The document provides 10 tips for creating effective PowerPoint presentations: 1. Plan the presentation structure before designing slides. 2. Use a maximum of two fonts to avoid overwhelming the audience. 3. Leave white space and avoid cluttering slides with excessive text or graphics. 4. Consider adding animation and sound effects to engage audiences but do so sparingly to avoid distraction. 5. Provide digital copies for audiences to reference later rather than printing slides.

2. #1 Plan It Out #4 Think of “Flow” #7 Download A Template
#2 Choose Your Colors #5 Minimum “2” Fonts #8 Get Animated
#3 Think Visually #6 Add Music #9 Say No To Clutter
#10 Share Your PPT

3. Plan It Out First,
Step #1: Build Later Step #2:
Set up Headings or Make a draft of each
“Highlights” to follow along topic and only brush on
with your presentation a few sentences
Step #3: Step #4:
Do not even think of your Take all complicated text and
design until all keynotes are place it into “Notes view” at
marked on each slide the bottom of the slide

4. Red, Oranges, Yellow
give a sense of
excitement or energy
Blue, Green, Violet
give a sense of calm
or relaxed mood

5. Great Design Is Not Just About Art
Often design is just using basic principals, this entire slide
was created in Power Point. Even a simple circle can be
transformed with a few basic steps using drawing tools…
Step #1: Step #2: Step #3: Step #4:
Use “Shape Use Use “Shape Use “Shape
Fill” under “Gradient” Effects” under Effects” to
drawing under „Shape drawing tools customize
tools after Fill‟ and and set a effects to
making a make a “bevel” make it look
circle gradient fill 3D!

6. When someone reads text, eyes flow from left to right,
[ just as you are reading this….]
The eye is then drawn to the body
or the center of the design
Your layout should follow the same principle.
Finally the eye will read the bottom of the design or slide.
This format is a lot like the letter “Z” in that the design is mimicking the flow of the eye.

7. Bad Fonts Will Ruin The Look of The Presentation!
Take the time to think about using two different fonts for the entire design.
When it comes to fonts, opposites attract. Often you can use a “serif” font
with a “non serif” font like this example:
„Best In Class‟ is in Arial while
“for reliability in America” is in Times New Roman.
The two very different fonts compliment each other
without overwhelming the eye.
Remember to always use fonts that are easy to read.

8. Adding sound to your PowerPoint is easy, just click on
Insert/ Audio : then your browser will pick up your
sound bite or recording. The Icon will look like this:
And you can click on it to activate the sound.
OR you could add it to automatically play as your slide
advances to your current slide, click on “Transitions”
under File, and look to the upper right, you will see a
“Sound” menu, using the pull down select “other
sound” and it will create a browser to add your sound.
Here the sound will activate when you advance the
slide, you could also adjust the settings where the
sound plays continuously until the slide advances.
NOTE: You Can Also Customize The Sound Icon
“Right Click” on the icon and choose “change picture” and you
can choose an image from your desktop.

9. Feeling Uninspired About Designing Your PPT?
Here are a few alternatives to consider:
Slideshare.net
Slideshare is a free site with literally thousands of templates that a user can
download to their computer and my favorite choice to search for templates.
A bonus feature of slideshare is the ability for those to share their PowerPoint with other users- if
you elect to not share – then you can setup the PPT to be private.
Office.com
Click on “TEMPLATES” and then click “Power Point” to browse their library of free downloads.
There are plenty of different themes to choose from but are usually suited for the individual who
has a home computer that wants to make a calendar to share with friends or to setup photo albums
presentermedia.com
PresenterMedia has a library of template downloads that are more geared towards those who want
to have a “business” presentation, the only drawback is that you will have to pay for a subscription
to their site in order to download these templates.

10. Bee#1: Straight Line Bee#2: Flying In Circles Bee#3: Custom Path
Bee#5: Bounce Right
Bee#4: Straight Line #2
Animation can either be set to “activate” on click or be “activated” when one “slide”
advances to the other “slide”. To customize to your needs, select the “Animations”
tab/ select “Animation Pane” at the far right: 3 options will be available: “On click”
for setting to click, “With Previous” to run with slide or after the previous
animation, and “After Previous” to run after another animation in sequence.

11. EXAMPLE A: Cluttered Space EXAMPLE B: White Space
NOTHING IS MORE UNAPPEALING Nothing is more unappealing
THAN PLACING LOADS OF than placing loads of graphics
GRAPHICS OR TEXT INTO A or text into a presentation
PRESENTATION [THE VERY LOOK [the very look of it immediately
OF IT IMMEDIATELY MAKES THE makes the eyes strain]
EYES STRAIN] NO ONE WANTS TO
LOOK AT A BUNCH OF TEXT, OR No one wants to look at a bunch of
CROWDED GRAPHICS, KEEP IN text, or crowded graphics.
MIND THAT “LESS IS MORE”
WHEN DESIGNING. ALLOW Keep in mind that “less is more”
“WHITE SPACE” OR BREATHING when designing. Allow “white space”
SPACE TO FLOW IN THE TEXT AND or breathing space to flow in the text
GRAPHICS OF EACH SLIDE. and graphics of each slide.
BOTH EXAMPLES HAVE THE SAME MESSAGE! It is easier to read “B” than “A” because there
is space between the sentences. Avoid using capital letters because it really does not
emphasis the message. Try making your main point in a different color instead for emphasis.

12. DON‟T Give Print offs of your Power Point!
Printing off your PPT is difficult to read and the potential of this
getting thrown away later is guaranteed!
DO Allow your audience to download instead!
Encourage your audience to download to their laptop for a
greener and more interactive way to engage your audience.