Shapes represent ideas and feelings. These associations may be very direct at times, but often they are quite subliminal. Utilizing shapes in design can deepen meaning for your slide deck. Skillfully determining the right shape application for your deck may yield powerful results in your next presentation. Consider this—you have some data you want visually represented on a slide. Do you choose a pie chart? A line graph? Well, this would be a great place to consider the associations your audience will make with rectangles or circles, and lean into whichever suits your data best.
Different Shape Types
Did you know there are different types of shapes? In fact, there are three shape classifications. You have your geometric shapes (circle, square, triangle) that you generally associate the term with, but organic and abstract shapes are constantly at play in our everyday lives. There are a myriad of different shape types we could delve into, but we’re going to stick to geometric shapes for now. Geometric shapes will likely be the most suitable shape application for your pitch. As we often state in the presentation space, less is more. Presenters don’t want their audiences to work too hard deciphering visual slide design. Simple design lightens the cognitive load for your viewers, enabling them to listen to every word of your presentation.
Geometric Shape Application
The Geometric shapes we’re going to focus on today are the square, the circle, and the triangle. Each of these is probably already a shape application in your existing presentation whether you realize it or not. If you find that one of these best associates with your material, it may be time to take another hard look at your presentation. Check and see if there are ways to more heavily incorporate that shape application in your design by utilizing crop to shape, merge shape, or any application of your choosing.
Squares suggest order
Stability and reliability are prominent in the structure of this shape. You audience may associate squares with
-chess board
-keyboard keys
-floor/wall tiles
Circles represent harmony
This is because circles are associated with completion and/or being whole. Some examples of this are:
-A ring or band
-planets/moons/sun
-smiley face
Triangles are directional
Turn the shape’s peak upward and it suggests a gain, while downward direction suggests a loss. Triangles can also be used as arrows to move the eye from one location to another. Your audience may see a triangle in the form of a
-Mountain/peak
-Play button
-Pennant
Beauty Comes in All Shapes and Sizes
Remember that shape application shouldn’t to make you feel confined. Beauty is everywhere—and slide design is no exception. Ensure you’re sending the right message by aligning your design with the shape that best suits your messaging. Harmoniously incorporating design with content inevitably begins with shapes!
You may notice that our branding at Ethos3 is very geometric. We provide the building blocks for presentation success and want to ensure you know we’re here to help form your ideas, processes and flow. Need help shaping your design direction? Give us a shout! We’d love to hear from you and collaborate on the best presentation you’ve given yet! Happy Presenting!
