Presentation Design
PowerPoint for Presentations
Presentation Design
* Don’t overload your slides with too much text or data.
* FOCUS. In general, using a few powerful slides is the aim.
* Let the picture or graphic tell the story. Avoid too much text.
* Type key words in the PowerPoint Notes area listing what to say when displaying the slide. The notes are printable.
* Number your slides and give them a title.
* Use the “summary slide” feature in slide sorter view to prepare an Agenda or Table of Contents slide.
* Keep “like” topics together
* Strive for similar line lengths for text.
Visual elements
* A font size of 28 to 34 with a bold font is recommended for subtitles. The title default size is 44. Use a san serif font for titles.
* Use clear, simple visuals. Don’t confuse the audience.
* Use contrast: light on dark or dark on light.
* Graphics should make a key concept clearer.
* Place your graphics in a similar location within each screen.
* To temporarily clear the screen press W or B during the presentation. Press Enter to resume the presentation.
Text
* Font size must be large enough to be easily read. Size 28 to 34 with a bold font is recommended.
* It is distracting if you use too wide a variety of fonts.
* Overuse of text is a common mistake.
- Too much text makes the slide unreadable. You may just as well show a blank slide. Stick to a few key words.
- If your audience is reading the slides they are not paying attention to you. If possible, make your point with graphics instead of text.
-You can use Word Art, or a clip art image of a sign, to convey text in a more interesting way.
Charts
* Charts need to be clearly labeled. You can make more interesting charts by adding elements from the drawing toolbar.
* Numbers in tables are both hard to see and to understand. There is usually a better way to present your numerical data than with columns and rows of numbers. Get creative!
* PowerPoint deletes portions of charts and worksheets that are imported from Excel, keeping only the leftmost 5.5 inches. Plan ahead.
Backgrounds
* Backgrounds should never distract from the presentation.
* Using the default white background is hard on the viewer’s eyes. You can easily add a design style or a color to the background.
* Backgrounds that are light colored with dark text, or vice versa, look good. A dark background with white font reduces glare.
* Colors appear lighter when projected. Pale colors often appear as white.
* Consistent backgrounds add to a professional appearance.
* For a long presentation, you may want to change background designs when shifting to a new topic.
Excitement
* Sounds and transition effects can be annoying. Use sparingly.
* Animation effects can be interesting when used in moderation.
- Too much animation is distracting.
-Consider using animated clip art
