SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR

MAKING YOUR SLIDES LOOK MORE PROFESSIONAL

Prepared by Dr. Joyce Swofford for the Department of Communicative Arts & Integrative Studies COMM courses

1. COLOR

· Use a consistent color scheme, using colors that blend well with each other. (Avoid black, white, gray combinations.)

· Keep your background color consistent, but that doesn’t mean it has to be exactly the same for each slide. For instance, for each sub-topic group of slides you could vary the background color slightly or actually change background colors as long as you keep within your color scheme.

· Be sure you have enough contrast in your background color and font color for your text to be easily readable, even in a partially lighted room. If possible, try out your slides in the room where you will speak, so that you can see differences in color depending upon the settings on the data projector and the lighting in the room.

· If you decide to use the gradient background effect, which can add a nice touch to your slides if it’s a gradual blend of complementary colors, be sure you vary the font brightness as your background varies in order to maintain a good contrast.

· A dark background with light-colored font is usually best, especially for a larger room, because it helps your eyes focus on the text. Bold-facing your text helps to strengthen the contrast. If using a dark background, navy blue is often used; using black is generally not pleasing to the eye. If using a light background, use either white text, cream, light yellow, or light blue.

· Make sure your color scheme is appropriate to the tone of your presentation.

2. FONT STYLE AND SIZE

· Choose a style that is appropriate for your topic and for the occasion (tone of presentation). Some styles have a more professional or serious “look” to them, and some have connotations of informality and entertainment.

· Maintain a consistent font style throughout your presentation, unless the variation is purposeful and meaningfully apparent to the audience.

· Change the font size according to the font style in order to maintain readability from the back 0f the room.

· The default setting on most computers is 44 for the title and 32 for the bulleted text. While 32 is probably ok, size 36 is often a more preferable size for the bulleted text. If the room is quite large, however, using size 40 for the bulleted text might be more easily readable. Increase the title size accordingly.

· Use phrases rather than complete sentences as your text. Sentences are too long, so they require a smaller font, and they are a distraction to the audience while they read the sentence and not listen to you. Additionally, too many speakers tend to read the entire sentence(s) off the slide rather than talking to the audience and letting the slide text just reinforce the verbal comments.

3. GRAPHICS

· Since PowerPoint offers such a wide variety of bullet styles, you can demonstrate a little uniqueness (not “cuteness”) with your choice of bullets, but be consistent on each slide, and probably on each set of slide groups (topic groups that you use for background variation).

· Stay consistent with your chosen color scheme for your bullets also. They can either contrast or be the same as the bulleted text, depending on the aesthetic appeal each offers.

· Using the prepared PowerPoint background graphics is fine, except that the whole world has access to these graphics, so you lose some originality in your slides.

· Try creating your own master template for your slides, using designs in one or two corners so as to achieve a polished effect that enhances the slide but does not detract from the text.

· A dean, crisp look is preferred to a cluttered appearance.

· Clip art, unless purposefully chosen for a special meaningful effect, should usually be avoided if you want your slides to look professional.

· Photos, if the color and picture are clear, and if the size seems appropriate for whatever other text you have on the slide, can greatly enhance a slide.

· Cartoons, if they are large enough and readable, provide humorous relief to your presentation, but too many cartoons lessen the credibility of your content.

4. MOVEMENT

· On you, the speaker, is where audience eyes should focus, not on your slides. Too much movement takes their attention away from what you are saying and onto the slides. The slides are there only to provide dual coding for your verbal content; don’t let the slide activity be the “show” of your presentation.

· Have all entrance of text on an individual slide consistent; in other words, don’t let some enter from the top, other enter from the left, and other spiral down from the corner. In fact, don’t vary too much from slide to slide, or your audience will begin guessing which way the text is coming in on the next slide, just like they start listening for vocal fillers when they occur too frequently in your comments.

· Transitions that move too slowly-—either from slide to slide or for text or graphics on an individual slide--cause a drag in your speech and allow the audience’s minds to have more “mental slack time” and thus wander away from the point of your verbal comments. Communication breakdown can occur when you lose the audience’s attention, even for a few seconds. Therefore, don’t let your lines enter the screen letter by letter, or even word by word.

· Likewise, if the transitions are too abrupt, too frequent, or too noticeable, the audience is distracted from your comments. Remember, your purpose is not to entertain your audience with your slides. Choose transitions that are “clean,” and use the same transition pattern throughout the presentation.

· Unless you have your comments perfectly timed to your presentation, use “animation on mouse click.” Using an external mouse or touching the space bar is not distracting and can be done with just a glance at the keyboard. If your comments about each line of bulleted text are short, it might be better to let them all enter together rather than bullet-by-bullet. Having your title line for the slide (if you have one), appear with the slide saves a mouse click and thus one less cause of presentation drag. Remember that you don’t need a title (visual topic announcement) on every slide.

· Having some items enter automatically and some enter on a mouse click can be effective if you can easily remember which is entering which way. You’ll lose your composure quickly if you’re waiting for something to enter automatically and it doesn’t. Have a clear system, or stick with mouse clicks.

· Links to the Internet are fine for your presentation if you think that it’s important for the audience to actually see the site you are referencing, but remember to have pertinent, planned comments for the transition time accessing the designated site. Having previously accessed the site just prior to your speech will speed up the re-accessing during your presentation. Such moments of silence or impromptu comments could lessen the effect of your presentation. While at the site, don’t just scroll through it as if you are looking at the site for the first or second time. Know exactly what you want to show at that website and exactly what you want to say. When finished with the website, just “x” it out to return to your PowerPoint presentation.

· You might consider using hyperlinks forward from your preview slide and back to your preview slide to make a transitional comment before going on to the next topic (bulleted text) listed on your preview slide. This will prevent you from having to make multiple copies of the preview slide as you move along in your comments and periodically relate back to your central idea and overall organizational plan.

5. SOUND

· Except for an apparent, meaningful purpose, sound on your slides when they are a visual aid to your presentation is not appropriate.

· For a self-running, automated presentation, sounds will help keep the interest of the viewer and thus keep his/her attention on your presentation. In these cases, entertainment is one of your goals because you don’t have a captive audience. Keep the sounds pleasant and useful in enhancing the meaning of the verbal content.

ONE LAST COMMENT: Prepare your text in outline view before you begin working in slide view. Your text must show continuity and be appropriate for emphasizing the comments you make in your speech. You can’t focus on your text if you’re concerned about the appearance of the slides.