Standing Out from the Crowd Effective PowerPoint Design Adapted from Designing Effective PowerPoint Presentations by Victor Chen

Effective Presentations Using Text Using Graphics Using Special Effects Introducing Subjects Gradually

Using Text Effectively

BIG Make text

Make Text 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 32 This is Arial 36 This is Arial 44

How to Check Font Size Look at slides from 6 – 7 feet away If you can read it, you’re good-to-go Photo by Jeff Bettens Photo courtesy Stock.xchng

Headlines bigger than text Headlines should be bigger than text Headlines: 40-44 pt. Text: 24-32 pt. Photo courtesy of Stock.xchng

Using Font Styles Never use all caps ALL CAPITAL LETTERS ARE DIFFICULT TO READ Upper and lower case letters are easier Use san serif fonts Verdana Arial Helvetica

T T Make Fonts Clear Easy to read Hard to read Sanserif font

Use Easy-to-read Fonts Serif fonts are difficult to read on screen Sanserif fonts are clearer Italics are difficult to read on screen Normal or bold fonts are clearer Underlining signifies hyperlinks Instead, use colours to emphasize

Make Lists Clear Use numbers for lists with sequence For example: How do you put an elephant into a fridge? 1. Open the door of the fridge 2. Put the elephant in 3. Close the door From Chen, Victor. Effective PowerPoint Design.

Make Lists Clear How do you 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 From Chen, Victor. Effective PowerPoint Design.

Use Bullets Effectively Use bullets to show a list without Priority Sequence Hierarchy, ….. From Chen, Victor. Effective PowerPoint Design.

Avoid Too Many Fonts and Styles Keep Text Simple Follow the 666 rule No more than 6 lines per slide No more than 6 words per line No more than 6 text slides in a row Avoid TOO many colors Avoid Too Many Fonts and Styles

Way too many details! Do Not Overdo Text Lindstrom (2000) states that each of the optic nerves uses 1,000,000 nerve fibers to send information simultaneously to the cerebral cortex of the brain. In contrast, each auditory nerve consists of only 30,000 fibers. In the brain’s cortex, about 30 percent of the nerve cells are devoted to visual processing, whereas touch accounts for eight percent and hearing only three percent. Humans experience the world visually, reading five times faster than the average person speaks and registering a full-color image, a megabyte of data in a mere fraction of a second. In addition, seeing photos often triggers emotional responses in individuals. Way too many details!

Much Simpler to follow Use Bullets to Explain Eyes have 1,000,000 fibers to brain. Process visuals 60,000 times faster than text. Ears have 30,000 fibers to the brain. Words processed sequentially. Images processed simultaneously.. Much Simpler to follow

Keep Text Simple Headline Times New Roman The most elegant design Uses same font throughout Emphasizes differences using style Bold, italic, bold italic, normal Or headlines one font, text another: Headline Times New Roman Text Arial

Use Contrasting Text This is hard to read. This is easy to read. Use contrasting colours This is hard to read. This is easy to read.

This is even easier to read. Use Contrasting Text Dark on light better than light on dark This is easy to read. This is even easier to read.

Use Differences Differences draw attention Differences may imply importance Use surprises to attract not distract The check draws attention

Do Not Use Too Many Differences draw attention Differences may imply importance Use surprises to attract not distract Too many differences distract

Different Colors for Focus Differences draw attention Differences may imply importance Use surprises to attract not distract This implies importance

Too Much Color Distracts Differences draw attention Differences may imply importance Use surprises to attract not distract Too many differences Distract

Using Graphics

Do Not Overuse Graphics Graphics may distract your audience Artistry does not substitute for content

Be Consistent in Style Graphics have different looks Graphics and photos don’t mix well

Be Consistent in Style Graphics have different “looks” Use graphics that have similar styles This graphic doesn’t “fit”

Use Big Pictures Big pictures imply importance Big pictures are easier to see Big pictures have greater impact Photo by Jason Hochman

Use Focal Points Focal point directs attention To here… Photo from http://www.sxc.hu

Focal Points Emphasize Focal point lead the eye Photo from http://www.sxc.hu Off the page…

RAM sales after Vista released Make Simple Charts RAM sales after Vista released Month BuyBest USA Comp City Circuit February $ 12,652.446 $ 23,456,654 $ 3,123,456 Mar $ 11,234,456 $ 12,654,321 $ 16,678,910 April $ 14,321,444 $ 6,543,423 $ 12,123,543 May $ 16,188,888 $ 11,654,545 $ 9,944,444 June $ 4,736,799 $ 12,234,567 $ 10,876,678 July $ 9,234,345 $ 1,554,165 $ 1,123,456 August $ 8,732,355 $ 12,344,343 $ 12,123,456 $ 7,654,244 $ 12,207,222 Too much detail

