Tips for effective power point

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
• 36-44 pt for heading
• Contrast colours

20 point

24 point

28 point
Good
36 point

Good

Bad

Bad

Bad

Good

Good

Good

Bad

40
point
Bad
Good

Bad

Good

Good44

Bad

Bad
point


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
it! a slide?
• No picture? Why

SPEAK

“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
transitions
• For
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
Au revoir
Goodbye
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?


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Thank you
for your
attention