Whether you’re using Apple’s glossy app, Keynote, the wildly creative option, Prezi, or sticking with the classic presentation tool, PowerPoint, you want your presentation to be engaging, entertaining and informative. And a large part of your presentation’s outcome comes down to your slides.
The good news? You don’t need to be a full-time designer to create compelling slides that enhance, rather than detract from, your presentation. By keeping these 7 tips in mind, you’ll be well on your way to creating effective, impactful presentation slides that keep your audience interested and support your remarks.
Content: Focus on images and graphics. Slides are there to enhance what you say, not be a script for you or the audience to read. Don’t design slides to serve as a handout. Create a separate handout and include needed detail there.
Structure: Use text as prompts. Text on slides should consist mostly of words that will help audience follow your presentation, like topic headings or concise statements of key points or essential questions. Use bullets without complete sentences; try for three word bullets. Pair text with a graphic or use a graphic alone to illustrate what you’ll say. And always obey the Golden Rule of Modern Presentations: under no circumstances should you read your information aloud to your audience.
Fonts Styles and Size: Use standard fonts like Times New Roman or Arial. Use 18-32 point (size depends somewhat on size of room; if unsure, use 32 point). Capitalize only when necessary (e.g., acronyms). It might be tempting to use a lot of fun fonts, but simple is better when it comes to readability and comprehension.
Color and Background: A light background with dark text improves readability and memorability. Use the same background on all slides, particularly if you have more text than graphics. Use color to emphasize a point, but use it sparingly. If you do use multiple colors, pick complimentary hues (on opposite sides of color wheel). Avoid flashy animations and transitions. Focus on creating great content with effective illustrations, and don’t spend time making words shoot in and spin out. You want to engage your audience, not irritate or distract them.
Graphs: It’s easier to comprehend and retain data in graphs than in raw form. To further boost comprehension, add titles to graphs. If a graph is overly detailed, take a screenshot of a key part and enlarge it to highlight that particular section. Avoid the dreaded phrase, “I know you can’t read this but…” If they can’t read it, don’t include it!
Spelling and Grammar: Always proof slides for spelling, grammar and use of repeated words. Ask someone else to proof after you (particularly if the language of the presentation is not your first language). You know what they say: Two sets of eyes are always better than one!
Conclusion: Your audience is likely to remember last words; end with a graphic to support your final comments or a quote. Again, don’t read it to them! Pause and let them read, then take an opportunity to deliver supporting remarks that concisely tie your previous points together.
No matter what presentation product you use, know how to get the most from it. These tools are generally straightforward and user-friendly, and you can knock out a decent presentation using standard templates. Once you’ve identified a preferred presentation program, however, invest time in learning it. Lynda.com offers online training condensed into concise, bite-sized videos on most software available for a Mac or PC. You could watch all 3.5 hours of PowerPoint training, for example, or opt for a four-minute video on working with slide masters. They offer monthly or annual subscriptions for a reasonable price, which is a wise investment if you want to keep your software skills and training up-to-date.
Fellow presenters, I’d love to hear your input. What’s one of your must-do tips when creating effective presentation slides?