1 PowerPoint Presentation Design Wednesday, September 02, 2015Ms. Wear Info Tech 9/10

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PowerPoint Presentation Design

Wednesday, April 19, 2023

Ms. Wear Info Tech 9/10

Wednesday, April 19, 2023 Ms. Wear Info Tech 9/10 2/18

Overview

Color and font Slide content Purpose of PowerPoint Design Do’s and Don’ts Presentation Do’s


Color

Always choose high contrast colors for text and background.

Light on Dark Dark on Light


Font

Decorative fonts are hard to read.

Sans-serif fonts are easiest to read than serif fonts like Times.

For example: ArialVerdana


Font

Big text is easier to read than small text. Example: 36 pt Example: 32 pt

ALL CAPS CAN ALSO BE VERY HARD TO READ WHEN OVERUSED.

Don’t underline. It looks like a link.


Font

Very large type that takes up a whole slide is hard to read and a little overwhelming.


Slide Content Use pictures whenever

possible. Too many cute pics can be

distracting.


Purpose of PowerPoint

PowerPoint slides should: Organize your talk Focus your audience Summarize your main points

PowerPoint slides should not: Contain ALL your content


Design Don’ts

Do not put too much information in one slide.


Bad Example – Too much info

Decide on the Goal of the PresentationMost business presentations are either informative – trying to inform the audience of some information – or persuasive – trying to persuade the audience to take some action. Decide what the audience should know or do at the end of the presentation.

Use a Presentation StructureOnce you have a goal, you need to determine where the audience is right now and have a plan to move them from where they are at the start of your presentation to where you want them to be at the end of the presentation. This will include analysis of the knowledge level and bias of the audience as well as the level of credibility you have with them.

Select Colors that Have High ContrastWhen you are designing your slide look, pick colors that have high contrast so that the text and graphics can be easily seen when shown. Popular color choices include dark backgrounds such as navy blue or dark purple with a light text color such as white or yellow. This makes the text float on top of the background. Check the contrast of your colors with the online Color Contrast Calculator.

Pick Fonts that are Large EnoughMy rule is that you should usually not use a font below 24 point size, with the preference being 28 to 32 point size. For titles or headings, use 36 to 44 point size fonts. If the font is too small, no one will be able to read the words and the message will be lost. For a more detailed discussion of how room and screen size impacts the font size, see this research.

Use Bullet PointsInstead of full sentences, use bullet points to deliver the key ideas on your slides. When using bullet points, make sure not to put too much information on a slide. The 6 by 6 guideline is a good one to keep in mind – on average, each bullet should have no more than 6 words and each slide should have no more than 6 bullet points.

Build Bullet Text PointsWhen using bullet points, build them one by one on the slide using the simple Appear animation effect. This way, you can speak to each point individually and the audience will know which idea you are expanding upon.

Avoid Movement of Slide ElementsWhile moving text or graphics around the slide may look like fun, it is very distracting to the audience. Avoid the animation effects where movement is outside the boundaries of the text or graphic. The preferred build effect is the Appear effect where the text just appears in the correct spot on the slide.

Use Visuals Instead of TextWhen possible, look for ways to use a visual, such as a diagram or photograph, to illustrate the point you are making instead of slide after slide of text. Audiences respond better to visuals that get them thinking.

Use the Proper ChartCharts – graphs and tables – can be a great way to present information if they are used properly. When selecting the type of chart, consider whether the data you are trying to show is time sequenced or not and how many data sets you will need to show. For complex ideas, splitting a graph up into smaller amounts of data tied together in an overall graph may be the best way to go.

Practice, Practice, PracticeThe best way to be comfortable when delivering your presentation is to actually feel prepared! There is no substitute for practice. All of the good speakers you have ever seen have practiced the art of presenting many times. Practice with your computer and projection equipment if possible to get a feel for it. Practice everything you plan to say, but do not memorize it because a memorized speech sounds "canned" and not like a conversation, the way a good presentation does.


Design Do’s

Keep charts and graphs simple.


Too much information


Simple is Better


Design Do’s

Use a consistent design throughout. Expand one slide into two if it looks

busy. Have one concept per slide.


Design Do’s

Align objects perfectly. Snap to gridlines

(View > Show/Hide > Gridlines) Align Objects

(Home > Drawing > Arrange > Align)


Design Do’s

Use the Slide Master. Write your content, then format. Activate slide transitions with mouse

clicks Activate content animations

automatically


Presentation Do’s

Always start with an overview slide.

Always end with a summary slide.


Summary

How to use font and color

How to format slides

How to use slides to augment your presentation

Documents

1 PowerPoint Presentation Design Wednesday, September 02, 2015Ms. Wear Info Tech 9/10