rules for presentation slides

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

• Advanced Search
• Journal List
• PLoS Comput Biol
• v.17(12); 2021 Dec

Ten simple rules for effective presentation slides

Kristen m. naegle.

Biomedical Engineering and the Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America

Introduction

The “presentation slide” is the building block of all academic presentations, whether they are journal clubs, thesis committee meetings, short conference talks, or hour-long seminars. A slide is a single page projected on a screen, usually built on the premise of a title, body, and figures or tables and includes both what is shown and what is spoken about that slide. Multiple slides are strung together to tell the larger story of the presentation. While there have been excellent 10 simple rules on giving entire presentations [ 1 , 2 ], there was an absence in the fine details of how to design a slide for optimal effect—such as the design elements that allow slides to convey meaningful information, to keep the audience engaged and informed, and to deliver the information intended and in the time frame allowed. As all research presentations seek to teach, effective slide design borrows from the same principles as effective teaching, including the consideration of cognitive processing your audience is relying on to organize, process, and retain information. This is written for anyone who needs to prepare slides from any length scale and for most purposes of conveying research to broad audiences. The rules are broken into 3 primary areas. Rules 1 to 5 are about optimizing the scope of each slide. Rules 6 to 8 are about principles around designing elements of the slide. Rules 9 to 10 are about preparing for your presentation, with the slides as the central focus of that preparation.

Rule 1: Include only one idea per slide

Each slide should have one central objective to deliver—the main idea or question [ 3 – 5 ]. Often, this means breaking complex ideas down into manageable pieces (see Fig 1 , where “background” information has been split into 2 key concepts). In another example, if you are presenting a complex computational approach in a large flow diagram, introduce it in smaller units, building it up until you finish with the entire diagram. The progressive buildup of complex information means that audiences are prepared to understand the whole picture, once you have dedicated time to each of the parts. You can accomplish the buildup of components in several ways—for example, using presentation software to cover/uncover information. Personally, I choose to create separate slides for each piece of information content I introduce—where the final slide has the entire diagram, and I use cropping or a cover on duplicated slides that come before to hide what I’m not yet ready to include. I use this method in order to ensure that each slide in my deck truly presents one specific idea (the new content) and the amount of the new information on that slide can be described in 1 minute (Rule 2), but it comes with the trade-off—a change to the format of one of the slides in the series often means changes to all slides.

Top left: A background slide that describes the background material on a project from my lab. The slide was created using a PowerPoint Design Template, which had to be modified to increase default text sizes for this figure (i.e., the default text sizes are even worse than shown here). Bottom row: The 2 new slides that break up the content into 2 explicit ideas about the background, using a central graphic. In the first slide, the graphic is an explicit example of the SH2 domain of PI3-kinase interacting with a phosphorylation site (Y754) on the PDGFR to describe the important details of what an SH2 domain and phosphotyrosine ligand are and how they interact. I use that same graphic in the second slide to generalize all binding events and include redundant text to drive home the central message (a lot of possible interactions might occur in the human proteome, more than we can currently measure). Top right highlights which rules were used to move from the original slide to the new slide. Specific changes as highlighted by Rule 7 include increasing contrast by changing the background color, increasing font size, changing to sans serif fonts, and removing all capital text and underlining (using bold to draw attention). PDGFR, platelet-derived growth factor receptor.

Rule 2: Spend only 1 minute per slide

When you present your slide in the talk, it should take 1 minute or less to discuss. This rule is really helpful for planning purposes—a 20-minute presentation should have somewhere around 20 slides. Also, frequently giving your audience new information to feast on helps keep them engaged. During practice, if you find yourself spending more than a minute on a slide, there’s too much for that one slide—it’s time to break up the content into multiple slides or even remove information that is not wholly central to the story you are trying to tell. Reduce, reduce, reduce, until you get to a single message, clearly described, which takes less than 1 minute to present.

