Effective PowerPoint Presentations

1. Creating Effective PowerPoint Presentations: 5 Keys for Success Samantha J. Blevins July 25, 2012

2. Overview Why are effective presentations important? Discussion 5 key points Examples and non-examples Activity: 8 slide presentation on your favorite hobby Conclusion

3. Why are effective presentations important? PowerPoint can put your audience to sleep if you Read your slides Include too much text or too many graphics Don’t proofread Make each slide different Luckily, there are 5 keys to help prevent audience boredom! Image Source: http:// mikeramm.com /2007/05/an-awful-presentation/

4. 5 Keys to Creating Great Presentations Choose a theme Be consistent Color is important Less is more Whitespace is your ally

5. Choose a Theme Gives a professional feel Can provide structure Fonts and color are preselected and coordinated Can be tweaked to meet your needs

6. Example and Non-example

7. Be Consistent Font should be the same throughout your presentation Color Size Placement Punctuation Differences can be distracting Slide t ransitions should be complimentary A different transition for each slide can be distracting

8. Example and Non-example

9. Color is Important Mood for presentation i.e. Use school or company colors when appropriate Legibility Make sure your text color doesn’t interfere with your background color Contrasting colors can help

10. Example and Non-example Images Source: http:// www.thugmed.com /2009/01/medical-presentation- skillz /

11. Less is More Don’t fill up every square-inch of your slide Watch out for distracting slide or text effects T oo many can overwhelm

12. Example and Non-example Image Source: http:// speakupforsuccess.com /services/ powerpoint / Image Source: http:// carmenchongky.blogspot.com /

13. Whitespace is Your Ally Images E ffective when appropriate Don’t need to take up the whole slide Golden rule: 2 per page Text Keep it brief

14. Example and Non-example Image Source: http:// speakupforsuccess.com /services/ powerpoint / Image Source: http:// www.mondofacto.com /study-skills/presentation/how-to-create-a-presentation/03.html

15. Summary of the 5 Keys Choose a theme Be consistent Color is important Less is more Whitespace is your ally

16. Practice Activity Let’s practice using the key points of our discussion Create an 8-10 slide PowerPoint Presentation Topic Ideas Favorite hobby Favorite vacation Place you want to visit Expectations: Present your topic in an open discussion Credit will be given for completion Let’s learn from each others triumphs and mistakes