Powerpoint Presentations...Design Tips and Tricks for a more effective “SHOW TIME” and “LEARN TIME”!

Been There, Done That...We have all viewed, created, assigned, graded, borrowed, and/or stolen slideshow presentations.  We have selected eye-catching photos, chosen dynamic fonts, used our favorite colors and backgrounds, spent valuable time searching for the cutest clip art, all to produce a presentation for the ages, BUT have they really been effective...did they really benefit our audience or our egos?

Check out these slide design principles:

(Nancy Duarte from the book slide:ology)

1. Background:  Choose BLACK or WHITE!  Just as a painter starts with a clean canvas, so should you!  You will avoid creating busy and visually confusing slides which are much more difficult to work with. Using a black or white background allows your pictures, charts, graphs, and text to present themselves without unnecessary clutter and visual distractions.  
2. Color:  Color is crucial to your presentation.  It sets a tone and helps establish what the audience will expect.  It helps communicate what type of journey you will be taking them on. Is it an exciting “journey” or a serious and dangerous one?  Pick colors that properly represent you, your stance, your content, and your attitude.  When choosing your colors make sure they contrast with your background.
3. Text:  The decisions to use one font over another, where on the slide to place text, and whether or not to combine it with other slide elements, will have a direct impact on your visual message.  Here are a few tips on how to use TYPE to help you in creating strong visual presentations:  

           1.  Make it BIG! When presenting in a large room, with a bunch of people, 

don’t be shy!  For bigger rooms, avoid going smaller than a 36 point font.

           2.  Learn how to S P A C E out your letters. Different fonts behave differently
on your slides when you are enlarging the text.  

           3.  Choose your font wisely!  Limit yourself to no more than 2-3 different ones 
in your presentation.  This will add some continuity and flow to your design.  

      d. And two final tricks of the trade:

Dump the Junk! Clean the Screen! 



 
         Consider the 3 second rule.
         Can your visuals be understood in 3 seconds?

                    

 
                                                                                                                                                                            
           Hope these tips and tricks are helpful to you as well as your students.