82 slide:ology
The October 2007 Fast Company’s letter from the edi-
tor featured an intriguing chart depicting how design
contributes to the bottom line. The Design Council com-
pared a portfolio of 63 design-driven British companies
and how they beat the broader market:
The Value of Design
To quote the letter, “Studies have shown that design-
oriented firms in all kinds of industries outperform their
more-traditional peers—that design and innovation go
hand-in-hand with financial success.”
It’s easy to tell when a company has
design as a systemic value system.
From product design to slides, you can
tell which companies cherish design
and value their brand.
What is a “design-oriented” firm? Companies like Apple,
Target, Procter & Gamble, and Dyson all have design as
a core part of their value-system.
This is not to say that dressing up your presentations
will cause your stock to increase. Indeed, dressing up
anything is counterintuitive to good design.
Thinking Like a Designer 83
You can also tell that these companies value their custom-
ers. Design is not solely about making things aesthetically
pleasing, although that is part of it. Design, at its core,
is about solving problems. And whatever that problem
is—from squeezing oranges to running faster to communi-
cating effectively—designers strive to help users solve their
dilemma in the most convenient, simple, and elegant way.
Essentially, designers focus on the experience, making it as
beautiful and memorable as possible.
Every decision a designer makes is intentional. Reason
and logic underpin the placement of visual elements.
Meaning underscores the order and hierarchy of ideas.
Previous chapters highlighted the importance of under-
standing your audience, honing your key ideas and
messages, and expressing yourself through appropriate
diagrams and data. Now it’s time to put those theories
into practice. And though it is scant substitute for a
formal design education, these next few chapters give
nondesigners a design baseline that they can refer to
when confronted by the empty expanse of a virgin slide.
To succeed as a presenter, you must think like a designer.
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