This document provides guidance on using PowerPoint to design effective presentations. It covers topics such as planning content, getting started with design, displaying text and graphics, animating, and presenting. For each topic, it provides tips and instructions. It encourages audience-focused content planning, use of templates and slide masters for design, clear fonts, bulleted lists, parallel structures, purposeful visuals, custom animations, and practice. Readers are guided through examples and interactive tasks to apply the techniques.

1. Using PowerPoint to DesignUsing PowerPoint to Design
Effective PresentationsEffective Presentations
Copy this file to your computer.
Read through the slides.
When a slide says, “YOUR TURN,”
Follow the instructions and do the
steps.
THE CAIN PROJECT

2. What You’ll LearnWhat You’ll Learn
Planning Content
Getting Started with Design
Displaying Text
Displaying Graphics
Animating
Presenting
2

3. Planning ContentPlanning Content
for Talksfor Talks
3

4. Planning ContentPlanning Content
for Talksfor Talks
PART 1:
List possible audience
questions
Plan your aim(s) upfront
Choose the “NEWS” about
topic
Include significance
Keep background relevant 4

5. Planning ContentPlanning Content
for Talksfor Talks
PART 2:
Explain methods when
appropriate
◦ Related to the “news” (main point)?
◦ Necessary to understand talk?
Explain (don’t just show) data
Plan a conclusion
Preview future work 5

6. Planning ContentPlanning Content
Remember what it was like not to
know
Talk to prospective audience
members or imagine them - list their
questions
Organize information in chunks,
going from what they know to what
they don’t
Include topic’s significance
6

7. Planning ContentPlanning Content
Introduction: Set Mental
“Hooks” and preview the
content
Tie new info to previous
studies or relevant events -
motivate !!
Organize from listeners’ point
of view
Principle is “GIVEN to NEW”
Preview future work
7

8. Getting StartedGetting Started
8

9. Getting Started: TipsGetting Started: Tips
Create a slide show
with storyboards,
not a script
Use the slide
show...
◦ to select important
topics and issues
◦ to organize content
◦ to create a hierarchy
9

10. Getting Started: Design TipsGetting Started: Design Tips
To select a design, ask yourself:
◦ What professional image do I want to
project?
◦ In what type of room will I give my talk?
 Well-lit room: use light background / dark
text and visuals
 Dimly-lit room: use dark background / light
text and visuals
10

11. Getting Started: DesignGetting Started: Design
Set up “Slide Master”
◦ Design the “look” of your slide show
Choose appropriate template
◦ Select pre-designed, color coordinated
presentation templates
Choose “slide layouts” for slides
◦ Select from 12 “master slide styles”
under “FORMAT” menu to build your
show
11

12. Set up “Slide Master”:Set up “Slide Master”:
Your TurnYour Turn
To set up a “Slide Master” of your
own:
◦ Go to “Format”
◦ Select “Background”
◦ Make changes in color bar:
 Colors
 Fill effects
 Textures
12

13. Project a Clear FontProject a Clear Font
Serif: easy to read in printed documents
◦ Times New Roman, Palatino, Verdana
Sans serif: easy to see projected
across the room
◦ Arial, Helvetica, Geneva
13

14. Fonts: Your TurnFonts: Your Turn
Change the font style of this
sentence from Arial to Palatino
To do so…
◦ Highlight the sentence by dragging your
cursor across it
◦ Select “format” and then “font”
◦ Select “Palatino” from the pull-down
menu
14

15. Templates: Your TurnTemplates: Your Turn
To select a template, follow these
steps:
◦ Go to “format”
◦ Select “apply design template” (“show
preview” allows you to examine
templates)
◦ Select “ok”
15

16. Create New Slides: Your TurnCreate New Slides: Your Turn
To create a new slide, choose from
12 pre-designed slide formats
To examine the 12 formats…
◦ Go to “Insert” and then “New Slide”
◦ Select one design, click “OK”
16

17. Displaying TextDisplaying Text
17

18. Displaying Text: TipsDisplaying Text: Tips
Your
audience...
◦ Skims each slide
◦ Looks for critical
points, not details
◦ Needs help
reading/seeing
text
So you . . .
◦ Use only essential
info
◦ Guide their eyes with
hierarchy, color
◦ Use big, legible fonts
and framing blank
space
18

19. Displaying TextDisplaying Text
Use bullets
Use short phrases
Use grammatical parallelism
19
a
Not THAT kind
of bullets!!!
Let me explain . . .

