Powerpoint Tips

Nothing can ruin a presentation like a poorly done slideshow.  Upon reading the Powerpoint articles, I was reminded of presentations I've given in the past.  I've definitely made some of the mistakes mentioned in the websites.  What can I say- making an interesting and informative slideshow is difficult!  But the websites were very helpful and had a ton of advice on how to make an excellent slideshow.

Here are my five points on what it takes to make a stellar slideshow:

1. Design- Part of giving an excellent slideshow is in the presentation.  Slideshows are visual experiences and giving your audience something captivating or interesting to look at is crucial in keeping them interested.  Use color and graphics effectively, in a way that compliments the subject and tone of the slideshow.  At the same time, keep them simple and easy to read- don't clutter the slide with so much visual imagery that they're impossible to read or understand. Design your slides carefully, giving them a similar appearance to tie them all together but having some variation.  

2. Keep the text to a minimum- Slides should reinforce dialogue but should not be identical.  When giving a presentation, it's usually not very helpful to simply repeat on a slide what you're saying in your speech.  The audience can both read and hear, and giving them the same information twice will bore them.  Rather, you should make sure that your slides support what you say but do not simply mirror it.  If you're going to have text on your slides, keep it short and put only what you need- text is uninteresting to look at.  Keep your slides simple and visual and then elaborate upon what they show verbally.

3. Choose an appropriate font- Sure, everyone loves a cute font, but could you really understand a slideshow if all of the text were written in calligraphy or "curlz"?  Your audience needs to read the slide quickly, as you don't want to spend too much time on a single slide, so you want your font to be clear.  Try picking a font that is both stylish and easily read, but remember, clarity is most important.     

4. Use Pictures- Audiences like being given something to look at.  A slideshow of slides with nothing but text is visually uninteresting.  Be sure to include some pictures to keep the slideshow interesting.  Use them effectively and strategically to demonstrate your points or further explain what you're saying.  Using photographs of your subject will help the audience understand and stay interested.  Graphs are useful visual tools as well- a well made graph can help support your points.  You might even consider putting a video into your slideshow, if appropriate- remember, audiences are needy and can't be sustained with text alone.

5. Simplicity is a virtue- Despite all I've just said, don't feel the need to overly clutter your slides with photos, graphs, and other visual aids at the expense of clarity.  Keep your slideshow straightforward and keep your slides simple and easy for the audience to understand.  

Those are my tips for an excellent Powerpoint!