The do's and Don'ts of PowerPoint

1. PowerPoint
The Do’s and Don’ts
By Anna Monteil

2. Bullets
• Keep it simple
• This slide has just the right amount
• of words.

3. Bullets
• Don’t do them over here
• Or here
• Less is more…
• 3 bullets or less is
• the rule of thumb.
• There are too many bullets
• On this
• Slide
• And there are too many words, which equals too many things
to talk about.

4. Background
• Pretty
• Simple
• Not distracting
• Consistent

5. Background
• DON’T make your background apocalyptic.

6. Contrast & Color
• Light backgrounds, dark color font
• Dark background, light color font
• Don’t blind your audience, or contrast
too much.
• Be consistent

7. Contrast & Color
• See what I mean?
• You can’t even read this!
• Make sure your colors make sense
with your background.
• Yellow is horrible, don’t use it.
• Don’t fly your words in either! Wow, I
think I have motion sickness now!

8. Graphics
• Again, less is
more.
• A picture is
great when
trying to get a
point across but
you don’t want
too much
information on
one slide.
Klamath County is one
beautiful place.

9. Let’s not make
the baby cry
with too many
pictures on
one slide.

10. Don’t use too
many (more than
one really) object
transitions!
They’re
distracting and
make baby cry.

11. Rule of Four
Make
Groups
of
Four

12. Rule of Four
Do This Really
Not Doesn’t Hard
Make Work To
Long And Follow
Lists Is Do you compute?

13. Fonts
• Use simple fonts
• Use pretty fonts
• Consistently use fonts throughout
every slide.

14. Fonts
I’m sorry what?
• Don’t use fonts that are
ridiculous to read.
• It’s silly and cannot be read.
• There are lots of other fonts, use
those.
• Can you read this font from far
away?

15. Font Effects
• Does something need to be
emphasized?
• Use bolding, Italics, or
underlining.
• The effects will draw attention.
• Difference colors work too!

16. Font Effects
• However, remember less is
more.
• Do not over use bolding, Italics,
or underlining.
• The effects can be distracting.