Design Guidelines for PowerPoint

Content matters the most

· Keep content short and to the point

· It doesn’t matter how pretty it is if it doesn’t say anything worthwhile

· Limit distracting transitions and effects

Keep it Short

· Too much text won’t be read by the audience

· Limit the content of each slide. If a slide starts getting cluttered, split the content into two or more slides

· Provide highlights on the slide, and fill in with your talk

Fonts

· Select simple bold styles without serifs (like Arial)*

· AVOID ALL CAPS – THEY ARE HARDER TO READ*

· Headlines should be 36-44 point size*

· Make sub text 34-36 points*

· Use 24-28 for second level text*

· Use type size to convey information

· Use large text for titles and emphasis*

· Limit: 2 or 3 fonts*

· Limit: 2 or 3 sizes*

Layout

· Don’t use busy backgrounds*

· Make sure there is good contrast between the text and background*

· Keep intense colors to a minimum*

· Select colors that are easy on the eye for several minutes of viewing

· Don’t hy-phen-ate

Consistency

· Text placement should be consistent*

· Check for consistency (parallelism) in content

· Bullets, fonts, colors, backgrounds, and formatting should also be consistent across all slides *

Additional Presenter Tips

· Arrive early to check out the equipment, lights, and set-up

· Give yourself time to feel prepared and confident

· Get oriented to rooms, lighting, and a-v

· Have somebody else proofread!

Readability

· It doesn’t matter how good your presentation is if nobody can read it.

· To check how your presentation will look when projected, view it on your computer screen from a distance of 10 feet.

Colors for Presenting

· Dark Room – dark background

· Light Room – light background

· 35 mm slides – dark background

· Overheads – light background

· Handouts – light background