Try to avoid abbreviations that aren’t obvious, and don’t assume labeled components on one slide will be remembered on subsequent slides. Every valuable chart or pie graph has an “Aha!” zone — a number or range of data that reveals something crucial to your point. Make sure you visually highlight the “Aha!” zone, reinforcing the moment by explaining it to your audience.

With so many ways to spin and distort information these days, a presentation needs to do more than simply share great ideas — it needs to support those ideas with credible data. That’s true whether you’re an executive pitching new business clients, a vendor selling her services, or a CEO making a case for change.

• JS Joel Schwartzberg oversees executive communications for a major national nonprofit, is a professional presentation coach, and is the author of Get to the Point! Sharpen Your Message and Make Your Words Matter and The Language of Leadership: How to Engage and Inspire Your Team . You can find him on LinkedIn and X. TheJoelTruth

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10 Methods of Data Presentation That Really Work in 2024

Leah Nguyen • 20 August, 2024 • 13 min read

Have you ever presented a data report to your boss/coworkers/teachers thinking it was super dope like you’re some cyber hacker living in the Matrix, but all they saw was a pile of static numbers that seemed pointless and didn't make sense to them?

Understanding digits is rigid . Making people from non-analytical backgrounds understand those digits is even more challenging.

How can you clear up those confusing numbers and make your presentation as clear as the day? Let's check out these best ways to present data. 💎

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Data Presentation - What Is It?

The term ’data presentation’ relates to the way you present data in a way that makes even the most clueless person in the room understand. 

Some say it’s witchcraft (you’re manipulating the numbers in some ways), but we’ll just say it’s the power of turning dry, hard numbers or digits into a visual showcase that is easy for people to digest.

Presenting data correctly can help your audience understand complicated processes, identify trends, and instantly pinpoint whatever is going on without exhausting their brains.

Good data presentation helps…

• Make informed decisions and arrive at positive outcomes . If you see the sales of your product steadily increase throughout the years, it’s best to keep milking it or start turning it into a bunch of spin-offs (shoutout to Star Wars👀).
• Reduce the time spent processing data . Humans can digest information graphically 60,000 times faster than in the form of text. Grant them the power of skimming through a decade of data in minutes with some extra spicy graphs and charts.
• Communicate the results clearly . Data does not lie. They’re based on factual evidence and therefore if anyone keeps whining that you might be wrong, slap them with some hard data to keep their mouths shut.
• Add to or expand the current research . You can see what areas need improvement, as well as what details often go unnoticed while surfing through those little lines, dots or icons that appear on the data board.

Methods of Data Presentation and Examples

Imagine you have a delicious pepperoni, extra-cheese pizza. You can decide to cut it into the classic 8 triangle slices, the party style 12 square slices, or get creative and abstract on those slices. 

There are various ways to cut a pizza and you get the same variety with how you present your data. In this section, we will bring you the 10 ways to slice a pizza - we mean to present your data - that will make your company’s most important asset as clear as day. Let's dive into 10 ways to present data efficiently.

#1 - Tabular 

Among various types of data presentation, tabular is the most fundamental method, with data presented in rows and columns. Excel or Google Sheets would qualify for the job. Nothing fancy.

This is an example of a tabular presentation of data on Google Sheets. Each row and column has an attribute (year, region, revenue, etc.), and you can do a custom format to see the change in revenue throughout the year.

When presenting data as text, all you do is write your findings down in paragraphs and bullet points, and that’s it. A piece of cake to you, a tough nut to crack for whoever has to go through all of the reading to get to the point.

• 65% of email users worldwide access their email via a mobile device.
• Emails that are optimised for mobile generate 15% higher click-through rates.
• 56% of brands using emojis in their email subject lines had a higher open rate.

(Source: CustomerThermometer )

All the above quotes present statistical information in textual form. Since not many people like going through a wall of texts, you’ll have to figure out another route when deciding to use this method, such as breaking the data down into short, clear statements, or even as catchy puns if you’ve got the time to think of them.

#3 - Pie chart

A pie chart (or a ‘donut chart’ if you stick a hole in the middle of it) is a circle divided into slices that show the relative sizes of data within a whole. If you’re using it to show percentages, make sure all the slices add up to 100%.

The pie chart is a familiar face at every party and is usually recognised by most people. However, one setback of using this method is our eyes sometimes can’t identify the differences in slices of a circle, and it’s nearly impossible to compare similar slices from two different pie charts, making them the villains in the eyes of data analysts.

#4 - Bar chart

The bar chart is a chart that presents a bunch of items from the same category, usually in the form of rectangular bars that are placed at an equal distance from each other. Their heights or lengths depict the values they represent.

They can be as simple as this:

Or more complex and detailed like this example of data presentation. Contributing to an effective statistic presentation, this one is a grouped bar chart that not only allows you to compare categories but also the groups within them as well.

#5 - Histogram

Similar in appearance to the bar chart but the rectangular bars in histograms don’t often have the gap like their counterparts.

Instead of measuring categories like weather preferences or favourite films as a bar chart does, a histogram only measures things that can be put into numbers.

Teachers can use presentation graphs like a histogram to see which score group most of the students fall into, like in this example above.

#6 - Line graph

Recordings to ways of displaying data, we shouldn't overlook the effectiveness of line graphs. Line graphs are represented by a group of data points joined together by a straight line. There can be one or more lines to compare how several related things change over time. 

On a line chart’s horizontal axis, you usually have text labels, dates or years, while the vertical axis usually represents the quantity (e.g.: budget, temperature or percentage).

#7 - Pictogram graph

A pictogram graph uses pictures or icons relating to the main topic to visualise a small dataset. The fun combination of colours and illustrations makes it a frequent use at schools.

Pictograms are a breath of fresh air if you want to stay away from the monotonous line chart or bar chart for a while. However, they can present a very limited amount of data and sometimes they are only there for displays and do not represent real statistics.

#8 - Radar chart

If presenting five or more variables in the form of a bar chart is too stuffy then you should try using a radar chart, which is one of the most creative ways to present data.

Radar charts show data in terms of how they compare to each other starting from the same point. Some also call them ‘spider charts’ because each aspect combined looks like a spider web.

Radar charts can be a great use for parents who’d like to compare their child’s grades with their peers to lower their self-esteem. You can see that each angular represents a subject with a score value ranging from 0 to 100. Each student’s score across 5 subjects is highlighted in a different colour.

If you think that this method of data presentation somehow feels familiar, then you’ve probably encountered one while playing Pokémon .

#9 - Heat map

A heat map represents data density in colours. The bigger the number, the more colour intensity that data will be represented.

Most US citizens would be familiar with this data presentation method in geography. For elections, many news outlets assign a specific colour code to a state, with blue representing one candidate and red representing the other. The shade of either blue or red in each state shows the strength of the overall vote in that state.

Another great thing you can use a heat map for is to map what visitors to your site click on. The more a particular section is clicked the ‘hotter’ the colour will turn, from blue to bright yellow to red.

#10 - Scatter plot

If you present your data in dots instead of chunky bars, you’ll have a scatter plot. 

A scatter plot is a grid with several inputs showing the relationship between two variables. It’s good at collecting seemingly random data and revealing some telling trends.

For example, in this graph, each dot shows the average daily temperature versus the number of beach visitors across several days. You can see that the dots get higher as the temperature increases, so it’s likely that hotter weather leads to more visitors.

5 Data Presentation Mistakes to Avoid

#1 - assume your audience understands what the numbers represent.

You may know all the behind-the-scenes of your data since you’ve worked with them for weeks, but your audience doesn’t.

Showing without telling only invites more and more questions from your audience, as they have to constantly make sense of your data, wasting the time of both sides as a result.

While showing your data presentations, you should tell them what the data are about before hitting them with waves of numbers first. You can use interactive activities such as polls , word clouds , online quizzes and Q&A sections , combined with icebreaker games , to assess their understanding of the data and address any confusion beforehand.

#2 - Use the wrong type of chart

Charts such as pie charts must have a total of 100% so if your numbers accumulate to 193% like this example below, you’re definitely doing it wrong.

Before making a chart, ask yourself: what do I want to accomplish with my data? Do you want to see the relationship between the data sets, show the up and down trends of your data, or see how segments of one thing make up a whole?

Remember, clarity always comes first. Some data visualisations may look cool, but if they don’t fit your data, steer clear of them. 

#3 - Make it 3D

3D is a fascinating graphical presentation example. The third dimension is cool, but full of risks.

Can you see what’s behind those red bars? Because we can’t either. You may think that 3D charts add more depth to the design, but they can create false perceptions as our eyes see 3D objects closer and bigger than they appear, not to mention they cannot be seen from multiple angles.

#4 - Use different types of charts to compare contents in the same category

This is like comparing a fish to a monkey. Your audience won’t be able to identify the differences and make an appropriate correlation between the two data sets. 

Next time, stick to one type of data presentation only. Avoid the temptation of trying various data visualisation methods in one go and make your data as accessible as possible.

#5 - Bombard the audience with too much information

The goal of data presentation is to make complex topics much easier to understand, and if you’re bringing too much information to the table, you’re missing the point.

The more information you give, the more time it will take for your audience to process it all. If you want to make your data understandable and give your audience a chance to remember it, keep the information within it to an absolute minimum. You should end your session with open-ended questions to see what your participants really think.

What are the Best Methods of Data Presentation?

Finally, which is the best way to present data?

The answer is…

There is none! Each type of presentation has its own strengths and weaknesses and the one you choose greatly depends on what you’re trying to do. 

For example:

• Go for a scatter plot if you’re exploring the relationship between different data values, like seeing whether the sales of ice cream go up because of the temperature or because people are just getting more hungry and greedy each day?
• Go for a line graph if you want to mark a trend over time. 
• Go for a heat map if you like some fancy visualisation of the changes in a geographical location, or to see your visitors' behaviour on your website.
• Go for a pie chart (especially in 3D) if you want to be shunned by others because it was never a good idea👇

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a chart presentation.

A chart presentation is a way of presenting data or information using visual aids such as charts, graphs, and diagrams. The purpose of a chart presentation is to make complex information more accessible and understandable for the audience.

When can I use charts for the presentation?

Charts can be used to compare data, show trends over time, highlight patterns, and simplify complex information.

Why should you use charts for presentation?

You should use charts to ensure your contents and visuals look clean, as they are the visual representative, provide clarity, simplicity, comparison, contrast and super time-saving!

What are the 4 graphical methods of presenting data?

Histogram, Smoothed frequency graph, Pie diagram or Pie chart, Cumulative or ogive frequency graph, and Frequency Polygon.

Leah Nguyen

Words that convert, stories that stick. I turn complex ideas into engaging narratives - helping audiences learn, remember, and take action.

Tips to Engage with Polls & Trivia

More from AhaSlides

20+ Free PowerPoint and Google Slides Templates for Data Presentations

Graphs and diagrams are crucial in data presentations since they make complex information much more understandable . Imagine copying and pasting all 1,000 rows of data onto your slides and expecting your audience to understand it. It’s really hard, isn’t it?

Presenting your data analysis doesn’t have to be a struggle. These PowerPoint and Google Slides templates will significantly cut down your preparation time, allowing you to focus on ensuring the accuracy of your data analysis while we handle the design.

This article is divided into two sections: the first covers our free PowerPoint templates , and the second covers our free Google Slides templates . Oh, and in case you’re wondering, yes, you can use a PowerPoint template in Google Slides and vice versa .

PowerPoint Templates for Your Data Presentations

Let’s start with our data presentation templates in PowerPoint. 

As you may know, PowerPoint is one of the best presentation software programs available today. So, take advantage of all its features with our free templates! 

1. Playful Venn Diagram PowerPoint Template

Venn diagrams are great for showing the similarities and differences between 2 or more data sets. Your audience can tell if there’s anything common between them just by looking at the diagram.

Likewise, if you want to emphasize the differences between data sets, Venn diagrams are great for that purpose, too. Now, for this template pack, you’ve got 10 slides to choose from. Pick your favorite!

2. Graph, Diagram, and Data Sheet PowerPoint Template

Using graphics is the best way to create data presentations, and at 24Slides, we know that! 

If you’re looking for simple yet creative graphs, including a Gantt Chart in PowerPoint , this 5-slide template pack is perfect for you. Take a look at the previews and download the pack for free!

3. Generic Data-Driven PowerPoint Template

Here are more basic graphs for your presentation decks. This template can be used for many situations, including a job interview, a sales presentation, or even an academic one.

If you want to make the slides look even more unique, you can customize the background with some personal images.

4. Cockpit Chart PowerPoint Template

If you’re giving a high-level presentation to decision-makers who need to see hard data and proper analysis, then this free template pack is for you.

With this pack, each of the 9 slides brings a fresh example of charts and diagrams, ready to make your data come alive. Click on the title and pick the perfect one to captivate your audience!

5. Matrix Chart PowerPoint Template

A matrix chart allows you to compare and analyze different sets of data. You can use it to prove certain data sets are related. Plus, you can even show the strength of that relationship. 

Download our 8 matrix models for free now! 

6. Stair Diagram PowerPoint Template

Like their namesake, stair diagrams show a series of steps or progression in data presentations. You can use good, old-fashioned bullet points, but it won’t be much fun. 

This template offers 10 stair diagrams; the screenshot above shows a steps stair diagram . Explore all of them for free!

7. Tables PowerPoint Template

Tables have been a staple in data visualization for a long time, and we believe they continue to be widely used today. Despite the evolution of various visualization tools and techniques, tables remain a fundamental way to present data clearly and effectively.

This template pack offers standard table slides as well as creative designs, including a subscription slide, a table with different symbols, and a matrix organizational structure. Choose your favorite based on your needs!

8. Flow Chart PowerPoint Template

Flowcharts are extremely useful for documenting certain company procedures. They can even present the company hierarchy and who is responsible for certain tasks. 

Instead of verbally discussing processes, why not try using a flowchart? 

9. Financial Pie Graphs PowerPoint Template

Whether you’re presenting in front of the directors of your company or potential investors for your startup, these radial charts will help you get your point across. With a few clicks, you can customize these resources and make them your own!

This data visualization template includes 3 slides: a financial pie chart for comparison (shown above), a ring pie chart, and a doughnut pie chart slide.

10. Research and Development Data PowerPoint Template

Every successful startup needs a solid research and development (R&D) process, which can be lengthy and costly and often require external funding. 

This template pack is designed to help you create a concise, impactful presentation for potential investors. Remember, while design is important, it’s your passion and persuasive skills that will ultimately drive your success in a data presentation!

11. Sales Report PowerPoint Template

Our list of data presentation templates wouldn’t be complete without a sales report template in PowerPoint. 

This pack includes sales bar charts, line charts, radial charts, sales data visualization sections, and annual sales report slides. Everything you need in one presentation deck!

12. Data-Driven PowerPoint Template

This 9-slide template pack contains charts and diagrams for your business presentations or any project you’re leading. 

With its thoughtful design and diverse range of graphs, this template is perfect for most financial presentations. So, what are you waiting for? Check out our template pack now!

