How to choose the perfect slide layout

We’ve all seen the two classic modes of giving a presentation on video: the talking head and the slide show. They’re straightforward, easy, but also flawed. When all you can see is a talking head, it’s easy to lose the flow of what’s being discussed. If you’re looking at a slide show, you may get the message, but you lose a lot of the human connection that makes that content feel meaningful and memorable.

Thankfully, we aren’t limited to those modes anymore. With mmhmm in your tool kit, you can be on-screen with your slides, changing the visual dynamic of your presentation. But to make the most of that freedom, it helps to be thoughtful and intentional about your layout, finding the right balance between your face and what you want to share.

Imagine entering a conference room and choosing where to deliver a talk. You wouldn’t scooch a chair right in front of a member of the audience and talk in their face. You also wouldn’t try to present from the furthest,  darkest corner of the room where nobody can see you. The right distance can help you feel close to your audience, and help them feel close to you—but not too close for comfort.

The same rules apply to being on screen. Your camera should be close enough to your face to show expression and emotion, but not so close that you look intimidating. Perspective matters, too—a camera from above can make you look diminutive, while a camera from too far below gives everyone a too intimate look through your nostrils.

To make this a little easier, when you click the “Add slide” button to a presentation in mmhmm, you get ten preset options for a nicely balanced slide. Here’s a visual guide to choosing the perfect slide design, and recommendations for different kinds of content presentation.

Focus on you

If you’re a participant in a call rather than the presenter, or if you are speaking without sharing content, go full-screen with your head and shoulders using the Big Presenter layout.

You can also add a little context with Lower Thirds so viewers know who you are. When going big, be sure to leave some empty space above your head so it doesn’t look like you're hitting the ceiling. Leaving the top ¼ of the screen free is usually good.

This framing is best for:

• Introductions
• Q&As
• Being an engaged audience member

Focus on your media

When you want the visuals to take center stage, let them go full-screen instead of your head by using the Big Media layout. In mmhmm, diagrams, detailed photos, and videos look best when they command the stage.

You can also use the Big Text option to use a text box instead of an image, but avoid the temptation to overload a full-screen slide with a lot of text. It’s very difficult for others read and listen to you at the same time.

This layout is best for:

• Detailed images
• Charts
• Videos
• Screenshares
• Demos

Split media

When you have two images that you want to show side-by-side, opt for the Split Media template. This works well when you want to compare and contrast two ideas, whether they are before and after photos, two related charts, or two designs up for consideration. This template ensures that your two visuals are perfectly aligned and balanced.

You can achieve that same sense of balance with a single image by using the Split Screen layout, which gives you one half of the screen while your content takes the other half.

This layout is best for:

• Before and after
• Comparisons

Over-the-shoulder

For the “Weekend Update,” newscaster look, try the Over The Shoulder layout. This template is ideal for punctuating what you want to say with a medium-sized visual. We love using this template with some of our more muted backgrounds, including “World News Report” and “On Air,” but it’s great with any background that isn’t too busy.

To invert the look, try our Picture-in-Picture layout. Because the media space is smaller in these layouts, we recommend them for images and GIFs, but not videos.

This layout is best for:

• Introductions
• Headshots
• Celebratory GIFs
• Large font headlines

Blank

When you have an idea that doesn’t fit into one of our templates, start with a blank slate and build from there. This works well when you have multiple visuals you want to show, specific branding to incorporate, or when you want to share the screen with another presenter.

This layout is best for:

• Multiple presenters
• Collage images
• Openings and outros
• Heavily branded presentations

With the right layout in place, your presentation will instantly look more thoughtful and engaging. The screen is your canvas—flex your creativity!