One UI element every presentation should have
I don't attend many conferences, but recently I've been to 2 conferences in 2 months and noticed a trend of having multistep slides (where each section is added gradually until the slide is complete). This creates an inconvenience for the viewer – as a viewer, I don't know when the slide is finally complete.
An Example
Slide 1
* click *
Slide 2
* click *
Slide 3
Now I want to take out my smartphone and take a picture to share with colleagues tomorrow, but is this slide complete, or should I wait a bit more? But if I wait longer, I might miss the slide, so I end up taking multiple pictures just to be sure.
The Problem: The Neverending Slide
The main problem with multi-step slides is the lack of clear signaling for completion. As a viewer, I'm left wondering:
Is this it? Am I looking at a finished slide, or will more information pop up with the next click?
Did I miss something? Did the speaker move on too quickly, and I didn't get a chance to fully absorb the previous point?
The core issue lies in the lack of visual cues indicating whether a slide has reached its final state. Without a clear signal, viewers are left in a state of ambiguity, unsure when it's safe to take that final screenshot.
The Proposition
I suggest adding some indication that the current slide will not have more content added to it. A few options I can propose are:
Filled right corner
Horizontal line
I am not a UI expert, and I'm sure there are more elegant and effective solutions to this problem. However, this is something I really want to see more in the wild. By providing a clear indication of when a slide is complete, presenters can improve the viewer's experience, increase engagement, and ensure that their message is conveyed effectively.