13. Block Chain Data PowerPoint Template

Cryptocurrency and blockchain are all the rage nowadays. Many people became millionaires overnight, but many more gambled and lost their entire life savings!

Don’t get left behind and explore more about digital currencies with our free template pack.

Google Slides Templates for Your Data Presentations

PowerPoint is awesome, but Google Slides is also a brilliant tool. If you haven’t used this platform, this is your signal to start doing so. Unlock the potential of your data with our free templates, crafted to transform your slides into stunning visual stories!

With Google Slides templates, there’s no need to download anything to your computer. Simply create an account on our Templates Repository and make a copy of the template. As you can imagine, editing it will be a breeze!

1. Corporate Data Presentation in Google Slides

Our Google Slides template provides essential charts for data presentation, including bar charts, pie charts, and line charts. 

The best part? Each chart is linked to a Google Sheets spreadsheet, giving you complete control over the data.

2. Life Cycle Diagram in Google Slides

A product’s life cycle—spanning from introduction to growth, maturity, and decline—directly influences the marketing and pricing strategies of your company. So you have to know how to monitor each stage.

This template pack includes a summary slide to introduce your objectives and guide the audience. It also features an area chart to visually represent product growth over time, helping to clarify the current stage. See it yourself by clicking on the title!

3. Playful Pie Chart in Google Slides

Unlike the other pie charts in this article, this one will be very easy to use. You’ve got 8 pie chart slides to choose from, including 3D and 2D pie charts in Google Slides. 

Choose the ones that best convey your message, then edit and present them!

4. Dashboard Template in Google Slides

A dashboard slide can convey everything your audience needs in just one slide. While you can use separate slides for each chart, it won’t have the same impact as a dashboard (as you can see in the image). 

Dashboard templates are perfect for elevator pitches because they are highly eye-catching. Explore the designs we’ve prepared for you!

5. Waterfall Diagram Template in Google Slides

Waterfall charts are excellent for financial presentations, allowing you to show gains or losses over time. They are also useful for demonstrating changes in cash flow or stock market performance. 

This template pack includes a waterfall performance comparison slide (pictured), a basic waterfall diagram, a project timeline slide, and more. Download all for free!

6. Playful Data-Driven Template in Google Slides

Think data presentation templates have to be serious? Think again! 

This 10-slide playful template is packed with various charts and graphs, including bar graphs, radar charts, waterfall statistics, treemaps, and more. Log in to our Template Repository to download this free Google Slides template.

7. Circle Diagrams in Google Slides

This template pack features 8 types of circle charts in Google Slides, including pie charts, timelines , cyclical processes, project management charts, and Venn diagrams. 

The design is both playful and professional, making it suitable for any audience!

8. Creative Data-Driven and Financial Charts in Google Slides

Number crunchers will love the clean design of these 7 data-driven slides. With ample white space and visually appealing graphics, it will help your audience grasp complex financial information. 

You only need to replace the placeholder content with your own information and practice your data presentation for the best results!

9. Graph, Diagram, and Data Sheet Presentation in Google Slides

This pack of 5 Google Slides templates includes a versatile collection of charts and diagrams, perfect for any presentation. 

Remember that each chart is fully customizable to meet your specific needs. Download this data visualization pack for free today!

10. SWOT Presentation Templates in Google Slides

Data visualization isn’t just for numbers; it also includes qualitative data. If you need to present a SWOT analysis, these templates are your go-to solution. 

With 8 pre-designed SWOT diagrams, you can easily create impactful presentations. Best of all, they’re free to download—what are you waiting for?

11. ICO Presentation Template in Google Slides

Planning to present an Initial Coin Offering (ICO) for your company or startup? 24Slides has you covered.

We’ve designed this data presentation template with the unpredictable nature of digital currencies in mind, featuring a chart that helps you clearly explain all the details to your audience.

12. Budget Presentation Template in Google Slides

Presenting a project’s budget doesn’t have to be boring!

This resource offers 8 different diagrams in Google Slides, making it easy to streamline your design process. Download our data visualization pack for free now! 

13. Financial Template Pack in Google Slides

You should know that effective financial management is crucial to every business’s success. So why not showcase that professionalism in your financial slides? 

Explore this final Google Slides template pack and impress your audience with professional and polished data slides!

I hope these 20+ free PowerPoint and Google Slides templates for data presentations are helpful for any project you have in mind. Our templates are designed to be visually attractive while maintaining a professional look. Follow us and stay tuned for all the content we’ve prepared for you!

Where can you find the best templates for FREE?

In 2024, it’s no mystery that there are various ways to optimize your time when designing presentations. One of the most effective methods is using pre-designed templates, and of course, 24Slides has its own repository.

When you enter our Template Repository , you’ll find data visualization templates, marketing templates, portfolio templates, planning templates, and much more!

It’s time to work smart, begin today .

If you like this content, you should check:

• Mastering the Art of Presenting Data in PowerPoint
• 20+ Self Introduction PowerPoint Templates: Download for free!   
• The Ultimate Brand Identity Presentation Guide [FREE PPT Template]
• How to Make a PowerPoint Template (Tutorial with Pictures!)   
• 11 Time-Saving PowerPoint Hacks for Creating Quick Presentations

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What are Top 10 Examples of Creative Data Visualizations?

In today’s data-driven world, the ability to present data clearly and effectively is crucial. Data visualization serves as a bridge between complex data sets and human understanding, transforming raw numbers into visually compelling stories. The primary goals of creative data visualization are clarity, insight, and engagement.

When done correctly, it not only makes data more accessible but also enhances our ability to interpret and act on that data. This article explores various aspects of effective and creative data visualization, including principles, examples, tools, and common mistakes to avoid.

Visualization designs can help you distill data into meaningful insights. And this saves tons of hours, which you can use to relax or execute other tasks. Besides, when creating data stories, you need charts that communicate insights with clarity.

Some of the tested and proven creative data visualization examples include:

• Progress Bar Chart
• Pareto Chart
• Sankey Chart
• Multi-series Line Chart
• Slope Chart
• Double Bar Graph
• Likert Scale Chart
• CSAT Score Survey Chart
• Sunburst Chart
• Sentiment Trend Chart

In this blog post, you’ll learn the following:

What is Data Visualization?

Principles of effective data visualization.

• The Importance of Data Visualization

Top 10 Creative Data Visualization Examples to Get You Started

How to create effective data visualization in excel.

• How to Edit a Data Visualization in Excel to Make it More Effective?
• Role of Creative Data Visualization in Business Decision-making

Data visualization is the representation of data or information in a graph, chart, or other visual formats. In other words, it’s the act of taking information (data) and placing it into a visual context, such as a map or chart.

Data visualization is translating information into a visual context, such as a map or graph, to make it easier for our brains to understand.

The key goal of data visualization is to make it easier for our brains to identify:

Effective data visualization is built on a foundation of key principles. Understanding these principles helps in creating visuals that communicate data accurately and compellingly.

The foremost principle is clarity. A visualization should make complex data easy to understand at a glance. This involves choosing the right type of chart or graph and designing it in a way that highlights the most important information without unnecessary clutter.

Simplicity:

Simplicity goes hand in hand with clarity. Avoid adding elements that do not serve a purpose. This means using clean and minimal designs, avoiding excessive colors, and ensuring that every element in the visualization has a clear function.

Accuracy is critical in data visualization. Misleading visualizations can lead to incorrect conclusions and decisions. Ensure that scales are consistent, data points are correctly plotted, and that the visual representation matches the actual data.

Storytelling:

Good data visualization tells a story. It guides the viewer through the data in a logical and engaging way, highlighting key points and insights. This can be achieved through thoughtful layout, annotations, and a clear narrative structure.

The Importance of  Effective Data Visualization

Creative data visualization examples are vital, especially when crafting data stories for the top management. Top management can use data presentation charts, such as Sankey, as a backdrop for their decision.

Presentation charts, maps, and graphs are powerful because they simplify data by making it understandable & readable at the same time. Besides, they make data stories compelling and irresistible to target audiences.

Easy to understand

Thanks to creative data visualization examples, such as Pareto Charts , you can interpret vast quantities of data clearly and cohesively to draw conclusions  and see perspectives.

You can easily create and rapidly consume key metrics associated with your business or workplace.

If any of the aforementioned metrics have anomalies, such as sales being significantly down, you can easily dig into the data.

Spot patterns

Data visualization can help you to recognize emerging trends and respond rapidly on the grounds of what you see.

Such patterns make more sense when graphically represented; because charts make it easier to identify correlated parameters.

Storytelling is more engaging

You can create creative data visualization examples to build dashboards and turn them into stories.

Data storytelling can help you connect with potential readers and audiences on an emotional level.

Speed up the decision-making process

We naturally process visual images 60,000 times faster than text. Creative data visualization examples, such as charts and maps, are more comfortable for our brain to process.

Thanks to ability to easily interpret visual content, data presentation examples can dramatically improve the speed of decision-making processes.

In the coming section, we’ll address the following: top 10 creative data visualization examples.

To illustrate the importance and principles of creative data visualizations, let’s look at some examples. Some of the tested and proven creative data visualization examples include:

Example #1: Progress Bar Chart

A Progress Chart is one of the creative data visualization examples you can use to display progress toward a particular goal.

The visualization design allows you to monitor and prioritize your objectives by providing critical data for strategic decision-making.

On the right side you can observe current and previous order values side by side. On the left side of the visualization green bars showing the positive difference whereas red bars showing the negative difference of the values based on current and previous.

After defining your project goals and milestones, you can use the Chart to visualize and keep track of your team’s work and business objectives.

Example #2: Pareto Chart

A Pareto Chart is one of the creative data visualization examples that empowers you to categorize occurrences based on their impact on a common strategic goal or objective. This visualization design aims to categorize key variables in your data based on their frequency of occurrence.

In other words, this chart provides you with in-depth and high-level insights into problems that require urgent attention and resources.

Pareto Chart is based on the classic 80/20 rule .

Example #3: Sankey Chart

A Sankey Diagram is one of the creative data visualization examples that use a directional flow chart.

Flows in the chart can display energy, materials, fluids, revenue, or costs.

Let’s interpret the Sankey Chart above.

Beverages and meat/poultry products are the best-moving products. Besides, the United Package and Federal Shipping are the most used delivery services companies.

The US has the biggest customer base for the brand offerings.

Example #4: Slope Chart

A Slope Chart is one of the creative data visualization examples that show transitions, changes over time, absolute values, and even rankings.

You can use this chart to show the before and after story of variables in your data.

Slope Graphs can be useful when you have two or more time periods or points of comparison and want to show relative increases or decreases quickly across various categories between two data points.

Example #5: Multi-Series Line Chart

Plotting multiple data series in one chart is possible if you use a Multi-Series Line Chart .

A Multi-series Line Chart is one of the creative data visualization examples that uses trends and relationships in various datasets. And it’s made up of various data points connected using line segments, where each point represents a single value. Use this chart to visualize continuous data like prices over time.

To increase the effectiveness of this chart in your data story, follow the best practices highlighted below:

• Please keep it simple: do away from anything unnecessary, like grid lines.
• Highlight the critical data elements

Example #6: Double Bar Graph

A double bar graph is the graphical representation of grouped data. In a double bar graph, two bars are drawn in parallel form for each category.

A Double Bar Chart is one of the creative data visualization examples that displays more than one data series in clustered horizontal columns.

Each data series shares the same axis labels, so horizontal bars are grouped by category.

Example #7: Likert Scale Chart

A Likert Scale is one of the creative data visualization examples you can use to collect the attitudes and opinions of your target market. This psychometric scale can help you understand the views and perspectives of the market toward your brand.

Example #8: CSAT Score Survey Chart

A CSAT Score is one of the creative data visualization examples you can use to measure recommendations for your brand’s product or service on a scale between -100 to 100.

Positive and higher scores indicate acceptance and satisfaction of the target market.

On the other hand, the negative and lower scores depict dissatisfaction and dislike of your brand and its offering.

Example #9: Sunburst Chart

A Sunburst Chart (also known as the Ring Chart) is a visualization design you can use to display hierarchical insights into your raw data.

The visualization design uses a series of concentric rings to display the ranked order of key data points. Each ring in the chart is segmented proportionally to add to the whole.

Example #10: Sentiment Trend Chart

A Sentiment Trend Chart is one of the creative data visualization examples you can use to display the target market’s opinion of your offerings.

The chart is a must-have, especially if your goal is to show the growth and decline of key variables. The line curve in the chart shows the overall pattern and trend of a key variable over a specified period.

We’ll use the Sentiment Trend Chart to visualize the data below in this section.

• Install the application into your Excel by clicking this link to get started.
• Open your Excel and paste the table above.
• Open the worksheet and click the Insert menu button.
• Click the My Apps button  and then click the See All, as shown below.

• Click the Insert button to get started with ChartExpo.
• Click the Search Box and type “Sentiment Trend Chart.”
• Once the chart pops up, click on its icon to get started, as shown below.

• Select the sheet holding your data and click the Create Chart from Selection

• Check out the final Sentiment Trend Chart in Excel.

How to Edit a Data Visualization in Excel to Make it More Engaging & Effective?

• Click the Edit Chart button , as shown above.
• Once the Chart Header Properties window shows, click the Line 1 box and fill in your title.
• Toggle the small switch below Line 2 to the right side, as shown above.
• Save your changes by clicking the Save Changes button .

Keep reading because, in the coming section, we’ll address the following question: what is the role of data visualization in business decision-making?

What is the Role of Creative Data Visualization in Business Decision-making?

Faster response time.

Big data is gold in today’s businesses.

Marketing managers, sales managers, directors, and service reps need vital data at their fingertips to drive sales and revenue. Creative data visualization examples, such as Sankey, can fasten the decision-making process, unlike tables.

Easy to comprehend

Thanks to creative data visualization examples, you can interpret vast quantities of data clearly and cohesively for insights.

Also, you can easily create and rapidly consume key metrics associated with your business or workplace.

Spot trends, patterns, and outliers

Data visualization can help you to recognize emerging trends during the decision-making process.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Effective Data Visualization:

Even with the right tools and principles, there are common mistakes that can undermine the effectiveness of data visualization.  Here are some to watch out for:

Misleading Scales and Axes:

One of the most common mistakes is manipulating scales and axes to exaggerate or downplay trends. Always ensure that scales are consistent and appropriate for the data being displayed.

Overloading with Information:

Trying to include too much information in a single visualization can make it confusing and hard to interpret. Focus on the key insights you want to convey and consider using multiple visualizations if necessary.

Poor Color Choices:

Colors should be used to enhance understanding, not to confuse. Avoid using too many colors or choosing color schemes that are difficult to distinguish. Ensure your color choices are accessible to those with color vision deficiencies.*

Lack of Context or Annotations:

A visualization without context can be meaningless. Always include labels, legends, and annotations to help viewers understand what they are looking at and why it is important.

Is data visualization easy?

Yes, but it depends on the tool you’re using to visualize your data.

Excel and Google Sheets produce basic charts, which require a lot of effort and time to edit. To overcome the aforementioned challenge, we recommend ChartExpo, which comes as an add-in and add-on for Excel and Google Sheets, respectively.

