Activity

Be Consistent
One of the most important elements of any good PowerPoint presentation is consistency in the design from slide to slide. It might have been fun in 8th grade to experiment with all of the different font sizes and colors, but that’s not going to be viewed positively by your company homeworkpay executives. Make sure all slides have the same font and size for the most part. Use a color scheme that matches well, and don’t deviate from those choices. Having an inconsistent design could lead to people thinking more about your poor PowerPoint skills, than the point you are trying to get across.

Use the Room to Your Advantage
It is important to know where you are going to be giving this presentation. It also matters if there be windows letting sunlight glare in from outside. Another thing that matters is if there will be a darkened room for you to give your presentation. When choosing colors for your presentation, keep in mind how those colors will look when projected out on the big screen. It might look great on your laptop at home but be aware of the environment you will be presenting in. Use colors that will complement the color scheme in the room you are in to make it easier to look at the screen. If you don’t know what the room you are in looks like, sticking with black and white is usually a good choice, although a bit boring.

Get to the Point
When making a PowerPoint presentation, you should keep your slides clean and concise. You don’t need to write a novel on every slide. Decide what the key points of your talk are going to be, and then write key phrases based on those points. You can give more detail to your viewers verbally, as you move through the slides. A large block of text on the screen will be difficult to read anyway and people will tune out. Also, don’t just drone on and read the slides to the viewer, stop after each point and go into more detail.

Use Graphics and Images
The difference between a basic PowerPoint and a truly great one is often the artwork. Staring at a screen with nothing but text on it will cause your viewers to yawn and look at their watch. Try to find some eye-popping images to go with the text to keep your viewers interested. If you don’t have any specific images to use, Microsoft Word has free clipart included with it that is better than nothing. If you heard the phrase that a picture is worth a thousand words, this is true. Let the images in your presentation tell the story whenever possible.

Don’t Get Goofy
While images are important to a good presentation, you shouldn’t go overboard. Using video or animations can distract your viewer from what you are trying to show them. You can use animation if you want to drive a home a specific point, but use them too often, and you risk losing your message within all of the flashing graphics. Keep your audience in mind as well. If there is a particular video or animation that will play well with the crowd, use it as your opener. Good use of animations or video can make your presentation very effective, overuse can make you seem like a clown.

If you’ve never made a PowerPoint for a professional presentation before, there are some basic design tips you’ll want to keep in mind. Always be consistent with your font choice and color scheme. Don’t write large blocks of text, use key phrases instead. Use images and graphics to help keep your audience’s attention, but don’t overdo it with images or animations or you’ll risk losing people.