slide:ology

CHAPTER 7

113

Using Visual Elements:

Background, Color, and Text

114 slide:ology

The Ingredients of a Great Slide

Now that you know how to arrange elements on a slide,

it’s time to identify the elements you’ll work with. This

section covers best practices to use when determining

the elements. There really aren’t many decisions to make

about them: that’s why selecting them thoughtfully and

carefully is important. The four visual elements are back-

ground, color, text, and images. The first three are covered

in this section, and images are covered in the next chapter.

ColorBackground Text Images

Each ingredient—background, color, text, and images—

determines how your slide elements will look and requires

that you make key design decisions. Once you’ve decided

how the elements will look, you can apply the principles

from Chapter 6, “Arranging Elements.”

Using Visual Elements: Background, Color, and Text 115

There’s one specific theme you need to keep at the fore-

front of your mind—consistency. Choose element styles

and then stick with them. These elements actually become

visual triggers of your brand. Whether your brand is just

you or a major corporation, pick elements that you feel

will resonat ...