A Guide to Good PowerPoint Design Presentations A Guide to Good PowerPoint Design

Considerations Human Factors Graphic Design Learning Principles Audience Content Requirements

Basic Design Principles

Text Use dark background, light text or at least high contrast Sans serif font Never <20 pt Avoid >6 lines of text on a slide Phrases, never sentences!

Graphics Use same background throughout Keep it simple, one graphic per slide Should enhance content Consistent style Limit to 2-3 main colors

Slide Layout Vary for interest Keep main elements in same place (title) If idea has more than one slide indicate this in title (con’t, 3 out of 4) Left justify buttons Strive for overall balance

Overall Organization Should flow from one idea to another logically May be hierarchical or sequential Indicate when changing directions Show concept map prior to content Considerations Principles Examples

Special Effects Just say NO!

Learning Content Know your audience Divide into chunks (9 ± 2) Minimize cognitive load Give examples, then non-examples

Slides that Suck

Give Credit! APA reference page for last slide Citation on content slide (Crepeau, Cohn, & Schell, 2009)

Can you read this? THIS IS REALLY BAD CONTRAST AND HARD TO READ

Tiny tired graphics These tacky pictures are too small to really see and I’m giving a presentation on what?!

Font Overload I love to talk and whenever I talk I like to have lots of text on my page so everyone can see how smart I am and what a really good talker I am. Don’t you just wish I would shut up? I am going to read all of this to you because I obviously think you are not smart enough to read this yourself. Don’t you wish you were as smart as I am? THIS IS ALL VERY IMPORTANT. YOU WILL WANT TO READ EVERY DETAIL I HAVE PLACED ON THIS SLIDE BECAUSE IF YOU DON’T YOU WON’T PASS YOUR BOARDS AND then you will be very unhappy and work at a fast food restaurant the rest of your life which is not bad but not exactly what you wanted to do when they asked you in kindergarten.

Slides that Succeed

83 %

One Person CPR: Step 3 Sternum, two fingers above xyphoid Depress 2” 20 times

Professional Dress