Visual Presentation Tips

Electronic Presentations (e.g. PowerPoint) have many advantages and potential pitfalls. Here are some things to consider.

1. Consistency

Well designed presentations are consistent throughout in type face (font) and color scheme. Use the Master Slide to determine background, typeface format and logo.

2. Simplicity

Keep content simple and short. Each slide should reflect the main point, and use bullets for key points. Graphics should be used to emphasize a point, not for pure decoration.

Plan to speak about 2-5 minutes per slide, any longer and you will lose your audience.

3. Too much information

Keep a limit of 5–7 words per line and not more than 5 bullets per point. Spread your information over more slides, this keeps the information clear and avoids distracting the viewer.

4. Create a clear outline before you start your presentation

• Presenter, class, topic etc.
• Objectives (so the audience knows what you will be talking about)
• Body (all your points and information)
• Repeat objective, open for Q&A if needed
• Closing statement or summary
• Be prepared to pull particular slides again for Q&A

5. Colors and contrast

Limit the colors that you use in your presentation. The consistent use of a few complimentary colors will often be more effective than a random collection of hues. If you have a chance, view your presentation on the actual equipment used for the presentation. Different projectors emulate colors differently. Known problem colors are greens and yellows.

Avoid “loud” colors as they will distract from the presentation. White backgrounds cause a very bright picture which can be tiring to the viewer. However, the same can be true for low contrasts between text and background. An effective old time favorite is a dark blue background with white text.

6. Clarity of text

Use a clear font, not a fancy font. Typefaces are used to get the message to the viewer, not to distract from the message. The fonts that are the most legible are sans serif fonts like Helvetica or Arial and serif fonts like Times New Roman and Palatino are generally considered the most pleasing to look at. Check if your font has an appropriate kerning at the size you choose, not all fonts work well at all sizes. If you are not presenting on the computer you design on, choose one of the standard system fonts, or install the font into your presentation. The results of your presentation can be disastrous if the font is not available on the presentation machine and it needs to be substituted with another font.

7. Font size

Use large fonts, which depending on your screen resolution and the projected image size can vary greatly. While you are able to read a 12 point font clearly on a 10 foot screen at VGA (640 X 480) resolution, it would be too small on the same screen running at XVGA (1024 X 768). Do a field test if possible.

Choose a size for your header that is slightly larger than your bullet points. This clarifies their hierarchy and dependence on each other to the viewer. Avoid all capital letters for easier reading.

8. Transitions

Transitions should be consistent throughout the presentation. Wipe is a good transition for a text slide, barn door is good for revealing a product, and zooms work well with picture-only slides. Too many transitional effects slow down the presentation and take away from it's effectiveness.

9. Charts, Graphs, Pictures

Charts and graphs can clarify comparisons and data and they are actually better than spreadsheets where appropriate. Pictures should be used for making a point or for the occasional break (pause) slide. They can be distracting so avoid them during the presentation when they are not really needed.

10. Images

If you use graphics images, scan them at a high resolution and at the highest color setting possible, you can later compress the pictures as a JPEG or GIF format to reduce their loading time during the presentation. Be careful with copyright issues. While educational institutions have different copyright laws than the outside world, if your presentation is used outside of the classroom you'll need to confirm with the publisher that the use is permitted.

11. Videos

Videos in the Windows Media or MPEG format can be placed directly in a PowerPoint presentation and set to play automatically when the slide is viewed. For the best visual results, save your movie full-screen (640x480 resolution) and stretch the video to cover your entire slide.

12. Back-up

Have a set of printouts of your presentation with you as this will give you the back-up needed if something goes wrong with the computer or projection equipment. Do not rely solely on electronic media.

13. Finalizing

Check your spelling and grammar, and run through the whole presentation a few times to ensure that all transitions are working correctly. If you use a reoccurring graphic on several slides, make sure that it is at the same physical location to avoid it from jumping on the screen. The best way to handle this is to have the picture on the master slide and hide it on the few slides where it is not needed through an opaque borderless object in the same color as the background.

Good luck.