Powerful PowerPoint Presentations

PowerPoint presentations are an effective way to make an impact. Today’s PowerPoint presentation software is easier to use than ever and the basic program (2007 and earlier) offers a huge range of layout options, transitions and a few other bells and whistles. Needless to say the upgrade versions (2010+) are even sexier and just as easy to work with. That said, the impact of a PowerPoint presentation can be compromised when the features used distract the reader or detract from the actual content. Cool if you’re hoping your professor won’t notice your work but probably not such a great idea if you’re looking for a decent grade.

These are some suggestions for creating PowerPoint presentations with impact not overkill.

Do:

Use animations within slides and slide transitions. These give the eye a pleasant respite from looking at a fixed point on the screen. You can make transitions fast or slow but personally I like a medium to slow transition. It gives the viewer time to adjust and if you are including voiceover or talking through the presentation, it gives you an opportunity to pause and recompose.

Do use voiceover. It is a great way to draw audience attention to specific details and highlight important points. Make sure you speak clearly and confidently though or the effect may me more negative than positive. On that note only include voiceover if you can produce clear, static (and other white noise) free high quality sound. Otherwise you are better off presenting in person or foregoing voice altogether.

Do make your PowerPoint presentation points briefly and concisely. PowerPoint presentations should not run on into so many pages that you lose the reader or by the end of the presentation he or she has forgotten your initial point. PowerPoint presentations should be designed to tell your story or make your case in a few pages, the fewer the better. You can always substantiate with further detail in a written submission or an accompanying oral presentation.

Do choose a design that that is appropriate for the topic and the audience. This may be a no brainer but pink and purple butterflies for a PowerPoint presentation covering industrial engineering doesn’t fit and it won’t feel right to the viewer.

Don’t:

Use sound transitions unless they are very quiet and definitely don’t use them in your PowerPoint presentation if you are including voiceover or presenting the slideshow in person. They will not sound sophisticated but rather more like an unwelcome interruption and if your timing isn’t perfect that interruption might occur at a very bad time. Imagine your audience is captivated, hanging on your every word and eagerly anticipating the moment of revelation and partway through your sentence there is a loud bell, a whoosh or worse – premature applause!

PowerPoint presentations that are jammed full of copy with small text squashed onto pages are unpleasant to look at, difficult to read and they do not make good viewing copy at all. Prepare your content so that you can make one or maybe two points at most per page. Then back up that information with two to five lines of supporting data.

Don’t include loud eclectic or overwhelming music in your PowerPoint presentation. Music is personal which is why elevator music is so popular in public places – it doesn’t offend. Include your favorite music at your peril, no matter how great you think that song is if your viewer hates it, that sentiment may inadvertently transfer to your PowerPoint presentation.

PowerPoint presentations are a powerful tool for making a case or stating a thesis. Used well they have visual and auditory impact that an oral or written presentation just can’t emulate. Used poorly and they can be a disaster. By all means use PowerPoint presentations as much as you can but plan carefully and consider your audience throughout the process.