Avoiding “Death by PowerPoint” Creating Effective Presentations

Designing Effective Presentations Content 1st Consistent Tell a Story Progressive Big Clear Summarize Simple

The Golden Rules Content 1st PowerPoint 2nd Tell a Story!

Content 1st

Content 1st Keep the focus on the content, story, and Presenter PowerPoint is just the tool to tell the story Don’t make PowerPoint the FOCUS

Tell a Story

Tell a Story In order to engage your audience, they must understand the STORY you are telling: Where are we now? Beginning Where do we want to end up? End How are we going to get there? Middle

Telling a Story A Good Story A Bad Story

Make It Big

Make it Big This is Arial 44 This is Arial 36 This is Arial 32

Make it Big This is Arial 44 This is Arial 36 This is Arial 32 Too Small This is Arial 12 This is Arial 18 This is Arial 24 This is Arial 28 This is Arial 32 This is Arial 36 This is Arial 44

Too Big, except for Titles Make it Big This is Arial 12 This is Arial 18 This is Arial 24 This is Arial 28 This is Arial 32 This is Arial 36 This is Arial 44 Too Big, except for Titles

Make it Big This is Arial 44 This is Arial 36 This is Arial 32 Just Right for Content

How to Estimate Size You should be able to see it from 2m away 2 m (6 ft)

Keep It Simple

Keep It Simple - Style Too many different sizes Too many different colours Too Many different Fonts and Styles Too many different sizes

Keep It Simple - Content Instructional Technology: A complex integrated process involving people, procedures, ideas, devices, and organization, for analyzing problems and devising, implementing, evaluating, and managing solutions to those problems in situations in which learning is purposive and controlled (HMRS 5th ed.) Too detailed and wordy !

Keep It Simple - Content Instructional Technology: A complex process involving people, procedures & tools for analyzing problems & creating solutions in learning situations (HMRS 5th ed.) Much Simpler

Keep It Simple - Content Instructional Technology: A complex process Involves people, procedures & tools Used for analyzing problems & creating solutions Applies to learning situations (HMRS 5th ed.) even Better!

The 6 x 7 Rule The 6 x 7 rule No more than 6 lines of Text per slide No more than 7 words per line

Falling Leaves Observed Keep It Simple - Tables Falling Leaves Observed Delhi Mumbai Goa January 11,532,234 14,123,654 3,034,564 February 1,078,456 12,345,567 16,128,234 March 17,234,778 6,567,123 16,034,786 April 16,098,897 10,870,954 7,940,096 May 8,036,897 10,345,394 14,856,456 June 16,184,345 678,095 4,123,656 July 8,890,345 15,347,934 18,885,786 August 8,674,234 18,107,110 17,230,095 September 4,032,045 18,923,239 9,950,498 October 2,608,096 9,945,890 5,596,096 November 5,864,034 478,023 6,678,125 December 12,234,123 9,532,111 3,045,654 Too detailed !

Falling Leaves Observed (in Millions) Keep It Simple - Tables Falling Leaves Observed (in Millions) In 106 Delhi Mumbai Goa January 11 14 3 February 1 12 16 March 17 6 April 10 7 May 8 June 4 July 15 18 August September 9 October 2 5 November December Much Simpler

Falling Leaves Observed Keep It Simple - Graphs Falling Leaves Observed Too Busy & detailed !

Falling Leaves Observed Keep It Simple - Graphs Falling Leaves Observed Much Simpler

Keep It Simple - Images Images can distract your audience Too many images detracts from your message Pictures are NOT a substitute for Content

Ex: The Research Process Keep it Simple - Images Images MUST be relevant to the content Ex: The Research Process Not Relevant! Relevant!

Keep it Simple - Images Images should be used to CLARIFY content

Keep It Simple - Sound Sound effects can be very distracting and annoying Use sound only when necessary!

