Some Pointers on Power Points

Power points keep presentations interesting. They provide visual support for the presentation including pictures, sounds, videos, and important bullet points. The key to an effective PowerPoint though is to keep it looking sharp by not distracting the audience with too much. Your PowerPoint should support what you have to say, not the other way around. It is easy to get carried away because PowerPoint has so many options! The number one goal is not to distract your audience. 

Here are my five tips for PowerPoint:

1) Less is more- Make sure your slides have plenty of blank space. Too much writing or pictures on a page will distract the audience from your focus. They will spend more time reading your slides than listening to what you are saying. Highlight a few points of what you are saying.

2) Pictures speak louder than words- When possible use a picture in your presentation. You can edit pictures using Photo Shop or the tools provided on PowerPoint. Pictures provide a great visual display for your presentation.

3) Tie it all together- Use the same color scheme throughout your presentation. All the slides do not have to be the same color, but they should flow together. Keep the colors simple. This will make your images and text pop more in contrast.

4) Keep transitions simple- I know transitions like flying in or the typewriter may seem fun, but they are not. Do not use these! They are painfully annoying. Transitions should be simple and all the same. 

5) Practice- Make sure you spend time going over your presentation several times with the PowerPoint. Use the notes function to write down what you are going to talk about for each slide. Make sure your presentation flows. Practice will smooth out any kinks in the presentation.