Write good descriptive presentation texts
The piece of words that connects all your efforts.
When we finish the development of a product or a service we have worked for some months and we are exhausted and tired of the project is time to put energy on it.
Despite the efforts and the thoughts that we don’t want to see it anymore, we have to think that we are in the most important part of the project, that is to prepare the presentation, cause we just realized that the presentation is the beginning of all what can come.
If we have resources the best will be to request somebody else to do the bad job, prepare the presentation, that is not just the Powerpoint. Design a good presentation is basic for our project and this includes a good mix of images and text.
When we need to make a vibrant, solid and seductive presentation normally people think is a matter of sense and good images, people spend time looking for good and expressive pictures that connect with the audience. We can spend an afternoon just looking in Image banks the image. But what happens with the text?
In the advertising industry, there is the traditional team created by the art director and the copywriter, as the terms copywriter means is the one who thinks about the text. Actually, the copywriter is still the man who controls the document, the .txt and nowadays is aswell the planner. The Writer has the responsibility to establish the strategy, to build and develop the insights the creative will work with.
When we work in product and service design and we end the development process and we need to make a good presentation, the best would be to search for the good writer. The writer thinks and produces an output.
The fact is that always we don’t give importance to text, cause we think that the people don’t read, the most important part of the project will be not the image but the lyrics, the poetry, the alliteration of words that will create a good naming, a good claim, a good description and good keywords that will definitely connect or not with the audience.
The name of a product, service or idea is very important, cause everybody will be named with the word you will use by the first time. If you present something as “the Shit”, everybody will refer to it as “the Shit”. So make sure you use the correct form of the idea in a word.
To create a product naming always has the influence of the Brand naming philosophy, you can search for the most unpronounceable word and be very inventive with letters but there can always use the common resources:
- City (Toledo, Cadaques, Belloch…)
- Name of a person (Manolito, Moragas, Ramon…)
- Initials (LCW: Eames Lounge Chair Wood…)
- Plant names (Roses, Gardenias…)
- Geometric shapes (Losanges, Lattice, Diagrama, Spiral…)
- Soundy words (Moment™, Hylo…)
The slogan or the claim is always a short sentence, defined as the benefits, defined as the promise the product has to solve, the win-win formula in four words. A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase can be used in a clan, political, commercial, religious, and another context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose, with the goal of persuading members of the public or a more defined target group.
Most of the slogans are aspirational and use to go out of the product: Impossible is Nothing (Adidas), Practically Magic (iPhone 7), the world’s favourite airline (British Airways), Because you’re worth it (L’Oreal)…
The description text is the most important part, we can use poetry but we can be very short in terms of functionality.
I recommend if we don’t have time building with this layout: The ___(naming) is a ____ (tipology) (adjective) product / furniture / service that _____ (function / poetry) developed for ______ (spaces / users / needs) made of ________ (material / process/ tech) with the aim to ____________________________( benefits / goals / wins). Available ___ (brand / show / web) only for_____(price).
If we have a look at some product description texts to get inspire and take deeper insights from the French Bouroullec brothers product descriptions.
The description of the last chair designed for Hay: “Elémentaire” we can find a strong seductive description refilled with good and positive adjectives and the good balance of words:
“With Élémentaire, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec set out to create a chair that is both aesthetically and physically balanced. A mélange of years of work and experience, Élémentaire uses the latest technology to create a chair that is robust enough to be a long-lasting object while still appearing delicate. Precise proportions and a clear profile give Élémentaire a charm that allows it to stand out on its own or look strong in a group. Designed for everyday life, Élémentaire fulfils basic needs in a balance of beauty and strength.”
Palissade Collection, another Collection of chairs and tables for hay is described more formal in their website, but they presented with a delightful slogan: “They are strong without being bulky, elegant without being fragile”.
We can use the resource to make a definition explaining what we are not or what is not the product or service.
The Collection was presented with this poetry text:
"Contrary to what its name means (barrier). The collection opens up perspectives beyond the territory of the barricades. The furniture line seems destined for exteriors and demonstrates the experience of the balanced lines of its creators. Work breathes while retaining formal rigidity. Amdues qualities are translated and contradictory by the fluidity of their curves, the circulation of light permeates the ventilation of their lines, the variation of the thickness and the nakedness of its color palette. Seduced by lightweight and solid nobility or classic foundation. A desired ubiquity is added to an unequivocal temporality and spatial origin. It is the true grace of a clear composition, which can transform a fashion into an immutable statement."If we take a look at some service description texts like online websites we find interesting insights:
Medium (this network): “A place where words matter.” we can find it shorter as “Words matter.” A longer description: “Medium taps into the brains of the world’s most insightful writers, thinkers, and storytellers to bring you the smartest takes on topics that matter. So whatever your interest, you can always find fresh thinking and unique perspectives.” A strong sentence: “Ideas and perspectives you won’t find anywhere else.”
Typeform : the website has good graphic design and a good selection of images but what it fits is the text: “Turn data collection into an experience” with a longuer description: “The future of online forms is here. Power your brand interactions with beautifully designed, professional-looking forms that people love.” we find the claim: “How you ask is everything.” and longuer description: “The versatile data collection tool for professionals. Typeform makes asking easy & answering refreshing.”
