Transcript Guidelines for Preparing Slides

Guidelines for Preparing Slides
By
Instructional Computing Facility
Harvard University
Modifications/additions by
Bill Tobin, WJT Associates
Company logo, formats etc.
Make sure the slide’s background layout
leaves enough room for your presentation.
Company logo, formats etc.
Make sure the color of the company logo
doesn’t clash with the color of your
typeface or the predominate color of
your illustrations.
Company logo, formats etc.
The company logo will not add to credibility
or close the sale. Make sure the logo
doesn’t so overwhelm the slide that the
Logo becomes the presentation.
The first slides
The title slide should contain the topic
to be presented.
On a separate slide include the specific
topics/arguments/ justifications covered
in the presentation.
Subsequent slides should follow the
points of the first and second slides.
Use Bullets, Not Numbers
 Bullets
 Use
imply no significant order
numbers only to show rank or
sequence
No More than One Topic per
Slide
What about that hockey game last night, eh?
No More than One Topic per
Slide
It is easier to have many simple
slides to explain a topic than one
with too much information.
No More than One Topic per
Slide
As a rule of thumb no slide should
remain projected for longer than
30 seconds.
1 hour presentation = 120 slides
45 minute presentation with 15
minutes for questions = 90 slides
COUNT SLIDE
For Day long seminar
Total required slides
60
60
0
break
45
60
= 3.75 hours
12:00-12-30
LUNCH
12:30–1:00–2:00-2:15-3:00-4:00-5:00
30
60
0
break
45
60
= 3.25 hours
7 hours
Recommended* AM = 150-225 Slides
PM = 130-195 Slides
*without count
or title slide
Without questions
8:00–9:00–10:00-10:15-11:00-12:00
minutes/
slides/
AM
PM
slide
hour
3.75 Hrs
3.25 Hrs
3
20.0
75
65
2.75
21.8
82
71
2.5
24.0
90
78
2.25
26.7
100
87
2
30.0
113
98
1.75
34.3
129
111
1.5
40.0
150
130
1.25
48.0
180
156
1
60.0
225
195
0.75
80.0
300
260
0.5
120.0
450
390
Questions during the presentation
will add to average cycle time.
Seconds/
slide
Slides/
minute
Slides/ 30
minute
Slides/ 45
minute
Slides/ 1
hour
15
4
120
180
240
30
2
60
90
120
45
1.3
39
58.5
78
60
1
30
45
60
75
0.8
24
36
48
90
0.75
22.5
33.75
45
120
0.5
15
22.5
30
Slides of this length are
considered wallpaper
by the audience (boring)
Questions during the presentation
will add to average cycle time.
Without questions
Ideal time for
most slides
COUNT SLIDE
For sales presentations
Use the 6 X 6 rule:
6 lines of text
6 words per line
Allow plenty of room around borders
and (readable) illustrations
Select Readable Type Size
This is 40 point

Minimum 36 point for titles
 24 point for body text
(almost unreadable for most uses)
 This
is 32 point
45 point
40 point
35 point
30 point
25 point
20 point
15 point
10 point
Adjust Lettering to discriminate
or emphasize
 Add
backgrounds to the body element
 emphasize important statements or
words with bold, italic, larger size or
different fonts.
 Make
titles a larger type size than body
elements
Choose Background Color Carefully

Use the same color consistently
throughout the presentation when
presenting one topic or theme
 Use
light letters on a dark background
Choose Background Color
Carefully

Use different background colors if the
presentation covers diverse topics i.e.
Topic one: Managing the warehouse.
Topic two: Additional equipment requirements
 Use
contrasting letters to the background
To determine if a slide is legible
when projected, If you can read it out
loud in 5 seconds or less, it is
probably OK
If you have to turn your back on the
audience to read the slide, it has too
much information.
Long sentences require small type
and are usually not as understandable
as only using KEY phrases. The
presentation should not be self
explanatory. The Presenter should do
the explaining. To sum up:
Only use key phrases
Explain them verbally
Colors
Avoid placing saturated primary colors
(red, green or blue) adjacent to each
other.
 They may create a third color where the
two colors meet.