Why is data visualization important in business?

Data visualization charts are vital, especially when crafting data stories for the top management. Top management can use data presentation charts, such as Sankey, as a backdrop for their decision.

Charts and graphs are powerful because they simplify data by making it understandable & readable at the same time.

Digging for insights into raw and bulky data is tedious and mentally exhausting.

This is where creative data visualization examples come into play.

Note: it’s the clarity and simplicity of charts that make data stories compelling and irresistible.

We recommend you try ChartExpo because it’s one of the most trusted add-ins for Excel. Besides, it has a super-friendly user interface for everyone, irrespective of their computer skills.

Create simple, ready-made, and easy-to-interpret creative data visualization charts today without breaking a sweat.

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15 Cool Ways to Show Data

The different methods of showing data in a pictorial form, graphical, and visual context enable decision-makers to grasp difficult concepts or define trends.

No matter if you want to visualize a data flow, data comparison or you need to show data over time as a trend, there are many variants of visual communication.

Here we collected 15 examples of creative and cool ways to show data in statistics, business, marketing, finance and etc.

1. Venn Diagram

If you need to make a comparison between 2 relatively simple data sets, Venn diagram can be your creative and cool solution. Venn diagram is an illustration that uses circles to shows logical relationships between two or more sets (grouping items).

Typically, Venn diagrams show how given items are similar and different. Venn diagram with 2 or 3 circles is the most common type. But there are also many diagrams with a larger number of circles (5,6,7,8,10…).

2. Bubble Chart 

Bubble Chart is one of the most attractive types of graphs  and charts available in statistics and business.

Bubble charts are super useful charts for making a comparison of the relationships between data in 3 numeric data dimensions: the Y-axis data, the X-axis data, and data depicting the bubble size.

If you want to display three or four dimensions of data or you want to compare and display the relationships between categorized circles, bubble charts can be your answer.

3. Decision Trees

As graphical representations of complex or simple problems, decision trees have an important place in business. A decision tree is a diagram representation of possible solutions to a decision. It shows different outcomes from a set of decisions.

Decision trees are helpful for a variety of reasons. Not only they are easy-to-understand diagrams that support you ‘see’ your thoughts, but also because they provide a framework for estimating all possible alternatives.

4. Radar Chart

A radar chart is one of the most modern types of charts and cool ways to show data – ideal for multiple comparisons. Radar charts use a circular display with several different quantitative axes looking like spokes on a wheel.

Each axis shows a quantity for a different categorical value. Radar Chart has many applications nowadays in statistics, maths, business, sports analysis, data intelligence, and etc.

5. Cycle Diagram

Cycle diagram is a rarely used method for data visualization and representation. However, it has some interesting benefits and an attractive look. Cycle Diagram shows how one event flows to another.

It presents the steps of a cyclical process or a data flow. Cycle diagrams can be utilized for many different types of processes. For example, you can use Circle diagram to visualize a flow of money in a company or the path of assets that run through a production process.

6. Concept Maps

Concept maps (also known as mind maps) are among the most interesting and cool ways to show data. They are widely used for organizing thoughts, ideas, brainstorming and solving complex business problems.

With the help of a mind map, you can represent and link ideas so you can choose the most critical points and solutions. There are many free mind mapping tools you can use for different purposes.

7. Flowchart

8. Fishbone Diagram

When it comes to creative ways to visualize data, fishbone diagram is definitely one of the best data representing tools. Fishbone diagram is known as one of the key graphical methods to solve business problems because it takes into account all the possible causes.

A fishbone diagram (also known as a cause and effect diagram or Ishikawa diagram) is a visualization tool for categorizing the possible causes of a particular problem or situation. The main goal is to find the root cause. Therefore, it is one of the key root cause analysis tools .

Although it looks difficult for drawing, there are many free  fishbone diagram software tools that make creating Ishikawa diagram a piece of cake.

9. Scatter Plot 

Scatter Plot  can be very interesting and attractive method for representing a relationship between 2 variables.

Scatter Plot is an X-Y diagram that shows a correlation between two variables. It is utilized to plot data points on a vertical and a horizontal axis. The goal is to represent how much one variable affects another.

10. Box and Whisker Plot

Not only their name but also the way they look make you think box and whisker plots are cool ways to show data in statistic or in business.

A box and whisker plot (or just a box plot) is a graph that represents visually data from a five-number summary. These numbers are median, upper and lower quartile, minimum, and maximum data value (extremes).

Don’t panic, these numbers are easy to understand. For more details take a look at our post  box and whisker plot examples .

11. Pie Charts

Pie Charts are a classic way to present data but still, it is one of the coolest and most attractive methods. Pie charts display data and statistics in an easy-to-understand ‘pie-slice’ format and illustrate numerical proportion.

The pie chart brakes down a group into smaller pieces. It shows part-whole relationships. To make a pie chart, you need a list of categorical data and numerical variables.  The total sum of the proportions (pieces) is 100%.

12. Pictographs

The pictograph is one of the most eye-catching ways of showing data in a pictorial form. It displays numerical information with the use of icons or picture symbols to represent data sets.

They are very easy to read statistical way of data visualization. A pictogram shows the frequency of data as images or symbols. Each image/symbol may represent one or more units of a given dataset.

13. Gantt Chart

As a powerful tool at the hands of project managers, Gantt chart is a graphical illustration that represents a project schedule or a timeline. Actually, this is very useful and interesting way of showing tasks displayed against time.

Gantt chart is irreplaceable when it comes to using tools for planning, coordinating, and tracking specific activities in a project.

14. Funnel Chart

Funnel charts are great ways to illustrate stages in a specific process, most common – a sales process. Actually, they could be utilized to show anything that’s decreasing in size.

Funnel charts are very similar to pie charts because the total sum of the bars is 100%. Each funnel stage illustrates a percentage of the whole. Typically, the first stage is the largest, and each next stage is smaller than its predecessor.

15. Pyramid Graph

How to create cool charts and graphs?

The short answer – with the right software tools.

In our high-tech era, there is a wide variety of premium or free graphing software  tools that allow you to create amazing graphs and charts in minutes. They are interesting, visually-appealing, and easy to understand.

Here is a list of the most popular of them:

• FusionCharts

About The Author

Silvia Valcheva

Silvia Valcheva is a digital marketer with over a decade of experience creating content for the tech industry. She has a strong passion for writing about emerging software and technologies such as big data, AI (Artificial Intelligence), IoT (Internet of Things), process automation, etc.

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Creative Ways To Present Data In PowerPoint That Engage Audiences

Table of contents.

There’s no shortage of creative ways to engage your audience when presenting data. It’s easy to slap numbers into a bar graph, present the information and call it a day! But will that have the desired impact on those you are presenting to?

In this article we are going to explore the options you have available to you using PowerPoint templates, what creativity can bring to the mix with regard to data presentation, and our recommendations on the next steps you should take if you need a presentation that is data heavy.

Always Understand Your Target Audience

Before you start constructing your presentation, ask yourself – how well do I know the audience I am presenting to? This understanding is critical as you want to produce a presentation that they will connect with. A financial analyst will consume data differently than a sales professional. You need to present data the way the room will connect with it best.

What Options Do You Have When Presenting Data In PowerPoint?

There’s  no shortage of options when creating a PowerPoint presentation  that will be showcasing numbers, PowerPoint has a wealth of charts and diagrams you can insert. 

You need to consider your options for the type of data that you will be presenting, so your point gets across. By knowing your audience and the type of data you want to use in your presentation, you are well on your way to selecting the right format in which to present it in. Below are a few common options PowerPoint offers:

Let’s start with a classic, charts! Charts come in many forms that are available to you. Read on as we explore the best DIY options you have to present your data in PowerPoint.

Line Charts

Line charts, everybody has seen a line chart! However, this always begs the question – are they overused? It’s hardly the sexiest way of displaying data, but it’s a clear and easy way of displaying trends. Up is positive, and down is negative. It certain instances, this is just what the doctor ordered.

Column Charts

Ah, column charts. Not to be confused with its older sibling the bar chart. Again, it’s a way of displaying data that is frequently used as it’s easy to digest and displays the data cleanly . It really doesn’t leave much to the imagination.

Pie charts are great, I mean who doesn’t love a good pie…chart? Ideal for segmenting items into a visual format. It’s typically a breeze to identify opportunities using a good old-fashioned pie chart.

Bubble Charts

Bubble charts are a brilliant way for you to highlight the distribution of data. Arguably one of the more visually appealing stock formats to display information available in PowerPoint.

Indicators, a simple and effective way of showing information through progression, targets that need to be met or showing a focus on where you want your company to be in the future.

Venn Diagrams

We love Venn diagrams for how simple but effective they are for displaying information like similarities, differences and the cross-overs between all the information. A simple, yet effective way to showcase your information and keep your audience’s focus on the detail that matter.

Use an area map if you want to put your information into the real world for your audience to engage with. Do you have locations you need to present? Any geography that would be beneficial for your presentation? This is where we recommend area maps as an interesting way of presenting data in PowerPoint.

Venturing Beyond PowerPoints Stock Features

The reason we wanted to lead you through the world of PowerPoint options is to highlight its versatility. Heck, we didn’t even cover them all off. With that being said, i t can take a significant amount of time to gain the experience you need just to work with the options everyone has available to them.

However, when you really want to make some noise, you need to venture outside what is available to EVERYONE and craft something unique . Check out below the difference that custom graphic design can make.

Here's One We Made Earlier For Dynamic Funds

Don't Be Afraid To Mix It Up. Think Outside The Spreadsheet!

It’s quite popular at the moment in PowerPoint design to mix up how you present data. Don’t feel restricted to a single format. Instead, perhaps use two different types of data presentation on one slide. It will make the data more attractive and interesting to the audience. For example, try using a bar chart on the left and a pie chart for different data on the right. Mixing and matching different styles is engaging.

Incorporate Motion Graphics

You can’t overstate the importance of movement in today’s presentation arena. We are inundated on a daily basis with motion and movements, from social media to streaming services everywhere. Knowing this, displaying a static chart on your next presentation could leave your audience not as captivated as they shoud be. It’s a simple solution, but adding motion graphics and animation to existing data can elevate your professionalism and “wow-factor.”

Check out a quick data visualization animation we created from a 2D static line graph.

Brand Consistency Is Key

It’s easy to get overly excited about your presentation and load it up with more information, graphs and pictures than you need. This is where your talking comes in handy, as we recommend that you display your data in a way that is easy for your audience to process through your unique style while talking about your information as you present. Keep your colours, fonts and graphs consistent throughout your entire presentation.

The financial industry understands the importance of data, figures, and graphs. Although a financial audience may be very savvy, it’s still important to present data in a powerful and meaningful way.

Here’s a great example of consistency that we created for ING Financial.

Only Draw Attention To Key Data Points

Stay focused, your presentation doesn’t need to contain every number you have in your database. Your slides are there to contain key information that supports the point you are there to make. It’s understandable that in certain situations a little more will be required, but on the whole, keep it simple. A crowded slide is an ineffective one. After all, you are there to tell the story , the presentation is your supporting act.

Overlay Data On Top Of Images

It’s incredibly simple, yet incredibly effective. A little creativity can go a long when it comes to bringing your point to life on the screen. Engaging presentations that contain financial information often contain an image or a video to provide context. Placing data over the top of an image that it represents helps to humanize it . Your audience makes the logical connection with the point you are trying to make as you’ve removed barriers. Check our the presentation we created for Brandpoint that did just that!

Creative Ways To Present Data In PowerPoint - Our Key Takeaways

Customized presentations are key when you want to connect with your audience. Investing time in learning PowerPoint, or any other presentation software is only going to get you so far. Usually, the time invested isn’t worth the product you get, if you do it alone. Your audience is savvy, they can tell how seriously you take yourself by what you present them.

It’s true, not all data needs to be over complicated and sometimes a simple chart is enough. However, consistency, intent, and sublime execution is noticeable. An investment in your sales/marketing/ financial presentation is an investment in you or your business and makes all the difference.

Need Help With Your Next Presentation?

We are Presentation Geeks, PowerPoint design specialists. We geek out about all things when it comes to presentations. Let’s connect and explore how our powerpoint presentation design services can cater to your specific industry that will blow your audience away.

Author:  Content Team

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How to Present Data in PowerPoint

PowerPoint has become an essential tool for anyone looking to present data in a clear and engaging way. But it’s not just about throwing numbers onto a slide and hoping for the best. Effective data presentation is a skill that takes practice and careful consideration to master. In this article, we’ll take you through everything you need to know about presenting data in PowerPoint, from understanding your audience to designing engaging slides and everything in between.

Table of Contents

Why Effective Data Presentation is Important in PowerPoint

Before we dive into the nuts and bolts of PowerPoint data presentations, let’s take a moment to understand why it’s so important. The main goal of any data presentation is to deliver information in a clear, concise way that engages your audience and helps them understand the significance of the data. This isn’t always easy – data can be complex, and if not presented effectively, it can lead to confusion, boredom, or even worse – disengagement.

By mastering the art of data presentation in PowerPoint, you can ensure that you’re delivering information in a way that your audience will respond to positively. This not only helps build credibility with your audience, but it can also be the difference between your message being heard and remembered, or ignored and forgotten.

Understanding Your Audience: Tailoring Your Data for Maximum Impact

One of the most important aspects of presenting data in PowerPoint is understanding your audience. Before you begin designing your presentation, take some time to think about who will be viewing it, and what their needs and expectations are.

For example, if you’re presenting to a group of executives, they’re likely to be interested in high-level, big-picture data that shows the overall direction of the company. Conversely, if you’re presenting to a team of analysts, they’ll be looking for more granular data that they can use to make specific decisions or recommendations.

By understanding your audience, you can tailor your data and presentation style to make the biggest impact. This might involve using different chart types, adjusting your tone of voice, or changing your visual style to better connect with your audience.

Choosing the Right PowerPoint Template for Your Data Presentation

The first step in designing an effective PowerPoint data presentation is choosing the right template. With so many options to choose from, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. Here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing a template:

• Consider your brand: Your presentation should reflect your brand’s visual identity, so look for templates that align with your brand standards.
• Simplicity is key: You want your data to be the star of the show, so avoid templates that are busy or overly complicated.
• Think about your audience: Consider the preferences and expectations of your audience when choosing a template. For example, if you’re presenting to a creative team, a more visually engaging template might be appropriate.

Ultimately, the goal of your template is to provide a clean, consistent backdrop for your data and visualizations to shine.

Top Tips for Designing Engaging PowerPoint Slides

Once you’ve chosen your template, it’s time to start designing your PowerPoint slides. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

• Use clear, legible fonts: Your data won’t be effective if it can’t be read, so choose fonts that are easy to read on-screen.
• Keep it simple: Avoid cluttering your slides with unnecessary bells and whistles. Your audience should be able to focus on your data without being distracted by overly complicated design elements.
• Use visuals to support your data: Visuals like charts, graphs, and images can help illustrate your data in a more engaging way than text alone.
• Be consistent: Use consistent formatting and design elements throughout your presentation to create a cohesive look and feel.

