PowerPoint: Do’s and Don’ts

Keep it Simple This slide is extremely hard to read. The background is too obnoxious and there are too many words. There are too many different fonts and colors. The animation is very distracting and over the top. There are too many bullet styles.

Slide Design Don’t use design templates Customize your own Use AutoShapes Keep backgrounds simple

Colors Do pick contrasting neutral colors Dark room = dark background Avoid neon colors Dark room = dark background Light room = light background

Dark Background Example of dark background Use light text on dark background

Light Background Example of light background Use dark text on light background

Fonts & Text Do limit presentation to 2-3 fonts Use sans-serif for titles/headings Use serif for body Avoid script fonts Do use 28-32 pt font sizes Do limit fonts to 2-3 font sizes

Content Do limit text on each slide Don’t use sentences or periods Six by six rule Don’t use sentences or periods Do capitalize First word of a bullet Each word in a title or heading

Pictures & Graphics Do use pictures for enhancement Worth more than 1,000 words Use graphics and clipart sparingly Overly used Show lack of creativity

Sounds & Movement Don’t use obnoxious animations or transitions Only pick from Basic or Subtle Text should appear all at once Avoid unnecessary sounds Distract from message

Consistency Do keep slides consistent Same fonts Same background/design Same transitions/animations Same colors

Unique Do make your PowerPoint unique You’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all

Presentation Don’t rely on PowerPoint Do practice your presentation Interact with the audience Use other visual aids if appropriate Do practice your presentation Do be sure your equipment works Have a backup plan ready

Keep it Simple Colors Animations/Transitions Sounds Content Pictures/Graphics