1.
Do’s and Don’ts
for an effective PowerPoint
BY NATHALIE GEHA

2.
PowerPoint
PowerPoint can be extremely effective
if you follow a few simple rules

3.
Fonts
PowerPoint is a slideshow presentation program
Don’t use decorative fonts that are hard to read and small
Don’t use all caps

4.
Fonts
Do choose simple and large fonts that are easier to read
 New times romans
Calibri
Arial

5.
Fonts
“Whether you need a few slides to share with colleagues, classmates, or friends or an award-winning presentation to persuade
an auditorium full of strangers, you need to maximize the impact of your message”.
Don’t use font smaller than 28 size

6.
Underline
PowerPoint is a slideshow presentation program that's part
of the Microsoft office suite of tools. PowerPoint makes it
easy to create, collaborate, and present your ideas in
dynamic, visually compelling ways.
Don’t underline words.
Audience might consider it a hyperlink and it is hard to read.

7.
Fonts
Do vary font size, color and Style to draw attention
but avoid doing it all in one slide

8.
Text
Whether you need a few slides to share with colleagues, classmates, or friends or an
award-winning presentation to persuade an auditorium full of strangers, you need to
maximize the impact of your message. Don't know much about design? No problem!
PowerPoint delivers the easy-to-use features you need to create great-looking
presentations and express yourself with power—without having the skills of a
professional designer. Save your presentation to OneDrive or SharePoint Online for
Office 365 and you can see how your presentation evolved over time and restore an
older version if you make a mistake. You can also work on a presentation at the same
time as your colleagues. If someone else views or works in the presentation, their
thumbnail picture appears in the top-right corner of the ribbon. If someone makes
changes in the presentation, you can easily choose the changes you want to keep.
Don’t use too much information

9.
Text
Do use key points
 Follow the 5 lines rule
Know that every slide represent 1 idea

10.
Images
Don’t use too many images or shapes
that are not related to the subject

11.
Images
Choose one or two images that match the messages
Do’s
Don’ts
PowerPoint
Presentation

12.
Graphics
32 32
28
12 1512 12 12
21
28
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
1/5/2002 1/6/2002 1/7/2002 1/8/2002 1/9/2002
Series 1 Series 2
Series 1
Series 2
Series 3
0
1
2
3
4
5
Category 1
Category 2
Category 3
Category 4
0-1 1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5
Don’t use to many graphics that are hard to understand and confusing

13.
Graphics
Do use appropriate graphics that are easy to understand
0
2
4
6
8
10

14.
Animation & Transitions
Don’t go crazy with effects, sounds, and animations
Sounds can be distracting

15.
Animation & Transitions
Animations should be used if it is necessary for the slide
Sounds are used to help deliver the message.

16.
Background
Don’t use complex background
that compete with the message

17.
Background
Use a simple
& effective
Background

18.
Contrast & Color
Don’t use hard to read
or similar colors

19.
Bullets
• Do vary font size, color and Style to draw attention but avoid doing it all in one
slide
• Don’t use hard to read or similar colors
• Don’t use complex background that compete with the message
• Don’t go crazy with effects, sounds, and animations
•Don’t use too many images or pictures that are not related to subject
•Don’t use font smaller than 28 size
•Don’t use decorative fonts that are hard to read and small
Avoid to many Bullets and wrong alignment

20.
Bullets
Remember the 4 to 5 bullets rule per slide
Generally, Use “align left” bullets
 Apx 5 words per line
Keep it simple

21.
Consistency
Keep slides consistent
Same font
Same background/ design
Same animations
Same colors

22.
Resources
Name websites, books and resources
Use Free images platforms with no copyrights
(Pixabay, Stocknap, Unsplash, Graphic stock, Royalty free images, etc..)

23.
Spell check & Practice
Check your spelling in each slide
Make sure all information is correct
Practice ahead of time and know your slides
Don’t read your presentation

24.
Do’s and Don’ts
for an effective PowerPoint
Thank you for your time

25.
References
• https://products.office.com/en-us/what-is-powerpoint
• PowerPoint Do’s and Don’ts: www.asha.org
•DO's and DON'Ts in making presentation more effective: https://youtu.be/X50StnWVh9I
• Simple rules for better PowerPoint presentations:
https://www.gcflearnfree.org/searchresults?q=Simple+rules+for+better+PowerPoint+presentati
ons
• Do’s and Don’ts of power point presentations :
https://www.slideshare.net/MpumeleloMadlavu/mpumelelo-madlavu-dos-and-donts-of-power-
point-presentations?qid=f4c54bae-e6d4-49e7-a786-2972571dfe3c&v=&b=&from_search=4