Effective PowerPoint

10 top tips for

designing and
presenting great
slide shows
1. Keep the points simple
• If it is a book or report look for the contents page. Identify
any chapters that you think maybe of particular relevance and
focus on them. Again start from the introduction or the
conclusions. You can find your way through a chapter or
section by using the subheadings.

• Use the contents page

• Start with introductions and conclusions

• Use subheadings
2. Keep the background simple
• Keeps a clear, clean design
2. Keep the background simple
Keeps a clear, clean design
Avoids distractions
2. Keep the background simple
• Keeps a clear, clean design
• Avoids distractions
• Allows good contrast
2. Keep the background simple
• Keeps a clear, clean design
• Avoids distractions
• Allows good contrast
• Prevents confusion
2. Keep the background simple
• Keeps a clear, clean design
• Avoids distractions
• Allows good contrast
• Prevents confusion
• Avoid PowerPoint’s own templates
3. Keep the text clear
18 point
• 24 pt minimum 20 point
• 36-44 pt for heading 24 point
• Contrast colours 28 point

Good Bad Bad 36 point

Good
Bad Good Good Bad
40 point
Good Bad Bad Good
Bad Good Good44 point
Bad
3. Keep the text clear
• 24 point minimum
• 40-44 for heading
• Contrast colours
• Don’t use black on white
3. Keep the text clear
• 24 point minimum
• 40-44 for heading
• Contrast colours
• Don’t use black on white
3. Keep the text clear
• 24 point minimum
• 40-44 for heading
• Contrast colours
• Don’t use black on white
3. Keep the text clear
• 24 point minimum
• 40-44 for heading
• Contrast colours
• Don’t use black on white
4. Always have a good picture
• Photographs are fantastic
• Cartoons areJust
fun
• Diagrams are
useful SPEAK
it! a slide?
• No picture? Why

“My PowerPoint presentation went so well,

I had it made into a tattoo!”
5. Use a full sentence as your
title

• Show where
you are going!
6. Animate quickly and simply
• Avoid transitions
6. The next slide?
6. Animate quickly and simply
Avoid
• For transitions
graphics use:
• For text use:
– Appear
– Wipe, from left (very fast)
– Fade (very fast)

Appear Fade Dissolve in

6. Animate quickly and simply
• Nothing fancy
– It will only end up
– really annoying
– your poor audience
• Keep it quick
– Or you try to read
or recognise it before it has fully developed!
7. Never just read the slide
This is the thing that annoys more people
about PowerPoint presentations than
anything else.

It is boring!
Keep something back!
8. Take control of the show
• Use B or W keys
• Change to pen (Ctrl P) – E to erase
• Hide the pointer (Ctrl H)
• Move to specific slides
9. Be very careful with sound
• Great for learning languages…
No whooshes
• NoFrench
chimes Français
• NoHello
lasers Bonjour
• No typewriters
Goodbye Au revoir
Thank you Merci

…or adding a bit of realism!

10. Give out great handouts
• People will listen!
• Don’t use Handout


option
• Send to Word?
Thank you
for your
attention