Tips for Effective Presentations
- DO use high contrast colors so that text stands out from the background.
- DON'T use backgrounds that contain too many
colors or shapes to avoid
detracting from the slide text.
- DO use large, easy-to-read fonts such as Times and Arial.
- DO stick to only one or two different typefaces in a single presentation. Too
many different fonts appears unprofessional.
- DON'T use any font size
smaller than 18 points.
- DON'T use graphics simply
for the sake of having them. Keep graphics
to a minimum and keep them appropriate to the topic at hand.
- DO use simple animations to help you illustrate points during a presentation.
Good animation choices for a formal presentation include Appear and
Fade In, with no accompanying sounds.
- DO include video and audio where appropriate.
- DON'T include multimedia
elements simply because they are "cool" or exciting. Not every PowerPoint presentation needs to be exciting
in order to do its job effectively. The PowerPoint
presentation should never detract from the speaker using it.
- DO keep text on PowerPoint
slides short and simple. PowerPoint presentations
are meant as visual aids to highlight the main ideas of your topic,
not to give the whole thing away.
- DO double and triple check
your spelling and grammar. Remember, the
presentation will be shown on a large screen before the entire audience.
Don't let a typographical error undermine your credibility.
- DO rehearse your presentation before you present. Make sure you know how many clicks or how many seconds each slide requires before going on to the next slide.
