A few years ago, we wrote the 7 Cures Series to help people with various problems they asked us about. The information is still useful.
In this article, I explain what to do to avoid “death by PowerPoint.”
- Consider your audience.
A presentation to a highly technical audience should be different than a presentation made to beginners. Think about that difference when you create your presentation. Use terminology your audience will understand. Use an outline to organize your ideas and keep to the point. Dispense with the irrelevant. - Limit the amount of text on a slide.
If the information on one slide is too long, break it up the information into two (or more) slides. Limit headlines and bullet points to fewer than 6 or 7 words. - Don’t emphasize everything.
If you emphasize everything; in the end, you emphasize nothing. Use bold type sparingly and consistently. Don’t use script or other hard-to-read fonts. Consider the members of your audience who will be viewing your presentation from the back of the room. - Use common sense when selecting colors.
Use contrasting colors, but be sure to choose color combinations that are easy to read. For example red on green gives you a headache. In general use light text on a dark background. Choose colors for a purpose; the less you use a color the more impact it has. - Use diagrams, charts, and maps to show relationships.
Sometimes words aren’t the best way to convey information. If the information would be more compelling as a chart, take the time to create a chart. Make all your visuals simple and easy to understand. - Don’t use complicated terms.
Even power nerds appreciate it when you don’t overload them with jargon. If you introduce a new term, define it. Use simple, lively language that engages the audience. A bored audience is not a happy audience. - Don’t let the medium overpower the message.
A presentation is supposed to support what you are saying, not eclipse it. Do not use every gee whiz neat-o feature in your presentation software. If people are spending time trying to decipher a font or are wondering what software you used to create a graphic, they are probably not listening to what you are saying.