How To Make an Effective Powerpoint Presentation

1. Theme – Pick a design that is appropriate.  Match the industry (consulting, educational, etc) to grab your audience's attention.  Be simple, use fewer images, or be more creative, based on the nature or field.

2. Layout – Avoid using paragraphs if appropriate except for the part of a case study or a similar type of format.  Bullet points allow your audience to listen and read the slide at the same time.  In short, it will keep them on the same track. Most presentations use blue as background because it’s cooler to the eye. Even businesses prefer this color for their logo or packaging because it symbolizes dependability.  The background should not overshadow the text. In some fields, they use the 8x8 rule: 8 words per line and 8 lines per slide.  Use phrases instead of sentences. 

3. Text – Make sure the typeface (aka font) & color are easy to read. Highlight or italicize important words. 

4. Aids – Videos or audios are great tools in improving your presentation depending on your topic.  Keep in mind that online attachments might not work during your presentation. Tables or graphs should explain your points by themselves. Choose images that will not distract yourself or your audience.

5. Content – Define unfamiliar terms.  Show your expertise on the topic by doing extra research or supporting it with your personal knowledge.  Follow all the requirements. Here's my recent presentation (nutrition class) with a grade of 21 points out of 25.

Presentation Design for Medical Research Study

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6. Preparation – Practice before your presentation except when you confident that everything will run smoothly.  Always double check the slides for flaws or just in case a group mate made changes without letting you know.  

7. The big day – You might need an icebreaker to start if necessary. Avoid reading your slides, note cards or papers word by word except when defining a term.  Show your vocabulary skills by replacing some words with their synonyms. Don’t forget that you are completing the phrases here with sentences and giving more information. Avoid saying "um" or slang words. Keep an eye contact with your audience.  It’s also important that you are not preoccupied with something else.  Your performance can be affected if your group has personal issues or under prepared. Your goal is to overcome that and it’s a good idea to have a backup plan.

Copyright 2012