Rule 3: Make use of your heading

When each slide conveys only one message, use the heading of that slide to write exactly the message you are trying to deliver. Instead of titling the slide “Results,” try “CTNND1 is central to metastasis” or “False-positive rates are highly sample specific.” Use this landmark signpost to ensure that all the content on that slide is related exactly to the heading and only the heading. Think of the slide heading as the introductory or concluding sentence of a paragraph and the slide content the rest of the paragraph that supports the main point of the paragraph. An audience member should be able to follow along with you in the “paragraph” and come to the same conclusion sentence as your header at the end of the slide.

Rule 4: Include only essential points

While you are speaking, audience members’ eyes and minds will be wandering over your slide. If you have a comment, detail, or figure on a slide, have a plan to explicitly identify and talk about it. If you don’t think it’s important enough to spend time on, then don’t have it on your slide. This is especially important when faculty are present. I often tell students that thesis committee members are like cats: If you put a shiny bauble in front of them, they’ll go after it. Be sure to only put the shiny baubles on slides that you want them to focus on. Putting together a thesis meeting for only faculty is really an exercise in herding cats (if you have cats, you know this is no easy feat). Clear and concise slide design will go a long way in helping you corral those easily distracted faculty members.

Rule 5: Give credit, where credit is due

An exception to Rule 4 is to include proper citations or references to work on your slide. When adding citations, names of other researchers, or other types of credit, use a consistent style and method for adding this information to your slides. Your audience will then be able to easily partition this information from the other content. A common mistake people make is to think “I’ll add that reference later,” but I highly recommend you put the proper reference on the slide at the time you make it, before you forget where it came from. Finally, in certain kinds of presentations, credits can make it clear who did the work. For the faculty members heading labs, it is an effective way to connect your audience with the personnel in the lab who did the work, which is a great career booster for that person. For graduate students, it is an effective way to delineate your contribution to the work, especially in meetings where the goal is to establish your credentials for meeting the rigors of a PhD checkpoint.

Rule 6: Use graphics effectively

As a rule, you should almost never have slides that only contain text. Build your slides around good visualizations. It is a visual presentation after all, and as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. However, on the flip side, don’t muddy the point of the slide by putting too many complex graphics on a single slide. A multipanel figure that you might include in a manuscript should often be broken into 1 panel per slide (see Rule 1 ). One way to ensure that you use the graphics effectively is to make a point to introduce the figure and its elements to the audience verbally, especially for data figures. For example, you might say the following: “This graph here shows the measured false-positive rate for an experiment and each point is a replicate of the experiment, the graph demonstrates …” If you have put too much on one slide to present in 1 minute (see Rule 2 ), then the complexity or number of the visualizations is too much for just one slide.

Rule 7: Design to avoid cognitive overload

The type of slide elements, the number of them, and how you present them all impact the ability for the audience to intake, organize, and remember the content. For example, a frequent mistake in slide design is to include full sentences, but reading and verbal processing use the same cognitive channels—therefore, an audience member can either read the slide, listen to you, or do some part of both (each poorly), as a result of cognitive overload [ 4 ]. The visual channel is separate, allowing images/videos to be processed with auditory information without cognitive overload [ 6 ] (Rule 6). As presentations are an exercise in listening, and not reading, do what you can to optimize the ability of the audience to listen. Use words sparingly as “guide posts” to you and the audience about major points of the slide. In fact, you can add short text fragments, redundant with the verbal component of the presentation, which has been shown to improve retention [ 7 ] (see Fig 1 for an example of redundant text that avoids cognitive overload). Be careful in the selection of a slide template to minimize accidentally adding elements that the audience must process, but are unimportant. David JP Phillips argues (and effectively demonstrates in his TEDx talk [ 5 ]) that the human brain can easily interpret 6 elements and more than that requires a 500% increase in human cognition load—so keep the total number of elements on the slide to 6 or less. Finally, in addition to the use of short text, white space, and the effective use of graphics/images, you can improve ease of cognitive processing further by considering color choices and font type and size. Here are a few suggestions for improving the experience for your audience, highlighting the importance of these elements for some specific groups:

• Use high contrast colors and simple backgrounds with low to no color—for persons with dyslexia or visual impairment.
• Use sans serif fonts and large font sizes (including figure legends), avoid italics, underlining (use bold font instead for emphasis), and all capital letters—for persons with dyslexia or visual impairment [ 8 ].
• Use color combinations and palettes that can be understood by those with different forms of color blindness [ 9 ]. There are excellent tools available to identify colors to use and ways to simulate your presentation or figures as they might be seen by a person with color blindness (easily found by a web search).
• In this increasing world of virtual presentation tools, consider practicing your talk with a closed captioning system capture your words. Use this to identify how to improve your speaking pace, volume, and annunciation to improve understanding by all members of your audience, but especially those with a hearing impairment.

