Guidelines for Preparing Slides

1
Guidelines for Preparing Slides

• By
• Instructional Computing Facility
• Harvard University
• Modifications/additions by
• Bill Tobin, WJT Associates

2
Company logo, formats etc.

• Make sure the slides background layout
• leaves enough room for your presentation.

3
Company logo, formats etc.

• Make sure the color of the company logo
• doesnt clash with the color of your
• typeface or the predominate color of
• your illustrations.

4
Company logo, formats etc.

• The company logo will not add to credibility
• or close the sale. Make sure the logo
• doesnt so overwhelm the slide that the
• Logo becomes the presentation.

5
The first slides
The title slide should contain the topic to be
presented.
On a separate slide include the specific
topics/arguments/ justifications covered in
the presentation.
Subsequent slides should follow the points of
the first and second slides.
6
Use Bullets, Not Numbers

• Bullets imply no significant order
• Use numbers only to show rank or sequence

7
No More than One Topic per Slide
What about that hockey game last night, eh?
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No More than One Topic per Slide
It is easier to have many simple slides to
explain a topic than one with too much
information.
9
No More than One Topic per Slide
As a rule of thumb no slide should remain
projected for longer than 30 seconds.
1 hour presentation 120 slides 45 minute
presentation with 15 minutes for questions 90
slides
10
COUNT SLIDE For Day long seminar
8009001000-1015-1100-1200
1200-12-30 LUNCH
Without questions
1230100200-215-300-400-500
7 hours
Questions during the presentation will add to
average cycle time.
Recommended AM 150-225 Slides
PM 130-195 Slides
without count or title slide
11
COUNT SLIDE For sales presentations
Ideal time for most slides
Without questions
Slides of this length are considered wallpaper
by the audience (boring)
Questions during the presentation will add to
average cycle time.
12
Use the 6 X 6 rule

• 6 lines of text
• 6 words per line

13
Allow plenty of room around borders and
(readable) illustrations
14
Select Readable Type SizeThis is 40 point

• Minimum 36 point for titles
• 24 point for body text(almost unreadable for
  most uses)
• This is 32 point

45 point 40 point 35 point 30 point 25 point 20
point 15 point 10 point
15
Adjust Lettering to discriminate or emphasize

• Add backgrounds to the body element
• emphasize important statements or words with
  bold, italic, larger size or different fonts.
• Make titles a larger type size than body elements

16
Choose Background Color Carefully

• Use the same color consistently throughout the
  presentation when presenting one topic or theme
• Use light letters on a dark background

17
Choose Background Color Carefully

• Use different background colors if the
  presentation covers diverse topics i.e.
• Topic one Managing the warehouse.
• Topic two Additional equipment requirements
• Use contrasting letters to the background

18
To determine if a slide is legible when
projected, If you can read it out loud in 5
seconds or less, it is probably OK
19
If you have to turn your back on the audience to
read the slide, it has too much information.
20
Long sentences require small type and are usually
not as understandable as only using KEY phrases.
The presentation should not be self explanatory.
The Presenter should do the explaining. To sum
up

• Only use key phrases
• Explain them verbally

21
Colors

• Avoid placing saturated primary colors (red,
  green or blue) adjacent to each other.
• They may create a third color where the two
  colors meet.

22
Use Solid Colors instead of fill Patterns on
Charts

• Patterns on bars or pie slices cause confusion.
• Solid colors convey a clear bold message

23
Charts Graphs and Visuals

• Line graphs with multiple lines should be
  animated putting one line over the next so that
  the total graph is explainable.
• Graphs, equations etc. should be readily
  understood. If not, use several slides instead
  of dwelling on one for a long time.

24
Animation

• Animation brings variety SO LONG AS every slide
  doesnt have the same type of animation.
• Vary the type of animation you use.
• Dont animate every slide.

• Dont put Animation behind text. The audience
  will
• look at movement and NOT read the text

25
Your Slides are Not your Presentation

• Your slides are a focus for your presentation
• Your presentation is not proof of your request,
  argument, or justification

26
Your Slides are Not your Presentation

• Your handout is proof
• You present your proof with slides to focus
  interest on what you think is important

27
You cant stop talking

• Recall You cannot start talking until
• the audience has finished reading (dont
• use long sentences or complex charts)

• But You cant stop talking

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You cant stop talking

• So You end up reading your slide to the
  audience.

• Which is Really annoying

29
You cant stop talking

• Note Your reading the key phrases should prompt
  you to explain the slide.
• Which is Why you have the presentation in the
  first place.

30
Additional equipment

• Use a radio frequency or infrared slide changer.
  This allows you to walk away from the computer
  while you are talking.

31
Additional equipment

• The best laser pointers are GREEN LASERS. Their
  beam is more intense and brighter. (In some
  countries they are considered weapons and are
  illegal)

32
Additional equipment

• Have a flip chart and dry markers near so that
  you can explain something your slide didnt.
• Have extra markers in case one dries out

33
Additional equipment

• If possible use a lapel microphone with remote
  broadcast if you are speaking to more than 30
  people. Make sure you know how to turn it on and
  off.

34
Additional equipment

• Have spare laser pointers and microphones
  available if the current ones go dead.

35
Additional equipment

• Make sure the presentation room is dark or light
  enough to see your slides BEFORE your
  presentation.

36
Use Simple Tables to Present Numbers
37
Clipart

• Use Clipart minimally.
• Clipart can enhance your presentation, highlight
  certain points, and add richness. HOWEVER dont
  be cute, silly or inappropriate.

38
Clipart

• ONLY Add Clipart where appropriate
• If ever

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Pictures and Bitmaps
Must be large enough to ready and understand
almost immediately. (can you find Libya?)
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When done creating your presentation use
SPELLCHECK.Use SPELLCHECK on your written
handouts. Write in plain declarative sentences
using simple English. Try to avoid Corpspeak
or Technobabble terms if possible.
41
Questions and answers
Option 1 (most convenient) hold all questions
until the end of the presentation.
Advantages You can finish your presentation
before you run out of time. Disadvantages You
may be requested to further explain a slide that
you have to hunt for.
42
Questions and answers
Option 2 (can be time consuming) Invite/allow
questions during the presentation.
Advantages The question will be timely using
the slide currently on the screen. Disadvantages
You must be careful on time management
otherwise you may not have finished your
presentation before you run out of time
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Questions and answers
Option 3 (least polite but most convenient)
Allow questions only on the current slide but
warn class you will not go back to explain a
previous slide. Advantages keeps the questions
on point. You dont have to hunt for the slide
in question. Disadvantages You may seem rude
and abrupt.
44
Questions and answers
With a good handout, you can briefly answer the
question then refer to your handout for an
in-depth explanation.
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HANDOUTS

• Your handout is a written explanation
• of the presentation.

• NEVER use a copy of your slides as the
• handout. It doesnt enhance anything.

• You can illustrate your handout using slides
• but ONLY if they are readable when reduced
• to the size that youve inserted into the text.

• Handouts can have complex tables. They are
• easier to read than when projected.

46
Rehearse until the presentation is second
nature.Do a trial presentation with someone as
a check on timing, informationpresented and
readabilityof the slides before the real
presentation.
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The last slide
It is not professional to leave the last slide
on the screen or have the computer show End
of slideshow Click to exit. Have your last
slide say Thank you or your last two slides
say Thank you Questions?
48
Questions? If theyre not too hard