2. Basic PowerPoint Guidelines Tips for Creating Great Presentations

3. Fonts No more than 2 fonts per slide Serif fonts- fonts with “curves”- Times New Roman Sans Serif fonts- clean, block fonts- Arial Script- handwriting fonts ( Lucida Handwriting)

4. Fonts Use at least a 32 point font 48 point is better PowerPoint default for this slide is 44 for header and 32 for bullets Keep size consistent DON’T USE ALL CAPS- IT MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO READ

5. Fonts Use bold when you want something to stand out Better yet, change color of text you want audience to be drawn to Italics are hard to read

6. Text Avoid excessive verbiage leading to excessively lengthy text that is not only redundant but also repetitive and reiterative. Too much text makes it difficult to see and process the information. People will either try to read everything or copy down everything and will quickly lose interest. Use more slides, list only the key points, and add the details verbally.

7. Wording Use consistent wording Test scores will improve Expanding knowledge It will reduce time off task Grades increase

8. Versus…. Improved test scores Expanded knowledge Reduced time off task Increased grades Parallel structure!

9. Bullets No more than 6 bullets per slide No more than 6-7 words per bullet Don’t use periods with bullets- short and concise is best Capitalize first word in a bullet but no others (unless normally capitalized) Not a book- one thought per line No more than 2 levels of bullets per slide

10. Color and Contrast Use dark font on light background- best for printed slides Use white or light font on dark background- best for darkened rooms Microsoft-created templates work- use them Too many colors overwhelm the eye

11. Backgrounds Simple backgrounds are best Set the stage and leave it alone Stick with a single background (or theme) for your presentation

12. Balance Left justify bullets Centered bullets make the text ragged and difficult to read

13. Balance Don’t center graphics- no room for text

14. Balance Place graphics off center More room for text Better balance Placing graphic on left leads your eye to the text

15. Graphics Every image has a reason Clip art gets old Animated gifs are distracting Use bar graphs and pie charts rather than tables of data

16. Animations Use builds to create drama You don’t have to give them everything at once Use the same transition throughout Animations with noise can be annoying- use sparingly

17. And Now for the Important Stuff Content

18. Dazzle them Dazzle them with information- not graphics or style The medium is not the message The information is the message But don’t send them running with a boring presentation

19. Basic Rules Keep it simple Make bullet points- easy to read Use graphics Keep wording concise Keep font size large You are the star- not the presentation

20. Parts of a Presentation Introduction Overview Body Conclusions References

21. 10-20-30 rule No more than 10 slides Presentation should not last more than 20 minutes Font size should be no smaller than 30

22. 10 Ways to Keep Your Audience Awake Don’t forget purpose Don’t be a slave to slides Your slides are a visual aide You are the show Don’t overwhelm audience with unnecessary detail Don’t neglect first impression

23. 10 Ways to Keep Your Audience Awake Be relevant Practice, practice, practice Spell check before you present Don’t panic Expect the unexpected Don’t be boring

24. Sources The Dummies Guide to PowerPoint Beyond Bullet Points- Cliff Atkinson 11 Commandments for PowerPoint Making PowerPoint Presentations Information Technology Services Centre College http://cms.westport.k12.ct.us