Remember, the goal of your PowerPoint slides is to support your data, not distract from it. Keep things simple and clear, and let your data do the talking.

Using Color and Contrast to Make Your Data Pop

Another important design consideration when presenting data in PowerPoint is color and contrast. These elements can help draw attention to key pieces of data and make your presentation more visually engaging.

Here are some tips for using color and contrast effectively:

• Use contrasting colors to highlight key data points: For example, you might use a bright color for a data point that demonstrates a significant change or achievement.
• Stick to a consistent color palette: Using too many colors can be distracting. Stick to a consistent color palette throughout your presentation to create a cohesive look and feel.
• Use color to create visual hierarchy: By using color to differentiate between headings, subheadings, and body text, you can create a visual hierarchy that guides your audience’s attention and helps them navigate the presentation more easily.

Remember, the goal of your use of color and contrast is to make your data more engaging and to help your audience understand its significance in a more visual way.

How to Choose the Right Chart Type for Your Data

When presenting data in PowerPoint, choosing the right chart type is essential. Different chart types are better suited for different types of data, so it’s important to choose one that accurately represents the story you’re trying to tell.

Here are some common chart types and when they might be appropriate:

• Line charts: Line charts are great for showing trends over time or for comparing multiple data sets.
• Pie charts: Pie charts are useful for showing how a whole entity is divided into different parts.
• Bar charts: Bar charts are ideal for comparing different entities or for showing changes in data over time.
• Scatter plots: Scatter plots are helpful for showing the relationship between two variables.

By choosing the right chart type, you can help your audience better understand the story your data is telling.

Creating Clear and Concise Labels and Titles

When presenting data in PowerPoint, it’s essential to use clear and concise labels and titles. This not only makes your data easier to read and understand, but it also helps your audience quickly identify the most important points in your presentation.

Here are some tips for creating effective labels and titles:

• Make it clear: Use labels and titles that accurately reflect the data you’re presenting.
• Keep it concise: Avoid long titles or labels that take up too much space and distract from your data.
• Be consistent: Use a consistent format for all of your labels and titles throughout the presentation to create a cohesive look and feel.

By creating clear and concise labels and titles, you can help guide your audience through your presentation more effectively.

Adding Animation and Transitions for a Professional Touch

Animation and transitions can be a great way to add a professional touch to your PowerPoint data presentation. However, it’s important to use them sparingly – too much animation can be distracting and take away from the data itself.

Here are some tips for using animation and transitions effectively:

• Keep it simple: Use subtle animations and transitions that enhance your data, rather than detracting from it.
• Use animation to highlight key data points: For example, you might use animation to draw attention to a particularly important data point or to show the progression of data over time.
• Be consistent: Use a consistent set of animations and transitions throughout your presentation for a cohesive look and feel.

By using animation and transitions effectively, you can make your data presentation more engaging and dynamic.

Presenting Your Data with Confidence: Tips for Public Speaking in PowerPoint

Finally, it’s important to remember that presenting data in PowerPoint is not just about the slides – it’s also about your delivery as a speaker. Here are some tips for presenting your data with confidence:

• Practice, practice, practice: The more familiar you are with your data and presentation, the more confident you’ll be when it’s time to present.
• Engage with your audience: Make eye contact, use positive body language, and speak clearly and confidently to keep your audience engaged.
• Use data to support your arguments: Use your data as evidence to support the points you’re making, rather than relying solely on your own opinions.

By following these tips, you can deliver a confident, engaging presentation that will leave a lasting impression on your audience.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Presenting Data in PowerPoint

Now that we’ve covered some best practices for presenting data in PowerPoint, let’s take a look at some common mistakes to avoid:

• Cluttered slides: Too much information on a slide can be overwhelming and make it difficult for your audience to understand what’s important.
• Overly complicated charts: Choose charts that accurately represent your data, but avoid charts that are too complex or difficult to read.
• Too much text: Use visuals to support your data, and limit the amount of text on each slide to keep your audience engaged.

By avoiding these mistakes, you can ensure that your data presentation is engaging, clear, and effective.

Best Practices for Saving and Sharing Your PowerPoint Presentation

Once you’ve put the finishing touches on your PowerPoint data presentation, it’s important to make sure it’s saved and shared correctly. Here are some best practices to keep in mind:

• Save often: Make sure you save your presentation regularly to avoid losing any work.
• Compress images and videos: Large images and videos can make your presentation file size very large. To avoid this, compress any images or videos you include in your presentation.
• Save in different formats: Depending on who you’ll be sharing your presentation with, you may want to save it in different formats, such as PDF or JPEG.

By following these best practices, you can ensure that your presentation is saved and shared safely and effectively.

Creative Ways to Present Complex Data in PowerPoint

Presenting complex data in PowerPoint can be a challenge, but there are creative ways to make it more engaging. Here are some ideas:

• Use infographics: Infographics can be a great way to make complex data more visually engaging and easy to understand.
• Use animations and transitions: Animations and transitions can help break down complex data into more digestible chunks.
• Use storytelling: Telling a story with your data can help it feel more relatable and engaging.

By using creative techniques like these, you can make even the most complex data more engaging and approachable.

How to Use Infographics and Visuals to Enhance Your Data Presentation in PowerPoint

Finally, let’s take a closer look at the ways you can use infographics and visuals to enhance your PowerPoint data presentation. Here are some tips:

• Use icons to illustrate points: Icons can help illustrate complex points in a simple, engaging way.
• Use diagrams and flowcharts: Diagrams and flowcharts can help illustrate processes or systems more clearly than text alone.
• Use images and videos: Images and videos can help bring your data to life and make it more engaging and relatable.

By using visuals strategically, you can create a PowerPoint data presentation that is both informative and engaging.

Resources for Further Learning on Presenting Data in PowerPoint

If you’re interested in learning more about presenting data in PowerPoint, there are many resources available to help you improve your skills. Here are a few to get you started:

• Microsoft’s PowerPoint training center: Offers courses and tutorials on presenting data in PowerPoint.
• Lynda.com: Offers a wide variety of courses on PowerPoint data presentation.
• Data Presentation Tips: A blog devoted to tips and techniques for presenting data in a way that is engaging and effective.

By taking advantage of these resources and continuing to refine your skills, you can become a master of presenting data in PowerPoint.

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How to Present Data & Numbers in Presentations (Like a Pro)

Data is more important than ever. But do you know how to present data? Your audience needs information in a way that's easy-to-follow. With charts and graphs, data comes to life.

In this tutorial, you'll learn how to present data. The intuitive presentation of data and information is essential so that your point comes across. With our tips, we'll help you take flat data tables and convert them to useful and explanatory charts.

Why Present Data and Numbers With Charts?

Often, you’ll find yourself presenting data in PowerPoint. It’s a useful tool to illustrate data and bring numbers to life. But if you go about it the wrong way, you’ll distract and confuse your audience. Remember, the goal of sharing data is to deliver insights.

When you think of how to present data, you've got several options. Words alone should be an automatic no-no. Clustering numerical data in text paragraphs will confuse an audience. Similarly, tables don’t go far enough.

Consider the example below. While this approach may work for a simple dataset, it’s hard to capture value insights at a glance. Keep in mind, you want a viewer to quickly grasp the fundamental meaning of the data instantly.

That’s why your best option is to present data and numbers with charts. These are two related ways to present data that take a truly visual approach. Charts and graphs are forms of infographics. An infographic is a visual illustration meant to show ideas. They look great, they're easy to read, and they work.

Recent research vividly shows their effectiveness. Infographics are read at a rate of 30:1 over text articles. Pair this with the fact that visual information represents 90% of what transmits to a reader’s brain . Clearly, these are tools to keep in your wheelhouse.

As you can see below, the table data above transforms from a complex table to a clear and concise visual. It’s the identical range of data! The magic happens in the display of it. Charts are the key to success in the presentation of data and information.

How to Present Data and Numbers in Presentations

We’ve learned that the best way to present data is with charts. Now that you’re armed with this knowledge, you've got many options to choose from.

Premium PowerPoint data presentation templates are your best friend. These take the hard work out of building and sharing data charts. They teach you how to present data in presentations with pre-built options. All you need is your dataset!

For our walkthrough tutorial, we’ll use the Chart Presentation template from Envato Elements. It’s a premium option with 24 custom slide designs inside. Each is easy to customize to meet your data presentation needs.

With the template downloaded and opened in PowerPoint, let’s get to work learning how to present data. Follow the principles below, and you’ll be ready to get started!

1. Assess Your Data

Charts come in all shapes and sizes. There are pie charts, column charts, line charts, and many more. All have many uses, but each is targeted towards different types of data. First, you’ll want to assess the data that you have, and how it would best be presented visually. Let’s work with a sample dataset like the one below.

As you can see, the data has several rows, each representing a different country. Beside these are three columns, each covering sales for a given year. In short, you’re looking at three years of sales forecasts for five countries.

Reading over the data, it’s tough to instantly gain any insights. Sure, if you look long enough, trends start to emerge. But this is a slow, manual process. And imagine if there were fifty countries and twelve years, for example!

Manual analysis would become nearly impossible in a presentation setting. But by using a chart, you can instantly illustrate trends and forecasts. Any viewer – even an untrained eye – can readily see all key points with a moment’s glance.

2. Choose a Visual

Now that you’ve analyzed your data, you can easily see that a chart is essential. But what kind? We briefly mentioned three styles of charts. When you think of how to present data in presentation form, the trick is to choose the style that best fits your data.

For our example, we’re looking at multiple data points for several categories. Here, these data points are three sales values, for five countries each. Keep these ideas for how to present numbers in mind:

• A logical visual would group each country together.
• Then, show each of the three sales figures side by side.
• You could also reverse it – group the years and show sales for all five countries.

In a case like this, a column chart is the ideal choice. These group data just as described.

But when might a different chart type be useful? Imagine if your data included details about Germany’s 2024 sales, for example. Suppose you’re presenting to your marketing team, and they’ve asked how sales of each individual product make up the total. Here, a pie chart would be the perfect option. These show how individual pieces form a whole.

But in this case, we’ve decided on a column chart. Find one in the deck, and let’s insert it. In our template, slide #15 contains a beautiful chart. It’s already built. All you need to do is add your own data.

To do that, click into the chart area, then right-click. From the menu, choose Edit Data. You’ll see an embedded Microsoft Excel spreadsheet launch right inside of PowerPoint. From here, you can simply replace the existing data with the table you already have. As you work, the chart instantly updates itself to match the new data.

In moments, you’ll be presenting data in PowerPoint with this beautiful chart!

3. Style Your Visual

With your chart placed on the slide, you now have an array of design options. Remember, the goal is to make the chart work perfectly for your own data. These options primarily live on the Chart Design menu, which you can find on PowerPoint’s ribbon. With the chart selected, click on Chart Design.

The template has a beautiful color palette, but you can add your own. It helps to choose a color profile with plenty of contrast. This makes your visual even clearer and easier to read.

To add a new palette, click on the Change Colors drop-down menu. You’ll see an array of color swatches display. Click on one, and it'll apply to your chart.

You can add a new background by launching the Chart Styles section in the center of the Chart Design menu. For example, you can choose one with a gray background to make the colors really stand out on the slide.

Also, it’s possible to add more context to the data. The horizontal axis in our example is clear enough, listing countries. But there isn’t any explanation of what the vertical axis represents, or the colorful bars. Follow these steps:

• Open the Add Chart Element dropdown near the upper left of the ribbon.
• Click  Axis Titles.
• Choose Primary Vertical.
• You’ll see Axis Title appear on the chart. This is a text box, which you can select and type into.

Finally, back on the Add Chart Element dropdown, choose Legend , and pick a location like Top . Three colorful squares listing the three years shown in the chart will be added to the drawing. These labels aid in the presentation of data and information.

It’s easy to see how to present numbers in chart form, using PowerPoint. Start with a premium template like this, and then customize the chart inside to fit your needs.

4. Add Notes Where Needed

You now know well that charts are the best way to present data. But they don’t have to stand on their own!

Often, it’s useful to add more context. Audiences may understand the data perfectly but have questions. For example: Why are sales for one country climbing, while they are falling in another?

By adding notes where needed, you can add supporting details. It’s best to keep these off of the chart itself. If you clutter up your visual, the value of it diminishes rapidly. Check out an improved example below.

On our slide example, the paragraph section on the left may become a series of quick bullet points. These add supporting details that more fully explain the data shown in the chart.

Again, you may not always need to do this. But never think that a chart must be all-encompassing, explaining every piece of information by itself. The trick is to boost understanding, while remaining clear and concise.

5. Consider an Appendix

You may have extra details that you need to include in your slides.

In our example, imagine that you've got three sales offices in each of the five countries featured. Each of the fifteen makes up a certain percentage of overall sales. This may be key data for your audience, but it would complicate the visual that you just created.

Here, it’s a good idea to add an appendix. An appendix (often at the end of your slide deck) includes more detailed data. You might not review it with a live audience, but they can look at it later in a handout or digital format.

To add an appendix, go to the end of your presentation, and click New Slide on the Home tab. Here, it might be appropriate to share the detailed data in the form of a table. Or, you can add a pie chart, suitable for this style of dataset.

To add a chart from scratch, go to the Insert tab, then choose Chart > Pie. The embedded Excel window will return, and again, you can insert your data.

An appendix may not always be necessary. But you should include one (or more) if you've got meaningful data that you aren’t placing into the main slide deck.

The Best Source for Data Presentation Templates (With Unlimited Downloads)

Envato Elements is the best place to find top data presentation templates . For a low monthly rate, you've got access to unlimited downloads of PPT chart templates. You can try as many as you want, finding those that work best for you.

Explore PowerPoint Chart Templates

And that isn’t all. As an Elements member, you also have unlimited access to stock photos, music, fonts, and more. These are digital assets that pair perfectly with your data presentation.

Elements is an unbeatable offer because of the unlimited flexibility. With premium templates, you gain access to powerful features not found in free designs:

• beautiful data visuals that are pre-built and ready to customize
• stylish, custom fonts to help text stand out
• media placeholders to add supporting images and videos
• fully flexible layouts that adapt to your data and other content

The advantages are many. You save hard work, by leaving the slide design tasks to experts. This gives you the time needed to refine your message. Plus, the finished product will wow any audience, thanks to the expertly-crafted graphics . Truly, Envato Elements is the best value for creatives today.

Need a template, but don't want an unlimited subscription? We've got you covered with templates from GraphicRiver . You'll pay-as-you-go, and these templates give you everything you need. They've got pre-made designs for the best way to present data with less work than ever before.

Now Practice the Best Way to Present Data in Presentations

You just learned new ways to present data. Essentially, you saw how to present data in presentations so that your audience  can understand it. Great presenters think of the audience first. They'll thank you for your thoughtful work in how to present numbers and more.

Now, it's your turn! Put these tips on how to present data in presentations to work. Take a flat table in a presentation and convert it with our tips for presenting data in PowerPoint. Just download a template and get started. 