Keep It Simple - Transitions This transition is annoying, and distracting …. Simple transitions, such as Appear and Disappear ,are effective and help you ... Tell Your Story

Keep It Simple - Animations This animation is annoying, and distracting …. Too distracting ! 2 m

Keep It Simple- Animations Simple animations can be effective and help you ...Tell your Story Simple & to the point 2m

Make It Clear

Make It Clear - Capitals WRITING IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS IS TOO DIFFICULT TO READ Regular Sentence Case with Upper and lower case letters is easier to read

Z Z Make It Clear - Fonts clear busy Use Readable Fonts Serif fonts have projecting “serifs” at the end of the strokes – they are harder to read Sans-serif Fonts are simpler, and easier to read Serif Font Times Sans-Serif Font Arial Z Z busy clear

Make It Clear - Styles Use colour, Bold, and Size to emphasize points NOT Distract Italics are difficult to read on screen Normal or bold fonts are clearer BOLD font should be used sparingly, for emphasis ONLY Underlining is confusing and should ONLY be used for hyperlinks

Make It Clear – Numbered Lists Use numbers for lists with a logical sequence For example: How to put an elephant into a fridge? 1. Open the door of the fridge 2. Put the elephant in Close the door

Make It Clear – Numbered Lists How to put a giraffe into a fridge? 1. Open the door of the fridge 2. Take out the elephant 3. Put the giraffe in 4. Close the door

Make It Clear – Bulleted Lists Use Bullets to list points about a topic Use bullets to show a list without Priority Sequence Hierarchy, …..

Make It Clear - Color Use contrasting colours to help content stand out Light on dark or dark on light Use complementary colours

Make It Clear - Contrast Use contrasting colours Light on dark vs dark on light Use complementary colours high contrast low contrast

Make It Clear - Contrast Use contrasting colours Light on dark Use complementary colours Dark on light

Make It Clear - Contrast Use contrasting colours Light on dark vs dark on light Use complementary colours These colours are NOT complementary

Make It Clear - Contrast Use contrasting colours Light on dark vs dark on light Use complementary colours These colours are complementary

Make It Clear - Size Size implies importance

Size implies importance Make It Clear - Size Size implies importance

Make It Clear – Focal Point Focal points direct attention This painting was created in 1675 The artist was very controversial

Make It Clear – Focal Point Focal points direct attention

Be Progressive

Be Progressive – Spoon Feed Discovery Learning Individual Constructive Tools Social Constructive Tools Informational Tools Guided Inquiry Mode of Instruction Individual Instructive Tools Social Communicative Tools Direct Instruction Individual Pair Group Too much at Once! Complexity of Interactions

Be Progressive – Spoon Feed Discovery Learning Individual Constructive Tools Social Constructive Tools Informational Tools Guided Inquiry Mode of Instruction Individual Instructive Tools Social Communicative Tools Direct Instruction Progressive & focused Individual Pair Group Complexity of Interactions

Be Progressive – Focused Mouse I/O Error Main Storage CPU Function key User interface Software Debugger Floppy disk Backup system Too much at once, Unfocused

Be Progressive – Focused Mouse I/O Error Main Storage CPU Function key User interface Software Debugger Floppy disk Backup system Progressive & focused

Be Consistent

Be Consistent Differences draw attention Differences can imply importance Use surprises to attract not distract

Be Consistent Differences draw attention Differences can imply importance Use surprises to attract not distract This difference draws attention

Be Consistent Differences draw attention Differences may imply importance Use surprises to attract not distract These differences distract!

Be Consistent Differences draw attention Differences may imply importance Use surprises to attract not distract Small differences can imply importance

Be Consistent Differences draw attention Differences may imply importance Use surprises to attract not distract Too Many differences is Confusing!

Be Consistent Differences draw attention Differences may imply importance Use surprises to attract not distract A small surprise attracts

Be Consistent Differences draw attention Differences may imply importance Use surprises to attract not distract Too many distracts!

In Summary Content 1st, PowerPoint 2nd Tell a Story Big Simple Clear Progressive Consistent

When Creating Focus on the Content Make sure the audience understands the Story Use text to communicate your message Use visuals to support, not to distract Use Images to simplify and clarify Use Animations to demonstrate concepts & relationships Use sounds only when absolutely necessary Think about the people in the back

When Presenting Speak loudly and clearly with fluctuation Direct your words to all aspects of the room Maintain eye contact with your audience Don’t read the slides, use them for reference Ask questions to engage your audience Practice before a neutral audience Be particular about the time given Leave time for questions