Creating Great Presentations Basic Steps to Remember!

Presentation Basics! Orientation & contrast Font size & style 4x7 rule – KISS Balanced designs Text & capitalization rules Transitions & animation

Orientation Always this Never! Portrait Landscape PP’s default

Contrast w Light type on a dark background is easier to read w Be consistent w Do not change colors on every slide w Exception – if you are changing focus, ideas or presenters

Font Size for Titles and Text w Titles should be 40+pts w 36 point w 32 point w 24 point w 18 point

Readability - Font Style w This is sans serif (Arial) easier to read best for video w This is serif (Times New Roman) fills in screen harder to read

Readability – the Rule 4/7 x 4/7 rule 4/7 lines of text MAX 4/7 words per line MAX Follow the 4x7 Rule

Balanced Design w Bullet points should not be centered w Presents a ragged look w Difficult to follow text in a presentation w Always left-align bullets

Balanced Design w Titles can be centered, left-aligned or right-aligned w Keep text and graphics neat, easy to follow w Try using an anchor element w Picture/graphic placed in the same position on each slide

Balanced Design Centered graphics leave little room for text

Balanced Design w Place graphics to the left or off center w Left placement leads eye to text w Allows room for text w Presentation is more interesting

Text & Capitalization Rules w Bullets are followed by a capital letter w No periods w Avoid all caps w This is an Example of Capitalizing Only the Important Words w More Formal but more Decisions

Keep it Simple! w Refrain from having audience read long lines of text like this one w Lengthy text forces down the point size, making the slide difficult to read w Lengthy text distracts from the main message being delivered w This is 24 point Arial w This is 36 point Arial

Keep it Simple! w Minimize use of graphics or decorations w Limit font styles to a maximum of 3

Transitions w Avoid distracting transitions and review w The way in which the presentation moves from one slide to the next

Animations w How text or graphics come on the slide w Use consistency with animations w Too much movement reduces readability w Always review animations

Animation w Text may fly in from the right, left, bottom, or top w Or, text can come from any direction w It can swivel, swirl, fade…

Planning Your Presentation w What will be the outcome? w What do you want the audience to know?

Planning Your Presentation  There are three major sections: Objective slide – tell them what you’re going to tell them Content slides – tell them Closing slide – tell them what you just told them

Remember… When planning your presentation keep in mind the following: w Orientation should be landscape w Light type on a dark background is easiest to read w Font size should be 36pts w Use a san serif font

Remember… w 4/7x4/7 rule – no more than 4 to 7 lines per slide, no more than 4 to 7 words on each line w Balance your design w Capitalize the first word of a bullet w Avoid using all caps

Remember… w Review transition & animations to ensure a professional presentation w KISS your presentation - Keep it Short and Simple!