Keys to Creating Effective PowerPoint Presentations

1. Good Design Techniques Keys to Creating Effective PowerPoint Presentations Presentation by Jason Rhode, Ph.D. | jason.rhode@cuchicago.edu | drjasonrhode.com

2. What PowerPoint Should Be Spoken word speaks to audience’s left brain Slideshow speaks emotionally to audience’s right brain Slides should illustrate speech Slides should not replace hand-outs Jason Rhode, Ph.D. | jason.rhode@cuchicago.edu

3. Purpose of PowerPoint Take advantage most people learn best visually Help us: Add interest to presentation Stay organized Persuade our audience Easy to use Also easy to misuse Jason Rhode, Ph.D. | jason.rhode@cuchicago.edu

4. Effective PowerPoint Slides Start with content first, not design Use design templates Standardize position, colors and styles Include only necessary information Limit the information to essentials Jason Rhode, Ph.D. | jason.rhode@cuchicago.edu

5. Design Tips Content should be self-evident Use colors that contrast Be consistent Effects Transitions Animation Too many slides can bore your audience Jason Rhode, Ph.D. | jason.rhode@cuchicago.edu

6. Text Guidelines Generally no more than 5 words per line Generally no more than 5 lines per slide (5 +/- 2 Rule!) Fancy fonts can be hard to read Words in all capital letters are hard to read Avoid abbreviations and acronyms Limit punctuation marks Jason Rhode, Ph.D. | jason.rhode@cuchicago.edu

7. Clip Art and Graphics Should balance the slide Should enhance and complement text Should not overwhelm No more than two graphics per slide Jason Rhode, Ph.D. | jason.rhode@cuchicago.edu

8. Discussion What additional tips can you think of? What annoys you about use of PowerPoint? Jason Rhode, Ph.D. | jason.rhode@cuchicago.edu