Gains:
- Ability to create readable slides with layout, contrast, typography and color principles and receive accessible palette and design suggestions from artificial intelligence
- Ability to produce appropriate backgrounds, illustrations and consistent icons with visual-generating artificial intelligence and apply practical limits such as 'not printing text on the image'
- Not representing fake images as real, and being able to respect design ethics and accessibility limits such as copyright/trademark and color blindness.
The right content gets lost in the wrong design. Small font, clashing colors, messy alignment; It weakens even the best message. In this unit, we will use artificial intelligence in two jobs: (1) as an advisor on slide layout, color, and typography decisions; (2) producing the images, icons and backgrounds you need with visual-generating artificial intelligence. The goal is to produce consistent and readable slides, even without a designer.
Three pillars of design: layout, color, typography
A few concepts. Layout is the arrangement of elements on the slide. Typography is the choice of fonts and sizes. Contrast is the distinction between text and background; low contrast is not readable. White space is the breathing space between elements; Don't be afraid of emptiness, it brings clarity.
Practical starting rules:
- Alignment: Align elements in a virtual grid; Don't let it swing left or right.
- Contrast: Dark text on a light background or vice versa. There is no gray on grey.
- Typography: Up to 2 fonts; the title is big and bold, the body is a readable size (≥24 point is a good base in a salon).
- Color: 1 main color + 1-2 highlights + neutrals. If you have a brand color, stick to it.
- Repetition: Same elements in the same place and in the same format on every slide.
principle
Misapplication
Correct application
contrast
White text on a light gray background
White text on a dark blue background
Number of colors
7 different vibrant colors
1 main + 2 highlights + gray tones
typography
4 different fonts
1 headline + 1 body font
space
Full slide from edge to edge
Margins and breathing room
Caution: Color blindness is common (about 8% of men). Don't just separate information into red/green; Also add shapes, labels or textures.
Design consultancy with artificial intelligence
The model is not a design program, but it is a good design consultant. The color palette, layout idea, and typography match suggest:
Your role: presentation design consultant.Brand primary color: [#hex or “dark navy”]. Sector: [ ... ].Tone: [corporate / warm / technological]. Task:1) Suggest an accessible color palette: 1 main, 2 accent, 2 neutral (hex code for each and where to use it).2) Suggest 2 compatible fonts for title + body (common, free).3) Describe a simple layout for a "content slide" (where is the title, where is the image, where is the text). Make sure the contrast ratios are readable.
To critique a ready-made slide (by uploading a screenshot):
Critique this slide image through the eyes of a design editor. Write down the problems in terms of contrast, alignment, text density, number of colors, and readability, and suggest a concrete fix for each. I aim for clarity, not embellishment.
Image generating artificial intelligence: for what, how?
Image-generating artificial intelligence (e.g. tools that generate images from text) turns the recipe you write into a visual. It works well for background, conceptual image, illustration and icon idea in presentation. A good image prompt includes: subject + style + composition + color + proportion + intended use.
Produce a presentation cover image. Topic: technology in sustainable agriculture. Style: simple, modern, flat illustration, not realistic photography. Composition: leave empty space on the right side (the title text will go there). Colour: green and earth tones, calm. Ratio: 16:9 horizontal. ADDING text/text (I will put the text).
For the icon set:
Generate a coherent icon set idea for a presentation. Need: speed, security, savings, team, automation (5 concepts). Describe a simple, line-style, monochrome icon for each. Let them all be in the same visual language and thickness.
Tip: Do not put text on the image. The text in the images produced is often distorted/erroneous. You add the text in the slide program.
The limits and ethics of visual production
- Fake looking real: Presenting a manufactured image as a "real photo/real person" is misleading. News is not a substitute for evidence or testimony.
- Copyright and trademark: Saying "imitate" an existing brand's logo, character, or the style of a particular artist can lead to copyright and trademark issues.
- Person image: It is unethical to produce an image that resembles a real person and have him say something from his mouth.
- Accuracy: The “data visual” produced is not actual data; It does not replace graphics. For the graph, use the plot produced with real data (next units).
three mini cases
Case 1 — Contrast correction. One teacher's slides were prepared in light blue text on a light gray background; The students in the back row couldn't read. AI suggested dark background + white text and font size increase. The readability complaint from the backstage is completely over.
Case 2 — Consistent icons. A product team was using 9 different styles of icons in the presentation (some filled, some lined). He had the AI describe a set in one style; all brought to line style. The presentation received the feedback "it looks professional", even though no designer was employed.
Case 3 — Return from fake image. A marketer would place a generated AI portrait with the title “our happy customer” as a real customer. The team realized this was misleading; instead used a real, authorized customer photo or opted for an abstract illustration. Thus, the trust risk was eliminated.
Weak prompt / Strong prompt
Weak:
Produce a beautiful presentation background.
No style, no proportion, no color, no space, no purpose; The result is random and often useless.
Strong:
Generate 16:9 presentation background. Topic: financial growth.Style: minimal, abstract geometric, solid color. Colour: dark navy blue, gold accents, very few details. Leave the left third empty (the text will go there). Adding text/numbers. Get a high-contrast, text-readable background.
The second gives critical details like ratio, free space, color, and "text insertion"; The output can be used directly.
Common mistakes
- Excessive colors and fonts: Turning the slide into a rainbow is distracting.
- Low contrast: Light on light, unreadable text.
- Printing text on an image: The text produced is distorted; add the text in the slide program.
- Presenting the fake as real: Using the produced person/photo as if it were real.
- Distinguishing by color alone: Excludes the colorblind viewer; Also add shapes/labels.
- Imitating the brand style: It creates copyright and trademark risks.
In summary
The three pillars of design are layout, color and typography; Alignment, contrast, low color/font and spacing determine readability. AI is a good advisor in recommending color palette, layout and typography; Artificial intelligence that produces visuals produces background, illustration and icon ideas. But do not write on the image, do not present the fake as real, and be careful about copyright/brand and color blindness. It is in the service of aesthetic honesty and readability.
Application task
Select one of your slides. (1) Have the AI generate an accessible color palette (1 main + 2 highlights + neutral) and 2 fonts. (2) Screenshot the slide, critique contrast/alignment, and apply at least 2 corrections. (3) Generate a conceptual image with image-generating AI; Put rate and "add text" rules in the prompt.
checklist
- [ ] I use at most 2 fonts and a limited color palette.
- [ ] Text-background contrast is high; It is read from the back row.
- [ ] I separated the information not only by color but also by shape/label.
- [ ] I did not print any text on the generated image; I added the text.
- [ ] I do not present the fake image as real; I checked the copyright/trademark risk.
- [ ] Items are aligned in a grid, there is sufficient space.