1. Start analogue
Spend time thinking about your presentation before opening PowerPoint. This way, you know exactly what your main headings are and which pieces of information you want to highlight.
2. Less is more
White space is the most under-estimated tool when it comes to presentations. The less clutter on a page, the easier it is to grasp the main point. An easy way of doing this is to simply add more slides! It’s better to have more slides with less on them, rather than a few which are jam packed.
Paragraphs are your audience’s enemy. Watching someone read of a slide isn’t only boring, it’s confusing too. Try to boil your content down to a couple of bullet points or even one central idea. If you’re nervous about forgetting what to say, turn on Presenter Mode so your notes only display on your screen and no one has to know a thing!
3. An image speaks a thousand words
Humans are visual creatures. Even a rough sketch can communicate an idea more than a snappy bullet point. Try leaving out the text and use a high-quality image or diagram instead. This will make your presentation more memorable for students when it comes to revision time.
4. Simple design and typography
Simple design choices make a big difference. Use a sans-serif font such as Arial, no smaller than 16pt and left aligned. This will make your information much easier to read.
Always use a flat background. If presenting in a dark room, try swapping out the blinding white background for a black one instead.
5. Mix it up
If all your slides are the same, even images get old. Keep your audience engaged by having a combination of text and image. Include a high-impact quotes or statements that stand alone on a slide to break up your images, and visa versa.
(not sure about a the conclusion) When in doubt, just Google. There are loads of inspiring ideas out there! Check out the UTS templates if you’re stuck and Unsplash for great royalty free images.
Feature image by Nikhita Singhal.
Great tips! The best presentations I’ve seen have few words, either images alone or a single word or two. Watch for obvious spelling and grammar errors too … and proofread one more time. 😉