Anyone who has basic PowerPoint skills can easily make a slide presentation. However, not everyone has the presentation skills to make effective PowerPoint presentations.
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Five Tips for an Effective PowerPoint Presentation
Here are some PowerPoint tips that you can use for your next Powerpoint presentation:
- Choose the Right Font
Use san-serif fonts (Arial, Helvetica, and Calibri), which are readable and available by default on most computers. Avoid using decorative texts on your slides. Use a font size no smaller than 24 pt for text to be readable on screens.
- Short and Straight to the Point
Your entire presentation should be straight to the point. A good Powerpoint presentation supports your speech and doesn’t overshadow you. Your slides should not be text-heavy to the point you read from the screen. Your slides are not your cheat sheets.
Use bullet points to highlight key points. Your actual presentation should be well-timed so as not to bore your audience.
- Use Quality Images
Good quality images are a must for effective PowerPoint presentations. Never use low-quality images in your slides, which won’t help make your slides look visually appealing. Well-chosen and high-quality images can enhance the audience’s understanding of your message.
- Contrast: Light Background or Dark Background
Contrasting colors help enhance the readability of your slides. Dark text is readable on a light background, while the light text is best paired with a dark background. It is best to avoid patterned backgrounds, for they look painful to the eyes.
It is advisable to use the slide master feature to have a simple and consistent design for your
slides. It is best to remain consistent with the font, color, and background. You can still make changes in individual slides to enhance content and visuals.
- Use Graphics and Simplify Data
Sometimes using graphics or images instead of text is the best way to send your message to your audience. The use of graphics and visual elements can help explain complex information in a more simple manner.
There are several visual elements that you can use for your PowerPoint presentation, like graphs, charts, tables, infographics, videos, gifs, and many more.
It was mentioned earlier that a text-heavy slide deck should be avoided at all costs. Hence, aside from using bullet points, data can be simplified by using graphs and tables.
Refrain from cramming your tables with so much information. Visualize your tables as simply as possible by deleting unnecessary borders or outlines.
Final Thoughts
Whether you are making academic or business presentations, the five tips above can help make your Powerpoint presentation more effective and impactful.
The success of your PowerPoint presentation is not just based on the presentation’s content and slide design. It is also about how you confidently deliver your message and how engaging your overall presentation is.