The listener is queen
In a presentation workshop, we’re looking at Valters’ presentation, which he created for his industry internship. He presents in a lively and engaging way, but his slides contradict what we discussed in the workshop. I cautiously inquire: “Did you have to use a template, or did you design it yourself?” “It’s the company’s corporate design,” he replies, “cute but useless.”
“The company logo is in the top left corner of every slide. What would be a better place for it?” I ask the group. Anna’s hand shoots up: “Based on everything we’ve discussed so far, I’d say the trash can.”
At first glance, the slides are quite appealing: not cluttered, the colours harmonise, and there are even consistent symbols for standard processes.
The corporate design includes a wide, beige band in the slide background—a weakness of the template. The band looks innocent; it runs unobtrusively across the left half of the slide. But it’s not just background: If elements are placed over it, contrast is lost. If the area of the band is omitted for the actual content, only the right half of the slide remains for information.
“What is the function of the title slide?” I ask, transitioning to my second point of criticism. “I have to list all the people and departments involved, as well as show the logos of the products in question.” Valters makes no secret of his frustration with the template. The entire title can go into the acknowledgments, the penultimate slide. The final slide should be the summary, designed to spark discussion.
“The company logo is in the top left corner of every slide. What would be a better place for it?” I ask the group. Anna’s hand shoots up: “Based on everything we’ve discussed so far, I’d say the trash can.” Not bad—and if that’s not an option, the acknowledgments slide could be a compromise. It’s a common template-sin to plaster the most prominent position on every single slide with a redundant logo.
All the issues I’m addressing point to the same thing: The organisation puts itself at the centre, not the audience. If you want to serve your audience, simply omit all the corporate nonsense. The headline colour in the logo is more subtle and perfectly sufficient to stand out.
As presenters, we are often forced to use poor templates. We can advocate for changes, but the primary responsibility lies with the communications departments: Focus on the audience.
This article was first published in Nachrichten aus der Chemie (issue 10-2025). See here the German original.
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