5 Unspoken Powerpoint Presentation Rules To Know About
In the process of designing, consolidating and presenting powerpoints, there are 5 unspoken rules that everyone agrees on in order to succeed in the final outlook of their presentation. If you are new to the whole process, it can be rather disorientating when it comes to figuring out what one should do. To assist you along, here are the 5 unspoken Powerpoint presentation rules you should be aware of:
1. 5/5/5
In design terms, there is a rule named “5 by 5 by 5”. Confusing perhaps, but this rule is actually kept in place for easy deciphering. While not everyone has to follow strictly by it, it is always recommended since it keeps the layout more streamlined and less overwhelming. The “5 by 5 by 5” rule in this case usually refers to the text in your Powerpoint presentation- keep no more than 5 words per line, no more than 5 lines of text per slide and also no more than 5 slides that are text heavy.
2. Legibility
The main source of purpose for text is legibility, with design coming at a close second. There is no use for a properly designed layout with information no one can read. Your text font and powerpoint presentation colours should be easily read and pleasant on the eyes. Stick to simple theme colours and fonts. Consider if you are presenting in a close space or a bigger room and scale your font size according to the comfort of people reading from the back instead of the front.
3. Transitions
Make use of transitions as a small visual break to get rid of the monotony of too many slides or text. It can be refreshing to see transitions being used once in a while. When executed correctly, transitions can serve to be engaging since your audience can anticipate something different. For example, the slide fading into a video and such.
4. Animations
While transitions and animations are useful, take care not to overload your powerpoint presentation with them. This will cease to be engaging since it would become predictable. The more animation and transition is being placed in, the higher risks of something going wrong or your presentation lagging. They should not interfere with the speed in which you deliver information. Too much flashy animations can also serve as a major distraction from what you wish to convey.
5. Presenting
Make your Powerpoint presentation as engaging as possible. Encourage your audience members to interact with you and ask questions. Remember the purpose of Powerpoint presentations are to touch on ideas, keywords and talking points instead of becoming a concise tutorial- others can read that in their own spare time. So place the focus on the bare bones of your presentation, and communicate everything else with your presentation instead of the slides.
Keep these in mind while you are going through the entire process and allow these rules to guide you on the path of better success in your Powerpoint presentations today!