Basic PowerPoint Guidelines

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Basic PowerPoint Guidelines

• Tips for Creating Great Presentations

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Fonts

• No more than 2 fonts per slide
• Serif fonts- fonts with curves- Times New Roman
• Sans Serif fonts- clean, block fonts- Arial
• Script- handwriting fonts (Lucida Handwriting)

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Fonts

• Use at least a 32 point font
• 48 point is better
• PowerPoint default for this slide is 44 for
  header and 31 for bullets
• Keep size consistent
• DONT USE ALL CAPS- IT MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO READ

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Fonts

• Use bold when you want something to stand out
• Better yet, change the color of the text you want
  your audience to be drawn to
• Italics are hard to read
• Size algorithm- Find out the age of the oldest
  person in your audience and divide by two- your
  font should not be smaller

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Text

• Avoid excessive verbiage leading to
  excessively lengthy text that is not only
  redundant but also repetitive and reiterative.
  Too much text makes it difficult to see and
  process the information. People will either try
  to read everything or copy down everything and
  will quickly lose interest. Use more slides, list
  only the key points, and add the details
  verbally.

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Wording

• Use consistent wording
• Test scores will improve
• Expanding knowledge
• It will reduce time off task
• Grades increase

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Versus.

• Improved test scores
• Expanded knowledge
• Reduced time off task
• Increased grades
• Keep structure the same

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Bullets

• No more than 6 bullets per slide (some
  authorities recommend 4 or 5)
• No more than 6-7 words per bullet
• Dont use periods at the end of bullets- short
  and concise is best
• Capitalize the first word in a bullet but no
  others (unless it would normally appear capped)
• A presentation is not a book- one thought per
  line
• No more than 2 levels of bullets per slide

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Color and Contrast

• Use a dark font on a light background- best for
  printed slides
• Use a white or light font on a dark background-
  best for darkened rooms
• Microsoft created templates that work- use them
• Too many colors overwhelm the eye

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Backgrounds

• Simple backgrounds are best
• Set the stage and leave it alone
• Stick with a single background for your
  presentation

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Balance

• Left justify bullets
• Centered bullets make the text ragged and
  difficult to read

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Balance

• Dont center graphics- no room for text

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Balance

• Place graphics off center
• More room for text
• Better balance
• Placing graphic on left leads your eye to the text

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Graphics

• Select good illustrations and graphics
• Every image has a reason
• Clip art gets old
• Animated gifs are distractive
• Use bar graphs and pie charts instead of tables
  of data

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Animations

• Use builds to create drama
• You dont have to give them everything at once
• Use the same transition throughout
• Animations with noise can be annoying- use
  sparingly

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And Now for the Important Stuff

• Content

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Dazzle them

• Dazzle them with the information- not the
  graphics or style
• The medium is not the message
• The information is the message
• On the other hand, dont send them running with a
  boring presentation

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Basic Rules

• Keep it simple
• Make bullet points- easy to read
• Use graphics
• Keep wording concise
• Keep font size large
• You are the star- not the presentation

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Parts of a Presentation

• Introduction
• Overview
• Body
• Conclusions
• References

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10-20-30 rule

• No more than 10 slides
• Presentation should not last more than 20 minutes
• Font size should be no smaller than 30

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10 Ways to Keep Your Audience Awake

• Dont forget your purpose
• Dont be a slave to your slides
• Your slides are a visual aide
• You are the show
• Dont overwhelm your audience with unnecessary
  detail
• Dont neglect your opening first impression

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10 Ways to Keep Your Audience Awake

• Be relevant
• Practice, practice, practice
• Spell check before you present
• Dont panic
• Expect the unexpected
• Dont be boring

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Sources

• The Dummies Guide to PowerPoint
• Beyond Bullet Points- Cliff Atkinson
• 11 Commandments for PowerPoint
• Making PowerPoint Presentations
• Information Technology Services
• Centre College
• http//cms.westport.k12.ct.us