Design Tips for PowerPoint 1 st –– Backgrounds – Templates Best fonts Bullets –– 6 is max Content is king! Words on a slide –– 25 or less Images –– key Content and layout provided by Professor Keri Stephens

1 st –– Backgrounds – Templates

Best fonts

Bullets –– 6 is max

Content is king!

Words on a slide –– 25 or less

Images –– key

Content and layout provided by Professor Keri Stephens

A picture is worth a thousand words PowerPoint more visual than written

PowerPoint rules Templates & c o lor sch emes

Match the mood Look professional Pick a good template Don’t get the blues medium blues navy blue OK

Match the mood

Look professional

Don’t get the blues

medium blues

navy blue OK

Bluesy templates – yikes! Blue diagonal Soaring Lock & key Azure

Bright on dark Dark on bright GOOD GOOD GOOD EVIL EVIL EVIL Use high contrast colors

Why high-contrast? Your PC screen is hi-res everything looks great don’t trust it! big displays “wash out” colors always TEST on final equipment alter template’s defaults as needed

Your PC screen is hi-res

everything looks great

don’t trust it!

big displays “wash out” colors

always TEST on final equipment

alter template’s defaults as needed

See for yourself Which line is easier to read? Which line is easier to read? Which line is easier to read? Which line is easier to read?

Which line is easier to read?

Which line is easier to read?

Be font savvy Serif bad Times New Roman New York Courier Sans serif good Arial Arial Black Futura Tahoma

Serif bad

Times New Roman

New York

Courier

Sans serif good

Arial

Arial Black

Futura

Tahoma

Which is easier to read? Once upon a time there lived a yellow bear named Pooh. He had a cat named Tigger and a law degree from Texas Tech. He was allergic to chocolate. Once upon a time there lived a yellow bear named Pooh. He had a cat named Tigger and a law degree from Texas Tech. He was allergic to chocolate. Less visual complexity Stronger lines

Don’t waste bullets use no more than 6 in a list

use

no

more

than

6

in a list

Observe the limit 25 words per slide max More looks busy

25

Avoid death by cheese… Weird sound effects Most transitions Flying text Strange animations Bad clip-art

Weird sound effects

Most transitions

Flying text

Strange animations

Bad clip-art

Clip-art Hall of Shame

Content is King! Single phrases Short lists Questions for students Quotes Photographs Video

Single phrases

Short lists

Questions for students

Quotes

Photographs

Video