Research Help (Big 6)  » PowerPoint Presentations

PowerPoint Presentations

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What makes a PowerPoint presentation effective?

Organization

• Create a presentation outline to ensure a logical flow from beginning to end
• Design should direct attention, not distract
• Use consistency of design from slide to slide
• Prepare no more than 3 slides per minute for oral presentations
• Avoid listing important information at the bottom of the screen

Footers (Branding)

• Place at bottom of page
• Use to identify or credit sources of information   
  [Examples: presenter's contact information, copyright, notations, website links]
• Learn how to create footers using this online tutorial

Text

• Use a "7/7 Rule" -- no more than 7 words per line and no more than 7 lines or points per page
• Limit punctuation
• Avoid abbreviations, acronyms and slang

Font

• Use heading font size of 36 to 48   [Note: depends on font type]
• Use body/text font size of 24 to 30   [Note: depends on font type]
• Avoid serif fonts and italics
• Use clean, easy-to-read fonts  [Examples: Arial, ArialMT, Verdana]
• Use fonts uniformly throughout slide show

Font style

• Select a font color darker than the background color
• Avoid underlining – it suggests a hyperlink
• Avoid distracting ‘word art’
• Use upper and lower case letters   [Note: Words in all capitals are harder to read]

Use of color

• Use simple background colors
• Use light backgrounds with dark text for ease of reading
• Consider color blind viewers
• Use color to highlight important phrases
• Be aware that colors convey moods  [Example: dark colors create somber mood]

Transition effects

• Use simple and quick transition effects consistently
• Utilize to enhance learning rather than provide entertainment
• Avoid using multiple and distracting transition effects

Images

• Insert no more than 2 images per slide
• Consider visual balance when inserting images
• Ensure that images are appropriately sized for participants to see
• Avoid distracting animations
• Avoid using graphics as backgrounds for slides

Multimedia

• Limit to 1 audio or video clip per slide
• Use short audio and video clips
• Ensure that audio and video clips enhance the presentation content
• Use audio and video clips to capture listeners' attention and enhance themes
• Avoid using sounds with slide transitions

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When to use PowerPoint Presentations

   Questions to consider

• Would a PowerPoint enhance your presentation?
• Is PowerPoint the best delivery method for this topic?
• Is the presentation location suitable for a PowerPoint presentation? If not, can the location be changed or can the location be altered?
• Would a PowerPoint handout be helpful for participants (audience) to take notes?
• Should I use PowerPoint to create an effective presentation handout without actually using the PowerPoint slide show?
• Would audio or video files enhance your PowerPoint presentation?

   Types of PowerPoint presentations

Stand-alone Slide Show

• Slide show runs independently without an oral presentation
• Slide show content conveys entire message
• Graphs, charts and images are clearly labeled
• Can be set to loop for repeated playing

Oral Presentation with Slide Show

• Slides list items you will discuss in your presentation, not word-for-word what you will be saying
• Think of slides as similar to note cards
• Make sure you have interesting things to say about each item listed

Speech with Background Slide Show

• Information will be in your speech, not the slides
• Slides will be background only
• Images can provide emotional appeal
• Avoid attention-grabbers: audience should be listening to the speech
• Presenter does not refer to slide show
• Slide show may be running concurrently with but independent of the speech

Speech with Limited Reference to Slide Show

• Total emphasis is on the speech
• Slides are only used as needed for isolated image, audio, or video material
• Every other slide is black or blank
• Slide show projects a black or blank slide as speech begins, is clicked to introduce material when needed, then clicked to black or blank for continuation of the speech
  

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created 2006 by

Carolyn Jackson                              and                              O. Ray Angle