Writing Center: Tips For Creating PowerPoints

Text

• Use professional and easy to read fonts, such as Arial or Helvetica
• Be consistent in font size and style for body text as well as headlines
• Avoid using more than four fonts in the entire presentation 
• Use larger fonts, bold, color, sizes, or styles to indicate the importance of certain information 
• Avoid italicized fonts as these styles are difficult to read
• Only use all caps for headlines

Visual Aids

• Use good-quality images that are easy to see
  • Check that your images maintain their resolution when you present
• Use the same formatting for images throughout the presentation 
• Avoid using flashy transitions 
  • These transitions can take away from the presentation and distract the audience 
• Avoid overusing special effects, such as animation and sounds
• Place repeating elements, such as page numbers, in the same location of each slide
• Ensure that all the colors used are easy to see and read
• Utilize an appropriate theme for the presentation that is appealing to the audience
• Only use accurate and relevant charts and graphs

Content

• Limit the amount of text that appears on each slide 
  • Slides should usually not contain large paragraphs and amounts of texts 
  • Use key phrases and include only the most important information 
  • Empty space enhances readability 
• Provide a brief overview of the presentation at the start and a quick summary of the information at the end
• Ensure text is free of grammatical errors
• Clearly label each slide with a headline 
• Avoid abbreviations and acronyms

Oral Presentation 

• Face the audience as you speak, rather than the computer or slideshow
• Avoid reading from your slides
  • Your slides should act as your cues for what you will say to the audience
• Practice moving forward and backward during your presentation 
  • Your audience may ask to see the previous slides
• Speak clearly, confidently, and enthusiastically   
• Print the slides for the audience to read if appropriate 
• Wait until the sound has finished if sound effects are used
• Rehearse timing and practice with a timer multiple times before giving the final presentation