Anyone designing a presentation often faces a common problem: You have to fit a lot of content onto one slide, you have a lot to say, but space quickly becomes limited. The result is often cluttered slides where elements are crammed together. In the following article, we'll show you how to get more out of your presentations by using white space effectively.

The trend towards minimalist design is becoming increasingly evident not only in user interfaces in software development, but also in presentations. Empty spaces, often referred to as "white space," play a significant role in this design.

Even if the spaces do not carry any information, they still fulfill an important function: By contrasting them with empty spaces, it is easier for the recipient to perceive the essential, information-carrying elements.
The advantages of empty spaces at a glance:

• Their audience is not distracted by an excess of visual elements.
• Texts are easier to read and can be processed more quickly.
• The viewer's attention is drawn to the content of the slide.
• The focus naturally shifts to the speaker and the core message.
• Combinations of different elements work better when placed in an empty space.
• The design of your slides appears modern, appealing, and professional.

The challenge often lies in reducing the content to the essentials. The following questions, which you should ask yourself repeatedly when creating a slide, will help with this:

• Is everything currently visible on the slide truly necessary? This applies primarily to the text: formulate short sentences, use bullet points, individual terms, or groups of terms. In terms of visual design, you should avoid unnecessary effects, such as the excessive use of shadows. The number of images should also be reduced to a few simple graphics that employ the clearest possible visual language.

• Can the message be reduced to either text or a graphic? Ideally, the information to be conveyed can be communicated in a few words or with a single infographic. Avoid using graphics that rely too heavily on textual descriptions to be effective. Instead, opt for a purely textual description or divide the information across several graphics.

• How many ideas are presented on the slide? Ideally, a slide should focus on a single idea. Think about the actual presentation: your audience needs to follow your explanations and should be visually supported by the slide. Too much content on one slide makes this process more difficult because the temptation to mentally jump between different points is much greater.

• Is the content on the slide essential for an effective presentation? A presentation should accompany your talk, not replace it. Always keep in mind what you will say at that point in your talk. If the presentation clearly helps you, then it has its place. If you are unsure, then it's better to leave the content out.