PowerPoint Do's and Don'ts

PowerPoint is great tool to enhance your presentations，but far too often we let it overwhelm us and our message.

The following are some simple tips for making the best use of PowerPoint 

1.Use legible type size.Titles should at least 36 to 40 points, bulleted text or body copy at least 24 points.

2.Be brief. A good rule of thumb is cut paragraphs down to sentences, sentences into phrases, and phrases into keywords.

3.Use keywords to help your audience force on your message.

4.Enhance readability.Don't crowd your slides. Use normal case(not all case) and punctuate sparingly.

5.Make every word and image count. Each one should help convey your message in the strongest possible way.

6.Limit the number of slides. A good rule of thumb is one slide per minute.

---

Let's take a look at the don'ts.

1.Don't overuse special effects.Use sound, animation, and other effects to emphasize major points, but don't let them become distracting.

2.Don't use too many words or include non-essential information.

3.Avoid hard-to-read color combinations such as red/green, brown/green, blue/purple. Aim for high contrast between the background and text.

4.After you've created your slides, don't forget to go back and edit. Take out sentences and replace them with keywords and phrases.

5.Don't include slides you can live without.

6.Don't make it too long. Cut your presentation by as much as half so that your slides are streamlined.