Japanese artistic tradition has endured for centuries and is built around certain central principles. Learn these key aesthetic ideas and work them in to your own presentations to achieve a more harmonious and memorable design. Read a more in depth post here: https://medium.com/p/17bc257bb45 Reach out on Twitter: https://twitter.com/slide_guy Send me an email: https://twitter.com/slide_guy

1. 5
5 Japanese Aesthetic Ideas
(Applied to Presentation Design)

2. 1. Shibui
渋い

3. 1. Shibui
渋い
Simple, subtle, unobtrusive
beauty is the ultimate goal
for any design.

4. 1. Shibui
渋い
The Macbook Air’s sleek
sparing design embodies
the Shibui aesthetic .

5. “Simplicity is the Ultimate
Sophistication”
-Leonardo DaVinci

6. Shibui Applied to Presentation Design
HOW TO BRIDGE
THE DISTANCE
BETWEEN
BUSINESS STRATEGY
AND DESIGN
Slide by Marty Neumeir
Strip away everything
except the core concept
for a slide that is
powerful, elegant,
memorable and (above
all) simple.

7. 2. Wabi-Sabi
侘寂

8. 2. Wabi-Sabi
侘寂
Natural beauty is enhanced by
a slight degree of asymmetry
or imperfection.

9. 2. Wabi Sabi
侘寂
Jeans improve with
each wear and
imperfection. This is a
perfect example of
Wabi-Sabi

10. Wabi-Sabi Applied to Presentation Design
Without Wabi-Sabi
Ads are Brief
Just enough to cover
what’s important.
With Wabi-Sabi
Ads are Brief
Just enough to cover
what’s important.
Slide by @slidecomet
Artful imperfection gives a slide an
added dimension of character and
personality that makes it more
visually pleasing and memorable.

11. 3. Iki
粋

12. 3. Iki
粋
Attitude or tone that is
confident, calm and ironically
detached — i.e. “cool.”

13. 3. Iki
粋
James Dean’s air of
effortless confidence
exemplifies the
notion of Iki

14. Iki Applied to Presentation Design
Slide by @mzkagan
Slide by @JesseDee
Inject your slides with an air of informal
detachment. This will make your message more
impactful by cutting through the normal
pretensions of business communication.

15. 4. Yūgen
幽玄

16. 4. Yūgen
幽玄
Use of subtlety and allusion to
hint at deeper meaning and
invite interpretation.

17. 4. Yūgen
幽玄
Alfred Hitchcok’s use of
artful suspense in Psycho
is a wonderful illustration
of Yūgen

18. Yūgen Applied to Presentation Design
Infuse your slides with
drama by giving your
audience room to
speculate and fill in the
blanks for themselves.
Slide by Jeff Brenman

19. 5. Jo-ha-kyū
序破急

20. 5. Jo-ha-kyū
序破急
Using tempo and build-up to
create tension and excitement
that enhances a story.

21. 5. Jo-ha-kyū
序破急
The juxtaposition of
climbs and falls in roller
coasters embodies a
core characteristic of
Jo-ha-kyū

22. Steve Jobs
Jo-ha-kyū Master
Toy with your audience’s
expectations and keep them
anticipating the big reveal.
This is what Job’s did during the original
iPhone Keynote.

23. Thanks For
Reading!
Find Me Online
@slide_guy
joe.gelman@me.com
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