Creating Effective PowerPoint Presentations

D’Amour Library12 March 2008

Jessica Kem Gorman

Today’s Goals• Using PowerPoint as a

presentation aid• Using good design principles• Selecting bells and whistles• Creating the right finished

product

Criticisms of PowerPoint• Bullet points reduce complex

ideas to oversimplified, dumbed-down bits.

• Microsoft’s templates and add-ins make presentations generic, annoying, and too sales-pitchy.

• PowerPoint = teleprompter?• Add your own: ________________

PowerPoint is a competent slide manager and projector. But rather than supplementing a presentation, it has become a substitute for it. Such misuse ignores the most important rule of speaking: Respect your audience. -Edward Tufte

Planning and Organizing the Presentation

• Prioritizing and Outlining• Group delegating & rehearsal• Information Overload• Minutes per slide• Spontaneity

Allowing Powerpoint to Enhance the Presentation

• Reading slides• Intended interruptions• Evocative images, words

What is the best way to help my audience visualize what I’m trying to communicate? • Text: bullet points or paragraphs?• Graphs/Charts• Photos• Sounds• Link to external video or web site

Good Design• Matching format to

content• Emphasis• Readability• Consistency

Templates | Master Slides | Fonts

Sans-serif:–40 point Tw Cen MT– 20 point Tw Cen MT

Serif:–40 point Times New

Roman– 20 point Times New Roman

Light blue text on blue backgroundLight blue text on blue backgroundLight blue text on blue backgroundLight blue text on blue backgroundLight blue text on blue background

Black text on blue backgroundBlack text on blue backgroundBlack text on blue backgroundBlack text on blue backgroundBlack text on blue backgroundBlack text on blue background

Black Serif Font on White Background

"On the Decline of Oracles“ by Sylvia Plath Sylvia Plath (1932-1963) was born in Boston, and her

work reflects both her New England heritage and the landscape of England where she later lived with her husband, poet Ted Hughes. What Hughes called her "crackling verbal energy" is apparent in her poems' biting precision of word and image. Gestures in her life of defiance and ecstasy, love or despair, are reimagined in brilliant archetypal patterns. In the year before her suicide, she was writing the poems that secured her fame -- poems about her children and her failed marriage, about death and her imagination.

November 2004 State Cross-Industry estimates ST OCC_CODE OCC_TITLE TOT_EMP H_MEAN A_MEAN

MA 00-0000 All Occupations 3129090 21.78 45290

MA 11-0000 Management occupations 207690 46.58 96880

MA 11-1011 Chief executives 21170 67.78 140980

MA 11-1021 General and operations managers 50430 48.61 101100

MA 11-2011 Advertising and promotions managers 1630 44.26 92050

MA 11-2021 Marketing managers 7730 54.41 113170

MA 11-2022 Sales managers 11070 51.90 107950

MA 11-2031 Public relations managers 1920 45.04 93690

MA 11-3011 Administrative services managers 8620 34.97 72750

MA 11-3021 Computer and information systems managers 11170 51.30 106690

MA 11-3031 Financial managers 20250 47.40 98590

MA 11-3041 Compensation and benefits managers 2020 46.50 96730

MA 11-3042 Training and development managers 1180 45.65 94950

MA 11-3049 Human resources managers, all other 1750 46.16 96010

MA 11-3051 Industrial production managers 4000 42.70 88820

MA 11-3061 Purchasing managers 2520 40.78 84830

Nathan Lane: Fame and Nathan Lane: Fame and MisfortuneMisfortune

Amid the praise and scrutiny that come with Amid the praise and scrutiny that come with increased fame, Lane has been faced with increased fame, Lane has been faced with personal and professional struggles. Demand for personal and professional struggles. Demand for Lane's talents has resulted in scheduling conflicts Lane's talents has resulted in scheduling conflicts that, unlike that, unlike ForumForum, were not happily resolved. , were not happily resolved. When Fine Line Pictures optioned When Fine Line Pictures optioned Love! Valour! Love! Valour! Compassion!,Compassion!, Lane agreed to recreate the role of Lane agreed to recreate the role of Buzz. However, delays developed and Lane--Buzz. However, delays developed and Lane--without a contract for the film--took a television without a contract for the film--took a television assignment that would not allow him to keep his assignment that would not allow him to keep his verbal promise. Terrence McNally felt betrayed by verbal promise. Terrence McNally felt betrayed by this decision and has not spoken to the actor this decision and has not spoken to the actor since. "It's not because I didn't do the movie of since. "It's not because I didn't do the movie of Love! Valour! Compassion!Love! Valour! Compassion! It's because of other It's because of other things. It's like, `Pass the salt, and by the way, things. It's like, `Pass the salt, and by the way, you ruined my life.' He's angry; I think he's you ruined my life.' He's angry; I think he's resentful about my success," Lane told resentful about my success," Lane told EsquireEsquire. . Meanwhile, critics and fans are bemoaning the Meanwhile, critics and fans are bemoaning the hopefully temporary rift between the actor and hopefully temporary rift between the actor and playwright.playwright.

“Nathan Lane.” Newsmakers 1996, Issue 4. Gale Research, 1996. Biography Resource Center. Gale, 2008.

Notes | Handouts | Rehearsal

Play it Safe!

• Saving!• Compressing!• Backup plans!

Imag

e/Vi

deo

Cre

dits

Background image“Stage Shadows” by lcars on flickr.com

Gettysburg PowerPointby Peter Norvig

The Colbert Reporton Comedy Central

Nathan LaneBiography Resource Center

Love, Valor, Compassion!AnthonyHeald.comAmazon.com

Polish“After work, before dinner polish” by juicyrai on flickr.com

Medicine cap“Child Proof” by bcostin on flickr.com

Death by PowerPointby Alex Kasperev on SlideShare