Best Practices for Designing PowerPoints

Recently, I presented a faculty development session on this topic. You can watch the recorded archive of the presentation by following this URL: https://connect.regis.edu/p85835481/


In brief, here are 12 basic characteristics to address when you are creating a PowerPoint presentation:

1. Choosing a theme
   Keep it simple, avoid bright colors, patterns or obnoxious decorations
2. Fonts
   Limit your font variety, make sure it is large enough to read, use sans serif fonts, no not type in ALL CAPS
3. Color
   Use sparingly, make sure your text is legible, don't use color for emphasis
4. Text/ Content
   Keep text per slide to a minimum, explain visuals/graphics, use the notes area to explain your bullets
5. Images/Graphics
   these will help illustrate concepts, use only visuals that support your content, obey copyright laws, use notes to explain visuals
6. Length
   Keep as short as possible, chunk your content, Narrated presentations aim for 8 min or less, non-narrated 15-20 slides max.
7. Interaction
   Break up content with questions for reflection (before or after a slide), include a brief, self check quiz
8. Notes
   Make your PPT available for printing, include Notes when and if you generate a PDF
9. Errors
   check your facts, spell check, get a second pair of eyes to review
10. Animations/ Transitions
    Don't use them
11. Narration
    Increases interest, retention and understanding (if done properly), provide transcripts
12. Video
    use sparingly, obey copyright, Provide transcripts and/or closed captioning

For more information and resources check out my Delicious links on the topic:

http://delicious.com/niksmarks/powerpoint

http://delicious.com/niksmarks/presentations