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Research GreatPPT

This document provides tips for creating effective PowerPoint presentations. It recommends keeping slides simple with large text, limited content, and consistent formatting. Specifically, it suggests using sans-serif fonts, limited colors, simple bullet points, and high-level summaries with 2 or fewer graphics per slide. The goal is for slides to enhance the presentation without being distracting or hard to read.

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60 views

Research GreatPPT

This document provides tips for creating effective PowerPoint presentations. It recommends keeping slides simple with large text, limited content, and consistent formatting. Specifically, it suggests using sans-serif fonts, limited colors, simple bullet points, and high-level summaries with 2 or fewer graphics per slide. The goal is for slides to enhance the presentation without being distracting or hard to read.

Uploaded by

Infotainer
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 43

Making A Great

PowerPoint Presentation

Adapted from slides by:

Jonathan M Flacker, MD
Kimberly D Manning, MD
Deborah Baumgarten, MD, MPH
Consider Logistics:
How big is the room? How many people?

Small Group Setting? Auditorium? Formal?


Key Slide Design Concepts
Large

Simple

Concise
Common Slide Problems
 Too many colors
 Too crowded
 Too many symbols on graphs
 Too much animation
 Too many words
Font Style
 Sans-serif (uniform width) fonts are easier
to read
 Tahoma is a sans-serif font
 So is Arial
 Times New Roman is a serif font
 So is Courier
Font Style
 Italics are hard to read on screen
 Normal or bold fonts read easier
 Underlines may signify hyperlinks
 Better to emphasize with colors
Font Style Rules
 Don’t change font styles mid talk
 ALL CAPITALS ARE HARD TO READ
Font Size

Be sure it is big enough 48 pt.


Be sure it is big enough 44 pt.
 Be sure it is big enough 36 pt. Stay Above
 Be sure it is big enough 32 pt. 32 pt.!
 Be sure it is big enough 28 pt.
 Be sure it is big enough 24 pt.
 Be sure it is big enough 16 pt.
 Be sure it is big enough 12 pt.
Lines on slides
 Limit bullets per slide
 Omit unnecessary words
 No full sentences
 Bullet points to prompt discussion
 Pay attention to you not slides
Bullet List
For lists without
 Priority
 Sequence
 Hierarchy, …..
Number List
For lists with sequence or hierarchy

For example:

Things I’d like to do on a sunny day in August:

1. Go fishing
2. Nap outside in hammock
3. Give board review talk
Color Use
 Use contrasting colours
 Light on dark better than dark on light
 Use complementary colours

Good!
Color Use
 Use contrasting colours
 Light on dark better than dark on light
 Use complementary colours

Not as Good
Color Use
 Use contrasting colours
 Light on dark better than dark on light
 Use complementary colours

Not Good!
Color Problems
 Be nice to colorblind people
–No red-green combinations
 Be nice to everyone else
–No red letters on a blue background
–Leads to stereopsis
 You forget colors fade on big screen
Picture Limits

 Art/pictures may distract your audience


 2 at most per slide
 Appearance should not
supercede content
Focal Points
 Graphics direct attention
Layout
 Be consistent with:
 Alignment
Indenting
 Line spacing
 Bullets
 Line transitions
Consistent Is Important
 Differences draw attention
 Use only to imply importance
 Surprises to engage not distract
 Do or don’t, but use consistent periods.

Good !
Be Consistent
Differences draw attention
 Differences may imply importance
 Use surprises to attract not distract
Do or don’t, but use consistent periods.

Not Good !
Be Consistent
 Differences draw attention
 Differences may imply importance
 Use surprises to attract not distract
 Do or don’t, but use consistent periods.

Helpful Difference
Is It Legible?

 Rough Rule:
– You Should Be Able To Read
Computer Screen From a Distance of
8 x Width Of Slide
– Usually this is about 2 meters
Line Transitions
 Lines
– Use same style throughout
– “wipe” left to right
– Subdue previous bullet to emphasize next
one
Simple Slide Transition
 Fancy transition is annoying, not enhancing
 Again, be consistent
 I prefer none or "Appear" and "Disappear"
Slide Design
 Self Evident Rule
– Slide should not need explanation
 Include only necessary information
– Is your research a key teaching point?
 Avoid data-you-to-death (or sleep) slides
 No more than 2 graphics / slide
– graphs should not show too much detail
Keep Text Content Simple
Recognizing that discovery and innovation in
basic, translational and clinical biomedical
Research form the foundation of excellence
and pre-eminence
TooinMuch!
medical education and
health care, the faculty and leadership of
the School of Medicine (SOM) have
embraced the goal of achieving national and
international status as a leading biomedical
research institution over the next decade.
From http://www.med.emory.edu/research/index.cfm
Keep Text Content Simple
 Our goal:
– National/international status as leading
biomedical research institution
 Our Foundation:
Much Simpler
– Basic, translational and clinical research
 Our Result:
– Excellence in Medical Education

Adapted from http://www.med.emory.edu/research/index.cfm


Tables and Graphs

Too detailed

Mitchell et al. JAMA 291;22:2743-2740


Tables and Graphs

Highlight to
draw attention

Mitchell et al. JAMA 291;22:2743-2740


Tables and Graphs

or crop what you


don’t need

Adapted from Mitchell et al. JAMA 291;22:2743-2740


How Much on One Slide?
 One Major Point Per Slide
 One Basic Thought Per Line
 7x7 Rule: No more than 7 lines of 7 words
each
 Not Every Word Need Be On Slide
– “The” can usually be deleted
– Expand orally on basic written concept
How Many Slides?

 Rough Rule:
No More Than 1 Slide Per Minute
Of Talk
Laser basics
 Use sparingly – Not a light show!
 Guide audience
 Move pointer to item of interest
– Keep it there or move completely off screen
– No circling
Style
 Find your style own but:
 A really good talk is performance art
 Be Enthusiastic
– If you don’t care why should they?
 Be Case-Based
Animation?

 SOME LIKE IT
MOST DO NOT
Content
 Teach to the ABIM test
– Your research is cool
– That new paper is cool
– But will it be on board exam?
 Review talk with someone who took test
recently
– Fellows are great for this!
 Humor helps only if it reinforces teaching
Content
 Consider making a second version for book
 Put detail you don’t have time for there
 Put figures that need some pondering there
Spell Check

Spell check is your FREIND!


Ways to lose interest

 Reading slides
 Monotony
 Wordy slides
 Speaker is bored
 Poor timing
Ways to lose interest

Instead of: “ I know you can’t


read this but. . . .”

Try this: “Let me direct your


attention to this. . .”
Know Your Talk

PRACTICE!
Summary
 Keys to success
 Big
 Simple
 Clear
 Relevant
 Fun

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