Tips for Effective PowerPoint Presentation

• Avoid reading directly from the slide.
• No paragraphs
• Use bullet points
• Less is more – a picture can tell a 1000 words
• Have a hook.
• The visuals you create should support your verbal presentation and not become the presentation itself. DO NOT read your slides to your audience!
• Each slide should be designed to be concise, uncluttered and readable from a distance: include only key words and phrases for visual, reinforcement.
• Do not put too much information on any single slide. Attendees should be able to comprehend the visual in 20 seconds or less. If you know that attendees will not be able to read a slide, omit it.
• It is good practice to convey only one message or idea per slide. Observe the rule of 6×6 – no more than six lines, with each line containing no more than six words.
• Use a font and a font size that is readable. Do not mix fonts unless it is for a good reason, e.g., presenting quotes. Do not use capitals except for occasional emphasis – they are harder to read than lower-case letters.
• Keep the following guidelines in mind in terms of background:
  • Use the same background on each slide.
  • No logo slides or institution-specific templates may be used, except on first and last slides.
  • Avoid white backgrounds – the white screen can be blinding in a dark room.
  • Dark slides with light-colored text (not white) work best.
• Keep the following guidelines in mind in terms of font colors:
  • Use color and fonts for interest and variety, but do not use too many of each as the slides may become confusing.
  • Ideally, lettering should be light colored on a dark-colored background.
  • Reds and oranges are high-energy but can be difficult to stay focused on.
  • Greens, blues, and browns are mellower but not as attention grabbing.
  • Reds and greens can be difficult to see for those who are color blind.
• Graphs and charts should be kept simple, with large lettering and clearly marked axes, etc.