Narrative
- Start with your audience. What do you want them to do as a result of your presentation? What is their likely level of knowledge about your subject? To what extent will you need to establish your credibility?
- Tell a good story: We remember good stories, not bullet points. Be sure to include authentic -- and personal -- anecdotes in your presentation.
Logic Flow
- Organize your thoughts on paper before working with PowerPoint. Sketch out your key messages – what you want your audience to remember, and structure your presentation (also called “storyboarding”) around those messages.
- Include a clear, preferably attention grabbing beginning, provocative and engaging content in the middle, and a clear conclusion.
Hint! If you are having trouble with your logic flow, write out every major and minor point you think you want to make on blank sheets of paper – one point per sheet. You can then lay out the sheets on a table or floor, and rearrange the ideas until you are satisfied with the flow. Add and subtract sheets to help you tell a stronger story.
Design Tips
- Divide topics into one or more slides and keep text to a minimum on each slide.
- Be consistent with title font and size, backgrounds, colors and slide transitions.
- For longer and more complex presentations, use running titles or a repeating graphic with respective elements of your presentation highlighted to help your audience track your logic flow.
- Incorporate blank slides to give your audience a visual break and to focus attention on more verbally-focused give and take, such as a group discussion or question and answer session.
- Use opening and closing slides so that the audience won’t see Microsoft PowerPoint screens before and after the presentation.
- Repeat certain elements throughout your presentation, such as colors, style, illustrations, format, layout, or typography to help tie the presentation together and give it visual coherence. Repeating a color throughout a presentation is a good way to tie it together.
- Use contrasting elements (colors, graphics, font and image sizes) to guide the eye around the slide.
- Watch for and create your own focal points.
Hint: Look at the screen and note what catches your eye in what order. Shift design elements around to reinforce your key points.