Rule 8: Design the slide so that a distracted person gets the main takeaway

It is very difficult to stay focused on a presentation, especially if it is long or if it is part of a longer series of talks at a conference. Audience members may get distracted by an important email, or they may start dreaming of lunch. So, it’s important to look at your slide and ask “If they heard nothing I said, will they understand the key concept of this slide?” The other rules are set up to help with this, including clarity of the single point of the slide (Rule 1), titling it with a major conclusion (Rule 3), and the use of figures (Rule 6) and short text redundant to your verbal description (Rule 7). However, with each slide, step back and ask whether its main conclusion is conveyed, even if someone didn’t hear your accompanying dialog. Importantly, ask if the information on the slide is at the right level of abstraction. For example, do you have too many details about the experiment, which hides the conclusion of the experiment (i.e., breaking Rule 1)? If you are worried about not having enough details, keep a slide at the end of your slide deck (after your conclusions and acknowledgments) with the more detailed information that you can refer to during a question and answer period.

Rule 9: Iteratively improve slide design through practice

Well-designed slides that follow the first 8 rules are intended to help you deliver the message you intend and in the amount of time you intend to deliver it in. The best way to ensure that you nailed slide design for your presentation is to practice, typically a lot. The most important aspects of practicing a new presentation, with an eye toward slide design, are the following 2 key points: (1) practice to ensure that you hit, each time through, the most important points (for example, the text guide posts you left yourself and the title of the slide); and (2) practice to ensure that as you conclude the end of one slide, it leads directly to the next slide. Slide transitions, what you say as you end one slide and begin the next, are important to keeping the flow of the “story.” Practice is when I discover that the order of my presentation is poor or that I left myself too few guideposts to remember what was coming next. Additionally, during practice, the most frequent things I have to improve relate to Rule 2 (the slide takes too long to present, usually because I broke Rule 1, and I’m delivering too much information for one slide), Rule 4 (I have a nonessential detail on the slide), and Rule 5 (I forgot to give a key reference). The very best type of practice is in front of an audience (for example, your lab or peers), where, with fresh perspectives, they can help you identify places for improving slide content, design, and connections across the entirety of your talk.

Rule 10: Design to mitigate the impact of technical disasters

The real presentation almost never goes as we planned in our heads or during our practice. Maybe the speaker before you went over time and now you need to adjust. Maybe the computer the organizer is having you use won’t show your video. Maybe your internet is poor on the day you are giving a virtual presentation at a conference. Technical problems are routinely part of the practice of sharing your work through presentations. Hence, you can design your slides to limit the impact certain kinds of technical disasters create and also prepare alternate approaches. Here are just a few examples of the preparation you can do that will take you a long way toward avoiding a complete fiasco:

• Save your presentation as a PDF—if the version of Keynote or PowerPoint on a host computer cause issues, you still have a functional copy that has a higher guarantee of compatibility.
• In using videos, create a backup slide with screen shots of key results. For example, if I have a video of cell migration, I’ll be sure to have a copy of the start and end of the video, in case the video doesn’t play. Even if the video worked, you can pause on this backup slide and take the time to highlight the key results in words if someone could not see or understand the video.
• Avoid animations, such as figures or text that flash/fly-in/etc. Surveys suggest that no one likes movement in presentations [ 3 , 4 ]. There is likely a cognitive underpinning to the almost universal distaste of pointless animations that relates to the idea proposed by Kosslyn and colleagues that animations are salient perceptual units that captures direct attention [ 4 ]. Although perceptual salience can be used to draw attention to and improve retention of specific points, if you use this approach for unnecessary/unimportant things (like animation of your bullet point text, fly-ins of figures, etc.), then you will distract your audience from the important content. Finally, animations cause additional processing burdens for people with visual impairments [ 10 ] and create opportunities for technical disasters if the software on the host system is not compatible with your planned animation.

