Guidelines for designing an Effective Presentation

[This section should take you around 10 minutes to read]

You have now explored skills to build presentation slides using PowerPoint. You need to remember that slides are meant to be visual aids to enhance your presentation; they are not the presentation’s focus.

An effective presentation keeps your audience focused and interested. The following are some practical rules to keep in mind when building presentation slides.

Use Key Phrases about Your Topic

A good presenter uses key phrases and includes only essential information. Choose only the top three or four points about your topic and make them consistently throughout the delivery. Simplify and limit the number of words on each screen. Try not to use more than five bullets per slide. The surrounding space will make it easier to read.

Slide Layout is Important

Make your slides easy to follow. Put the title at the top of the slide where your audience expects to find it. Phrases should read left to right and top to bottom. Keep important information near the top of the slide. Often the bottom portions of slides cannot be seen from the back rows because heads are in the way.

Avoid All Capital Letters

Avoid using all capital letters – even for headings. Using all capitals is considered to be shouting, and the words are more difficult to read.

Avoid Fancy Fonts

Choose a font that is simple and easy to read, such as Arial, Times New Roman or Verdana. Avoid script-type fonts as they are hard to read on screen. Use, at most, two different fonts – perhaps one for headings and another for content. Keep all fonts large enough (at least 24 pt and preferably 30 pt) so that people at the back of the room will be able to read what is on the screen easily.

Use Contrasting Colours for Text and Background

Light text on a dark background is best. Avoid white backgrounds — tone it down by using beige or another dark colour that will be easy on the eyes. Patterned or textured backgrounds can reduce the readability of text. Keep your colour scheme consistent throughout your presentation.

Use Slide Designs Effectively

When using a slide theme, choose the one that is appropriate for the audience. A clean, straightforward layout is best if you are presenting to an adult audience. Select one that is full of colour and contains a variety of shapes if your presentation is aimed at young children.

Limit the Number of Slides

Keep the number of slides to a minimum. It ensures that the presentation will not become too long and drawn out. It also avoids the problem of continually changing slides during the presentation which can be a distraction to your audience.

Use Photos, Charts and Graphs

Combining photos, charts and graphs and even embedding digitized videos with text, will add variety and keep your audience interested in the presentation. Avoid having text-only slides.

Avoid Excessive Use of Slide Transitions and Animations

While transitions and animations can heighten your audience’s interest in the presentation, too much of a good thing can distract them from what you are saying. Remember, the slide show is meant to be a visual aid, not the focus of the presentation. Keep animations consistent in the presentation and apply the same transition throughout the presentation. Be sure to avoid excessive animations.