When used correctly, PowerPoint can be an effective tool in creating great presentations. Too often, however, it is used very poorly. While this leads many to disdain 'death by PowerPoint', following a few simple guidelines can ensure that your slides help rather than hinder your presentations

1. Empowering
PowerPoint
Creating Effective Presentations

2. Most presentations
STINK

3. But….
PowerPoint is
NOT the problem

5. NOT the
paint’s fault

7. NOT the
car’s fault

9. NOT
PowerPoint’s fault

10. Design
Guidelines

11. PowerPoint should
serve to illustrate your
verbal presentation
(Not replace or overwhelm it)

12. in short, use
BIG images
and few words

13. Civil War (1861- 1865)
United States of America
vs.
Confederate States
of America
In response to the election of
Abraham Lincoln, 11 southern
slave states declared their
secession from the United
States and formed the
Confederate States of America;
the other 25 states supported
the federal government.

15. Large, high quality images
are dynamic

16. Pixelated, low quality images
are not.
Never stretch or distort an image

17. So, where can you get
High Quality images?

19. An image that is 1024 x 768
(or larger) will fill the entire slide.
Minimizing it to fill a portion of the
slide should not affect the quality

20. (adorable)

21. www.Flickr.com allows you to search
for images with no copyright restrictions

22. www.MorgueFile.com
Contains free high
resolution digital stock
photography for either
corporate or public use

23. Keep your slides
simple & clean

24. Don’t Use
complicated
charts and
graphs

26. Percentage
6
4
2
Percentage
0
Stuff Percentage
Things
Junk
Widgets
(and PowerPoint’s built-in
charts are actually pretty nice)

27. 20 Point Font
30 Point Font, Minimum
40 Point Font
50 Point Font

28. Don’t use Illegible
Fonts!
Don’t use Illegible
Fonts!

29. (and the same goes for animations)
…and whatever this is

30. Don’t use
complex backgrounds.
Remember,
less is MORE

31. Pick a
color scheme
& stick with it

32. Presentation
Guidelines

33. Know your audience

34. Know your medium
Are they going to need to read
your presentation later (like this one)?
Just speaking live?
Use minimal writing

35. Thought
per slide

36. Your slides are not
your presentation
You are!

37. Stand up Straight
SMILE
Speak louder
than normal
Scan the room
with your eyes

39. Skip the joke

40. don’t rely on
notes

41. Don’t
read your
slides*
* If you do, either you or
your slides are unnecessary

42. Don’t go
long

43. But don’t be
checking your
watch

44. PRACTICE
PRACTICE
PRACTICE
PRACTICE
PRACTICE
PRACTICE
PRACTICE
PRACTICE

46. Handling Questions
• Smile while they are talking; be attentive
• Complement them and their question
• If you don’t have the answer, admit it
• It’s okay to refer back to your slides
• Consider having back up Q and A slides

47. Back up your
presentation
Twice.