How to make half decent graphics for Powerpoint.

By Colin Burrows

TODAYS TOPICS

• General Strategy• Organizing Text• Photos• Composition• Colour• Transitions• Final Thoughts

Rule Number One.

DON’T BE BORING.

2YOUR AUDIENCE IS

They are designed to appeal to the broadest possible audience.

They don’t have character.

They don’t have YOUR character.

Make it about you.

Your audience wants to see you deliver the content.

Make it about you.

If all that mattered was the content you could have sent an email.

You have to make a decision:Is this a presentation

orIs this a handout

You shouldn’t be printing things anyway.

NOBODY WANTS TO WATCH YOU READ

Unless you’re this guy.

NOBODY WANTS TO WATCH YOU READ

…or unless you wrote

the Harry Potter books.

…or unless you just look really

good while reading.

These areyour notes.

Keep It Simple, Stupid.

* People have trouble remembering more than 7 things.

• Avoid• Bullets

Bullet points tell people you don’t care enough

to write complete sentences

Remember that decision?

for presentations

A presenter can: • Elaborate• Explain• Add detail

for handouts

Bullet points may seem cryptic outside the context of a presentation.

You’d better write something that can stand on its own.

Controlthe flow.

Use animations

Controlthe flow.

Use animations

or multipleslides

to slowthings down

Its okay to use lots of slides.

Lots and lots of slides.

They’re

If you have to put a whole bunch of text on one slide then please please please take the time to organize it into manageable bits of information that people can easily digest

If you have to put a whole bunch of text on one slide then please please please take the time to organize it into manageable bits of information that people can easily digest

You can depend on Arial.

There’s nothing worse than formatting your whole slide show with some cool font and having it go all screwy on you .

You can depend on Arial.

There’s nothing worse than formatting your whole slide show with some cool font and having it go all screwy on you .

Using Black on White,despite your most well thought

out minimalist intentions, just makes you look lazy.

Using Black on White,despite your most well thought

out minimalist intentions, just makes you look lazy.

Maybe try using a little colour.

And then keep changing it to keep people awake.

Photos

センターイメージ

translation: ‘center images’

Re-colour busy photos

so they don’t distract from your text

Pictures with white backgrounds

work the best.

Find a way to connect the pictures with the text

Use Large Photos

You don’t want photos that look like this.

….or like this.

Use Good Quality Free Photos

* Requires you to set up an account, but its free.

like me, I’m a student, I’m not making any money off of this.

None, I swear.

You can use if you aren't profiting of your presentation.

1000 words are worth more than a bad photo.

Its Half time

(Let people know where you are in the presentation)

TODAYS TOPICS

• General Strategy• Organizing Text• Photos• Composition• Colour• Transitions• Final Thoughts

We are here.

Composition

Left to right.

1 2

3 4

Guide people through the slide.

Top to bottom.

- Bansky

Single Focal Point

Double PaneThis space talks about that space

2/3THE

RULE

Title

this text is 2/3 the size of the title.

Colour

Black & White Monochrome

Cool Colours Warm Colours

ComplimentaryColours

Split ComplimentaryColours

Transitionsare not toys.

Use them when changing your dialogue from one point to another…

…or when changing the looks of your slide (they call them transitions for a reason)

Give people hope.Let them know this presentationisn't going to last forever.

Final Thoughts

Start your Powerpoint in Wordthen add graphics once you know what to say

For Best Results

Don't put movies in your Powerpoint.

You aren't as interesting as a movieand you don’t want to follow that.

They never really work any way.

There are no rules, just think critically

Be Audience Appropriate

Compare how it looksagainst other things you think look good

try to make something your mom will understand.

If your mom understands it, then it makes sense.

If you can be funnythen be funny.

If you cant be funnythen be yourself.

Unless you’re boring.(see rule number one)

Final Rule.

Tie the ending to the beginning