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105+ Creative Presentation Ideas to Engage Your Audience

Written by: Orana Velarde

With most people tuning out of a PowerPoint presentation within the first 10 minutes , developing engaging slide show presentation ideas that keep your audience hooked till the end can be a challenge.

This is why we've created this post with 105+ creative presentation ideas to help you put together exciting presentations that don't put your audience to sleep. You can use these presentation ideas for business meetings, webinars, classrooms, online courses, pitch decks and more.

Here are some of the ideas we’re covering:

• Use neon colors and duotones
• Unify transitions horizontally
• Use a monochrome palette
• Tell a personal story
• Use isometric illustrations

In this article, you'll find unique slide examples, templates, designs and more. Put these slide show presentation ideas to practice using our presentation maker and create your own presentation in minutes.

Here's a short selection of 8 easy-to-edit Presentation templates you can edit, share and download with Visme. View more below:

• Add bright and bold colors to make your presentation stand out and grab your audience's attention. Create a vibrant and dynamic look by using neon colors and duotones.
• Instead of using different transitions for each slide, use the same transition horizontally throughout your presentation. This creates a cohesive and visually pleasing flow.
• To create a sophisticated, minimalist look, limit your color choices to shades of a single color.
• Connect with your audience and make your message more relatable by incorporating personal anecdotes or stories into your presentation.
• Add depth and dimension to your presentation with isometric illustrations, which can be a fun and engaging way to present complex information.
• Sign up for Visme’s presentation software to start applying these creative presentation ideas.

105+ Creative Presentation Ideas

The ideas we've shared cut across various design concepts, industries and use cases. We've also sprinkled presentation design ideas from Visme's template library.  If you're running out of creative steam, you can use these templates to jumpstart your designs.

And if you're running out of time, consider using Visme's AI presentation maker to bring these 100 creative presentation ideas to life. It's a user-friendly tool that effortlessly transforms your ideas into visually stunning presentations.

Now, let's jump into the creative presentation design ideas.

1 Use Neon Colors

Neon colors will give your presentation enough color kick to keep the viewer’s attention. Use neon colors either as the background, as specific elements or as details inside the slides. The trick with neon is to not go overboard with the contrasts. Instead of using a neon rainbow, think more along the lines of neon accents.

2 Be Minimal

Using a minimal design composition is one of the unique presentation ideas. The trick is to have just enough information and visual details for the viewer to feel comfortable seeing the slides. A minimal design can instill calm and awe in your audience when done right. The trick with minimalism is to know when enough is enough, you wouldn’t want to be boring instead of minimal.

RELATED:  20+ Examples of Minimalist Design to Inspire Your Own Creations

3 Use all caps

Another creative presentation idea is using all caps when you feel like the topic of your presentation can be delivered with few words. Using all capitals in your slides will give the message importance. This design might not be suited for a text-heavy presentation but maybe one with an audio narrative that goes along with it or bullet points.

Also, this kind of presentation design is suitable for captivating introduction slide ideas.

Image Source

4 Go vertical

Rectangular presentations are definitely the norm, but with the rise of Instagram Stories, this might be starting to change. This shift introduces a unique opportunity for those looking for ideas for presentation styles that stand out. Now that we can put archived stories into Highlights, why not publish vertical presentations there? Going vertical is just one idea. Along with that, you can add any other design technique.

5  Use duotones

Duotone doesn’t exactly mean “two colors,” it actually means “two tones.” The idea behind this design angle is to use two contrasting tonalities which can have different shades. The difference between duotone and two colors is that it has a more edgy look. Depending on what two tonalities you choose, it can be subtle or very powerful. The photos used in the design also need to be customized to the duotone color you chose.

6 Add a video in different shapes or snippets

Videos can be a powerful tool in your arsenal for engaging your audience during a presentation. Not only do they help to break up the monotony of a lecture-style presentation, but they can also help to explain complex concepts, add visual interest, and evoke emotions.

One way to make your videos stand out is by using different shapes or snippets. Rather than presenting a standard rectangular video, consider incorporating shapes such as circles, triangles or diamonds. These shapes can add a unique and visually appealing element to your presentation.

Another way to incorporate video snippets is by breaking up a longer video into smaller, bite-sized pieces. This can be particularly useful if you have a lengthy video that you want to show but don't want to lose your audience's attention. By breaking it up into smaller segments, you can keep your audience engaged and prevent them from losing interest.

Don’t worry about the design complexity. If you create your presentation in Visme, you can resize your videos instantly and turn them into any shape you want.

Hey marketers! Need to create scroll-stopping visual content fast?

• Transform your visual content with Visme’s easy-to-use content creation platform
• Produce beautiful, effective marketing content quickly even without an extensive design skillset
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Sign up. It’s free.

7  Unify transitions horizontally

Unifying the transitions between slides is always a great idea, but doing it horizontally is especially effective. By keeping all the movements going in one direction, it's both easy to follow and will look great. You don’t need to just apply horizontal transitions to the switch between slides, you can also apply animation to the titles and images. As long as they all go in the same direction, you are gold.

Create a slide deck like this in minutes.

• Search for the exact slides you need from a library of 900+ layouts
• Choose a classic or modern style
• Create automatically animated presentations

8  Black and white + spot of bright color

This presentation design idea is highly effective if you're looking for a creative way to present information.

Adding a bright color to a black and white scheme can add just the right amount of attention-grabbing detail to your presentation. Try choosing a powerful color so that it’s really noticeable and pops visually. You can use the color in small amounts or in large sections. Up to you, just remember to maintain a balance throughout.

9 Use a color theme

A cohesive color theme throughout your presentation can engage your audience and create a more visually appealing experience.

To start, consider the overall tone of your presentation and what emotions you want to evoke in your audience. Are you presenting on a serious topic, such as healthcare or finance, where a more subdued color palette may be appropriate?

Or are you presenting on a more lighthearted topic, such as creativity or innovation, where bright and bold colors can help to capture your audience's attention?

Once you have a general idea of your color palette, try to use it consistently throughout your slides. This means using the same background, font and accent colors for headings and graphics– like the presentation template below.

Visme's presentation templates offer a wide range of professionally designed themes with 300+ slides in 20+ different categories, making it the best choice for exploring creative presentation ideas without PowerPoint. You can create visually stunning slides with our carefully curated color schemes and stylish designs.

Read this article about 25 free presentation themes in Visme and find the perfect one.

Visme's presentation maker and branded presentation templates have been helping businesses create impactful presentations while saving them time and money. That's why many businesses choose Visme over other tools.

But don't just take it for word. Here's what one of our satisfied customers has to say about Visme.

"Previously we were using PowerPoint, which is fine, but the interactivity you can get with Visme is so much more robust that we've all steered away from PowerPoint."

"PowerPoint templates are plain and boring, and we want to create more fun and engaging content. Visme has multiple slide templates to choose from, which makes this so much easier."

"I just made a deck recently and it took me about 15-20 minutes. I found a template I really liked and tweaked it and put it in our brand colors. In PowerPoint, it would take anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half."

- Kendra Bradley, Graphic Content Developer at WOW!

10  Add full-screen videos

The use of full-screen video in your slides can have a big impact on your storytelling. There’s a catch though. The wrong video will be detrimental to your message, be mindful of the videos you chose to grace the background of your slides. The video should either tell your story without words or be a complement that won’t interfere. The wrong video will confuse your viewers and it will be hard to get their undivided attention back.

If you’re looking for quick idea inspiration, check out our YouTube video where Mike shares 30 of our favorite presentation ideas at a glance.

11  Use an 80’s visual style

If looking for a unique design style, why not try an 80’s style for a change. Neon graffiti writing, disco balls, and brightly colored shapes might go well with your presentation’s topic. You can use 80’s visuals as small complementary elements or as the entirety of the presentation style. Nevertheless, if your presentation is about something quite serious then maybe you should try another style.

All you have to do is provide a text prompt, choose your preferred template style and the tool will generate text, images and icons and prepare a ready-to-use presentation within seconds. 

The flexibility to customize these presentations in the Visme editor adds the perfect finishing touches to your visual storytelling journey.

12  Go vintage

Another creative presentation idea is the vintage look. This could work really well with a history-themed presentation or anything to do with recuperating old traditions. When we say “vintage” we mean sepia-toned photos, intricate picture frames, bold fonts which look like they came out of old posters.

A vintage color palette is usually pastel turquoise green, ochre yellow and washed out blue and orange. You could consider using vintage mockup sets to create scenes for your slides, or use vintage style fonts, and old photographs as backgrounds.

13  Use a monochrome palette

A monochrome palette is one that maintains a single tonality in different strengths. For example, you can create a presentation in shades of blue, or in shades of orange. Use the palest shade for the background and a stronger shade for the titles and decorative shapes. Try doing it the opposite way as well. You can even use photos with a bit of a filter effect in the chosen color by adding a color filter.

14  Tell a personal story

Telling stories from your own life—whether those stories are deeply moving, humorous tales, or just little snippets that allow someone to look into your history—can be a great way to make a presentation more meaningful.

Colin Stokes uses this to his advantage in his TED talk. He begins by talking about the movies he watches with his daughter and what she likes, and then moving into watching a movie with his son, and wondering how it has affected him, allowing him to move seamlessly into his actual points.

Watch the video below to learn how Colin Stokes did it

Choose a relevant story from your past, and tell it with all the honesty that you can. Your audience will feel that, sympathize, and therefore connect more with your message.

15  Creative photo crops

The photos in your presentations can be cropped hundreds of different ways. From simple circles or rectangles to more elaborate triangles, polygons, letter shapes or even a brushstroke. Analyze the message of your presentation to know which shape to use for the cropping of your photos. You can also create a collage with the shapes as long as they don’t distract from the information being presented.

16 Add fun illustrations

Adding fun illustrations is a great idea to engage your audience during a presentation. They can help break up text-heavy slides, make your presentation more visually attractive and reinforce your message, making it one of the best fun presentation ideas.

Hand-drawn doodles, icons and graphics and animated GIFs are all illustrations you can use. To maximize the visual impact of your illustrations, you can use them in 3D.

With Visme, you can enhance your presentation by adding 3D objects that allow you to customize their colors, size and alignment. Additionally, you can add 3D animated graphics to take things to the next level.

When using illustrations, it's important to remember to use them sparingly to avoid overwhelming your audience. Less is more when it comes to adding graphics to your slides. Remember to match the illustrations with your theme and color scheme to keep things consistent.

17  Thick and bold fonts

Huge chunky fonts are a great way to call attention to titles on slides. You could even try making the letters bleed over the edges or place the words vertical along the side. The best thick and bold fonts are the ones with minimal decorations. Try using fonts that have strong corners or the opposite, extreme rounded terminals. It will also work best if the title is short and sweet.

18 Go with nature

Freshen up your presentation with some natural elements around the edges or as a background. You could use full-screen background photos of leaves or palm fronds coming in from the sides of the slides.

Another presentation idea would be to use nature-related photography along with other design ideas like interesting photo crops. This technique could be used for presentations that relate to nature or natural topics, but also for a home decor proposal or creative direction pitch for a TV ad.

Integrating nature into your slides is a beautiful presentation example of how to connect with your audience on a different level. This technique could be used for presentations about environmental topics or even about home decoration.

19 Use circles

Circles represent wholeness and a natural sense of completion. They can signify eternity and constant movement. They can also make your presentation more friendly and emotionally accessible. You can try using circles as decorative elements or as the shape for cropping images and as backgrounds for illustrations.

20 Add some sparkle (glitter backgrounds)

Give your presentations a little bit of a festive feel with some glittery details. This PowerPoint idea can work great if you are presenting a creative proposal for a fashion label or clothing catalog. It can even work really well for holiday-themed pitches or products. There are different types of glittery graphics you can use, like a glitter texture, a glittering rain or even just a dash of glitter. You can find some great glitter backgrounds and textures over at Freepik .

21 Get crafty (ripped paper details)

Sometimes to tell a story, visual details can really help get a mood across. Ripped paper shapes and edges can give a presentation a special feel, almost as if it was done by hand. This visual technique works for any type of presentation except maybe in a corporate setting. Ripped paper can be found on creative graphics resource sites or you can do it yourself and take a photo.

22 Cut-out paper illustrations

Another crafty idea to design your slides is by using cut paper illustrations. This technique could look really crafty or quite elegant if done well. Cut paper can be used as an elaborate background, as the letters in titles or as decorative elements. There are some great cut paper bundles online to use as PNG files which can be uploaded to the Visme editor.

23  Pathway transitions

Create interesting transitions by designing scenes or pathways instead of just sliding them in one unified direction. By doing this, you can use a storytelling technique that will keep the audience’s attention throughout the presentation and information relay. You can find out how to do it in our free guide to creating captivating presentations .

Create an automatically animated presentation in minutes.

24  use isometric illustrations.

If you are looking for a different way to illustrate your slides, why not consider using isometric illustrations? This style of illustration is great for explaining things that can be separated into parts. The parts can be animated as well. An isometric illustration can work for any kind of presentation, from technology to corporate. It will give your presentation a modern edge and a professional look.

25  Use motion graphics

Motion graphics are a great way to illustrate an idea with animated objects . They don’t tell stories on their own, they support the context and illustrate the content.

For example, if your presentation is about travel, you could have flying airplanes across the slides or bags on a luggage conveyor belt. For something more abstract, you can use moving shapes and add effects to the titles. Your Visme editor has a variety of design tools to help you create all sorts of content with motion graphics.

Here’s what one of Visme’s satisfied customers Jessica L. | Small-Business Owner, has to say about Visme’s presentation tool:

"No need to go back to PowerPoint. Visme makes project presentations easy and fast. Lots of useful templates and excellent graphics. I enjoy the features they continue to add and update often. They make project work easy".

26  Add GIFs to your slides

GIFs can be fun, entertaining and humorous. They can also be informational. GIFs be sourced from sites like Giphy , where you can also create your own! Choosing to include a GIF in your presentation slide or a few different GIFs will depend on what message you want to send with your story. The theme and topic of your presentation will help you decide if you need a clip from a blockbuster movie or a quick representation of the process of your systems.

RELATED:  Everything You Need to Know About Using Cool GIFs in Your Marketing

27  Use quotes between slides

Quotes can be good breathers between a bunch of informative slides. You can either use them to separate ideas inside your presentation or to start new sections of information. It’s important that your quotes represent the topic of your presentation so that they make sense and not confuse the viewer.

28  Start with “once upon a time”

One of the most effective and engaging ways to present a presentation is by incorporating creative storytelling techniques.

If a presentation can be created as a story, then why not go all the way and start the presentation with a classic story opening? Using the “once upon a time” phrase will instantly grab the viewer’s attention because it will be out of the ordinary. Make a slide especially for it with a visual that matches the topic of your presentation.

29  Turn the slides into a scrolling infographic instead of a presentation

To showcase your content in a unique and engaging way, consider using creative slide ideas that break away from the traditional slide-by-slide approach. For instance, you can arrange your slides vertically to create a scrolling infographic instead of a classic slide-by-slide transition presentation.