Conclusions

These rules are just a start in creating more engaging presentations that increase audience retention of your material. However, there are wonderful resources on continuing on the journey of becoming an amazing public speaker, which includes understanding the psychology and neuroscience behind human perception and learning. For example, as highlighted in Rule 7, David JP Phillips has a wonderful TEDx talk on the subject [ 5 ], and “PowerPoint presentation flaws and failures: A psychological analysis,” by Kosslyn and colleagues is deeply detailed about a number of aspects of human cognition and presentation style [ 4 ]. There are many books on the topic, including the popular “Presentation Zen” by Garr Reynolds [ 11 ]. Finally, although briefly touched on here, the visualization of data is an entire topic of its own that is worth perfecting for both written and oral presentations of work, with fantastic resources like Edward Tufte’s “The Visual Display of Quantitative Information” [ 12 ] or the article “Visualization of Biomedical Data” by O’Donoghue and colleagues [ 13 ].

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank the countless presenters, colleagues, students, and mentors from which I have learned a great deal from on effective presentations. Also, a thank you to the wonderful resources published by organizations on how to increase inclusivity. A special thanks to Dr. Jason Papin and Dr. Michael Guertin on early feedback of this editorial.

Funding Statement

The author received no specific funding for this work.

• Get started with computers
• Learn Microsoft Office
• Apply for a job
• Improve my work skills
• Design nice-looking docs
• Getting Started
• Smartphones & Tablets
• Typing Tutorial
• Online Learning
• Basic Internet Skills
• Online Safety
• Social Media
• Zoom Basics
• Google Docs
• Google Sheets
• Career Planning
• Resume Writing
• Cover Letters
• Job Search and Networking
• Business Communication
• Entrepreneurship 101
• Careers without College
• Job Hunt for Today
• 3D Printing
• Freelancing 101
• Personal Finance
• Sharing Economy
• Decision-Making
• Graphic Design
• Photography
• Image Editing
• Learning WordPress
• Language Learning
• Critical Thinking
• For Educators
• Translations
• Staff Picks
• English expand_more expand_less

PowerPoint Tips  - Simple Rules for Better PowerPoint Presentations

Powerpoint tips  -, simple rules for better powerpoint presentations, powerpoint tips simple rules for better powerpoint presentations.

PowerPoint Tips: Simple Rules for Better PowerPoint Presentations

Lesson 17: simple rules for better powerpoint presentations.

/en/powerpoint-tips/embed-excel-charts-in-a-slide/content/

Simple rules for better PowerPoint presentations

Have you ever given a PowerPoint presentation and noticed that something about it just seemed a little … off? If you’re unfamiliar with basic PowerPoint design principles, it can be difficult to create a slide show that presents your information in the best light.

Poorly designed presentations can leave an audience feeling confused, bored, and even irritated. Review these tips to make your next presentation more engaging.

Don't read your presentation straight from the slides

If your audience can both read and hear, it’s a waste of time for you to simply read your slides aloud. Your audience will zone out and stop listening to what you’re saying, which means they won’t hear any extra information you include.

Instead of typing out your entire presentation, include only main ideas, keywords, and talking points in your slide show text. Engage your audience by sharing the details out loud.

Follow the 5/5/5 rule

To keep your audience from feeling overwhelmed, you should keep the text on each slide short and to the point. Some experts suggest using the 5/5/5 rule : no more than five words per line of text, five lines of text per slide, or five text-heavy slides in a row.

Don't forget your audience

Who will be watching your presentation? The same goofy effects and funny clip art that would entertain a classroom full of middle-school students might make you look unprofessional in front of business colleagues and clients.

Humor can lighten up a presentation, but if you use it inappropriately your audience might think you don’t know what you’re doing. Know your audience, and tailor your presentation to their tastes and expectations.

