Decoding McKinsey’s new visual identity and PowerPoint template

In February 2019, McKinsey introduced a new identity designed by New York agency Wolff Olins, and subsequently implemented this across the globe.

The new identity is not just a small update. It encompasses everything from the main brand mark to colors, images, fonts, and layouts.

In this post, we will go through the different key elements of the new identity, but with extra emphasis on the updated McKinsey PowerPoint Template. You can see examples of the updated template in our list of real McKinsey presentations.
 

1. Logo

The new logo is not far from the old one, but the font has been updated a bit and the logo is now stacked in a way that makes the logo a bit more dynamic and personal. 

2. Fonts

The new identity comes with a new serif typeface, named Bower, uniquely designed for McKinsey. The new font was named after Marvin Bower, who helped define the structure and principles of McKinsey in the 1930s and 40s. Its letterforms are characterful and bold, enabling headlines to stand out. It looks classic and contemporary at the same time. The best way to see it in action is by clicking through McKinsey’s website.

The Bower font is combined with a non-serif font called ‘McKinsey Sans’ used for long paragraphs of text.

3. Colors

The brand color palette has also been updated. It's still ‘50 shades of blue’ but the new colors are more contrasted – the dark blue is darker and the bright blue more vivid.

Both online and in presentations, white and dark backgrounds are often mixed. Both backgrounds use soft gradients to give more depth to the design. 

4. Photography and artwork

A key element in the new identity is the blue line-pattern being use across websites, presentations and even as McKinsey's social media icon.

As a large global brand, aligning photography styles across thousands of images is costly and complex. McKinsey has solved this consistency problem in a smart way. All main images go through a grayscale filter, and then a shimmer of blue and purple is added to the sides, making it look like they came from the same source.

5. Mckinsey Powerpoint template

McKinsey's new PowerPoint design template can be described as professional, clean, and minimalist.

The template features the same white and blue palette, but the vivid blue colors are used sparsely and mostly to highlight key data or insights.

 The design focuses on clarity and readability, making use of well-organized layouts, bold headings, bullet points, and numbered lists to present information in a structured manner. Graphs, charts, and diagrams are incorporated seamlessly to convey data and insights effectively. Overall, McKinsey's PowerPoint design template is geared towards providing a visually appealing and easy-to-understand presentation that effectively communicates complex ideas and data-driven insights.

 A few examples from publicly available presentations:

McKinsey's use of a mix of white and dark blue slides serves two purposes: 

1. Contrast: Alternating between white and dark blue slides creates a strong visual contrast, which helps keep the audience engaged and maintains their attention throughout the presentation. The contrast also makes it easier to differentiate between various sections or topics within the presentation. 
2. Hierarchy and Emphasis: Mixing white and dark blue slides can help emphasize the presentation's key points or important sections. For example, using a dark blue slide for an introduction or conclusion can signal to the audience that these are significant parts of the presentation.

6. Icons

As every consultant knows, Icons are an effective way to make a boring slide looks good.

McKinsey uses icons to represent concepts visually, emphasize key points, or categorize information. The icons come from a sizable bespoke icon set and are simple, minimalist, and monochromatic, designed to blend seamlessly with the overall aesthetic of the template. Icons are typically used in a consistent style and size throughout the presentation to maintain visual coherence and harmony. They enhance the content's understanding, make the presentation more engaging, and reduce the need for excessive text.

We hope you enjoyed this article. We recommend trying out our High-end Powerpoint templates, created by ex-McKinsey, Bain, and BCG consultants, if you want to adopt some of the visual principles applied by McKinsey.