Design Tips for PowerPoint Business Writing and Tech

Design Tips for PowerPoint 1 st –– Backgrounds – Templates Best fonts Bullets –– 6 is max Content is king! Words on a slide –– 25 or less Images –– key

A picture is worth a thousand words visual PowerPoint more visual than written

PowerPoint rules Templates & color schemes

Match the mood Look professional Pick a good template blues Don’t get the blues medium blues medium blues navy blue OK navy blue OK

Bluesy templates – yikes! Blue diagonal SoaringLock & key Azure

Bright on dark Dark on bright GOOD EVIL Use high contrast colors

Why high-contrast? Your PC screen is hi-res everything looks great don’t trust it! big displays “wash out” colors TEST always TEST on final equipment alter template’s defaults as needed

See for yourself Which line is easier to read?

Be font savvy Serif Serif bad Times New Roman New York Courier Sans serif Sans serif good Arial Arial Black Futura Tahoma

Which is easier to read? Once upon a time there lived a yellow bear named Pooh. He had a cat named Tigger and a law degree from Texas Tech. He was allergic to chocolate. Once upon a time there lived a yellow bear named Pooh. He had a cat named Tigger and a law degree from Texas Tech. He was allergic to chocolate. Less visual complexity Stronger lines

Don’t waste bullets use no more than 6 in a list

Observe the limit 25 words per slide max More looks busy

Avoid death by cheese… Weird sound effects Most transitions Flying text Strange animations Bad clip-art

Clip-art Hall of Shame

Content is King! Single phrases Short lists Questions for students Quotes Photographs Video