RAM sales after Vista released Simple is Easier to Read RAM sales after Vista released Dollars in 103 BuyBest USA Comp City Circuit February 12,652 13,457 14,123 Mar 11,234 12,654 16,679 April 14,321 11,543 12,124 May 16,189 11,655 12,944 June 9,737 12,234 10,877 July 9,234 11,554 11,123 August 10,732 12,344 12,123 14,654 12,207 12,235 14,234 15,543 Much easier to process

RAM sales after Vista released Make Simple Graphs RAM sales after Vista released Too much detail

Graphs Should Be Simple RAM sales after Vista released Much easier to process

Use Special Effects Wisely

Use Transitions Carefully This transition is annoying, not enhancing So is this And this, too. "Appear" and "Disappear" are better Fade can be used (sparingly) Zoom can be used more sparingly

Use Animations for Effect This is a photograph. Too distracting ! This is clipart Photograph by Randy Aryanto.

Not distracting Keep Animation Simple This is a photograph. This is clipart Not distracting Photograph by Randy Aryanto.

Animated Gifs Distract Surgery as a Career Requires substantial school after baccalaureate Allows you to work in hospital or private practice Can specialize in surgical area Pays well Distracting Animated gif from http://www.animationfactory.com

Not Distracting Focus is on Content Surgery as a Career Requires substantial school after baccalaureate Allows you to work in hospital or private practice Can specialize in surgical area Pays well Not Distracting Photo from http://www.photos.com

Surprise Emphasizes Differences draw attention Differences may imply importance Use surprises to attract not distract This surprise attracts

Do not Overdo “Surprise” Differences draw attention Differences may imply importance Use surprises to attract not distract These distract

Use Sound Carefully Sound effects may distract too Narration or soft background music better

Introduce Content Gradually

Advance Organizer Too much at once data data data data data data Integrative Integrative Integrative Reconciliation Reconciliation Reconciliation Too much at once data data data data data data data Integrative Reconciliation data data data data data data data data data data data data data data data data Slide courtesy of Dr. Howard Jones

Advance Organizer A bit easier to follow data data data data data data Integrative Integrative Integrative Reconciliation Reconciliation Reconciliation A bit easier to follow data data data data data data data Integrative Reconciliation data Integrative Reconciliation data data data data data data data data data data data data data data data Slide courtesy of Dr. Howard Jones

G-E-O Triangle Goal Experienced Observed Both teacher and observer recognize a bad lesson Teacher recalls a great lesson; observer recognizes a bad lesson Goal satisfaction competence Experienced Observed realism Teacher recalls a rotten lesson; observer recognizes a pretty good one lesson Teacher recalls a great lesson; observer recognizes a bad lesson

Goal G-E-O Triangle Experienced Observed satisfaction competence realism

  Goal G-E-O Triangle Experienced Observed Both teacher and observer recognize a good lesson   Experienced Observed

  Goal G-E-O Triangle Experienced Observed Both teacher and observer recognize a bad lesson Experienced Observed

  Goal G-E-O Triangle Experienced Observed Teacher recalls a great lesson; observer recognizes a bad lesson Observed

  Goal G-E-O Triangle Experienced Observed Teacher recalls a rotten lesson; observer recognizes a pretty good one lesson Experienced G-E-O Triangle Slides Courtesy of Dr. Howard Jones

Summarizing Use text effectively Use graphics effectively Use special effects carefully Introduce content gradually

Some Final Words Communication is the purpose Use text to support communication Use pictures to simplify complex concepts Use animations for complex relationships Use visuals to support, not to distract Use sounds only when absolutely necessary From Chen, Victor. Effective PowerPoint Design.

References Atkinson, C. (n.d.). Sociable media. Retrieved August 4, 2007 from http://www.sociablemedia.com/ Bajaj, B. (n.d.) Using text effectively in PowerPoint. Retrieved August 10, 2007 from http://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/Pub0009/LPMArticle.asp?ID=543 Burmark, L. (2007). Visual literacy: Learn to see, see to learn. Thornburg Center for Professional Development: http://www.tcpd.org/Burmark/Books/VisualBook.html Chen, V. (n.d.). Designing effective PowerPoint presentations: http://www.uctl.canterbury.ac.nz/documents/presentation.ppt

Sommerville J. (n. d. ). Peak communication performance Sommerville J. (n.d.). Peak communication performance. Retrieved August 6. 2007 from http://desktoppub.about.com/od/microsoft/bb/powerpointrules.htm Using PowerPoint effectively (n.d.). Retrieved August 6, 2007 from http://www.worsleyschool.net/science/files/powerpoint/page.html