Steps to a Great Powerpoint Presentation

After having read the three articles about how to improve powerpoint presentations,  "Top Ten Slide Tips", "Recommendations for Faculty on Powerpoint" and  "Really Bad Powerpoint - and How to Avoid It" really interesting. Granted that most of the information was the same for all three, it is still important to review helpful tips. The last article  "Really Bad Powerpoint - and How to Avoid It" was probably the most helpful to me since it corrected a lot of the ideas I had about making presentations "fancy". "Top Ten Slide Tips" seemed more general and "Recommendations for Faculty on Powerpoint" seemed to be geared towards, as it says, faculty, and was a little more professionally founded then I have real need for. 

I still think that anyone who uses powerpoint habitually should give these articles a good read, just so that they understand what is important to know about making presentations. These are my personal rules for making an effective presentation: 

1)Decide what Information You Need to Relay

Before worrying about slide transitions or effects, make sure that the facts that you need are included. On that note, you may have more information then you really need, so if you find that is the case, cut and condense anything that seems extraneous. 

2) Be Knowledgeable on Your Subject

Make sure that you aren't just reading the text off of your presentation. Your audience can read, they don't need you to do it for them. Instead, have extra facts, opinions, quotes, experiences or questions that you can use to keep your audience interested. 

3) Make Eye-Pleasing Format Choices

Choose layouts and color schemes that complement, and not clash with, each other. There is nothing more distracting in a presentation then badly-chosen text color that conflicts with the background color or image. Make it easier for your audience to see by giving them nice colors to look at ;) 

4) Use Sound and Pictures with Discretion 

A sound clip or photograph can do wonders for a presentation, if they are professional and relevant to the topic. Do not riddle your presentation with them however, because they will come off as a gimmick instead of valid points to your topic. 

5) Be Mindful of Your Audience

Know the people you are talking to. For instance, a presentation for your classmates should differ from one that would be for a prospective boss or client. Use words and phrasing that apply to your topic and to the people you are trying to appeal to. 

These are rules that I gathered from the articles I read, and from my personal experiences with powerpoint. I hope they are helpful & thanks! 

     - Eva Thompson

     ethomps4@trinity.edu