1. Effective PowerPoint® Presentations for Biotechnology
Consider the message
Consider the audience
Be professional
Be concise
A graphic on each slide
Text on each slide

2. How to Get Started Plan time to “play around” with the PPT “you have”
<< i.e. bad graphic
Plan time to “play around” with the PPT “you have”
Play around with margins, spacing, and importing
Learn the features of the pull down menus and toolbars
Learn the features of the Toolbox including the galleries
In the “Format” Menu, play around with:
slide layouts
backgrounds and themes
bullets

3. Fonts Calibri, Arial, and Helvetica fonts are easy to read
Avoid Times New Roman, Palatino, etc. (difficult to read)
Use no font size smaller than 24 point
Title each slide with a larger font (35-45 point)
Use a single font for most of the text
Use (a few) different colors, sizes and styles for impact
Avoid italicized fonts
No more than 6-8 words per line
Use dark text on light background (easier to read)
Avoid light fonts and dark backgrounds
(difficult for some people to read)
Do not use all caps except for titles

4. Graphics and Design Keep the background consistent and subtle
Use a minimum amount of text with charts or graphs
Keep the design clean and uncluttered
Leave empty space around the text and graphics
Use quality clipart and use it sparingly
Limit the number of graphics on each slide
Avoid flashy graphics and noisy animation
Limit the number of transitions used

5. General Presentation Check the spelling and grammar on all slides
Do not read the presentation
Practice the presentation
Give a brief overview at the start
It is often more effective to have bulleted points appear one at a time. Try “action button” effects
Avoid sound effects
If the content is complex, pause for audience understanding
Do not turn your back on the audience

6. References and Acknowledgments
Adapted from:
Bankerd, Kathy. “How to Optimize Projection Technology: Using Fonts, Graphics, and Color to Maximize the Effectiveness of Your Presentation”. Syllabus. November/December 1997.
Bird, Linda. “Avoid the Mistakes of PowerPoint Rookies.” Smart Computing. January 2001.
Brown, David G. “PowerPoint-Induced Sleep.” Syllabus. January 2001.
Daugherty, Ellyn, Biotechnology: Science for the New Millennium, 2012