- Design Guidelines:
- Follow the 5 X 5 Rule - No more than 5 words per line and no more than 5 lines on a slide.
- All text should be 18 points or larger.
- Fonts should be easy to read - stick with Power Point's suggested font for the theme.
- Use no more than two levels of bullets (Level 1 headings for main topics and Level 2 headings for subtopics).
- Emphasize text with bold, italic, size, color, and spacing formatting.
- Choose one theme or background color and use that for all the slides. Pick a theme that corresponds to your topic if possible.
- Sound effects for text and slide transition are annoying and distracting.
- For a 10 minute presentation - you should have no more than 10 slides.
- Text Guidelines:
- Avoid using all caps. (All caps are more difficult to read than upper and lower case type.)
- Write phrases, not sentences.
- Avoid underlining text. Use italic or bold type instead.
- Shadowed text can help text stand out, but make sure it looks good on the chosen background. Use only on Slide Headings.
- If text is placed over a color graphic, make sure the text is readable on all parts of the slide.
- Allow for margins on slides.
- Make sure everything on the slide can be seen or read - Use the preview button.
- Graphics Guidelines:
- Choose graphics that relate to the topic.
- Make use of white space.
- Limit the number of graphics per slide.
- Color Guidelines:
- Use a limited number of colors.
- Choose colors that contrast for text and background.
- Because some people have problems distinguishing certain colors, avoid using certain color combinations including: red/green, brown/green, blue/black, and blue/purple.
- Use cool and muted colors for backgrounds. Bright warm colors are hard to look at for a long period of time.
- Light backgrounds with dark text can be used to create a soft look.
- Use PowerPoint's built-in color schemes.
- Presentation Guidelines
- Don't talk over your slides. Allow a few seconds for the audience to read the screen.
- The audience is there to listen to you - not read your slides.
- The content of the presentation is in what you say - not what is on the Power Point slide.
- Maintain eye contact with the audience - not with the screen.
These Guidelines were revised from:
Tuscaloosa City Schools http://www.online.tusc.k12.al.us/tutorials/ppttips/ppttips.htm