How to Create Effective PowerPoint Presentations David Young

Effective PowerPoint Outline 1. Design Issues  What Not to Do  What to Do 2. Presentation Issues  What Not to Do  What to Do 3. PowerPoint Guidelines  Text, pictures, movies

If you think anyone is going to actually read this you are out of your mind. Why would I waste my time and kill my eyes trying to read all these words. Imagine reading this from the back of the presentation room. Maybe the person in front can read it, but not me. Seriously though, there is way too much text on this. It’s much too time consuming and daunting a task to read all of this. Especially if the presenter is going to read the whole thing to you anyway. I have heard of teachers who just type their entire lectures out word for word and present them on PowerPoint. Actually, the worst example I have heard of is a guy who scanned his hand-written lecture and just imported it into PowerPoint. So not only did the students have to try and read the whole thing, but they had to decipher his handwriting too. This is what I call an anti-mindtool, it actually forces you to spend so much time reading the information that you have no time to think about it. If you are still reading this you are the person in front I was talking about 10 lines ago (yes, I am a nerd too). And yes, you are less smart now than you were 2 minutes ago. 1. Design Issues – What Not to Do

What a great background! There’s dark blue in the background so my dark blue text should go well with it! If you read this then you exited out of the program to highlight the text. That wouldn’t work very well in a real presentation. 1. Design Issues – What Not to Do

Thankfully the text on this slide is not very important. 1. Design Issues – What Not to Do

This is the most annoying effect EVER! It doesn’t matter what you write, if you present it like this your audience will not read it! The longer it takes for the text to appear, the more time they will have to find things to throw at you.

1. Design Issues – What to Do  Avoid entrance effects  Make necessary effects quick and subtle  Avoid clutter  Small amounts of info on each slide  3-4 points per slide  Large Text

1. Design Issues – What to Do Create your content first, then add the design elements

2. Presentation Issues – What Not to Do  Please do not  Read word for word  Everything you put on your slide  If you start doing this no one will listen to you  They will only read the slides  There is no need to write  Everything  You have to say on the slide

2. Presentation Issues – What Not to Do

 Do not turn your back on the audience to look at the screen

1. Presentation Issues – What to Do  Short Points  Few Bullets  Explain in your words

2. Presentation Issues – What Not to Do  Give the audience enough time to digest what you are showing them

2. Presentation Issues – What to Do  Position your computer so you can look at it and face the audience

3. PowerPoint Guidelines - Text  Use a large, easy to read font  Use a color that contrasts the background  Don’t use too much text on one slide  Provide main points, not word-for-word transcripts

3. PowerPoint Guidelines - Images  In general, use 1 image per slide  Keep Text to a minimum  Make the image large enough for everyone to see it.

3. PowerPoint Guidelines - Images

 Make Graphs Simple and Clear Support of Main Idea Use Don’t Use

3. PowerPoint Guidelines - Effects Keep them short Use sounds only when relevant Use animation only if relevant Never use one-letter at a time entrances Never use the “random” effect setting

3. PowerPoint Guidelines Organization  Outline before creating presentation  Provide cues to the audience  Use a consistent layout / theme

Conclusions  Use common sense  Guidelines are not rules  Be creative – use a variety of content