How to design a presentation that works

Part I: Slide Design

When I tell you you’re about to watch a PowerPoint presentation, what’s your

initial reaction, and why?

February 1, 2003

February 1, 2003

David M. Brown Laurel B. Clark Michael P. Anderson Ilan Ramon

Rick D. Husband Kalpana Chawla William C. McCool

Why did they die?

According to Edward Tufte…

PowerPoint.

Boeing PowerPoint hid potential danger

So, is PowerPoint evil?

Does it destroy critical thought?

The Cognitive Style of Powerpoint. 2005. Photograph. The Works of Edward Tufte and Graphics Press. By Edward Tufte. 6 Sept. 2005. Web. 30 Dec. 2010. <http://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/powerpoint>.

Does it destroy student attention and learning?

Manalaysay, Mark. Sleeping. Photograph. Stockvault. 24 May 2007. Web. 30 Dec. 2010. <http://www.stockvault.net/photo/103223/sleeping>.

According to Richard E. Mayer…

No.

Multimedia presentations increase retention and deep

learning.

PowerPoint is not evil.

But bad design is.

Design matters.

Most of our instincts and intuitions are wrong.

None of these actually matter

• Information-rich• Technologically advanced• Aesthetically pleasing

So, what does matter?

Slide Design

• Headlines

• Images• Details

Engagement

• Curiosity• Conflict

Structure

• Organizers

• Interaction

Slide Design

Create Clear Headlines

Write a clear headline at the top of the slide

subject verb

Headline = Main idea = A sentence

One idea per slide.

Fossil Fuels: Who has what?

Before63% correct

OPEC countries control about 75% of the world’s oil

81% correct

(+ 18%)

Why do the plates move?

Miller, 2004

•Convection

•Heat is from nuclear fission. •Uranium, Thorium, are large “unstable” atoms which break down to produce, smaller atoms, heat, and radioactivity

Before54% correct

Plates move because of convection caused by heat from decay of radioactive elements in the

mantle

[Miller, 2004]

Uranium and Thorium are large “unstable” atoms

break down to produce smaller atoms, heat, and radioactivity

Ocean

86% correct

(+ 31%)

Really, each slide is a paragraph.

Muhammad’s Death

• Muhammad left no male heir, and no instructions for succession (who would follow him as leader)

• Muslims split into two factions:– “Shia”

• Leaders should be appointed by Muhammad or God• Imam (leader) is sinless and infallible• Shia reject the Hadith – narrated traditons

– “Sunni”• Leaders must be elected

Muhammad’s death split Islam in two.

Your turn:

Create clear headlines

•Fold your paper in half (like a taco).

•Pretend the top half is your new slide.

•Write down a clear headline – the single, driving MAIN IDEA of the slide.

Slide Design

Create Clear HeadlinesAdd Pictures

Add pictures to words

Label important images or parts

Thomas JeffersonRobert E. Lee’s Amnesty Oath

Iron • An abundant metal, makes up 5.6% of

earth’s crust • Properties:

– shaped, sharpened, welded– strong, durable

• Accounts for >95% of metals used• Iron ores discovered in 1844 in

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula• Soon found other ores in upper

Wisconsin and Minnesota

Kesler 1994

Iron Ore Distribution

Before59% recall

[Kesler 1994]

Iron Ore Distribution

[www.star-bits.com]

Iron ore

Iron ores make up 5.6% of the earth’s crustand account for 95% of the metals used

Can be shaped, sharpened, and welded

Is strong and durable

Iron

77% recall(+ 18%)

Use clearly contrasting colors

Fill the page.

Specific images beat generic ones.

Specific images beat generic ones.

Use diagrams.

You can draw your

own images.

You can take your own photos.

You can take your own photos.

Muhammad’s Death

• Muhammad left no male heir, and no instructions for succession (who would follow him as leader)

• Muslims split into two factions:– “Shia”

• Leaders should be appointed by Muhammad or God• Imam (leader) is sinless and infallible• Shia reject the Hadith – narrated traditons

– “Sunni”• Leaders must be elected

When Muhammad died, Islam split in two.

Shia

Sunni

Your turn:

On your piece of paper, draw what you think might be the best possible image or images you could find, and

label them (if that is sensible).

Add pictures

So, what do you do with all the other information?

Hide it.

Speak it.

Slide Design

Create Clear HeadlinesAdd PicturesHide Details

Talking works better than writing

• Don’t read this. Really. Just try not to read this. But reading is involuntary, so you probably already have.

• You have probably also seen slides that have all sorts of great, detailed information in the bullet points.

• Either presenters just read the bullet points word for word, in which case, just shoot me now.

• Or presenters will write things they DON’T say in the bullet points, which means that people in the audience actually stop listening to the presenter, and just read, instead.

>

Why?

We can process 2 kinds of information simultaneously

BUT we have limited processing capacity

Sensory Input Long-Term Memory

Working Memory

Written text takes up both channels

Sensory Input Long-Term Memory

Working Memory

TEXT

Put details in the speaker notes section.

You can post your presentation online or print it out.

Do not add interesting pictures and words…

Lincoln unified the country.

…if they are irrelevant to the CONCEPT.

Lincoln unified the country.

The Last Photo Of Lincoln Ever Taken

“Before Abraham Lincoln, there had never been a U.S. President with a beard. Since his presidency, four presidents have had full beards.”

Anything that doesn’t relate to the main idea destroys learning.

Pictures

WordsWordsWords

Motions

Sounds

Anything that doesn’t relate to the main idea destroys learning.

Pictures

WordsWordsWords

Motions

Sounds

Background

s

TOPIC:Abraham Lincoln

All information must relate to the CONCEPT, not just the TOPIC.

CONCEPT:Abraham Lincoln

united the country.

Your turn:

On your new draft, jot down the important details you’d want students to remember.

Put details in notes

How To Design A Slide

Add ImagesCreate Clear Headlines

Put Details In Notes

REVIEW

On your own piece of paper, redesign the

following slide:

“Break any of these

rules sooner

than say anything outright

barbarous.”

Feedback

On your card, please write:1. How much you learned, on a scale

of 1 – 102. What was the most important thing

you learned about slide design?3. How could I make this better for

next time?

Some copyright-free sources:

• Creative Commons Search: http://search.creativecommons.org

– Search 7 different search engines for different kinds of media licensed under creative commons.

• MorgueFile.com: http://www.morguefile.com/

– The terms of service for using the photos on this site are available on the site. If you wish to use any of the photos, please read the terms of service.

• FreeStockPhotos.com: http://freestockphotos.com/

– All photos are free to use for non-commercial purposes. You must cite the Web site for each photo you use.