PowerPoint Presentations

There are many articles with good advice about using PowerPoint. The three articles we used in class brought up a variety of good tips that covered everything from the most important pointers to the most offensive errors. Although much of the advice is more technical, one important thing to keep in mind is that the PowerPoint should only be used as an aid to clarify your point; it should not contain your entire presentation.

Sometimes when creating a PowerPoint it can be hard to stick to so many rules. I think a few basic guidelines would be really helpful to use as a checklist when looking over the finished presentation.

1. Each slide is like a note card for both you and the audience. It reminds you of the order of your presentation so you don't forget any major points and it helps your audience stay focused by giving them a clear visual.

2. Have an aesthetically pleasing background. This means nothing busy or flashy.

3. It is really important to keep your audience in mind. Don't always assume a certain level of background knowledge. Over complicating the topic is just as bad as skimming the surface; the audience doesn't appreciate either.

4. The slide order should allow you to smoothly transition from one point to another. Bad organization makes it hard for the audience to follow you.

5. Use appropriate pictures to support your bullets. The pictures you use greatly influence the tone of your presentation and too many will also leave it cluttered.