4. Keep it simple
• Make bulleted points easy to read and
understand.
• Use concise wording.
• Bullets are focal points – The presenter
provides elaboration.
• Keep font size large.
8. Contrast
• Contrast is important
• Light text on a semi-dark background
• The eye is attached to the light
9. Graphics and Style
• Graphics or Style – keep it simple
• The medium is not the message
• The information is the message
10. Clip Art & Graphics
• A few excellent graphics are better than
many poor ones.
• Use sparingly!
11. No Information Overload
• Too much information will overload audience
capacity to understand and remember
• Rule of Four- Group items by 4
• Example- a table with 12 Items should be
displayed in 3 groups of 4
12. Follow the Rule of Four
Don’t list:
more
than
four
items
like
this
column
here
If necessary:
make
groups
of
4 items
make
groups
of
4 items
13. Proximity
Viewers group elements into units, which they
can attend to and remember
Words that move together are understood to
belong together
Labels that are closer to object are seen as
belonging together
14. Words compatible with image
• Blue, Red,
Green, or Yellow
• Blue, Red,
Green, or Yellow
15. Fonts
• Employ only a few - stick to familiar fonts
• Stay away from gimmicky fonts unless for a
theme.
• Keep type sizes consistent.
• DON’T USE ALL CAPS.
16. Perceptual Differences
• Attention is drawn to large perceptual
differences
• Different colors, font sizes, styles will draw
attention
• Emphasis on important points, graphics etc.
17. Perceptual Differences
• Use Bold, italics, or a change in color for
emphasis
• Two properties must differ by a large enough
proportion, or they will not be distinguished.
• Typically applies to font styles and colors, and
backgrounds that interfere
21. Don’t
Avoid Text Overload
Having too much text on the screen can defeat
the purpose of using PowerPoint. The slides begin
to look like a jumble of text, making slides difficult
to read and unrecognizable from each other.
People will either try to read everything or copy
everything down or they will lose interest. List
only the key points. If you have more info to
include use more slides or create handouts.
