Creating an Effective PowerPoint Presentation

Colors, animations, and slides, oh my!

Ms. Mackenzie

Contents• Color• Projected Colors• Contrast• Consistency• Images and Colors• Text Size• Animations• Text & Presenting

Color

• Projected color versus LCD color• Contrast for visibility• Keep colors consistent• Match colors to images

Projected ColorsREDORANGEYELLOWGREENBLUEPURPLEWHITEBLACK

Contrast for Visibility

• This text is white. The background is red. This contrast makes it easy to read.

• This text is pink. This isn’t as easy to read as when the text was white.

• Even when it isn’t a shade of the same color, but a different color with the same hue, it can be hard to read.

Keeping Colors Consistent

• You will want a color ‘theme’ for your presentation. The same colors should be used throughout for the background, titles, and text boxes.

• An exception would be when you were just showing images…

Matching Colors to Images

• The next four slides will show the same image with a different background color. See what YOU think would fit best…

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Text Size• I bet you are probably squinting to read this. 12 point is good for papers but bad for presentations.

• This is font size 24 - the smallest text you should ever use.

• The font size this presentation has been using throughout is 32.

Animations

• Animations should ADD to your presentation not DISTRACT from your presentation.

• Animations should enhance the slides - making them more fluid.

• Animations and slide transitions should be consistent within the slide and entire presentation.

Flying In… For Example

• If you choose to have your words fly in, the direction and speed should be consistent.

• Here, the title dropped in from the top and the text box bullets are flying in from the right.

• Each flew in at the same speed.

Flying In - Text and Images

• Images should fly in first so that the audience can look at it.

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• If the image already has a direction - use it!QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressorare needed to see this picture.

• Try not to have whatever is being animated “run over” something already on the slide.

Titles, Text, and Images

• Slides should have the same basic formula:– A title– A text box– An image

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Text and Presenting• The words that you are using to show the audience in

your PowerPoint presentation should be chosen carefully. You will want to be as to-the-point as possible. Fragments and phrases with bullets are the ideal way of getting ideas across. Sometimes you may have to use a short, but complete sentence. Never, ever put a paragraph on a slide unless it is a quote that the entire audience needs to read. Never read to your audience. Use your bulleted items as your outline of what to say. Use your notes pages to help you remember the facts. Let’s try this again…

Text and Presenting

• Choose your words carefully. • Fragments and phrases with bullets • Complete, short sentences• Use paragraphs for important quotes

only! • Never read to your audience.

Credits

• Final Page• All images were obtained from

www.nasa.gov• MLA style for journals and web pages

Good Luck!