Rhetoric Of PowerPoint Kevin Eric De Pew November 28, 2004 English 439/539

Opinions Tuftee  Too mechanistic  communication becomes a sales pitch Byrne  Software is limiting  But, opens up new potentials

Where are you? Move through your space; only enter your audience’s space to make a point Pay attention to your location relative to the screen Make eye contact  Do not talk to the screen; point to text when appropriate  Do not read slides; use them to organize your talk

Collaboration When presenting in groups... work collaboratively; have one person work the technology while another speaks non-speaking group members should not distract the audience from the speaker

Business Genre In professional contexts, PowerPoint presentations are often arranged…  Introduction forecast  Body  Wrap up

Introduction Forecast Discuss the purpose / goal of talk Provide an overview slide with main points of presentation (use these points as headings)

Main Points Include research background and your research questions Explain how you conducted your research Summary of your data Conclusions drawn from data

Wrap Up Summarize all main points Remind audience about the talk’s purpose Indicate what action you want the audience to take (if any) Ask for questions

Visuals The way that each slide looks affects how the audience receives information Therefore, apply the principles of…  Alignment  Proximity  Contrast  Repetition

Fonts Make slide titles stand with a larger font and/or different color Use large font size for text  large enough to fit six to eight words across the screen Serif v. Sans Serif

Color Make a strong contrast between background and text  Use a dark text with a light background  Use a light text with a dark background Use a color scheme that coordinates If possible, check color projection prior to presentation

Special Effects Power Point allows you to include special effects Use appropriately and rhetorically Do not use special effects for your overview

Images Use images to help make your point You can import images from other sources Adjust the size and placement of image box and text box Clip Art can be unprofessional

Repetition or Visual Sets Repeat slide layout throughout the entire presentation  Such as text placement, font (size and color), background, and special effects This will orient your audience

Rhetorical Appropriateness Focus on purpose & audience  Use appropriate backgrounds, images, and special effects for your presentation Make only one point per slide Use as little text as possible  Verbalize long passages; do not put them on slides