20. Use Bullets: TipsUse Bullets: Tips
Bullets help audience skim the slide
Bullets help audience see relationships
between information points
For example, this is Main Point 1,
which leads to...
◦ Sub-point 1
◦ Sub-point 2
(To get back to previous level: use “promote” or
“demote” arrows at top)
20

21. Bullets: Your TurnBullets: Your Turn
To use bullets…
◦ Select the “bulleted list” or “two-column
list” slide (from the 12 pre-designed slide
formats)
◦ Type a phrase then hit “return”
◦ Type a second phrase, hit “return” then
hit “tab”
◦ OR use “promote” or “demote” arrows at
top to create a bulleted hierarchy
21

22. Bullets: Your TurnBullets: Your Turn
To use bullets
◦ Go to “format” and then “bullet”
◦ Select the style, color, and size of the
bullets you’ll use
◦ OR highlight text you wish to bullet and
select the bullet button at top
22

23. Use Short Phrases: TipsUse Short Phrases: Tips
Use phrases in your slide show
outline
Write complete sentences only in
certain cases:
◦ Hypothesis
◦ ???
Generate phrases that make your
point clearly and accurately
Use slide show as an outline for your
talk, not as a script
23

24. Use ParallelismUse Parallelism
Make text easy for your audience to
skim by creating phrases / sentences
that are grammatically parallel
Create parallel text by making items
in a list the same grammatical form
24

25. Grammatical ParallelismGrammatical Parallelism
Not Parallel:
Criteria to Assess Alarm System
◦ Price
◦ Effectiveness
◦ How easily the alarm could be installed
Parallel:
Criteria to Assess Alarm System
◦ Price
◦ Effectiveness
◦ Ease of installation
25

26. Use ParallelismUse Parallelism
Not Parallel:
◦ Lyse cells in buffer
◦ 5 minute centrifuging
◦ Supernatant is removed
Parallel:
◦ Lyse cells in buffer
◦ Centrifuge for 5 minutes
◦ Remove supernatant
26

27. Parallelism: Your TurnParallelism: Your Turn
Make the following list of sub-points
parallel:
Reliable data collection relies upon:
◦ Consistent use of techniques (pipetting,
making solutions)
◦ Correctly calibrated equipment, such as
balances and pipettors
◦ Researcher bias is minimized (expecting
data to fit model; conflict of interest)
27

28. Displaying VisualsDisplaying Visuals
28

29. Displaying Visuals: TipsDisplaying Visuals: Tips
Select visuals purposefully
◦ What visuals illustrate a point? Make
a claim? Help to prove an argument?
Design easy-to-read visuals
◦ Are the visuals easy to read by all
members of your audience?
Draw attention to aspects of visuals
◦ How will you draw attention to certain
features of the visual?
29

30. Displaying VisualsDisplaying Visuals
Insert needed visuals
Use color
Resize appropriately
Draw attention
30
That was purely
gratuitous!

31. Insert VisualsInsert Visuals
Insert images using “Insert” then
“picture”
Decide whether the image you wish
to insert is “clip art” or from a “file”
(on disk or on hard drive)
31

32. Choose Color CarefullyChoose Color Carefully
32
Similar intensities
draw attention but make
details hard to see.
Strong, clean contrast
draws attention, makes
details easy to see

33. Resize Images: How to . . .Resize Images: How to . . .
Click on the visual you wish to
resize
Go to “format” and then “object”
or “autoshape”
Select “size”
Change size and scale
OR simply click and
drag the corners of the image
33

34. Simplify and Draw AttentionSimplify and Draw Attention
34
http://www.indstate.edu/thcme/mwking/tca-cycle.html

35. AnimatingAnimating
35

36. Animating: TipsAnimating: Tips
Custom animation allows you to
animate text, visuals, or line work
Custom animation should be used
purposefully (and sparingly!)
◦ Animating should help audience
comprehend your message
◦ Don’t animate solely for aesthetic
purposes
36

37. Animation: Your TurnAnimation: Your Turn
Design slide with grouped
items
Go to “slide show” and
select “animation” and
“custom”
Select item(s) to animate
Choose
◦ Animation method (appear, fly
in)
◦ Sound 37
DNA
RNA
transcription

38. PresentingPresenting
38

39. DeliveryDelivery
Adapt to Physical, Cultural
Environment
Stance
◦ Body language
◦ Handling notes
Gestures
Eye contact
Voice quality
◦ Volume
◦ Inflection
◦ Pace
39
See evaluation form at http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~cainproj/

40. Handling questionsHandling questions
LISTEN
Repeat or rephrase
Watch body language
Don’t bluff
40

41. Prepare & practice!Prepare & practice!
41

42. The Cain Project would likeThe Cain Project would like
to work with YOU!to work with YOU!
42
Go to http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~cainproj
Or call Ext. 6141 or come to Anderson 211c