PowerPoint Design Guidelines

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PowerPointDesign Guidelines
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General Setup

• Includes at least 4 slides
• All slides have titles
• No annoying animation -

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Animation
Example Slide This would be distracting to your
audience
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General Setup

• Includes at least 4 slides
• All slides have titles
• No annoying animation

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No annoying sounds
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Space

• All slides have a border -

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Benefits of visual aids
Border
Example Slide There is no clear border, making
this look unprofessional unreadable
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• Decreases the amount of nervousness a speaker
• Diverts attention from the speaker to the
• Increases listener attention to the speaker
• Improves audience recall
• Speeds listener comprehension of information
• Adds to speaker credibility

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Border
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Space

• All slides have a border

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No more than 6 lines of text -
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Benefits of visual aids
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• Decreases speaker nervousness
• Diverts attention from speaker
• Increases listener attention
• Improves audience recall
• Speeds listener comprehension
• Adds to speaker credibility
• Makes you look more professional
• Make you look more prepared
• Makes presentation more enjoyable

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Example Slide Too many lines of text!
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Space

• All slides have a border
• No more than 6 lines of text

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Bullet points are aligned -
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Benefits of visual aids
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• Decreases speaker nervousness
• Diverts attention from speaker
• Increases listener attention
• Improves audience recall
• Speeds listener comprehension
• Adds to speaker credibility

Example Slide Bullets are NOT lined up, making
this look unprofessional
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Space

• All slides have a border

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No more than 6 lines of text Bullet points are
aligned No large blank spaces -
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Benefits of visual aids
Example Slide Too much white space. Use a
picture, clip art, graphic, etc.
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• Decreases speaker nervousness
• Diverts attention from speaker

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Empty Space
Insert picture
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Font
Titles at least 42 pt font Text at least 32 pt
font -
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If you use a subtitle, the font size should be
somewhere between the font size of the title and
the text.

• This is 54 pt font
• This is 48 pt font
• This is 42 point font
• This is 40 pt font
• This is 32 pt font
• This is 28 pt font
• This is 24 pt font
• This is 18 pt font
• This is 14 pt font
• This is 12 pt font

Title at leastthis size
Text at leastthis size
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Font
Titles at least 42 pt font Text at least 32 pt
font
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Title font larger than text font Font styles
easily readable -
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Good Choice
Bad Choice
Arial Times New Roman Courier New Tahoma Verdana B
ookman Old Style
Calligrapher Storybook Old English Bradley
Hand Script Lucinda
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Font
Titles at least 42 pt font Text at least 32 pt
font Title font larger than text font Font styles
easily readable
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No more than 3 styles of font Fonts used
consistently
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Font
Use upper and lower case letters -
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Font
All CAPITAL LETTERS ARE HARDER TO READ Upper
and lower case are easier to read
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Example Slide Use Upper Lower case
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Font
Use upper and lower case letters
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Use phrases (not sentences) -
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Font
There is no need to write out complete
sentences on your slides. This will cause your
audience to read instead of listen to you. No
complete sentences
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Example Slide Key words only
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Color
Some color on each slide -
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Color choices
Visually appealing
Boring
Types of visual aids
Types of visual aids
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PowerPoint Flipcharts posters Objects
models Overhead transparencies
PowerPoint Flipcharts posters Objects
models Overhead transparencies
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Example Slide Use some color
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Color
Some color on each slide No more than 3 colors
per slide -
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Color
Types of Visual Aids
Too many colors
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PowerPoint Flipcharts posters Objects
models Overhead transparencies Handouts
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Example Slide Do not use too many colors.
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Color
Some color on each slide No more than 3 colors
per slide
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Use consistently amongst slides Light text dark
background -
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Color
This
Not This
Dark Text on Dark Background
Light Text on Dark Background
Example Slide
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Color
Some color on each slide No more than 3 colors
per slide Used consistently amongst slides Light
text dark background
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Dark text light background -
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Color
This
Not This
Dark Text on Light Background
Light Text on Light Background
Example Slide