This innovative format expands the types of presentations you can create, offering a fresh perspective on information delivery.

An added bonus to this presentation style is to add parallax scrolling or interaction animation. As the viewer scrolls down, the information fills each slide progressively. It doesn’t continue until the viewer scrolls again. This technique is best for displaying online slide show presentation ideas.

Create a scrolling presentation in minutes.

30  engage your audience.

What’s one of the best ways to make your presentations more interesting? Make the audience a part of them.

Regardless if you’re presenting in person to a room full of people or via Zoom to viewers around the world, there are a number of techniques to engage your audience with both your content and yourself. The trick is to make them feel connected somehow, like they can relate. You can achieve this with humor, storytelling, asking questions and inviting them to leave comments in the webinar chat window.

Take this speech by Donovan Livingston. He delivers a commencement speech in spoken word poetry, and specifically encourages the audience to take part, saying they should clap, throw their hands in the air, or otherwise participate if they feel so moved. While not seen, several people are heard cheering and clapping throughout the video.

Participation can also be accomplished through things such as games, posing questions or something as simple as asking participants to raise their hands.

31 Use a scrunched paper background

Give your presentation a laid-back and grunge feel by designing it with a scrunched paper background. It can be any kind of paper really, depending on your topic. It could be notebook paper, or printer paper, it could even be recycled paper. Try a few different types of paper until you find the one that suits your story.

32 Add interactive pop-ups

Adding interactive pop-ups is a game-changer when it comes to creative ways of presenting. These pop-ups allow you to go beyond the traditional approach, giving your audience a more dynamic and engaging experience.

Interactive pop-ups can take many forms, from quizzes and polls to clickable infographics and interactive timelines. With Visme, you can access various interactive features that can help you create engaging and effective presentations.

For example, you can create clickable icons or buttons that allow your audience to explore additional information or resources. You can also create interactive timelines that enable your audience to explore different events or milestones.

One of the most powerful interactive features of Visme is the ability to create quizzes and polls. You can make interactive questions and answer options that allow your audience to engage with your presentation on a deeper level.

You can also use this feature to gather feedback from your audience, allowing you to tailor your presentation to their needs and interests.

Watch the video below or read this article to learn how to create an interactive presentation .

33  Use a back-to-school theme

A back-to-school theme can make your presentation look like a lot of fun. This is a great technique for teachers and educators welcoming their students back to a new school year. The background can be a sheet of notebook paper, an open notebook, or a blackboard. The edges could be decorated with pencils and paperclips, maybe an eraser or sharpener. The back-to-school theme has lots of possibilities.

34  Use a billboard-inspired theme

Use billboard mockups to create slides which look like billboards. This could look interesting and quite unique.  You could use the same billboard for all the slides, or different ones for a more varied approach. This technique would work great with a pitch for an election or a local spot in a government office.  

35  Use black-and-white photography

Black and white photography is a classic design technique. They import elegance and sophistication to any design by providing a minimalistic approach to the visuals. The photos can either be desaturated from color photos or given an artistic flair with extra contrast and fewer grey tones.

36  Explain your reasons

What people really want to know is why you’re giving the presentation you’re giving. This is especially true if you’re pitching to investors or potential new clients. When you share your why with the audience using storytelling and body language, you make meaningful connections and lasting relationships

Simon Sinek explains quite well why this is so important—the greatest leaders, the ones who inspire the most people, understand why they do the things they do, rather than just what or how.

When it comes to explaining your reasons, one tool that can significantly improve your presentations is Visme's AI writer . This advanced feature helps you write your presentation copy, break down complex ideas and edit or improve your existing words. With Visme's AI writer, you can make sure your "why" is clear and easy to understand alongside your visuals.

37  Add an audio narrative

Your presentation doesn’t need to be silent, especially if you won’t be standing by it to tell the story yourself. Adding an audio narrative can turn a viewable presentation into an experience. You can either set it up as a video that runs on its own and the viewer looks and listens, or it can be triggered by arrows that are clicked on.

RELATED:  How to Create a Narrated Presentation With Voice Over Using Visme

38 Follow a space theme with photography

Most of the photos from Nasa are labeled as public domain. Meaning that you can give your presentation a space theme quite easily. Choose images of astronauts in space or more abstract and colorful images like distant galaxies and nebulas. The latter can make great backgrounds behind content without the topic necessarily being about space.

39 Do a space theme with illustration

An illustrated space theme can be either colorful and whimsical or sober and elegant. By choosing the style of illustration you use, you can either use this technique for presentations related to children or scientists. Cartoon astronauts can be lots of fun, line illustration planets can be educational and data-driven drawings can be informational.

40  Include music

Sometimes, when listening to someone talk for long periods of time, it helps to have something else to draw your attention. While images are great, including music can really help stimulate an audience and set the mood.

Dean Burnett talks about why this happens: “[Music] provides non-invasive noise and pleasurable feelings, to effectively neutralize the unconscious attention system’s ability to distract us.” Essentially, music is entertaining enough that, when in the background, can keep us focused on otherwise un-entertaining things.

Take, for example, this valedictorian’s speech. While peppered with humor and stories of his time through high school, he uses background music to help keep people’s attention—in fact, this is specifically stated to be his reason for including music, humorously quipping about giving the audience something to listen to while they “zone out” of his speech.

Whether incorporated into individual slides, in a video, done live, or with a music-playing device nearby, this creative presentation idea can be a great way to enhance the quality of your speech or talk.

41  Graffiti photography backgrounds and details

Using colorful backgrounds like photos of urban graffiti can give your presentation a bit of an edge. There are lots of free photographs of graffiti on sites like Unsplash which you can use straight away. Apart from graffiti murals, you can also incorporate graffiti letterings in your titles and quotes. You can find graffiti style fonts online quite easily.

42  Stop-motion

The stop-motion technique can take time but it can also make your presentation unforgettable. There are lots of ways to use stop-motion, either with characters doing actions or objects that move around and create a scene. Stop-motion can also be used to create titles that move into place. What the title is written with can be anything, from toys to plants. The theme and topic of your presentation will ultimately be the driving point to what kind of stop-motion can be used. But be sure that it works from educational to promotional to corporate.

43  Claymation

Very similar to stop-motion, claymation is the animation of things created with clay or play-doh. Anything can be created with clay, so the possibilities really are endless about what can be achieved. This technique really does take a lot of time, you can source it out to a professional or buy some already created footage. The claymation can be just a decorative element in the background or it could also be the center of the presentation.

44  Color blocking

The color blocking technique is another creative presentation idea that entails using color in large sections and in contrasting tones. The idea is that the color blocks will be strong and colorful. The color blocks can either be the shapes that determine where the information goes or just a way to separate the slides in specific sections.

Any type of presentation can benefit from color blocking. Just make sure you use colors that go together and don’t clash. Explore this technique for different presentation slide ideas, especially when aiming for a bold and visually striking effect. Take a look at this sponsorship deck and how it uses bright and bold color blocking techniques.

45  Get surreal

Surrealism is an avant-garde movement from the 20th century which was meant to tap into subconscious creativity. This might not be the kind of design technique for any sort of presentation but it can work for one that is about art, or literature or other creative outlets. There are plenty of surrealist artworks in the public domain sector or the Metropolitan Museum of Art. These can be used as subtle backgrounds or visual complements to the text.

Designing a presentation for an organization requires input from different stakeholders. However, when collaborating with others on a presentation design, keeping track of all the moving parts can be difficult.

That's where Visme's workflow management feature comes in. It helps organize roles, tasks, progress, deadlines and corrections all in one place to make your presentation design process efficient and smooth.

46  Polaroids

Polaroids, often a photography favorite, can inspire creative photography presentation ideas. The original Polaroids from the 70’s could be used as vintage polaroids that have been kept in a box for years. The newest Instamatic photographs, which are the new kind of polaroids, can be used for a fun way to show photos and visuals in presentation slides. You could either use one polaroid per slide or a collection of polaroids on a table or corkboard.

There are many topics that can work with Polaroid photography backgrounds and details in your slide show presentation ideas.

47  Use a Handwriting Font

Fonts come in all shapes and sizes, including lots of handwriting fonts. Handwritten fonts can be used for any type of presentation as long as the style matches the topic of the information. There are kid-style handwriting, calligraphy style handwriting, hand lettering, and novelty fonts as well. The options are wide and varied for this design technique. Creative Bloq has a great collection of handwritten fonts.

48  Use a geometric background

A geometric background can look really nice on any presentation. Geometric backgrounds can be tiled polygons or more abstract compositions of different size polygons. The decision to choose between tiled shapes and more creative compositions will depend on your creative angle and disposition. You can use these types of designs with any colors, so you can match the theme or your brand.

49 Coffee style design

Using a coffee-style design can work for any PowerPoint presentation idea, from office-related topics to digital nomads to anything or anyone who loves coffee. If the background is subtle, it can fit a more serious topic or data report. It can make a boring presentation just a bit more visually entertaining than the rest. Of course, it can also be perfect for a small coffee brewer pitching their company to investors.

50  Include memes

You’ve seen them everywhere by this point. You might be pretty sick of them. However, that doesn’t mean memes can’t be useful—in fact, using a couple strategically can surprise the audience and make them laugh.

The presentation " Memes, Memes Everywhere" focuses on, unsurprisingly, memes, and explains their purpose while using examples on every slide, which help support their points and add some humor to a very text-heavy presentation.

Choosing relevant memes and using them sparingly can really help add some personality to your presentation, without distracting from the work.

RELATED: 85+ Best Free Presentation Templates

51  Polka dots

Using a polka-dot background is suitable for various types of presentations. It can give your presentation a whimsical look or simply give it a subtle texture. The polka dots could be small and soft or big and punchy. A strong polka-dot background can work great in a creative setting or even boring data analysis. The style of polka dots will depend on the general topic of your presentation. You can use the polka-dot design as a full background or as a decorative section on the slide.

52  Metaphors

Visual metaphors can be useful in a similar manner; they can spice up your presentation, illustrate your point, and make your work far more entertaining. James Geary speaks about just how important metaphors are.

His presentation provides several examples of metaphors--such as the phrase “some jobs are jails”--and explains just how hard it is to ignore the lasting power of a well-used metaphor. Because of the connotations a metaphor can bring to the table, their use is an excellent way to imbue added meaning to your words.

53  Use timelines in your slides

Timelines can be used in lots of different ways inside a PowerPoint presentation, and the ideas are limitless. A timeline can either be inside one slide, or it can be connected between various slides. You can make a timeline with icons, connected shapes, or an inclined line. The timeline can be a visual way of explaining a chronological event or a plan of action that needs to be taken care of. Make sure the timeline fits the rest of the theme.

54  Use a comic book style

Comic books are a source of inspiration for many people. The visual aspect of a comic style composition can really make your presentation shine. There are a few ways you can use this technique. You could set up the slides as if they were snippets of a comic book, place the text in speech and thought bubbles and apply a background with a pointillist texture. If using characters, make sure the characters fit the theme of your presentation. For a perfect fit, hire a designer to create a comic book presentation just for your company.

55  Use a manga style

Looking for creative PowerPoint slide ideas that stand out? Consider taking inspiration from the Japanese art of Manga. Manga can give your presentation a distinct and eye-catching look, much like comic books.

It isn’t as versatile as a comic book because it has a more specific look, so it might not work for all topics. It can work for more creative outlets like fashion, art, and photography. Manga has a specific style for the atmosphere around the unique characters as well. They are more common in black and white and look very photographic.

56  Use psychedelic visuals

Psychedelia was a big part of the design world in the 60’s and 70’s. Music and creative event posters were so intricate and colorful that they took an important place in the design history books. This design style can be used for a unique visual approach in your presentations. Just like many other techniques we have mentioned, they can be used as a background in slides or as decorative elements. The swirly shapes and contrasting colors can call attention to the viewer in a positive way.

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57  Use neon lights

Neon lights are a great way to give your presentation some life when it’s otherwise visually bland. There are plenty of neon light fonts available online to choose from, from classic style neon tubing on a wall to a neon style given to a font to make it look like neon. Presentations of any topic can be given an additional visual with a bit of neon brightness.

58  Cinemagraph backgrounds

A cinemagraph is like a GIF loaded with elegance. The idea behind a cinemagraph is a photo with a moving section which makes it look cinematic. This kind of background can keep your viewers happily hypnotized while listening to your audio narrative or keep them on the slide longer to truly grasp the information being given. There are cinemagraphs available for all sorts of themes and topics. You can definitely find one that suits your needs.

59  Full-screen video backgrounds

A full-screen background can be really appealing. But just like other design ideas, the video you choose needs to match the theme and topic of your presentation. Your best bet is to have a video which is directly related to what your presentation is about. Videos can be created especially for your purpose, sourced with permission from YouTube or bought from a stock video site.

60  Visualize data

Staring at a large amount of numbers on screen can be overwhelming for most people, even if the realities of those numbers enforce your point. What’s the best way to avoid scaring your crowd? Put the data into easily understandable visualizations. This especially helpful when customizing sales, business or consultant presentation template . 

If you want to take this a step further, you can use illustrations or create infographics to make these data visualizations even more engaging.

61  Use a wild west theme

The wild west is not a very versatile theme but can work for a history project or a proposal for a wild west themed party or event. What entails a wild west theme? Brown sandy tones, horses, cowboys, and tumbleweeds. If the full-on wild west theme is too much, you can also take a cue from the era and be inspired by the color scheme. Another approach would be to use photography from the actual west of the United States, mountains and deserts and so on.

62 Use mind maps

Mind maps are great visual tools for explaining concepts easily. By including mind maps in your slides, you can relay complicated information visually and creatively. There are eight types of mind maps, the most common being bubble maps, the tree map, and flow map. Each one has a different purpose and you can learn all about this in our guide about mind maps in the Visual Learning Center.

63  Use interactive geographic maps

The difference between a static map and an interactive map will define how much attention your slides get. Regions can switch colors according to a change in data over time, making the map more into a chart. With Visme, you can make your maps interactive with live data . All you need to do is sync your data from a Google Sheets file and when your presentation is published online, your map will always be synchronized to that data.

Want to create your own interactive map?

• Create a color-coded map to visualize geographical data
• Choose either the entire world map, a continent or a country
• Enable feature to have data values appear on hover

64  Color contrasts

Using contrasting colors in your slides will make the information pop out of the screen in a positive way. The trick to using contrasting colors is to know how colors match together. Contrasting doesn’t mean they need to clash. Try using a color palette generator like Adobe Color to find great palettes that will make this technique your new best friend. You can learn more about how color works in our guide about color perception in the Visme Learning Center.

65  Live data graphs

Adding live data to a presentation can turn your slides into evergreen content in a flash. You can use any type of chart and populate it with live data such as bar graphs, line graphs, pie graphs, and more. You can add live data graphs to one or two slides in your presentation or have a series of them. Creating a live data graph is easy with the Visme editor.

66  Color fade transitions

Transitions come in lots of different styles. We have mentioned horizontal transitions, animated transitions, and pathway transitions. This particular technique involves color as the ruling factor.

