PRESENTATION DESIGN + CONTENT DEVELOPMENT:
The NAMI Sioux Falls Business Wellness Initiative
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NAMI Sioux Falls is a nonprofit that provides "education, support and advocacy for individuals and families impacted by mental illness to effect positive change in our local mental health system," and "increase the public and professional understanding of mental illness." Their work is challenging; mental health conditions are steeped in stigma and silence. It can be difficult to raise awareness, deliver services, and work toward a fully integrated mental health system that treats the whole person wherever they are - in support groups, classes, and even at work. All while operating entirely on donations and using primarily volunteers to carry out the mission.
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Last year, they decided to partner with local businesses to build mental health awareness into their existing programs. They had the seeds of a great idea, but little experience in developing their own content or professional presentations they would be proud to deliver to local businesses.
The Executive Director (the only full-time employee) had started on the first of what would become a series of presentations, and that's when we connected. [Full disclosure: I am a member of the NAMI Sioux Falls Board of Directors, and I was called on to pitch it to deliver one such presentation.] We got together to identify the need they wanted to fill with these presentations, the audience, and the messaging. They needed a presentation (and other visual assets) to start the conversation about mental health conditions in a safe atmosphere where there would be widely varying exposure to mental health care. Most importantly, NAMI Sioux Falls wanted to build a connection with the company and its staff - to create a visually rich presentation to evoke emotions that would create a lasting impression. NAMI Sioux Falls serves over 37,000 people in the Sioux Empire and their Executive Director had to delegate the project without losing control of this potentially far-reaching initiative.
Outsourcing the presentation design and content development was a great way for NAMI Sioux Falls to get the program kicked off quickly.
I emphasize the use of powerful visual images, especially in prepared presentations. Whether it's the typeface, the order of the discussion topics, or presenting numerical data, good design is what makes a presentation work. Sometimes the right photo conveys the point you're trying to get across or the problem you're trying to solve better than a full paragraph of notes.
Here's a sampling of slides from the initial draft of the presentation NAMI Sioux Falls put together, and the final version delivered at the first presentation:
The Executive Director (the only full-time employee) had started on the first of what would become a series of presentations, and that's when we connected. [Full disclosure: I am a member of the NAMI Sioux Falls Board of Directors, and I was called on to pitch it to deliver one such presentation.] We got together to identify the need they wanted to fill with these presentations, the audience, and the messaging. They needed a presentation (and other visual assets) to start the conversation about mental health conditions in a safe atmosphere where there would be widely varying exposure to mental health care. Most importantly, NAMI Sioux Falls wanted to build a connection with the company and its staff - to create a visually rich presentation to evoke emotions that would create a lasting impression. NAMI Sioux Falls serves over 37,000 people in the Sioux Empire and their Executive Director had to delegate the project without losing control of this potentially far-reaching initiative.
Outsourcing the presentation design and content development was a great way for NAMI Sioux Falls to get the program kicked off quickly.
I emphasize the use of powerful visual images, especially in prepared presentations. Whether it's the typeface, the order of the discussion topics, or presenting numerical data, good design is what makes a presentation work. Sometimes the right photo conveys the point you're trying to get across or the problem you're trying to solve better than a full paragraph of notes.
Here's a sampling of slides from the initial draft of the presentation NAMI Sioux Falls put together, and the final version delivered at the first presentation:
12 sample slides from the first business wellness presentation
BEFORE . . . and AFTER
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The completed presentation was delivered on-time and far enough in advance to share it in advance with the first business to solicit their feedback. That allowed NAMI Sioux Falls and me to incorporate business-specific items to tailor it to that company's specific employee audience.
Happy people all around! The company invited NAMI Sioux Falls back for what is to be a 4-part series, and NAMI Sioux Falls asked Designed 2 Stick to develop those presentations plus a custom template for their PowerPoint presentations.
Happy people all around! The company invited NAMI Sioux Falls back for what is to be a 4-part series, and NAMI Sioux Falls asked Designed 2 Stick to develop those presentations plus a custom template for their PowerPoint presentations.