Do’s & Don'ts of Presentation Slides

Font SizeHeading

54-44 (minimum of 40)

Slide Text36-32 (minimum 28)

Font StyleArial, Helvetica, or other types of sans serif are most effective.

Serif font types such as Times New Roman and Garamond have more curves and may be more difficult to read at a distance

Avoid using more than two different font styles within the presentation as this can be distracting

The use of all lower case or a combination of UPPER and LOWER case letters is preferred.

THE USE OF ALL UPPER CASE LETTERS CAN BE DIFFICULT TO READ

Maintain consistencycolor; font style/size; and the use of

bold, italics, or underline to

emphasize words or phrases should

be uniform from beginning to end

Color SchemeBasic colors with strong contrast

white background with black textdark blue background with yellow text

Keep the color scheme should remain consistent throughout the presentation

The role of 66 words/ line

6 lines/slide

Slide background and layout

A simple background with minimal design patterns allows the text to be viewed easily.

A busy background can make it difficult for the audience to focus on the material being presented.

Avoidunnecessary use of multiple colors,

sounds, slide transitions (eg, wipe down, wipe right), and animation (eg, spin, zoom)

Limit to emphasize important points.

Highlight can be useful when you wish to reveal and discuss one bullet point at a time. This

is referred to as "building

Read proof your presentation for spelling mistakes

Presentation SkillsPractice Practice Practice PracticeDress to impress Don't read your slidesMaintain good eye contact with the audience.Refrain from saying "uh" or "umm.“Do not talk too fast or too slow.Smile and be enthusiastic about the topic. Use microphone if you have a weak voice

Presentation SkillsStand to the side of the screen and use a

laser pointer to particular details within a slide.

Maintain confident body composure, e.g. stand up

straight and address the audience (not your note

cards and not the presentation screen).

Avoid any distracting mannerisms

Presentation SkillsWhen answering questions

Listen to the questionThank the person: T e.g. than you ..Repeat his/her question

E.g. Let me repeat your question: ……Then attempt to answerThen ask the person if you answered his/her question

Audience EtiquetteSilence your cell phonesRefrain from talking or any distracting mannersAvoid interrupting the speaker until they allow for

questionsTake notes for your questionsIf you have a question, raise your hand, thank the

presenter for the presentation, state your question in a very concise and be brief