ECB PowerPoint Templates
Research & Design
Details
The project focused on the redesign of the European Central Bank’s PowerPoint templates, used by over 5,000 employees across multiple business areas for both internal and external communication.
Other than achieving a more modern look, the goal was to improve usability, efficiency and visual consistency, while aligning the templates with the ECB’s standards and evolving communication needs.
Services
Digital Design
Design Research
Year
2025
OLD TEMPLATES:
The previous PowerPoint templates reflected an outdated visual system that no longer aligned with contemporary communication standards. The layouts were often rigid and inconsistent, combining multiple visual styles, dense information structures and limited hierarchy, which made content harder to scan and adapt across different use cases. In addition, the templates lacked flexibility and scalability, offering limited support for diverse presentation needs while relying on manual adjustments that increased inefficiency and reduced overall coherence across materials.
USER RESEARCH
The project combined both quantitative and qualitative methods to build a comprehensive understanding of usage patterns and user needs. A staff survey involving 297 participants across 21 business areas provided a first overview of behaviours, challenges and expectations, which highlighted recurring issues related to visual inconsistency, lack of space for content, low flexibility and the perception of the templates as outdated. This was then complemented by a series of in-depth user and expert interviews with selected participants, allowing for a more contextual understanding of workflows, frustrations and edge cases.
The combination of both approaches enabled the identification of the three main areas of concern below:
Large-scale staff survey:
In-depth user interviews:
VISUAL & SPACING ISSUES
EFFICIENCY & PRODUCTIVITY ISSUES
LACK OF KNOWLEDGE & STAFF UPSKILL
CONCEPT & DESIGN
Informed by the research insights, a visual restyling was carried out, placing particular emphasis on improving space management, hierarchy and readability. At the same time, the structure of the templates was reworked to reduce repetitive manual adjustments and streamline common workflows.
Beyond aesthetics, design decisions were driven by usability and versatility. Layouts were developed to accommodate a wider range of content types, while maintaining consistency across different use cases and business areas. The integration of placeholders and guidelines directly within the templates aimed to support faster and more intuitive usage. The process involved multiple iterations, with continuous feedback from design colleagues and cross-functional stakeholders to refine both visual and functional aspects of the system.
OLD TEMPLATE
NEW TEMPLATE
EXTRA ADDITIONS
TESTING
A beta version of the templates was tested with selected staff members to validate design decisions and measure improvements.
The results showed a strong overall appreciation of the updated visual language and increased consistency, with high satisfaction ratings for layout structure and clarity of guidelines. At the same time, feedback highlighted the importance of maintaining a balance between flexibility and structure — a key requirement already identified during the research phase. Compared to the previous templates, users reported a significantly reduced need to deviate from the system, indicating improved usability and adaptability.
Credits
RESEARCH & DESIGN
Federico Maggi
TESTING & EXCEL INTEGRATION
Federico Maggi
Jeanne Beck
