The document provides tips for designing effective presentation materials like handouts, slides, and other visual aids. It recommends that handouts be designed with the audience's intended use in mind, such as note-taking or future reference. For slides, it advises keeping the amount of text brief, using no more than 3 points per slide, and ensuring the slides supplement rather than replace the presenter's own words. Other tips include choosing demonstrative visuals over clip art, integrating presentation aids smoothly into the overall presentation, and making sure any food or objects passed around have a clear purpose.

1. Designing Documents,
Slides, and Screen
Notes on Module Five and
Additional Material

2. Handouts
Make it clear how you intend the audience to
use your handouts

3. Purposes
Taking notes (design with space for
notes)
Future Reference (make it ―file-
able‖)
Large amounts of information
(make the information easy to find)
Documentation (might not be
necessary during presentation.

4. When to Distribute?
Decide when the most
appropriate time to distribute
them to the audience.
If the audience has a handout,
it’s demanding attention.

5. Integrate into
Presentation
Refer to them in your
presentation.
No handout stands on its own.

6. Presentation Slides

7. Size of Information
Must be legible to the people in the
back of the room (font-size, size of
visuals, complexity, etc).

8. Do not read your slides.
Use phrases or images.
Explain your slides.
Use your slides as examples of
the point you’re trying to make.

9. Part, not the Whole
Do not make your slides the
entirety of your presentation.
Slides make presenters
disappear.
Make slides a part of your
presentation.

10. Visuals
Don’t use clip art.
Avoid obviously ―stock‖
photographs unless especially
effective.

11. How Much Info?
The fewer points a slide makes,
the more effective your message
will be.
Think 3 points per slide… max.
Generally best to make one or
two points per slide.

12. Who’s in Charge Here?
Don’t present your slides.
Make sure the slides augment
your presentation.
Don’t depend on your slide to
remember ―what comes next.‖

13. Other Presentation Aids

14. “Pass-Arounds”
Generally not a good idea.
Only one or two people can
experience the item when you’re
actually referring to it – all the
other times, it is a distraction.
Consider effective alternatives.

15. Demonstrations
consider using people from the
audience, make sure the
outcome is predictable or that
you can handle the possible
results, practice.

16. Food?
Important to ask the question:
―What does this accomplish?‖ or
―How does this help?‖
Make sure it’s directly and
explicitly practical to your
audience.
Limit audience time with food.

17. Help a Slide Out
No presentation aid—whether a
slide, a video, a sound clip, and
image, a handout, etc.—no
presentation aid stands on its
own.
You’ve got to introduce it, refer
to it, and make it practical.

19. Thanks.