NSF-IFREE-MARGINS Workshop
Izu-Bonin-Mariana Subduction System

Presentation Information

Suggestions for creating an effective PowerPoint presentation:

These are some general pointers, gathered from various sources, to keep in mind when making a PowerPoint presentation.

General

• Think carefully about what you have liked and disliked in all the presentations you have listened to. What caught your attention, and what was really awful?
• Plan carefully and start preparing in good time.
• Know your audience.
• Time your presentation.
• Practice your presentation.
• Speak comfortably and clearly.
• Emphasize content, not form (particularly important when using PowerPoint!).

Effective PowerPoint Slides

• Use design templates.
• Standardize position, colors and styles.
• Include only necessary information.
• Limit the information to essentials.
• Content should be self-evident.
• Use colors that contrast.*
• Be consistent and cautious with effects, transitions and animations; it is easy to overuse flashy effects.
• Too complex slides will confuse and distract.
• Tables with more than 4 rows x 4 columns cannot be read by the audience while they listen to you. If your table is bigger, consider using a diagram instead.
• Too many slides can lose your audience, and your message will be lost.

Text guidelines

• Avoid long sentences, or people will read the text, not listen to you.
• Generally no more than 7 words a line.
• Generally no more than 6 lines a slide.
• Font size should generally range from 18 to 48 point.
• Be sure text contrasts with background.*
• Fancy fonts can be hard to read.
• Unusual fonts may display unexpectedly if the presentation is not run on your own computer. Stick to standards, however boring that may be.
• Words in all capital letters are hard to read.
• Avoid abbreviations and acronyms.

Clip Art and Graphics

• Should balance the slide.
• Should enhance and complement the text, not overwhelm.
• No more than two graphics per slide.

* A classic no-no is red text on blue background, which the human eye is ill equipped to distinguish (it will give everyone a headache, too):