Top 10 Biggest Presentation Design Trends 2021 (2024)

When putting together an engaging presentation, there are two things you need to keep in mind: form and function. That means, not only do your slides need to look appealing, they need to present your information and ideas in the most easy-to-understand format possible. One way of achieving this is through a professionally designed PowerPoint template, Google Slides template or Keynote template that’s bursting with customizable slides.

What Are the Big Trends in Presentation Design?

In 2021, we expect to see visuals come into their own through animated infographics, social media slideshows and geometric shapes, while minimalism and muted pastels will prove once and for all that – when it comes to creating a winning business presentation – less is most definitely more. And if you’re not sure where to start, Envato Elements offers a huge range of premium and free presentation templates to choose from!

If you need some inspiration, here are some of the hottest design styles and trends that we predict will be popping up in presentation design this year and some of the best presentation templates to execute them:

Want to know how to incorporate the latest presentation design trends into your next presentation deck? Discover trends, tips and templates right here.

1. Dark Backgrounds with Neon

For a long time, web design trends revolved around white backgrounds, but the rise of ‘dark mode’ is quickly changing this. Dark mode gives designers the opportunity to experiment with contrast and make creative elements more visible, and is also proven to reduce blue light exposure and preserve battery life.

As dark backgrounds give neon colors an extra boost, we often see them being used to create a retro 80s look and feel or to present information in a way that simply refuses to be ignored.

Featuring 50 easy to customize and fully editable unique layouts, this Amarillo Black Presentation template revolves around dark backgrounds and a punchy accent color that can be used to shine a spotlight on key information.

2. Nature-inspired Design

The great outdoors has been a source of creative inspiration for centuries, and today it’s coming into full bloom thanks to the organic graphic design trend. The ideal antidote to concrete cityscapes and built-up urban environments, nature-inspired design is all about botanical illustrations, earthy hues and organic materials.

This versatile trend can be integrated into almost any style, technique or format – and that includes presentations. Like this multipurpose PowerPoint template by dirtylinestudio grounded in organic shapes, wavy lines and hand-drawn fonts. To add a little flora to your social media feed as well as your presentation, these PowerPoint and Instagram templates from invisualstudio are bursting with natural beauty thanks to their muted, modern color palette.

Organic design is just one of 10 attention-grabbing trends we’ve identified for 2021, discover the rest – from jewel tones to organised chaos – in our Graphic Design Trends blog.

3. Minimalism

Keep it simple, stupid! There’s a reason this age-old piece of design advice is still in circulation today. And that’s because it’s true! Minimal presentation design will always be in fashion, because it’s a surefire way of showing information clearly and concisely. And because we never want audiences to feel overwhelmed, we are seeing minimal styles like Neumorphism have a big impact on UI design.

In its most simple terms, Neumorphism is a minimalist approach that’s all about giving buttons, switches and other design elements a real-life 3D look and feel, which has made it wildly popular among app developers.

We expect to see this simple yet tactile trend trickle down into presentation design – like in this Neumorphic Powerpoint Presentation available via Envato Market. Featuring 260 animated presentation templates, it offers a really dynamic way of delivering a pitch. Meanwhile, back on Envato Elements, you can make sure your message is uncluttered and compelling with the 40 stylish slides that are contained in this presentation template by amarlettering.

Learn more about minimalist photography with our Photo Trends round-up or flex your UX/UI Design Trends by getting to grips with Neumorphism’s ability to add a futuristic twist to familiar interfaces.

4. Muted Pastels

In recent years, we’ve seen monochromatic color schemes – a range of shades, tones and tints that are derived from a single base hue – being given a muted pastel makeover. Just look at Pantone’s fall 2020 color predictions, which included whimsical shades such as ‘Misty Jade’ and ‘Blue Bird’.

Because monochrome is often used to help people focus on the content and messaging, rather than the colors within a design, it’s perfect for pitch decks and presentations.

