Design Novices, Don't Fall into the Pit! 3 PPT Cognitive Mistakes That Will Make You Look Terrible (Quickly Come to Get a Free Canva Membership)

 

Introducing the Pain Point: Is Your PPT the Scene of an Industrial Injury Claim for the Client?

Have you ever experienced such an embarrassing moment:

👉 You spent 3 days making a PPT, and your boss said after reading it, "This color scheme of yours looks like the stage in the village entrance..."

👉 You applied 10 templates, and your colleague sharply commented, "Did this page of yours come to life from an Excel spreadsheet?"

👉 You clearly wanted to be the workplace "Du Lala", but as soon as you flipped through the PPT, the client ran away overnight carrying a rocket.

Don't doubt it. You're not clumsy; you've got water in your head from falling into misunderstandings!

(By the way, you can get a free Canva premium membership by clicking on the three horizontal bars in the upper left corner. I'll put the life-saving stuff at the end.)

Mistake 1: The Myth of the All-Powerful Template - Does Applying One Equal Being Sophisticated?

Points of Criticism:

Do you think that applying a "Nordic minimalist style" template will make you look cool? But it turns out to look like the "Nordic low-income style", and the client asks if you made it with Word 2003...

The Truth:

A template is like a brick; you still need to carve it after moving it!

Chaotic Layout: You stuffed all 5 fonts and 8 color blocks that came with the template onto one page. Do you want the audience to play "Spot the Difference"?

Fragmented Logic: The table of contents page of the template says "Strategic Planning", but your content is "Cafeteria Menu". It doesn't make any sense!

Solutions:

✅ Write an outline first and then apply the template! Use Canva's "Structured Framework" feature (yes, the one where you can get a free membership by clicking on the three horizontal bars in the upper left corner). Sort out the content logic before you start.

✅ Delete all useless decorations! Gradient light effects and 3D shadows in the template. The cleaner you delete them, the more you'll look like a big shot with a 500,000 - annual - salary.

Mistake 2: The More Materials, the More Professional - Does Flashy Equal Sophistication?

Points of Criticism:

You're frantically piling up "high-quality materials":

You inserted 20 high-definition pictures, and as a result, the PPT takes forever to load and becomes a "PPT" in the physical sense.

You added 8 animation effects, and the audience thinks you're making a 4399 mini-game.

The Truth:

Less is more, and too much is tacky!

What the client wants is "plain language", not "acrobatics".

Solutions:

✅ One key point per page! Use Canva's "Focus Zoom" feature (you know where to get a free membership by clicking on the three horizontal bars in the upper left corner). Enlarge the core data to occupy 70% of the screen.

✅ Keep only 3 types of materials! Use icons in the same color system and uniformly add masks and filters to pictures. Instantly transform from a "material beggar" to a "minimalist aristocrat".

Mistake 3: Color Matching by Hunch - Is "Colorful Black" Real?

Points of Criticism:

When the leader said they wanted something "young and lively", you directly used fluorescent pink and bright green for the whole page. The HR suspects that you want to poison the whole company.

You firmly believe that "red and blue match perfectly", but the client said it looks like a publicity board in a rural health center.

The Truth:

Color matching is not hunch; it's science!

You think you're Van Gogh, but in the eyes of the client, you're actually color-blind.

Solutions:

✅ Steal the color schemes of big shots! Use Canva's "Color Palette Tool" (you know where to get a free membership by clicking on the three horizontal bars in the upper left corner. Go for it!) and directly copy the color schemes of big brand official websites. It's as stable as an old dog.

✅ Remember the universal formula:

70% main color (such as navy blue)

25% secondary color (light gray)

5% accent color (bright yellow)

Say goodbye to the curse of "colorful black" forever!

Summary in a Catchy Sentence:

"When aesthetics are lacking, tools come to the rescue; when design skills are poor, Canva saves your life."

One Last Thing:

Stop sacrificing your hair for PPTs!

You can get a free Canva premium membership by clicking on the three horizontal bars in the upper left corner. Unlock 3 million templates, ready-to-use materials, and font effects with one click. While others stay up all night until they're bald, you can become a pro in half an hour with Canva.

(One more time: The three horizontal bars in the upper left corner! Three horizontal bars! Three horizontal bars! Important things are said three times!!!)

Today's Mutual Promotion:

Share your PPT horror stories in the comment section. 3 people will be randomly selected to get a Canva annual membership!

(Don't ask. Just say that the client gave me money and now I'm feeling generous 👑)