Disclaimer/Notice as Provided by the Content Creator
This blog is adapted from the ebook ‘Presentation Skills for the New World of Work’, available on Amazon Kindle. If you want to learn more scientifically-backed methods to make your presentation slides more engaging, then this is the book for you.Amazon link: https://amzn.eu/d/2aHC8O3eBook Title: Presentation Skills for the New World of WorkIn the last ten years, work has changed drastically, so the skills required to excel in a career have also shifted. In our current business climate, being able to make an impactful presentation is more important than ever before because it allows you to connect with people, pitch your concepts, and earn support from others. This blog will go over a crucial ingredient of excellent presentation and how they can be employed fruitfully to make your presentations more effective.
The ‘real estate of presentation’ refers to the central focus area on a blank slide where you present your idea or topic. Consider splitting that space evenly with a horizontal and vertical line — this would result in four equal quadrants. Of these, the top-left quadrant is most important, followed by the top-right, bottom-left, and finally the least important, bottom-right.
Here is the quadrants in the descending order of importance:
- Top-Left Quadrant
- Top-Right Quadrant
- Bottom-Left Quadrant
- Bottom-Right Quadrant
There’s a sound rationale for segmenting the slide into quadrants based on importance. Generally speaking, people read English text from left to right and then top to bottom. Our eyes scan content this way so that we can quickly comprehend it.
A hand-written story is only as good as its introduction. If the beginning of the story line is unengaging, the reader will not continue reading, no matter how interesting the conclusion is.
The moment your audience starts skimming the slide, their engagement begins. Reviewing from top to bottom and left to right is human nature. Which means the upper-left corner is probably going to be where they start. Placing the key message in this area will ensure that they both see and remember it easily.
The second most important points should go in the top-right quadrant, or you could use that space to put points that complement your key point or message on the top-left quadrant.
The third most important points go in the bottom-left quadrant, or you could use that space to relate any indirect message that supports the key message on the top-left quadrant.
The fourth most important points belong in the bottom-right quadrant, which you could also use to provide extra information like references or a thank you note. However, utilizing this quadrant by keeping it empty will elevate your presentation and make it look more polished and professional. The importance of white space in presentation slides should not be underestimated.
The two most important quadrants of a slide are typically the top-left and bottom-right. The former usually contains the most integral part of the slide while the latter should be kept more simplistic. You can see the top-left corner as being analogous to the heart, which brings life into your presentation. The bottom-right then plays a role similar to lungs, supplying clean air.
Here is an example slide:
Conclusion
The ‘real estate of presentation’ is an effective way to make sure that you are presenting your ideas and topics in the most efficient manner. Utilizing this method ensures that your audience’s eyes will fall on the most important quadrant first, allowing them to understand and remember your main message quickly and easily. It also helps keep your slides organized while maintaining a professional look. Ultimately, understanding the real-estate of presentation will help you create high-quality presentations that effectively communicate your message!
