Tips for Successful PowerPointing

I found the various articles on PowerPoint very interesting because PowerPoint has become such an important tool in many careers today, as well as a prominent teaching tool in the modern classroom. As a result, we as student have come in contact with—and will continue to come into contact with—PowerPoint throughout our lives.
In reading the links, I especially enjoyed the discussion of audience involvement. I can remember so many times when I have simply read a presenter’s slide and lost focus of his or her words because it was all repetition. In the article titled Really Bad PowerPoint (And How to Avoid It), author Seth Godin discusses the importance of emotion in presentation. This really resonated with me: a boring presentation just makes the audience automatically assume, boring presenter. I will really try to incorporate more emotion in addition to the information and logic on future presentation slides!
As the student who complains about the boring, wordy presentations I have seen both in the school and work settings, I feel the need to better my own PowerPoint ways as well as sharing what I have learned with the world. Do us all a favor when you write your next PowerPoint slide and,
· Avoid excessive bullet points and information on slides
· Do not be afraid of blank space! Do not feel the need to fill the entire slide with stuff.
· Avoid repeating exactly what is on the slide. We can read it, and we know you can too, so add something to it by elaborating or explaining.
· Avoid excessive animation or sounds. Some fancy animation can contribute to the attractiveness of your presentation, but don’t confuse the audience with tons of animation.
· Double check your formatting: a presentation with lots of colors, fonts, and pictures that don’t really relate seems confusing. Maintain a theme throughout the presentation; it looks more professional and is easier to follow.
Find more Tips!