PowerPoint presentations can be more effective by following basic web design usability principles.

1. Putting Together
More Powerful
PowerPoint
Presentations!
Courtney Mlinar Fall 2008

2. Don’t focus on
Technology

3. Focus on
Learning

4. Wired Generation:
Constantly Connected

5. Left brain + right brain
Visual +
Verbal

6. Title = Headline
Main Idea

7. Tell a Story

8. Avoid Overload

9. Example:
Teeny-Weeny Text All Over the Slide!
• An essential component of facilitating learning is
understanding learners.
• Learning styles, attitudes, approaches of your
audience vary greatly.
• Take these differences into account when
designing courses or presentations.
• Doing is more important than knowing.
• Find new ways to meet student’s needs for
service, immediacy, interactivity.
• Balance the entertainment interests of your
audience with their educational needs.

10. Understand Learning:
• Style

11. Understand Learning:
• Style
• Attitude

12. Understand Learning
• Style
• Attitude
• Approach

13. Audience Needs:
• Service
• Immediacy
• Interactivity

14. Bite-sized Pieces

15. Too Big of a Bite =
too much information

16. (Move Text Off-Screen)
Narrate

17. Text Alone
Is
Not
Sufficient
All the time!

18. Use Words
And
Pictures

19. Or
Use
Pictures
Alone:

21. Or
Use
Text
As
Pictures:

22. Who am I?

23. Over 21

24. Under 65

33. What I Like:

39. Remove
Everything

40. That does not support
The
Message

41. Use Contrast:

42. Text:
• Specific
• Simple
• Easy to Read

43. Voice
•Active
•Informal
•First Person

44. Bullets
•Easy to Read
•Emphasize Points
•Concise List

45. Break Text into Multiple Pages

46. Choose Font that Speaks:
Arial
Goudy Stout
chick
At Least 32-point type size
Palatino

47. Less is More
Don’t use a lengthy transcript of what you
are saying! Don’t use a lengthy transcript
of what you are saying! Don’t use a
lengthy transcript of what you are saying!
Don’t use a lengthy transcript of what you
are saying! Don’t use a lengthy transcript
of what you are saying! Don’t use a
lengthy transcript of what you are saying!

48. Remember your audience:

49. Special

50. Pressured

51. Sheltered

52. Informal

53. Curious

54. Appreciate you