A color-fade transition makes each slide connected to each other through color. This can be achieved with gradients, color blocks, or colored photo filters. Make your PowerPoint presentation ideas stand out with color fade transitions.

67  “Grow” your presentation so it looks like one animated slide

This creative PowerPoint idea is quite interesting as it really only uses one slide that grows upon itself. The practical way to do this is to create the final slide with all the parts and information set up like a finished puzzle. Once you have the completed slide, duplicate it as many times as you need and systematically take off a bit of information until you’ve reached the first title slide. Once you have all the slides, make sure they are in order before downloading the entire thing.

RELATED:  A Non-Designer’s Guide to Creating Memorable Visual Presentations [Free E-Book]

68  Use humor

Want a great way to connect with your audience and make a memorable, more engaging presentation? Be funny. When used strategically, this is a great way to capture attention. In fact, infusing humor into your talk is one of the most effective fun presentation ideas you can use.

Morgan Spurlock makes wonderful use of this in his TED talk. For example, in one of his earliest statements, he offered individuals the opportunity to buy the rights to name his TED talk—which he refers to again at the end, where he reveals the title. He peppers the entire presentation with humorous commentary that nonetheless supports his point.

Create relevant jokes or find a way to bring out the humor in your subject, and your audience will be much more engaged and more likely to remember your words.

69  Tree diagram transitions

A tree diagram is one of the eight thinking maps which help visualize idea and concepts. The purpose of a tree diagram is to classify and organize information. This map can help build a presentation by making sure each slide is a continuation of the one before. They might need to be grouped into sections so that all the information is relayed easily.

Want to create your own tree diagram?

• Get a head start with pre-made flowchart blocks
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70  Journal style (with hand-drawn illustrations on the margins)

One creative presentation idea is to make your talk just a little bit different than the rest is to use a journal style. The general visual idea for this technique is to make your slides look like the pages of a journal. The style of the journal will depend on what your presentation topic is. It can be a whimsical bullet journal or an intricate botany journal. You could even consider handwriting on paper as a background.

71  Ink splatters

Use ink splatters to decorate your slides any way you like. They can be big and impressive behind the content, or they can be small and subtle like drops from a pen. An ink splatter can give your presentation a bit of an artistic flair and if done right, can make your slides look elegant and clean. Any style of presentation can benefit from some ink splatters as a decorative element.

If you're looking for fresh presentation slide ideas, why not experiment with ink splatters and see how they can enhance your next presentation?

72  Passport with stamps

Using travel stamps as a decorative element can work for a presentation with a travel-theme or a creative design proposal for a department store or airport mall. The stamps can be used as a background on a passport page or on their own around the content. A photo of a real passport page can be used for this technique but there are plenty of graphics available in this style on sites like Freepik .

73  Express your emotions

We can sometimes be afraid of expressing how we feel, even to those we’re close to, much less in front of a crowd. However, showing them makes your words more authentic and can generate compassion or excitement in your audience.

Take this TED talk by Thordis Elva and Tom Stranger , for example. While the two talk about their experiences, their voices break and crack. The emotional turmoil they went through is clearly heard, and viewers can clearly understand their pain.

This can take some getting used to, and some courage. However, the results are well worth the effort.

74  Use a video game theme

Video games come in all shapes and sizes. From kids' games to arcade games to car games. Each one has their own style, just like presentations do. If you think a video game visual style is good for your project, consider all the different kinds until you find the one that fits best. You can use game screenshots as backgrounds or infuse the entire design of the presentation with the video game style you chose.

75  Use postcards

One of the least-used creative presentation ideas is to turn your content inside slides into postcards which have been sent from around the world. They can be new postcards which could be used from either front or back sides. The back part would make a great text block for the content you need to display, the photo side can be on the sides or as a background. This design technique can work for presentations about literature, family connections, history or travel. There are postcard templates available on sites like Creative Market .

76  Incorporate robots in the design

Using robots in your slides can be a creative approach to visually elevate your presentation. There are different styles of robots you can add to your presentation design; realistic photography of anamorphic robots, cute illustrated robots, or robotic parts from factories. These visuals might only apply for technology-themed presentations or about robots themselves. Cute illustrations of robots can be great backgrounds for whimsical topics or other styles of storytelling presentations.

77  Chalk on blackboard

Looking for creative slides presentation ideas? Consider using a chalkboard design to add a unique and nostalgic touch to your presentation.

Writing on a chalkboard is not limited to a school setting or a bar menu. These two might be the most common yet they are not the only possibilities for using chalk on a blackboard. A good handwriting font is the best companion to a chalkboard design. Some of these fonts are already available with a chalky texture and others might need some professional tweaking to get the right texture.

78  Get inspired by a specific location

Even if the PowerPoint presentation ideas you are designing are not about a specific place in the world, you can be inspired by one to set up the color scheme and feel of the slides. For example, if you get inspired by Greece, you can use white and light blue hues or even photos of Greek islands. If you get inspired by Brazil, you can use photos of the beach, the texture of the boardwalk tiles or green, blue, and yellow color schemes.

79  Use props

Using props can quickly turn a run-of-the-mill presentation into a unique, interactive experience. Kenny Nguyen demonstrates this well. In his talk he often refers to the “sword of yes” and “shield of no.” Naturally he picks up a sword and shield from the table to help demonstrate his points.

Choosing similar props can help you really illustrate your points—and make it that much more entertaining, too.

80  Use hashtags as titles

In the age of social media, hashtags are used every day. They appear regularly on social media, in spoken and written conversations, and of course in content marketing. Why not include some hashtags as titles? This technique will work great in a presentation for a social media content management pitch, or an in an influencer marketing strategy. On another note, hashtag titles can even be used for any type of presentation geared at the digital generation.

81  Black background, white letters, and color accents

When you use a black background, the colors that you place on top will usually look brighter than if they were on a white background. When creating this kind of color palette, make sure the colors you use don’t clash with each other or with the black. Along with the bright colors, make sure you use white to make the composition pop! Neon colors or pastel tones are what will work best.

82  Vintage film edges

Even though we are used to taking photos with our phones, the classic nostalgia of film is still prevalent in the world of visuals and design. The graphic representation of a film negative is as recognizable as an envelope representing an email. Use a vintage film edge along the horizontal edges of your slides to give your visuals a cinematic feel. Even better if you make the edges animated so that it looks like it’s rolling along on a projector.

83 Adult coloring book inspired design

Using a coloring book design can be really creative. Practically anything can be turned into a coloring book style illustration. A great way to use this technique is to have the first slide with the un-colored illustration and then progressively color in the illustration as the slides progress. Furthermore, if the illustration is depictive of the information, the visuals can be even more engaging.

84  Stripes

A stripes design is as classic as it gets. From pinstripes to artistic colorful lines, you can use them as a subtle background or a powerful striped theme intertwined with text boxes. Stripes are the kind of design technique that can work for any type of presentation, from corporate to educational.

85  Make each slide look like a social media post

Just like postcards and polaroids, you could try a creative approach and use social media templates to put the content in. The most notorious social media visual channel is Instagram. It has been known to inspire offline events as well. Make your slides look like social media posts or social media pages. For this technique, you can either use screenshots or templates.

86  Ink in water

Dropping ink in water creates beautiful colorful bubbly designs which can be photographed at high speed. These images can be used as backgrounds for any type of creative theme presentations. Choose the color and thickness of the ink design to match the theme of your presentation. There are also animated versions of this effect which can be bought like video stock.

87  Lego bricks

Use lego bricks as inspiration to fill your presentation slides with color and fun. Use the bricks to create slide frames, letters or even charts. The best approach to a lego inspired presentation is to be creative. There are lots of things you can do with lego, you could go as far as using the legos to write the titles of the slides. Don’t use the Lego logo though unless you are specifically designing a presentation about lego.

88  Use classic storytelling techniques

A presentation is, in a way, like a story—you’re talking about your chosen subject and leading viewers on a journey to discover what that subject means. Moreover, stories hold an intrinsic interest for us. Therefore, you can easily use several storytelling techniques to help improve your presentation.

Alex Blinkoff  goes into this in great detail, examining things such as “The Hero’s Journey” and provides several examples of ways to use storytelling techniques in your presentations. Check them out, and decide what might work best for your subject.

Click on image to view interactive slide show created with Visme

89  Jigsaw puzzles

Pieces of a jigsaw puzzle can be used to make charts, infographic diagrams, or interlocking frames. The idea behind puzzle pieces is that things come together to form a whole and this concept can be used for any slide and any kind of presentation. Make sure to use a suitable color palette that matches your theme and the rest of the presentation.

90  Headlines coming in animated on boats/trains/airplane

Headlines or titles can be given a life of their own inside the slides. One interesting and creative approach would be to make the titles enter the slide on top of some kind of vehicle. The vehicle could be anything, from a train to a boat, to an airplane. Depending on the type of vehicle, this animated technique can be used for child-themed topics, transportation themes, travel ideas, or even about a corporate sales report.

91  Use a camouflage design

Camo doesn’t necessarily need to convey a sense of military, although it does carry a strong connection. Thankfully, camouflage comes in different styles, from jungle greens to desert browns. Other out of the box camouflage styles are the ones where the colors are completely off the charts, like pinks and blues. Camouflage designs are better used as backgrounds or small subtle sections.

92  Use unique novelty fonts for headers

There are so many novelty fonts to choose from out there these days! Using a unique novelty font for the titles and headers is a great way to add some visual pizzazz to your slides. Try looking for some really special fonts that carry personality. Once you have selected the font, add some color and texture to make it look even better.

93  Use a city skyline

Using a background of a city skyline can work great for a presentation related to business or corporate topics. It can also be perfect for an urban travel related theme or educational presentation. You can choose to use photography as a background or with the buildings cut out from the sky. Another choice is to find an illustrated city skyline and use it as a border on the slides.

94  Use a connected dots background

One of the design trends of the last few years is the connected dots visual. It’s used on websites and on printed flyers. It’s so versatile that it can be added to any kind of presentation in a heartbeat. The lines can be short or long between the dots and the composition can be tight or spread out. You can find connected dot visuals easily on sites like Freepik, in lots of different colors. If you can manage vector graphics , you can also change the composition of the dots quite easily yourself.

95  Use a bokeh background

Bokeh is a photography and light technique which turns dots of light into bright shiny spheres. With a bit of creativity, the lights can be turned into shapes, like hearts or stars. This design style is great for backgrounds since it’s mostly abstract. It works best as a complement to the content instead of an important visual aspect. You can find bokeh backgrounds in stock photo sites or make it yourself.

96  Use watercolor designs

The use of watercolor designs is an easy way of infusing some lively color into a presentation. Watercolors can be a splash on the background, shapes around the content, or colorful strokes intertwined with text boxes. Depending on the color of the paint used, the watercolor technique can be used for any type of presentation. A soft watercolor brushed background can work for a feminine theme and a deep intense splash can add visual creativity to an otherwise boring corporate presentation.

Just like watercolor graphics, paint can add a dose of creativity to any presentation. Different to watercolors though, paint is more intense. Paint based graphics come in all shapes and sizes, from thick brush strokes to paint drips. Digital paint compositions can also make great backgrounds for colorful and creative presentations.

98  Use bright fun colors

Why create a bland presentation when you can make it fun and colorful instead? Creative color palettes can include up to six different colors which look great together. Use shapes, cut-outs, color blocks, swashes, anything your heart desires. This technique is for letting go and being creatively free with color. Just make sure the colors go together by trying out some palettes first.

99  Use arrow graphics

Arrows symbolize direction. They can be a great addition to your charts, infographic visuals and slide sections. You could even do the entire presentation using arrows. According to their size, color, and thickness, they have different temperaments. Look for different styles of arrows and see if they fit your topic and theme. Freepik has some great arrow visuals and the Visme editor also has arrow icons and infographic visuals.

100  Use electronic visuals

Another great idea for a background visual is the inside of a computer system. The intricate details of a motherboard or a close up of a memory chip can make a great visual impact. Apart from using an electronic background image, little pieces of electronic devices can be placed around the slide as decoration. This technique is generally limited to electronic or computer theme topics.

101  Metaphors

Visual metaphors can be useful in a similar manner. They can spice up your presentation, illustrate your point, and make your work far more entertaining. James Geary speaks about just how important metaphors are.

102  Keep it feminine

A feminine style design can work for your presentation if your company makes products for women or if your targeted audience is women. By feminine design, we mean light and soft colors, subtle shapes and a general airy feeling to the composition. Feminine design can be minimal but it can also be decadent and full of style. Whichever you chose, make sure it fits with your audience.

103  Go futuristic

A futuristic style can fit any theme as long as the concept of the future depicted, fits the topic of the presentation. Futuristic design can be of many different styles; from spaceship driving controls to cosmos related atmospheres, to flying cars, and artificial intelligence. Even color palettes can look futuristic if you add some metallic tones.

104  Add a music background

A music soundtrack can be added to any presentation that doesn’t have any other sort of audio already. The best music for a presentation is one without lyrics, in other words, an instrumental track. A good track will accompany the content in a positive way and not interfere with the message. You can find audio tracks easily online.

105  Communicate with images

A picture can speak a thousand words. Naturally, they can be used to communicate concepts that, for the sake of space or time, you might not be able to include in the presentation itself. This slide deck  uses this strategy to its advantage.

The presentation includes many images as backgrounds and minimal text. The images used always either enhance what’s being said or, in some cases, provide the answer for viewers. For example, the second slide states “The Landscape Today,” and includes a bleak background with a broken, tilted picture frame, emphasizing the idea that the following slides (which describe the landscape) offer some pretty disheartening information.

Using images in a related fashion can help express your views and emphasize your message.

Harness the power of Visme's AI image edit tools in your toolkit. These advanced yet easy-to-use tools let you effortlessly edit, touch up, unblur and upscale your images using simple prompts. It's an incredibly convenient way to add extra polish and clarity to your pictures to make your presentations more impactful.

106  Include artsy data visualization

Data visualization is a way of showing data and information in a way that is visually expressive. Creative data analysts can make some really beautiful creations and you can hire them to make them for you. If you haven’t seen any creative data visualizations, take a look at our collection of the best of 2018 and get inspired. You can either make the whole presentation into a data viz or add them to some of the slides.

By Beyond Words Studio

RELATED:  The 25 Best Data Visualizations of 2018

107  Stay branded

This creative tip is a simple yet effective way to spark good presentation ideas. When creating your presentation, do your best to stay on brand. This, of course, will work only if you are creating a presentation for your own brand. If creating one for a client, then you should stay on brand with their own brand style guide. This means only use the brand colors and fonts, use photos, textures, and shapes that match the brand.

Use Visme's brand design tool to ensure your presentations perfectly reflect your brand personality. Just copy and paste your website URL, and the tool will automatically extract your branding assets, such as brand colors, brand fonts and company logo.

108 Ask questions

A great tip to make your PowerPoint presentations ideas more interactive is to ask questions from your audience.  Like the example below, you can display only your question on the slide. Once the audience has pitched in their opinions and answers, you can click to reveal the actual answer. You can enable this type of interactivity on click when making a presentation in Visme .