Alternatively, the peachy premade monochromatic color scheme featured in this Lances Google Slide presentation template pack adds a hint of welcoming warmth. To learn more about turning the heat up (or down) in your next design, check out our Color Trends round-up for 2021.

5. Simple Data Visualization

This year, data visualization has gone back to basics. Meaning that even the most complex metrics are being made accessible and understandable thanks to simple design solutions. Just as infographics have found a home on visual-first social platforms like Instagram, designers, marketers and presenters have recently been busy creating snackable statistics.

Harness this trend with these clean, clear statistic infographic templates by Formatika. Containing 30 unique slides, customizable animations and transitions enable you to introduce a few moving parts into your proposal or presentation. Similarly, it couldn’t be easier to turn stats into pie charts, bar graphs and bubbles that concisely convey your message with these chart infographic templates, ensuring every data point is easy to digest.

6. Classic Serifs

Looking at our graphic design trend predictions for 2021, it seems likely that the return of the serif is something we can expect to see popping up in pitch decks and presentations over the coming year. And while this kind of typography might once have had a reputation for being frilly, fancy or simply old-fashioned, that’s all changing with the emergence of unique and modernized serif fonts.

Bring some serifs into your Google Slides with Pixelist – a template that’s perfectly suited to online portfolios and modern presentations. Match your imagery with a stylish serif typeface for a contemporary look, or opt for the understated elegance of Vahlua to create a truly classy proposal. Both presentation templates feature fully customizable slides – simply swap the placeholders for your own photos and text.

Learn more about finding the ideal font to fit your next project with our deep dive into Typography Trends.

7. Social Media Slideshows

Some presentations speak for themselves – quite literally. While many presentations are accompanied by someone explaining the information on each slide, the growing trend for self-evident visual presentations rejects the role of the presenter. In fact, as slideshows for social media become increasingly popular, you need to be able to create presentations that stand alone and don’t need speech in order to be understood.

One way of engaging the audience – without saying a word – is to use animated social slides. Janneth Sea is a set of templates that invites viewers to swipe at their own speed, and contains 30 PowerPoint slides, six Instagram Stories and six Instagram feed posts that are all fully editable.

Keep on top of all the latest Marketing Trends and design-related Social Media Trendswith our guide to creating the kind of online content that people want to consume.

8. Images Over Text

Talking of social media, our obsession with scrolling through images has inspired many designers to dial up the visuals and dial down the text. As a result, words no longer have to be the dominant element of presentations and proposals.

For example, this Keynote Template gives every design element plenty of room to breathe. Featuring more than 115 slides, there’s plenty of space to introduce some eye-catching imagery, while editable icons, device mockups and animated transitions add to the visual appeal.

9. Doodles

Inspired by the DIY aesthetic, a great way to add a human touch to your presentation design is through drawings or doodles. Just as Google Doodles proved that even massive corporations can have a cute and quirky creative side, designers and marketers are using hand-drawn illustrations to add a fun and friendly element to their slides.

Take a look at more Illustration Trends that are shaping the graphic design landscape now.

10. Geometric Shapes

Geometric patterns, 3D shapes and asymmetric layouts: there’s a reason why designers dig them. They’re simple yet striking, and are therefore ideal when you want the info you are presenting to have a real impact. Bring a splash of color with this Geometry Powerpoint Template by MasdikaStudio that contains 43 unique slides that can easily be customized by dragging and dropping your own images and text.

And just as the geometric web design trend has evolved to feature more modern elements – like 3D shapes and floating objects – we can also see this happening in decks and slideshows. Add in 3D shapes and animation with BrandEarth’s presentation template, which comes with creative infographics, charts, tables and vector graphics for a jump-off-the-screen aesthetic.

Finally, from company profiles and end-of-year reports to personal portfolios and new business pitches, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best PowerPoint Templates out there. Alternatively, if you’re looking for Google Slides or Apple Keynote templates, we’ve got those covered, too!