1.PowerPoint: Dos and Donts

2. Keep it Simple This slide is extremely hard to read. The background is too obnoxious and there are too many words. o There are too many different fonts and colors. The animation is very distracting and over the top. 3. Slide Design Dont use design templates Customize your own Use AutoShapes Keep backgrounds simple 4. Colors Do pick contrasting neutral colors Avoid neon colors Dark room = dark background Light room = light background 5. Dark Background Example of dark background Use light text on dark background 6. Light Background Example of light background Use dark text on light background 7. Fonts & Text Do limit presentation to 2-3 fonts Use sans-serif for titles/headings Use serif for body Avoid script fonts Do use 28-32 pt font sizes Do limit fonts to 2-3 font sizes 8. Content Do limit text on each slide Six by six rule Dont use sentences or periods Do capitalize First word of a bullet Each word in a title or heading 9. Pictures & Graphics Do use pictures for enhancement Worth more than 1,000 words Use graphics and clipart sparingly Overly used Show lack of creativity 10. Sounds & Movement Dont use obnoxious animations or transitions Only pick from Basic or Subtle Text should appear all at once Avoid unnecessary sounds Distract from message 11. Consistency Do keep slides consistent Same fonts Same background/design Same transitions/animations Same colors 12. Unique Do make your PowerPoint unique Youve seen one, youve seen them all 13. Presentation Dont rely on PowerPoint Interact with the audience Use other visual aids if appropriate Do practice your presentation Do be sure your equipment works Have a backup plan ready 14. Keep it Simple Colors Animations/Transitions Sounds Content Pictures/Graphics