Use Solid Colors instead of fill
Patterns on Charts
 Patterns
on bars or
pie slices cause
confusion.
 Solid
colors convey
a clear bold
message
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
1st
Qtr
Blue
2nd
Qtr
Red
3rd
Qtr
Hatch
4th
Qtr
Other
Charts Graphs and Visuals
Line
graphs with multiple lines
should be animated putting one line
over the next so that the total graph
is explainable.
Graphs,
equations etc. should be
readily understood. If not, use
several slides instead of dwelling on
one for a long time.
Animation

Animation brings variety SO LONG AS every slide doesn’t
have the same type of animation.

Vary the type of animation you use.

Don’t animate every slide.
Don’t put Animation behind text. The audience will
look at movement and NOT read the text
We will now proceed directly
to the wedding Feast
Your Slides are Not your
Presentation
Your
slides are a focus for your
presentation
Your presentation is not proof of
your request, argument, or
justification
Your Slides are Not your
Presentation
Your
handout is proof
You present your proof with slides
to focus interest on what you think
is important
You can’t stop talking

Recall: You cannot start talking until
the audience has finished reading (don’t
use long sentences or complex charts)
But:
You can’t stop talking
You can’t stop talking
So:
You end up reading your slide
to the audience.
Which is: Really annoying
You can’t stop talking
Note:
Your reading the key phrases
should prompt you to explain the
slide.
Which is: Why you have the
presentation in the first place.
Additional equipment
Use
a radio frequency or infrared slide
changer. This allows you to walk away
from the computer while you are talking.
Additional equipment
The
best laser pointers are GREEN
LASERS. Their beam is more intense and
brighter. (In some countries they are
considered weapons and are illegal)
Additional equipment
Have
a flip chart and dry markers near so
that you can explain something your slide
didn’t.
Have
extra markers in case one dries out
Additional equipment
If
possible use a lapel microphone with
remote broadcast if you are speaking to
more than 30 people. Make sure you know
how to turn it on and off.
Additional equipment
Have
spare laser pointers and
microphones available if the current ones
go dead.
Additional equipment
Make
sure the presentation room is dark
or light enough to see your slides
BEFORE your presentation.
Use Simple Tables to Present
Numbers
Use
Tables
This row
For Your But Not
Numbers too Many
10
90
100
This row
0.6
0.4
1
This row
1
2
3
That row
1
2
3
Clipart
Use
Clipart minimally.
Clipart
can enhance your presentation,
highlight certain points, and add richness.
HOWEVER don’t be cute, silly or
inappropriate.
Clipart
 ONLY Add
Clipart
where appropriate
If
ever
Pictures and Bitmaps
Must be large enough to ready and understand
almost immediately. (can you find Libya?)
When done creating your
presentation use SPELLCHECK.
Use SPELLCHECK on your written
handouts. Write in plain declarative
sentences using simple English. Try
to avoid ‘Corpspeak’ or
‘Technobabble’ terms if possible.
Questions and answers
Option #1 (most convenient) – hold all questions until
the end of the presentation.
Advantages: You can finish your presentation
before you run out of time.
Disadvantages: You may be requested to further
explain a slide that you have to hunt for.
Questions and answers
Option #2 (can be time consuming) – Invite/allow
questions during the presentation.
Advantages: The question will be timely using the
slide currently on the screen.
Disadvantages: You must be careful on time
management otherwise you may not have finished
your presentation before you run out of time
Questions and answers
Option #3 (least polite but most convenient) – Allow
questions only on the current slide but warn class
you will not go back to explain a previous slide.
Advantages – keeps the questions on point. You
don’t have to hunt for the slide in question.
Disadvantages – You may seem rude and abrupt.
Questions and answers
With a good handout, you can briefly
answer the question then refer to your
handout for an in-depth explanation.
HANDOUTS
 Your handout is a written explanation
of the presentation.
 NEVER use a copy of your slides as the
handout. It doesn’t enhance anything.
 You can illustrate your handout using slides
but ONLY if they are readable when reduced
to the size that you’ve inserted into the text.
 Handouts can have complex tables. They are
easier to read than when projected.
Rehearse until the presentation is
second nature.
Do a trial presentation with someone
as a check on timing, information
presented and readability
of the slides before the real
presentation.
The last slide
It is not professional to leave the last slide
on the screen or have the computer show
‘End of slideshow; Click to exit’.
Have your last slide say “Thank you” or
your last two slides say
“Thank you” “Questions?”
Instructional Computing Facility
Is he really
that smart?
Does she
respect me?
Questions?
If they’re not too hard
Harvard School of Public Health