Choose readable colors and fonts

Your text should be easy to read and pleasant to look at. Large, simple fonts and theme colors are always your best bet. The best fonts and colors can vary depending on your presentation setting. Presenting in a large room? Make your text larger than usual so people in the back can read it. Presenting with the lights on? Dark text on a light background is your best bet for visibility.

Don't overload your presentation with animations

As anyone who’s sat through a presentation while every letter of every paragraph zoomed across the screen can tell you, being inundated with complicated animations and exciting slide transitions can become irritating.

Before including effects like this in your presentation, ask yourself: Would this moment in the presentation be equally strong without an added effect? Does it unnecessarily delay information? If the answer to either question is yes—or even maybe—leave out the effect.

Use animations sparingly to enhance your presentation

Don’t take the last tip to mean you should avoid animations and other effects entirely. When used sparingly, subtle effects and animations can add to your presentation. For example, having bullet points appear as you address them rather than before can help keep your audience’s attention.

Keep these tips in mind the next time you create a presentation—your audience will thank you. For more detailed information on creating a PowerPoint presentation, visit our Office tutorials .

/en/powerpoint-tips/three-tips-for-beautiful-powerpoint-presentations/content/

Microsoft 365 Life Hacks > Presentations > Implementing The 10-20-30 Rule of PowerPoint

Implementing The 10-20-30 Rule of PowerPoint

If you’re not used to making a PowerPoint presentation , it can be tough to know how long to make it and how to format the slides. On the other side of the coin: you might overthink your presentation and put too much information on too many slides.

With help from the 10-20-30 rule, you can make a PowerPoint presentation that’s engaging and efficient . The guidelines for this rule are as follows:

• No more than 10 slides.
• No longer than 20 minutes.
• No larger than 30-point font.

Let’s look deeper at the 10-20-30 PowerPoint rule, why it’s a good rule to follow and things to do to follow this guideline.

Tell your story with captivating presentations

Powerpoint empowers you to develop well-designed content across all your devices

Don’t use more than 10 slides. A good presenter shouldn’t have to (or want to) lean heavily on their PowerPoint slides. The slides should be a supplement for your presentation, not the headliner. Limiting to 10 slides will ensure that you’re not going over the top with the length of your presentation and keeps it moving. Your slide count should include both your title and conclusion. A presentation that goes on any longer than 10 slides will distract from what you’re saying and starts to feel like an information overload.

Keep your presentation 20 minutes MAX. During a presentation, people start tuning out after about 10 minutes.Limiting your presentation to this length will ensure that your audience will remember much of what you’re saying. If you’re covering a more complex topic and need more time, stick to the 20-minute MAX rule—it’s much easier to schedule your presentation by timing each slide down to about two minutes. That feels like a much more manageable timeframe, doesn’t it?

Don’t use fonts smaller than size 30. A 30-point font is a great minimum size because it ensures that your text is easy to read from a distance. The recommended guideline to make your presentation accessible to those who might be visually impaired is a 24-point font. Upping the size to 30 is a significant difference, and you can be confident that your audience can see what you’ve written. In addition, choose a font that’s easy to read. For years it was recommended that you stick solely to sans-serif fonts with digital media because serifs could blur together, making certain fonts hard to read. High-resolution screens have nearly eliminated this problem, so some serif fonts can be used and are easy to read in PowerPoint presentations.

Tips for sticking to these guidelines. It’s not always easy to cut down your presentation to fit the 30-20-10 rule if you’re presenting a lot of information. Follow these tips while putting together your presentation to make the entire process easier on yourself:

• Limit text to the 6×6 rule. It can feel like there are a lot of rules for making a PowerPoint presentation, but they’re all there to help you make a well-organized and engaging presentation. The 6×6 rule suggests that you don’t use more than six lines or bullet points on each slide and limit each line or bullet point to six words. Following the 6×6 rule helps to ensure that you’re limiting the amount of information on your slides so you can continue to present it rather than have your audience read it.
• Use visuals instead. Visuals like graphics, animated gifs, and videos can help to keep your audience engaged . Including visuals with your presentation will also help you limit the amount of time and content on each slide. A graph or illustration on the right side of your slide limits the amount of space you have on the left side. This can help to minimize the amount of text you have.
• Practice makes perfect. There’s a very cool, free tool called PowerPoint Speaker Coach , which leverages AI to help you nail your presentation. Speaker coach gives you feedback on your pace, pitch, use of filler words, poor grammar, lack of originality, use of sensitive phrases, and more as you rehearse your presentation. You’ll get a Summary Report at the end—with key pieces of feedback to help you become a confident presenter .

