1. Making Presentable PowerPoint Slides
Solomon Oyelekan. Ph.D. MSTAN, Microsoft Cert.

2. Main Headings The meaning of PowerPoint? Sub-headings/Outlines
Slide Structure and layout
Use of Fonts
Use of Colour
Slide Background
Prsenting Graphs
Checking Spellings and Avoiding Grammatical
Conclusions
Questions

3. The meaning of PowerPoint?
PowerPoint is a complete presentation graphics package.
It is one of the major Office programmes which enables the user to do draw diagrams, present graphs and data and other things in a presentable manner.

4. What you can do in PowerPoint:
You can do the following in a PowerPoint:
When you create a presentation using PowerPoint, the presentation is made up of a series of slides (pages). The slides that you create using PowerPoint can also be presented as overhead transparencies.
The slides can be printed as audience handouts, outlines, and speaker's notes.
You can format all the slides in a presentation using the Slide Master .
You can keep your entire presentation in a single file- all your slides, speaker's notes, and audience handouts.
PowerPoint is compatible with other Office programmes like Word and Excel. You can import what you have created in other Microsoft productsinto any of your slides.
You can import videos and sounds to the presentation

5. Sub-headings/Outlines
It is good to allow your audience to have a clue as to what to expect in your presentation
This should be presented as sub-headings (What could be likened to table of contents)
The presentation should be made in the order in which they have been written in your outline.

6. Features of a Good Slide
The texts should be written in short phrases or sentences.
4 or 5 points are okay for a slide
It must not contain too many words.
It must not be clumsy
(e.g. this slide)

7. Features of a Bad Slide
It contains too many words, and sentences not written point by point. The font size could be too small or too big and bogus. The fonts may not be of the same type and the text may be masked by the background colour of the slide. These features will distract the audience and in fact they may get easily confused and this could reduce their attention. When there are too many words on a page, the audience may even be straining their eyes to read from the slide. (This particular slide is bad)

8. Slide Structure – Good A good slide: Shows one point at a time
Captures the attention of the audience
Will prevent audience from reading ahead
Will highlight the points of discussion concisely
Will help you keep your presentation focused
(This is an example of a good slide).

9. Animations In a good slide, animations should: Not be distracting
Be consistent (use the same transition all through)
Not be too complicated

10. Fonts Use standard font types like Arial or Times New Roman
Fonts size must be big enough to be seen by your audience (e.g. use a minimum of 18 point size).
Some fanciful fonts may not be legible enough. Avoid them.
Different font sizes may be used for different emphasis (e.g. the font size of the title of this slide is bigger than that of the points.

11. Fonts (contd)
DO NOT USE CAPITAL LETTERS TOO OFTEN. THEY ARE NOT EASILY READ.
Do not mix font types in a sentence just for the fun of it.

12. Fonts - Bad CAPITALIZE ONLY WHEN NECESSARY. IT IS DIFFICULT TO READ
If you use a small font, your audience won’t be able to read what you have written
CAPITALIZE ONLY WHEN NECESSARY. IT IS DIFFICULT TO READ
Don’t use a complicated font

13. Colours
Ensure that the colour of your text contrasts sharply with the background colour of the slide
Using any font colour that does not contrast with the background colour is hard to read
You do not have to use different colours for every point. It creates confusion.
Mixing colours within a sentence does not make sense. It will only create further confusion.

14. Good Colour contrast
This colour is good because it contrasts sharply with the background colour.
The colour can easily be read.
The page is not decorated with too many colours.

15. Background Colour
Use backgrounds such as this one that are attractive but simple
Use backgrounds which are light
Be consistent in the use of background colour in your presentation

16. Bad background
Avoid backgrounds that are distracting or difficult to read from
Always be consistent with the background that you use

17. Data and Graphs
Graphs are beta used than tables because a graph can illustrate many points at a time than tables.
Data in graphs is easier to comprehend & retain than is raw data
Trends are easier to visualize in graph form
Do not use excessive grid lines
Use appropriate colours
Always title your graphs

18. An example of a good graph

19. An example of a bad graph

20. Spellings and Grammar Always proofread your slides for:
speling mistakes
the use of of repeated words
grammatical errors you might have make
It is good to have someone else check your presentation for spelling or grammatical mistakes

21. Conclusion Do not end your presentation abruptly.
Use an effective and strong closing remarks as this may linger on in the mind of your audience.

22. Questions
Ask your audience if they have any questions.