The Essence of a Good Power Point Presentation

Design Principles to Get Your Point Across

Three Basic Rules

KISS

Keep It Simple Stupid

666

• No more than 6 bullets per slide• No more the 6 words per bullet• No more than 6 text slides in a row

Consistency

• Use a consistent colour scheme• Limit colours to no more than three• Use no more than two fonts

Your design should help your message

PowerPoint is a unique medium that allows a speaker to work alongside a dynamic helper. This can enhance a presentation greatly. It can also get in the way when it is done poorly. When it’s done poorly, all kinds of bad things can happen. Your audience can get bored and fall asleep on you for one thing, and for another, your message may become lost in the jungle. For example, all of you seated in this theatre at this very moment are reading this instead of looking at or listening to your instructor, me, the best looking teacher in the school. You may also be dreaming of boyfriends and girlfriends. I don’t know, I can only guess. The important thing here is that you are not focusing on the message that is trying to get through and that means that the presentation is not doing its job.

KISS

666

Consistency

How do we avoid problems?

• Go easy on the clip art• Go easy on the animation• Avoid dipping into the colour palette!• Go easy on the transitions• Pause once in a while• Engage your audience• (just kidding ;-)

Go Easy on the Clip Art

Too much detracts from the message!

Go Easy on the Animation

Too much detracts from the message!

Avoid Too Much Colour

Too much and many colours, along with “busy” backgrounds make text very difficult to read.

KISS

666

Consistency

Go Easy on the Transitions

• Do you really need to be told why?

Pause

(The audience gets a chance to think)

Engage Your Audience

• Speak clearly• Stand up straight• Make eye contact• Stop and ask questions

KISS

666

Consistency

Your design should help your message