Refuse to be Boring

White background, black background. Which is better?

The Effective Sales Presentation is an excellent blog by Jean-François Messier. It is one of the only sales presentation blogs I can find.  Since I am in sales, do a lot of presentations, and have a passion for presentation design, I am always keenly interested to see what he has to say. 

A couple of weeks ago Jean- François re-posted an article by Phil Waknell which discussed what type of background is better for your slides, 5 Reasons Why Black Is The New White. He believes that a dark/black background is better for a variety of reasons:

1.  A black background won’t fatigue your audience, whereas a white background can be hard on the eyes.

2.  A black background will keep them focused on you since your eyes are naturally attracted to the “bright” light.

3.  Smile – you’re on camera; black backgrounds work better if you are being recorded on video.

4.  You may have “slides without borders” - photos that don’t fit the slide have a bright white frame around them.

5.  You will stand out from the crowd since the majority of “bad” presentations have white backgrounds. 

I agree with the points which support the use of black backgrounds on slides, but there is one other factor to consider.  I think that there are instances where a white background may be best for someone who creates their own presentation visuals.  Garr Reynolds comments on the background color of slides in his book Presentation Zen Design.  He says that since most stock images have white backgrounds, the images can easily be used on a slide with a white background.  I think the majority of people who create their own presentations have minimal training in presentation design, no Photoshop on their computers, and no access to graphic designers… therefore slides with a white background are easier to work with.  You can find great professional stock images on sites like iStockPhoto.com.   

In her book Slideology, Nancy Duarte talks about two factors which determine background color:  the formality of the event and the venue size.  She believes that black backgrounds are most appropriate for formal events and large venues.  Since the majority of presentations in organizations are in smaller meeting rooms and in an informal setting, a white background is probably appropriate. Of course the key is to have a high contrast between your background and any words you may have on your slides.

I wonder though - should you mix black and white backgrounds in one presentation?

Joe Pops

Refuse to be boring

Location, Location, Location

The more presentations I do, the more I realize that (like in real estate) location really matters.

The Lecture Hall

A couple of months ago I did two presentations in a large lecture hall at our regional headquarters in Singapore.  The room had semicircular multiple tiered seating, well designed acoustics and a central semicircular mini-stage that was about 8 inches high. It didn’t feel right for my style since I try not to lecture to my audience. In a room like this it is harder to connect with the audience; this type of room sends the message “sit and listen” rather than “engage with the presenter”.  I had to work harder to engage the audience and used techniques such as asking more questions than usual; ensuring I maintained eye contact, and getting physically closer to them (the mini stage was a challenge).  

Interestingly, a few days earlier I had given the same presentation in a different environment…

The Hotel Meeting Room

The previous week in Kuala Lumpur I did the same presentation in a large hotel meeting room to an audience of a similar background.  I had requested round tables with 6 or 7 seats per table.  The room “felt” much better (except the air conditioning wasn’t working) and it certainly seemed that I connected with them quicker and more easily. I believe this was because I was physically closer to them and could comfortably move around the room, and amongst them.

Which brings me to my most recent experience…

The Theater Stage

I did a presentation a couple of weeks ago from a theater stage, complete with bright lights and a balcony.  The theater was on the ss Rotterdam Hotel, which is a boat hotel docked permanently in the city of Rotterdam.  Of all the rooms I have presented in over the last few months I found this one to be the most awkward. It was difficult to see the audience and to make eye contact because of the lights … were they nodding as I made my points or not? I have heard that Steve Jobs always rehearsed in the same room in which he was going to do his big product launches; I did visit the theatre and walk the stage before my presentation but maybe I should have done more work/preparation to get more comfortable with the setup.  

My Conclusion

I think presenters often focus their preparation on the presentation itself. While that is important, so is knowing your venue. Control it if you can, but in many cases this is not practical or possible. Do what you can to make it a positive environment, one that enables the audience to connect with you. Always check out the venue ahead of time, and rehearse there if you can.  If we can control the location/room in which we present, or at least get comfortable with it, we will give a better presentations. 

Do you have any stories of interesting presentation locations to share? 

Joe Pops

Refuse to be boring