Tips and tricks on how to create a more effective powerpoint presentation

1. POWERPOINT PRESENTATION
DON‟Ts

2. YOUR BEST TO REMEMBER THE
FOLLOWING…
DO

3. Choose Serif fonts like
Times New Roman
They are harder to read on a screen

4. Use san-serif fonts like
Ariel, Gil Sans, or Century Gothic
They are easier on the eye
DO

5. Underline words for emphasis
People mistake these for
hyperlinks and
they are harder to read.

6. Vary a font‟s size, or color
for
or group words together *
DO
*Butavoiddoingitallononeslide

7. Use visually complex fonts
Especially a variety of them

8. Choose easy to read fonts
&
Stay in a font family
DO

9. Use fonts that are smaller than
24 points
Any smaller and it can‟t be read easily from a distance

10. Back up about 2 feet
Watch your presentation
See if you can read everything
DO

11. with every new slide
Overload
the
viewer
Change
colors

12. Choose a color palette & layout style
And stick with it
DO

13. Fill up the screen with lots and lots information
written in sentence form. Or even bullet after bullet
after bullet. The visuals in your presentation should
help guide your speaking, not replace it. People
can read faster than they can speak, and they
don‟t want to hear you just read from the slides.
Plus, the more you put on a slide, the smaller the
text will get and the smaller the text gets, the
harder it is to read. Then, you will annoy your
audience as they try to follow along, but falter in
their attempts. An annoyed audience is not a
happy audience and an unhappy audience won‟t
really give you the attention your hard and
carefully researched presentation deserves. In
other words, did you really read all of this? Would
you expect your audience to?

14. Choose only key points to highlight
Follow a 7 words / 6 lines guideline
Make every slide matter
DO

15. Use visually complex
backgrounds

16. Use backgrounds that don‟t
compete with the message

17. Go crazy with sound effects
and animations*
*Imagine many things spinning
& whizzing around on the page

18. Change the pace by adding
relevant video and website links*
DO
*Just make sure you‟ve loaded
those pages ahead of time

19. Include werds that are spellled
incorractly
Include incorrect information

20. Check your spelling
Proofread each slide
Make sure all information is correct
DO

21. Overload slides with images
Copy and paste images from
the Internet

22. Choose images
that match
your message
DO
p.s. That„s jazz great
Dizzy Gillespie looking
for the right picture

23. Simply read off the screen

24. Practice ahead of time
Make notes for reference
Look at the audience
DO

25. Forget to review
your main points
Choose easy to
read fonts &
backgrounds
Follow the same
color scheme &
layout
throughout
Use animation,
sound, & images
with care
Proofread and
spellcheck each
slide
Review your
slideshow from a
distance &
practice
Credit your
sources

26. Web Resources
Credit your sources*
1. Colourlovers.com –
great for finding
color palettes
2. Flickr.com –
find free images
open to public use
3. Slideshare.net –
see how others
approach the same
idea
DO
*Images can be sited throughout the presentation or
on the very last slide
Huber, Elaine. “PPT Dos and Don‟ts.”
accessed Oct. 25, 2010.
http://www.slideshare.net/elainehub
er/ppts-dos-and-donts.
Desjardins, Jesse. “Steal this
presentation.” accessed Oct. 22,
2010.
http://www.slideshare.net/GlobalGos
sip/ steal-this-presentation-5038209.
Marcello, Tom. “Dizzy Gillespie – contact
sheet.” accessed Oct. 26, 2010.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tommarcello/43
5710613/in/faves-78239079@N00/.
Works Used & Consulted

27. THAT’S IT!
THANKS FOR WATCHING!
Created by K. Covintree
Fall 2010