Use the 10-20-30 PowerPoint rule and these other tips to keep your presentation simple. Whether you’re a college student presenting a class project or a teen making the case for a new car, following these guidelines will help.

Get started with Microsoft 365

It’s the Office you know, plus the tools to help you work better together, so you can get more done—anytime, anywhere.

Topics in this article

More articles like this one.

How to introduce yourself in a presentation

Gain your audience’s attention at the onset of a presentation. Craft an impressionable introduction to establish tone, presentation topic, and more.

How to add citations to your presentation

Conduct research and appropriately credit work for your presentation. Understand the importance of citing sources and how to add them to your presentation.

How to work on a group presentation

Group presentations can go smoothly with these essential tips on how to deliver a compelling one.

How to create a sales presentation

Engage your audience and get them interested in your product with this guide to creating a sales presentation.

Everything you need to achieve more in less time

Get powerful productivity and security apps with Microsoft 365

Explore Other Categories

Tips for creating and delivering an effective presentation

In this article.

Creating an effective presentation

Delivering an effective presentation

Tips for creating an effective presentation

Top of Page

Tips for delivering an effective presentation

Need more help?

Want more options.

Explore subscription benefits, browse training courses, learn how to secure your device, and more.

Microsoft 365 subscription benefits

Microsoft 365 training

Microsoft security

Accessibility center

Communities help you ask and answer questions, give feedback, and hear from experts with rich knowledge.

Ask the Microsoft Community

Microsoft Tech Community

Windows Insiders

Microsoft 365 Insiders

Was this information helpful?

Thank you for your feedback.

Home Blog Presentation Ideas Understanding the 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint Presentations

Understanding the 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint Presentations

Imagine sitting through a seemingly never-ending presentation. The speaker rambled on, reading from text-heavy slides, using a tiny font that strained your eyes, and failing to connect with the audience. As the minutes ticked by, you found yourself daydreaming and eagerly awaiting the end of the ordeal.

If you have been in this situation, then you know what to do if you were in the presenter’s shoes – make your presentations concise. But how do you even start?

You can follow several techniques when preparing your deck and your presentation as a whole. One of them is the 10/20/30 rule of PowerPoint , a presentation rule championed by Guy Kawasaki – a former Apple employee and a marketing specialist.

Table of Contents

What Is the 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint Presentations?

Applying guy kawasaki’s 10 slide template in any presentation, the 20 minutes rule, the 30-point font rule, the benefits of using the 10/20/30 rule, tips for applying the 10/20/30 rule to your presentation.

The idea of the 10/20/30 rule is easy to understand, which is summed up in three points.

• Your presentation should consist of no more than 10 slides .
• Your presentation should last no longer than 20 minutes .
• The text on each slide should be no lower than 30 points in size .

Guy Kawasaki’s 10-20-30 rule for slideshows emphasizes brevity, focus, and visual appeal to keep your audience engaged and deliver your message effectively.

Let’s examine each rule and explore how to apply it to your presentations.

The 10 Slides Rule

Kawasaki argues that a typical person can only take 10 concepts in one sitting. Therefore, according to him, a presentation should only consist of 10 slides, each serving a specific purpose and conveying a distinct concept.

This insight underscores the importance of concise, focused presentations that prioritize key messages and avoid overwhelming the audience with too much information.

If you are a business presenter struggling to develop a pitch deck , Kawasaki suggests a 10-slide PowerPoint template that includes what venture capitalists like him care about.

