PowerPoint-O-Meter Tagline?

Introduction PowerPoint design principles Why people don’t follow good design principles

Sample #1 (Bad Design) Insert bad font size example

Sample #2 (Bad Design) Insert bad font type example

PowerPoint-O-Meter Highlights What is PowerPoint-O-Meter? PowerPoint add-on What can it do for you? Font Size Font Type

PowerPoint-O-Meter Demo

PowerPoint-O-Meter Benefits Visibility, Readability, etc.? Examples?

PowerPoint-O-Meter Future Font Color: In general we recommend using light colored fonts on dark backgrounds and dark colored fonts on light backgrounds to produce higher contrast and therefore greater readability. The amount of the light in the presentation room might be a consideration. Light color fonts on a dark background are said to be easier to read in a dark room. Conversely, dark color fonts on a light background may work better in a room with more light. The main thing to aim for is higher contrast. See Background Color. Reading Level: In general, aim for about a 9th grade reading level when presenting to adult audiences. This is not to suggest that they are not capable of handling more sophisticated speech, but given the rapid nature of the presentation, simpler speech is recommended to maximize absorption and retention. When presenting to younger audiences, tailor to their specific reading level as best you can, making educated guesses about effectiveness when dealing with mixed reading level groups. Once you have figured out the reading level of your text, be sure to be consistent throughout. Grammar/style: Active voice is generally preferred over passive voice: He hit the ball. Not The ball was hit by him. Your style will likely be influenced by your intended audience. Be aware of your chosen style and be consistent. Bullet Points: Generally 2-5 bullet points are optimal. A single point does not merit a bullet and more than 5 tends to be too much. See Text Amount. Amount: We recommend using about words up to about 5 lines per slide. Research suggests that adding more words and lines tend to be distracting. Using the guideline also helps ensure that you do not drift from your single idea per slide goal. Background Color: The main concern here is contrast. The higher the contrast with the font color, the greater the readability. Some studies suggest dark background colors with light font colors work best. Some suggest that blue and green make peaceful backgrounds and that red, yellow, and white are to be avoided for over/under-stimulation reasons. Whatever your choice, we recommend choosing a font color to maximize contrast. The amount of the light in the presentation room might be a consideration. Light color fonts on a dark background are said to be easier to read in a dark room. Conversely, dark color fonts on a light background may work better in a room with more light. See Font Color. Picture: Graphic: Consistency: Consistency is key. If you want your audience to retain the information from your presentation, you want to make sure that your slide styles are consistent throughout. That way, your audience has the job of absorbing one logically continuous body of information as opposed to however many stylistically disjointed single slides you present. Pay attention to your font sizes and styles, your font and background colors, bullet types, the reading level of the text, etc. You may allow for some variability, but use your critical judgment to determine if your presentation is unified as a whole. Look at me break all the rules!

What some fictitious people are saying about PowerPoint-O-Meter… “The force is strong with PowerPoint-O- Meter.” – Vader “PowerPoint-O-Meter has made Wonderland truly wondrous.” – Alice “I couldn’t have designed this thing without PowerPoint-O-Meter.” – Ironman