Hanns Haesslein Andrew Combs PCOGS San Francisco Caucus January 2018 PowerPoint Tips Hanns Haesslein Andrew Combs PCOGS San Francisco Caucus January 2018 This slide deck has a few sample “animations” To see how they work, view the deck using “Slide Show”

Talk to audience Know your audience What it wants to know Talk with eye contact Use fewer words- slow down

Readability - Fonts Use 24-point or larger size Sans serif (“without serifs”) fonts: cleaner, easier to read

Readability - Contrast On light backgrounds, some colors work well, others less so, others still less so, and some are not readable On dark backgrounds, some colors work well, others less so, others still less so, and some are not readable Colored background poses a challenge: The background is halfway between darker text and lighter text, so contrast is hard to maximize

Readability – Avoid ALL CAPS Mixed-case (upper & lower): faster to read Mixed-case words: complex shapes Readers recognize whole words by shape clues ALL-CAPS WORDS SHAPED LIKE RECTANGLES Must read each letter to decode the word, no shape clue This take longer

Less is more One slide per minute in general Synthesize …….. then shorten further

The audience has not seen your data before Highlight the most important information in tables and graphs. If needed, use builds to present data, a series of bite-sized pieces. Or use animated tools to focus attention

Published tables have too much data for a talk And the font is too small! Klidinger et al, 2016 Sci Translat Med 8: 350ra101

Remove Extraneous Data Monofilament (N=49) Braided (N = 51) P GA at Insertion (wks) 18±3 NS CL at Insertion (mm) 18±5 19±5 GA at Delivery < 34 wks 16% 0% <0.05 < 37 wks 24% 32% Data from previous slide (with fluff eliminated) Klidinger et al, 2016 Sci Translat Med 8: 350ra101

Use Bullet Points Sparingly One of the sources that we consulted in preparing this material included the cute graphic below with an admonition about avoiding the use of bullet points. It seems that sometimes the bullets themselves might be distracting, so the audience focuses on the bullets rather than the message. However, bullet points can be useful for listing ideas that fit logically into a list. Better than writing it all out long-hand. Bullet points are better than long tracts of text like this slide. This slide is horrible. Don’t do this.

Use Bullet Points Sparingly Fewer Extra Words Bullet lists serve two purposes: Help audience to anticipate topics Help you to remember what you want to say

Use Words Sparingly on Slides Avoid complete sentences Avoid reading your slide Audience can read faster than you can talk! Make the main point obvious

Visuals May increase audience engagement May increase retention of message But be sure that images enhance the message rather than drawing attention away from it.

Use High Quality Photos Organics Image Guide, Organics.com

The floor is your stage Make it fun or make it funny But don’t distract from your message You have a serious purpose, it’s not show-biz Use visuals and humor judiciously Show the clown (if you must), don’t be one!

Video and/or Audio Clips Use with caution Play-back may not work like it did at home Discuss with organizers before meeting Arrive early, practice using conference equipment It is really necessary? If it doesn’t work, then what?

Final Thoughts Practice with a trusted but critical listener Time your presentation Thank your collaborators Give credit: Mary Harrington, University of Mississippi Rebecca Carr, AAU Data Exchange