Creating an Effective Presentation

• Minimize - Keep slides counts to a minimum to maintain a clear message and to keep the audience attentive. Remember that the presentation is just a visual aid. Most information should still come from the reporter.
• Clarity - Avoid being to fancy by using font style that is easy to read. Make sure that it is also big enough to be read by the audience. Once you start making your presentation, consider how big the screen is during your report.
• Simplicity - Use bullets or short sentences. Summarize the information on the screen to have your audience focus on what the speaker is saying than on reading the slide. Limit the content to six lines and seven words per line. This is known as the 6 x 7 rule.
• Visual - Use graphics to help in your presentation but not too many to distract the audience. In addition, instead of using table of data, use charts and graphs.
• Consistency - Make your design uniform. Avoid having different font styles and backgrounds.
• Contrast - Use a light font on dark background or vice versa. This is done so that it is easier to read. In most instances, it is easier to read on screen if the background is dark. This is due to the brightness of the screen.