Powerpoint: Simplicity is Best

If you have attended college, a seminar, or any large meeting, chances are you have seen a Powerpoint presentation, or fifty. Over the past fifteen years Powerpoint presentations have become more and more popular. College students often feel that their lives revolve around Powerpoint presentations and many professors demand the use to them for group projects. In fact many professors use them as teaching tools to present pertinent topics to their pupils. The problem with Powerpoint is that it can be boring to watch, almost painful at times. As a college student at the University of Phoenix online I have had to complete at least 2-3 Powerpoint point presentations over the course of a five week class on several occasions. These presentations count as a huge portion of the overall grade. Creating an engaging and exciting Powerpoint presentation takes time. Hopefully this list of tips will help you should you ever have to give a presentation using Powerpoint

The Concept:
The concept behind a Powerpoint presentation is not to bombard your audience with information. You do not need to put every word of your presentation on a slide. Slides should not have more than a few key topics listed on each one. If you have to resize your font more than once you probably have too much information on that slide. Your audience will be squinting at the screen trying to decipher the text which will make everyone a little cranky and they will eventually tune you out.

Notes:
At the bottom of the slide there is a section for speakers notes, use them. While you are giving your presentation you will be the only one able to see the notes. This is a great resource for keeping excess information off of your actual slides. If you want you audience to get all the information in your notes make a hand-out covering all the additional information and pass it out to the group. They can follow your presentation and take down additional notes if they desire.

Perspective:
Let's face it, there is only so much you can do when it comes to Powerpoint presentations. Chances are someone is going to nod off during your presentation if it is not interesting. Instead of listing the big facts that everyone knows try listing the little known facts that people seldom hear about in your presentation. Don't let your presentation fall into the boring and normal category. You want people to remember your presentation for it's creativity and not for the dream they had while sleeping through it.

Simplicity:
There are countless things you can do to make your presentation flashy. Making the text bounce onto the screen, slide in from any direction, or pinwheel in is great for your opening slide but after that leave the text tricks alone. Simple entrances for your points are better than having to follow it around the screen for 30 seconds before it is readable. You can also change the transitions between slides to a number of different options. These are fine to use, just don't get carried away. A professor once told a group of students in one of my classes that the flashy text entrances and transitions were only there as an attempt to cover up a poorly designed and researched presentation. So remember simplicity when designing your presentation

Tables, Graphs, and Charts:
Some presentations are based around charts, and graphs so if you need to insert one of these into your presentation go ahead and do so. However, if you are using this graphic don't make it hard to understand. Use basic colors for your graphics. Don't overwhelm your audience with fifty items represented on one graph. Again simplicity is better.