Making PowerPoint Presentations

1. Making PowerPoint Presentations DOs and DON’Ts

3. Overview • Purpose of PowerPoint Presentations • Presentation Structure • Slide structure • Font • Colour • Background • Graphics • Animation • Final touch

4. Purpose of PowerPoint Presentations • Effective communication (PowerPoint makes the presentation easier to follow, assists comprehension, strengthens the message) • Maximum impact in minimal time BUT: • Only a visualsupport for presentations

5. Presentation Structure • Start with an attention grabber • Include the slide which shows an overview of your presentation • Follow the order of your overview for the rest of the presentation • Include a list of references at the end

6. Slide Structure • Follow the KISS principle – keep it short and simple • Cover one main idea in one slide • Write in point form, not complete sentences • Include 4-6 points per slide • Show only one point at a time • Use 1-2 slides per minute of your presentation

7. Slide Structure • This slide is neither short nor simple. It containes too many words for a presentation slide. It is not written in point form which makes it difficult for your audience to read it and for you to present each point. Although there are exactly the same number of points on this slide as on the previous slide, it looks much more complicated. Your audience will spend too much time trying to read this paragraph instead of listening to you.

8. Font • Use at least 28-point font • If you use a small font, your audience will not be able to read what you have written • Use a standard font like Times New Roman, Arial or Calibri • Do not use a complicated font which will decrease the readability of your slides • Use italics and CAPITALIZATION only when necessary

9. Colour • Use a colour that contrasts sharply with the background • Using a font colour that does not contrast with the background colour is hard to read • Use a colour to emphasize a point (but only do this occasionally) • Using colour for decoration is distracting and annoying

10. Background • Use attractive but simple backgrounds • Use light backgrounds • Use the same font, colour and background consistently throughout your presentation • Select built in PowerPoint templetes or use Master Slide to preserve consistency

11. Background • Avoid backgrounds that are distracting or difficult to read from • Always be consistent with the font, colour and background that you use

12. Graphics • Suitable and appropriate graphics add life to your presentation • Use graphics to illustrate and emphasize key points, not to decorate

13. Animation • Animation enhances visual interest and impact of your presentation • Use it subtly and consistently • It should not become the focus of attention instead of the content

14. Final Touch • Proofread your presentation for spelling mistakes and grammatical errors • Make sure your presentation is compatible with the Operating System at the Faculty • Rehearse your presentation

15. References • Biju, John. 2010. Good Power Point Presentation. Karala Journal of Oftamology 22 (1), 62-67.