109 Replace boring bullet points with visuals

While adding bullet points in your slides might be better than adding walls of text, they're still not the most effective way to get your message across and engage your audience. Take things up a notch and replace boring bullets with visuals, such as photos and even icons. Here's an example of how you can use icons to add a creative twist to the plain ol' bullet points.

110 Share your slide deck

Downloading your slide deck and presenting in front of an audience is not the only way to use your presentation. Make the most of your slides by sharing your presentation online.

Add interactive elements, such as clickable buttons, links, hover effects, popups, embedded videos and more so your audience can view and engage with your slides on their own.

If you've created your presentation in Visme, you can share your presentation publicly or privately using a link, or embed it anywhere you like.

Start Using These Creative Presentation Ideas

Ready to start creating your own presentation after over 100 pieces of inspiration? Choose your favorite creative presentation ideas and incorporate them into your own presentation.

You can add interactivity, animation, visuals and all kinds of creative elements to your presentations when you design them in Visme's online presentation maker. With our Dynamic Field feature , you can automatically update key information in real-time across all your slides or multiple projects. Customize existing dynamic fields or create new ones and format them to maintain design consistency.

Create a free account with Visme to start building a presentation your audience will love.

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About the Author

Orana is a multi-faceted creative. She is a content writer, artist, and designer. She travels the world with her family and is currently in Istanbul. Find out more about her work at oranavelarde.com

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10 Creative Ways to Use Data in Presentations

Apr 9, 2019 | Articles , DataPoint , DataPoint Automation , DataPoint Real-time Screens

Here is a recording of Garland’s presentation “10 Creative Ways to Use Data In Presentations” from our 2018 Presentation Ideas Conference. If you have comments or questions about the presentation, let us know.

Presentations

Data is increasingly important in business and organizations.

In this presentation, Garland will show you 10 creative and original ways organizations are using data in their presentations including infographics, automatic dashboards, customizable presentations, real-time engagement and even communicating with our new robot overlords!

About Garland

Garland is a professional speaker, coach, and consultant on digital marketing and productivity.

Garland has taught workshops for business conferences, universities, government agencies, non-profits and small to medium size businesses. Thousands of people have attended Garland’s presentations and rave about he helps transform their lives and businesses.

Garland is the host for this conference and is the Marketing Director for PresentationPoint.

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Skill-up in Data Visualization & Persuasive Slide Pack Design

Creative data presentations with microsoft powerpoint workshop, visual creativity in a powerpoint workshop, in the wrong hands, microsoft powerpoint can be the worst thing to happen to a presentation..

Training your team in the art of data presentations and visual storytelling — here’s a peek inside our PowerPoint Workshop …

Great Charts in Slide Masters

Excel to powerpoint, removing chartjunk, tricks for fonts & slide layouts.

Storytelling in PowerPoint

Subtle animation & transitions, diversity in slide types, decide: an attached ppt or a presented ppt, entertain rather than bore: alter your perception of powerpoint, powerpoint training questions, what more is there to know about this powerpoint workshop.

We look at presentation design as a part of what we do in reporting, data visualization, and visual storytelling . Our workshops are built to rapidly transfer knowledge in an enjoyable way. We’ve been facilitating training workshops since 2011. Since the end of the Covid-19 pandemic and the work-from-home affecting the workplace culture, we do PowerPoint training online and on-site at companies and government departments , all across the globe.

How long are your PowerPoint Workshops?

Is there a suggested number attendees per workshop, can we use zoom or microsoft teams, how much would a powerpoint workshop cost, join over 150 companies & government organizations, who else has taken this training.

The Best Training Workshops

See the type of team training we do..

Intro to Data Viz & Storytelling Workshop

Learn the fundamentals and advance to the next level..

Creative PowerPoint Workshop

Present data like an expert, tell stories like a pro..

Designing Great Dashboards Course

Learn a better way to design dashboards..

Data Viz & Storytelling Course

Learn to visualize data & stories at your own pace..

Interested in Working with Us?

Pick our brain, let us know what you're looking for., play fullscreen video.

Think strategically with your PPT storytelling.

Build data presentations at scale.

PowerPoint has design capabilities that our data agency uses, but most everyday employees don’t. That’s what we love to show off. These include PowerPoint’s ability to style packs with themes; its ability to store templates in slide masters, and more. Take a look deeper into the software with us and find workflow efficiencies and a wealth of creativity just below the surface.

Stop the dullness with this PowerPoint training.

Forget your organization’s stale guidelines for powerpoint.

This PowerPoint Workshop is designed to provoke attendees , to have them reject bad design . We show examples of great business presentations , ones we love and have inspired us. We infuse infographic design styles into our PowerPoint training, as well as give practical tips for setting up or storyboarding the best narrative for your data. Everyone has the ability to design better packs — they just need better teachers.

Death by PowerPoint is Real

Visualize creatively in powerpoint.

Up-skill your team in the creative use of Microsoft PowerPoint, data visualization design, and visual storytelling . Get the confidence to influence and entertain your audience. It all starts with designing your data well and using storytelling to make it memorable. At the Datalabs Agency , we believe that, in the proper hands, Microsoft PowerPoint could be used for the purposes of good, rather than evil! PowerPoint and those that have used it badly have a lot to answer for…

Let's get to the point...

The purpose of this powerpoint workshop.

This workshop is here to set things right, to train and inspire teams of non-designers in creative data presentations and visual storytelling . We teach the techniques we use in our day-to-day agency life to tell stories that will stay in the minds of the audience long after the presentation has ended. Data is believable. With a beautiful, visual story, it’s unbelievable.

CHANGE THE WAY YOUR TEAM THINKS ABOUT DATA & DESIGNS PRESENTATIONS FOREVER

Present data better in any format, enhance your team's powerpoint workshop experience with our accompanying data visualization & storytelling workbook..

Our Data Visualization & Storytelling Workbook contains the best of all our workshops, including the Creative Data Presentations with Microsoft PowerPoint training and exercises. In addition, you’ll see how to design in other formats with similar clear instructions. Available as an add-on to your workshop experience — choose a digital or printed workbook for your workshop colleagues. And have them utilize the training in their everyday data designs, whether in dashboards, reports, or data presentations. There’s no doubt your team’s data visualization abilities will get better with this foundational book.

Incorporate Your Brandguides and Data into Our PowerPoint Workshop

When was the last time your team reviewed your brand’s design guidelines ? Are your PowerPoint decks looking tired or repetitive? If so, we’d love to tailor our training to giving that ‘umph’ and ‘pizazz’ back into your slide designs. We can incorporate a review of your current presentations and lead a discussion with your colleagues about a new visual direction for your company’s slide packs.

Also, we’re ready to use your data in the workshop’s exercises. We can customize the exercises in your PowerPoint workshop to include the information you’re now working with. As professional data visualizers, we’ll give our two cents worth and lead a thought-provoking session on what’s working and what’s not. The result: your PowerPoint designs , processes, and workflows will be exponentially improved at the culmination of this training.

What More Can Be Included with this PowerPoint Workshop…

Who Teaches Our Presentation Design Workshops?

Otto ottinger.

We'll be glad to talk. Contact us via the form located below.

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Top Use Cases for Microsoft Copilot: When and How to Utilize It

Imagine a tool that boosts your productivity by nearly 30% across tasks like writing, summarizing, and data analysis. That’s what Microsoft Copilot offers, and it’s already transforming workflows for millions of users. Whether you’re streamlining document creation, managing emails in Outlook, or preparing presentations in PowerPoint, Copilot seamlessly integrates into your Microsoft 365 experience, making complex tasks easier and more efficient. Now available on more than 75 million Windows devices, Copilot is quickly becoming an indispensable part of how professionals work today.

This blog will guide you through the top scenarios where Microsoft Copilot can make a significant impact on your day-to-day tasks. From simplifying document creation to optimizing data analysis and enhancing your email management in Outlook, we'll explore how Copilot can transform your workday into a more efficient and enjoyable experience. Ready to unlock the full potential of Microsoft Copilot? Let’s dive in!

On this page:

What Is Microsoft Copilot?

When to use microsoft copilot, writing and editing, data analysis and insights, presentations and visuals, collaboration and meetings, creative tasks.

Microsoft Copilot is an AI-powered assistant integrated into Microsoft 365 applications, including Outlook and PowerPoint, designed to help users automate tasks, enhance productivity, and streamline workflows. It assists with drafting documents, analyzing data, managing emails, and more by offering smart suggestions and automating repetitive tasks, making your work easier and more efficient.

Microsoft Copilot is a powerful AI tool designed to assist you in a variety of tasks across Microsoft 365 applications. But when should you turn to Copilot to maximize its benefits? Here’s a quick overview of key scenarios where Copilot can be your go-to assistant. We'll dive into the details shortly, but here's a sneak peek at when Copilot can truly shine:

Writing and editing are core components of many professional tasks, whether you're drafting a report, crafting an email in Outlook, or preparing a presentation in PowerPoint. Microsoft Copilot acts as your AI-powered writing assistant, helping you generate content, suggest edits, and improve document structure. It also refines grammar, punctuation, and style, ensuring your documents and emails are polished and professional.

Drafting Reports : Copilot can quickly generate a first draft of a report by expanding on your bullet points or notes, saving you time and providing a solid foundation to build upon.

Email Composition in Outlook : Copilot assists with crafting professional emails by suggesting content based on the context, refining the tone, and ensuring clarity and precision in your communication.

Improving Document Structure : When preparing a presentation in PowerPoint, Copilot helps organize your content into a coherent and logical structure, making sure your key points are effectively communicated.

Grammar and Style Refinement : Copilot automatically checks for grammar, punctuation, and style issues, providing suggestions to polish your documents and emails to a professional standard.

The ability to analyze and extract insights from data is essential. Microsoft Copilot serves as a powerful assistant, helping you handle complex data tasks with ease, particularly within Excel and Power BI. Whether you're managing large datasets or preparing reports, Copilot enhances your efficiency and accuracy, making data analysis more accessible and actionable.

Here are some specific use case examples where Microsoft Copilot can assist with data analysis:

• Sales Performance Analysis in Excel : Imagine you're working on a quarterly sales performance report. Copilot can automatically calculate key metrics like total sales, average deal size, and conversion rates. It can then generate charts that display trends over time, helping you quickly identify which products or regions are performing well and where there might be issues.
• Financial Forecasting : If you need to create financial projections, Copilot can assist by automating complex financial models. For example, it can help calculate projected revenue based on historical data, adjust for seasonality, and create sensitivity analyses to show how different variables might impact your forecast.
• Customer Behavior Analysis : In a large dataset containing customer purchase histories, Copilot can analyze the data to identify patterns and trends, such as which products are frequently bought together or what times of year certain products are most popular. This can help in making informed decisions about marketing strategies or inventory management.
• Marketing Campaign Performance : After running a digital marketing campaign, Copilot can help analyze the results by pulling data from various sources (e.g., website traffic, social media engagement, and sales data) and generating a comprehensive report. It can highlight the most effective channels and suggest areas for improvement in future campaigns.
• Supply Chain Optimization : For a company managing complex logistics, Copilot can analyze supply chain data to identify inefficiencies, such as bottlenecks in distribution or opportunities for cost savings. It can generate reports that offer actionable insights, helping streamline operations and improve overall efficiency.

Microsoft Copilot enhances the visual aspects of your presentations in PowerPoint by automating and optimizing several key tasks:

• Automatic Chart and Graph Creation: Copilot can take raw data and instantly generate clear, visually appealing charts and graphs, ensuring your data is easy to understand and impactful.
• Design Recommendations: It suggests layouts, color schemes, and typography that not only align with your content but also enhance the overall visual appeal. This ensures that your PowerPoint slides are both professional and engaging, even if you lack design expertise.
• Slide Consistency: Copilot helps maintain visual consistency across your presentation by automating the application of styles, themes, and formatting, making sure each slide looks cohesive and polished.
• Visual Element Integration: Copilot can seamlessly integrate visual elements like images, icons, and infographics, selecting and positioning them in a way that complements your content without overwhelming it.

These features make Copilot a powerful tool for creating visually compelling presentations in PowerPoint that effectively communicate your message while saving you time and effort.

Effective collaboration and meeting management are key to a productive work environment. Microsoft Copilot enhances these processes within Microsoft Teams by helping you prepare for, manage, and follow up on meetings, ensuring that your team stays aligned and productive.

• Preparing for Meetings : In Microsoft Teams, Copilot helps you efficiently prepare for meetings by gathering relevant documents, summarizing past discussions, and highlighting key points that need attention. This ensures you enter meetings well-prepared, saving time and enhancing your contribution.
• Managing Meetings in Real-Time : During meetings in Teams, Copilot assists by capturing key discussion points, noting action items, and even summarizing the conversation in real-time. This reduces the burden of manual note-taking, allowing you to focus on the discussion and decision-making.
• Post-Meeting Follow-Up : After the meeting, Copilot in Teams ensures that nothing falls through the cracks by generating detailed summaries and follow-up tasks. It can send out action items, summarize decisions made, and provide a clear path forward, helping the team stay on track and aligned with the meeting's objectives.

Creativity is essential in many aspects of work, from brainstorming new ideas to designing visually appealing content. Microsoft Copilot acts as a creative partner, helping you generate ideas, organize thoughts, and create compelling visuals, making the creative process smoother and more efficient.

• Brainstorming and Idea Generation: When you're stuck in a creative rut, Copilot can help by generating ideas and suggestions based on the topics or themes you provide. Whether you're drafting a marketing campaign, developing a new product concept, or planning content, Copilot can offer fresh perspectives and ideas to get your creativity flowing.
• Organizing Thoughts and Content: Once you have a collection of ideas, organizing them into a coherent structure can be challenging. Copilot assists by helping you categorize and prioritize your thoughts, creating outlines, or even drafting initial content based on your input. This is particularly useful when working on complex projects that require a clear and logical flow of ideas.
• Creating Visuals and Presentations: Designing visuals and presentations in PowerPoint can be time-consuming, especially if you lack design expertise. Copilot simplifies this process by offering design suggestions, creating layouts, and even generating visuals that match the content you're working on. Whether you're preparing a slide deck, designing infographics, or creating marketing materials, Copilot ensures your visuals are both professional and impactful.

Microsoft Copilot is a powerful tool that enhances productivity across various tasks, from drafting documents and analyzing data to managing emails in Outlook and creating visuals in PowerPoint. It seamlessly integrates with Microsoft 365, simplifying your workflow and making complex tasks more manageable.

By using Copilot, you can save time on routine activities, improve work quality, and focus on more important aspects like strategic decision-making, creative thinking, and effective collaboration. Its ability to assist with everything from idea generation to refining email tone in Outlook and optimizing presentation design in PowerPoint makes Copilot an essential tool for modern professionals.

Incorporating Copilot into your daily routine will transform your work, making tasks easier, collaborations smoother, and outcomes more impactful. Whether you’re new to Copilot or already familiar with it, this tool is set to become a vital part of your professional toolkit.

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