PowerPoint Stylesheet

       ......based on Color, Movement, Purpose by Scott Smith

PURPOSE Why am I doing presentation? What affect do I want to occur?

  • Teach – Inform – Sell – Motivate – Persuade- define specific purpose
  • Design last slide first- relate it directly to purpose
  • Each & Every Visual should lead to desired objective
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    MOVEMENT Use it to emphasize your material and support your purpose.

  • Direct eye movement within slides to boost audience understanding and retaining of information
  • Use body language, eye contact, and gestures to dramatically increase communication with audience

    • COLOR Use color to affect audience mood, interest, motivation and perception.

  • Color causes emotional response- study info on this topic before choosing color schemes and accents- fit them to purpose
  • Audience attention span for black-and-white is shorter, and will reflect light/ glare more than color. Use only as accents
    •

    POINTS TO PONDER

    1. Maximum retention of information occurs the more senses are involved.

  • In nature, first we see, then say, then write (not reverse)
  • See / Say / Write (Visual Vocal Verbal) is most effective pattern in communication, maximum comprehension and retention
    •

    2. Graphics (when relevant and well placed) used in electronic presentation
    • New material learned 3x faster
    • Meeting times reduced 28%
    • Emphasize concepts, not "wordiness"

    GUIDELINES KISS- Keep It Simple, Sam! Don’t get fancy without a good reason.

    1. Hand Out more than you say; Say more than you Show.

    2. The PowerPoint Presentation

      • Introduction should be 10% of show. Make it inviting.

      • Body should be 70%.

      • Conclusion, 20%, should summarize and re-emphasize purpose.

    3. SIZES

      1. 8 – to - 1 rule: 8 times the height of your projected image is the maximum viewing distance. 6’ screen image x 8= 48’ viewing range.

      2. Lay out sketch of slides on ˝ sheet of paper, including clipart ideas. This will help you stay away from clutter and too many words.

        3.

    4. SLIDE LAYOUT

  • Use a virtual ˝ inch margin

  • Compose message in phrases or bullets

  • Use maximum of 6 bullets

  • Use maximum of 7 words per bullet/phrase

  • MINIMUM 20 point font size for text - Do not go smaller.

  • Use contrasting colors for background and text

    •

       5. PICTURE WORTH 1000 WORDS:

    • Combine geometric shapes, graphics, arrows, and text to help direct viewers’ eyes. Use symbols to shorten phrases and comprehension time

    • Eye scans WHOLE geometric shape when it sees one. Incorporate into slide to direct eve of viewer

    • Incorporate "3-D" looking objects- put text inside larger pictures that relate to information (ex.- watch with pie chart of time distribution)

    1. FONT ADVICE

      2.

      1. FANCY CAPS ARE HARD TO READ- use sparingly.

        2.

      2. Sans Serif fonts (no little extensions- plain) make GREAT HEADLINES!

      3. Serif Fonts (little extensions on letters) are easy to read- for text.

      4. Mixed colors are hard to read. Most readable- deep blue background with white or yellow letters

      5. MORE THAN SEVEN CONSECUTIVE UPPER CASE WORDS WILL CAUSE AUDIENCE TO READ IT AGAIN. so …

      6. Use UPPER CASE for emphasis in your slides, not for whole lines.

        7.

    2. HAP’NIN’ HEADLINES: lively up your titles for memorable show

    3. Movement within slides (using viewer’s eye movement)

      1. Control at what, when, and where your audience looks

      2. Build point-by point- dim color on everything but current point

      3. Use right-click with cursor on slide element, select "custom animation" to choose ways of adding each new element

      4. Sound effects- right click on element and choose sound effect

        5.

    4. COLOR- most powerful tool for MOOD, and how viewer feels about info

      1. 22% of males – red-green colorblind. Avoid for charts, sequences

      2. Large areas of color cause powerful emotional response. Choose BACKGROUNDS with care, look up which color causes what emotion

      3. AVOID multicolor approach unless Circus is the topic

      4. Sequences like bar graph- use dark to light from L-R or low to high

      5. Deliberately breaking guidelines may cause audience to look twice

        6.

    10. PRESENTING- PowerPoint message takes focus off you, helps nervousness

    1. The Room- stand or sit at left side of screen, 45% angle, NEVER turn your back. You can see screen and audience from this position.

    2. The Audience- Make eye contact, reach out with hand to encourage questions or comments. Remember to smile.

    3. Your Body- should stay quiet, hands loosely at sides. Gesture with hand for emphasis to screen, to audience for questions or comments

    4. Your Voice- take deep breaths and speak so everyone can hear. Use a microphone if you can’t project.

    5. Practice, Practice, Practice! So you can BE YOURSELF, PRESENTING!

    6. FINISH WITH A SMILE!

      7.
     

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