Enhance Your Presentation with Effective Tables

Tables are used everywhere in business. They are one of the most practical ways to present key data and figures.

So it makes sense that they have become a design staple for PowerPoint presentations. Unfortunately, poor design and formatting have given tables a bad name. Here are some tips to create standout table graphics.

Assessing the Need for Tables

Before diving into design, it’s essential to ask yourself: Does my presentation really need a table? Remember, you may not have the time to explain the content of your table during your presentation. If the table isn’t working for you, you can be sure it isn’t working for the audience.

Tips for Creating Effective Tables

The following tips will help you make the most out of tables in your presentation:

1. Keep It Concise

• Make sure the table isn’t too large. Ideally, the audience should be able to see key data at a glance. If the table is large and contains too much content, you risk losing your audience’s attention.

2. Prioritize Legibility

• Make text elements as legible as possible. Focus specifically on the font type and size. Choose a typeface that can be seen from the back of the room. Ensure that spacing is sufficient and clear.

3. Highlight Key Information

• Highlight important content. Use color to emphasize key figures, such as green for positive numbers and red for negative ones. Or, use a single color to highlight important data. However, avoid using too many colors, as it can overwhelm your table and make the content hard to read.

4. Eliminate Redundancy

• Remove unnecessary content. Omit anything redundant and condense your content to the essentials. You can avoid repeated content by writing “all data as percentages” in a footnote instead of adding a percentage sign to each number. Figures should always be rounded to improve legibility.

5. Sort Data Effectively

• Have a practical approach to sorting data. Designing tables depends on the context of the presentation. Data is usually arranged alphabetically or chronologically, but it might make more sense to sort your data by key figures. Excel’s “Sort and Filter” function can help with this before you insert the table into PowerPoint.

6. Enhance Visually

• Use icons or infographics to visually enhance your tables. Tables benefit greatly from appealing graphics. Icons, such as check marks or red crosses, can indicate accomplishments. Symbolic images for specific data groups — for example, a car icon to display automobile sales figures — can help convey numbers in a more memorable way. Process bars can also be displayed in the corner to show milestones or the current progress of a project.

Conclusion

It’s worth taking the time to make your tables as coherent as possible. A well-designed table allows the audience to follow along easily, maintain focus, and require fewer clarifications. Careful preparation and clear content will ensure your presentation is a success.