1. How to Create Effective PowerPoint Presentations
David Young

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

3. 1. Design Issues – What Not to Do
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.

4. 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.

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

6. 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.

7. 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

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

9. 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

10. 2. Presentation Issues – What Not to Do

11. 2. Presentation Issues – What Not to Do
Do not turn your back on the audience to look at the screen

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

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

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

15. 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

16. 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.

17. 3. PowerPoint Guidelines - Images

18. 3. PowerPoint Guidelines - Images
Make Graphs Simple and Clear
Support of Main Idea
Use
Don’t Use

19. 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

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

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