Introduction to Effective Presentations

Overview General tips for presentations Effective slide content Slide Layout Pacing the presentation Color and type usage Things to avoid Counterexamples

General Tips Organize in advance Know your audience Be familiar with material Relax Practice your words Don’t race through the text

Effective Slides Include only essential information Like an outline of a paper Limit number of words per line Limit lines per screen Usually seven is a good limit

Use of Media Use graphs and images when needed Minimize non-essential media Animation can be very distracting Transitions should be consistent Graphics should be good quality

Arranging Slides Left justify body text Balance the information Leave space between lines Use consistent layout templates Don’t surprise viewers

Pacing Use slides as mnemonic aids Don’t leave a slide on for too long Don’t whiz through slides

Color Minimize use of colors Use contrasting colors Avoid garish color schemes

Type Usage Avoid novelty typefaces No more than two or three type sizes 18 to 48 points Use system fonts Avoid all caps Minimize punctuation

Surprises Unnecessary visual effects Change in slide layout Images or video that don’t fit Bad typeface Choice

Some Counterexamples

Wordy Slide This is a slide that has way too much written on it. The screen is cluttered with words and the audience feels obliged to read it. Since the audience is reading the slide, their attention is focused on that instead of what the presenter is saying. It’s possible that when everyone is finished with the slide, the audience will remember half of what was on the screen and half of what the presenter said, maybe garbled together in a way that makes no sense at all. Or maybe they won’t remember anything at all because they’ve zoned out.

Text that is bigger seems more important Text Problems Text should be clearly visible Viewers in the back should be able to read People in the front should be able to read Text that is bigger seems more important ALL CAPS IS HARD TO READ… …AND LOOKS LIKE SHOUTING!

Bad Color Combination Black on blue is bad Many other color combinations are bad You need enough contrast Avoid garish combinations

Conclusion Organize! Rehearse Minimize distractions Use slides to reinforce what you say