I’m just a simple PowerPoint template. Like an unfrozen caveman lawyer, I don’t claim to understand the ways of your “memos” to various objects, abstract concepts, and celebrities who will never see them. But I do know how to hijack The Indelible’s Memos page for one of my own authorship. So here goes.
Among all the tools a company uses to express itself, I’ve been used, abused, broken and repaired more than any. Maybe it’s because so many different people use templates like me. Maybe I wasn’t made right to begin with. But above all it’s because I’m misunderstood. I’m seen as limiting, not liberating.
At our best, templates like me provide a sense of brand and cultural infrastructure. We get everyone on the same page — literally, as the human kids say. (And figuratively, as the grammar scolds point out.) More than logos on quarter-zip fleeces and banners at a trade show booth, we carry the brand’s look and the company’s message. Every day and at every level.
We’re built with the best intentions: to drive consistency. To help design-challenged communicators produce better looking decks. To establish hierarchy and create clarity. To make persuasive communication “easy.”
But the thing is, communicating isn’t easy. And when it gets overly formulaic it becomes unpersuasive. That goes for the content as well as how it’s presented. Too much structure and it feels like a computer made it. Humans don’t respond well to that. And it’s human behavior we’re trying to influence.
That’s not to say don’t use templates at all — heaven forbid! Then I’d be out of a job, and I’ve got a lot of template mouths to feed! The blank page is tyrannical because it lacks both an idea and any structure whatsoever. Structure, in addition to creating consistency and clarity, is a helpful starting point.
So: use my structure as inspiration. See me as a set of tools to use in shaping your argument. Rather than limiting you to strict rules about type size and image placement, I want you to see my examples as references. Sure, use them as-is if they work for you. But if I’m built right, it’s not “breaking” me to create something new within my outlines. It will likely be more effective. (When those know-it-alls at The Indelible constantly go on about "freedom within a framework," I think this is what they mean.)
The fact is, templates can’t anticipate every message, asset or situation. We’re inanimate objects (this memo notwithstanding) and our creators aren’t all-knowing. Rather than try to cram your idea into us, we should liberate you to express it. And while we templates are undeniably useful and hard-working, we are forever works in progress. Our grids, margins and type styles have likely been considered carefully. But they're not legally binding.
To those building templates: think of us as an inspirational system rather than a platform for sameness. Create a starting point for consistency, with elements for flexible expression. And keep an ear open for your colleagues mentioning what your current templates can't do. Those real-world needs are your cue to build out your templates further, or perhaps create additional ones. Either way, it keeps the Template Industrial Complex humming, which suits me fine.
To those using templates: understand the brand you represent and the tools we provide — then take the liberties you need to make your message land.
To those managing colleagues who build and use templates: you’re contributing a form of organizational intelligence. Think of us as a map that shows the destination and rules of the road, and allow for myriad ways of getting there.
When I’m built right, I’ve got the guardrails to keep you from veering off the pavement, but give you the freedom to pick your own route.
Either way, you and I are in this together. Use me, abuse me, even try to break me now and then. As long as you always make a copy of me before starting your document, we're gonna get along just fine.
