Creating an Effective PowerPoint Presentation

By: Casey Schaak

PowerPoint has become a staple in the presentation world. PowerPoints are easy to create, update and transport. Not to mention they can be found on almost every computer. But with the regularity of use of these computer-based slides, it’s easy to fall into bad habits and thus, create a less-than-ideal presentation.

Don’t fall into a PowerPoint slump – make the best of this extremely useful presentation tool by following these important content and design tips to keep your presentation clear and effective.

Content:

The most important part of a PowerPoint presentation is content. Follow the steps below to make sure you are presenting the right content in a concise way:

1. Before deciding on the design of the PowerPoint, first define your objective and the key points you want to get across. Also, keep your audience in mind and remember that your presentation must be geared to them – their familiarity with the topic and what is of interest to them.
2. Create an outline to ensure the messages are consistent and the structure of the presentation is solid.
3. Limit the content. Follow the rule of six: six words per line and six lines per slide.
   −  Go through your information and narrow down the points so only the
   most important information is on the slides.
   −  Avoid using complete sentences on slides. Cut paragraphs down to
   sentences, sentences into phrases and phrases   into key words.
   −  You can fill in any details during your presentation, but every word you
   say should not also be on the slides.
4. Keep wording clear and simple, use active visual language and cut any unnecessary words.

Design:

Slides are meant to support the speaker, but aren’t supposed to be the main focus of the presentation. When designing a presentation, avoid clutter and establish a professional and consistent layout. Follow the design tips below to create an effective look and feel for your PowerPoint presentation:

Basic Design

• Create a clear and consistent theme and color scheme throughout the presentation by using a template within PowerPoint, creating your own or using a company template provided for this purpose.
• Use high-contrast fonts and backgrounds to make text stand out.
• Keep the background consistent. Complicated backgrounds make it difficult to read the text.
• Avoid flashy, distracting animation or sound effects. The focus should be on the presenter, not animation on the screen.
  −  If text moves, keep it simple and consistent throughout the
  presentation.
  −  Avoid using movement transitions between slides, or keep it consistent.
• Always practice your presentation on a large screen, one similar to what you will be presenting on, to make sure all fonts, graphs and images are clear.

Font

• Use a font that is big enough for the audience to easily read.
  −  Font should be 24-32 point size, with titles 36-44 point size.
• At most, use only two fonts per slide. One for the title and one for the other text.
  −  Sans serif fonts (Arial or Helvetica) are generally easier to read than
  serif fonts (Times New Roman).
• Don’t use too many different colors in the text – two or three at most.
• Avoid all upper-case letters. Upper and lowercase letters are easier to read.
• Use left or right text alignment – centered text is difficult to read.
• Use bullets to present information clearly.

Graphics and Charts

• Graphics should balance the slide, be easily understood and complement the text without overwhelming.
  −   Avoid using more than two graphics per slide.
• Visuals, such as graphs, diagrams, photos and media clips, can be used to engage the audience in place of text. In this case, use only enough text to label the graphic.
• Use the same style graphics throughout (cartoon, photographs, etc.).
• Use clip art sparingly and if possible, avoid using PowerPoint clip art, as this is commonly used and the audience has most likely seen these images before.
• Charts are a great tool to visually present information.
  −   Pie charts should be used to show percentages.
  −  Vertical bar charts should be used to show changes in quantity over
  time.
  −  Horizontal bar charts should be used to compare quantities.
  −  Line charts should be used to demonstrate trends.

Once you’ve established the content, designed the slides and finalized your PowerPoint, make sure to proof read your slides for potential errors and practice giving your presentation.

By following these tips, you are now ready to give an effective PowerPoint presentation – good luck!