• Title – Includes the business name, the presenter’s name, contacts, etc.
• Problem/Opportunity – Highlights pain points or unmet needs of customers you aim to solve.
• Value Proposition – Articulates the value or benefits of your product or service.
• Underlying Magic – Explains the key technology that goes into your product or service offers.
• Business Model – Describes how you plan to generate revenue.
• Go-to-Market Plan – Outlines your strategy for bringing your product or service to market, e.g., marketing and sales plan .
• Competitive Analysis – Explains how your business is positioned to compete and capture market share.
• Management Team – Highlights your management team’s skills, experience, and expertise that will drive the success of your business.
• Financial Projections and Key Metrics – Highlights your business’s financial viability and potential profitability.
• Current Status, Accomplishments to Date, Timeline, and Use of Funds – Provides an overview of your current business status, any accomplishments or milestones achieved to date, the timeline for future milestones, and how you plan to use the funds you seek.

The 10 rule slide was specifically designed for startup and business presentations , focusing on pitching a business idea or concept to potential investors . However, it can also be a useful framework for other types of presentations that don’t deal with selling a service or product.

For example, if you are a lecturer, you can emulate Kawasaki’s PowerPoint template layout and reduce your presentation to 10 slides. Some slides might not be relevant to the nature of your topic, so replace them with one that works for your presentation. Using PPT templates helps you focus on the graphical aspect so you can articulate the content to fit into exactly 10 slides (while preserving the same aesthetic).

Let’s say you are a mindfulness expert talking about the benefits of meditation. The first three slides of Kawazaki’s workflow may be applied as you’ll need to establish your audience’s pain points and your solution.

However, you may need to modify the remaining slides as you’re not seeking to make a sale or raise funding. You may use them instead to discuss the main content of your presentation – in this case, the benefits of meditation. The last two slides may contain your conclusions and call to action, respectively.

Now, off to the second part of the 10/20/30 presentation rule.

According to Kawasaki, you only have 20 minutes to present your 10 slides – the time needed before your audience’s attention starts declining. He believes it is long enough to convey a meaningful message but short enough to maintain the audience’s attention span.

This is exactly why most TED Talks or The Big Bang Theory episodes would only last for approximately 18 minutes. 

While giving longer presentations is possible, longer presentations may be more difficult to maintain audience engagement and attention.

Kawasaki’s final rule pertains to the font size that presenters can use. This rule suggests that presenters should use a font size of at least 30 points for all text in their slides , including titles, headings, and body text.

When creating presentations, it is common to jam each slide with text and information. This poses two possible problems:

• First, it may take your audience’s attention from you as they may end up reading your whole presentation and stop listening to you. 
• Second, including too much information can make your presentation overwhelming and difficult to follow.

Using a larger font size, you must include only the key points of your presentation slides. This prevents your audience from getting ahead of you and keeps them listening to you speak. By applying this rule, you are also ensuring your content is understandable for people with visual impairments. We highly recommend you check concepts from W3C.org on how to make events accessible, as some of these rules can benefit your audience.

Presenters often ask themselves whether is worth applying a new framework for their presentation design and delivery. The reality is that the 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint Presentations is one of the most effective methods to build your presentation skills . In the list below, we expose the main benefits of this framework for presenters.

Concise and Focused Presentation

With a limited number of slides and a strict time limit, the 10/20/30 encourages you to choose the most relevant content and eliminate unnecessary information carefully. This avoids overwhelming your audience with too much information and ensures your key message is clear and memorable.

Improved Audience Engagement

This rule encourages presenters to focus on delivering a clear message rather than overwhelming the audience with flashy visuals. With fewer slides and a shorter duration, you are likelier to hold your audience’s attention throughout the presentation. This also allows you to address questions from the audience, leading to better interaction and a productive meeting.

Increased Chance of Success

Whether pitching to investors or selling a product, a concise and focused presentation can significantly increase your chances of success. The 10/20/30 rule helps you effectively communicate your value proposition and address potential concerns. This makes your presentation more persuasive and memorable, increasing the likelihood of securing funding or closing a sale.

Time Management

The more senior the person you present to, the lesser time you got to make your case and convey your message. Following the 10/20/30 encourages you to be mindful of the time and deliver your presentation within the allocated timeframe. It also allows you to show respect for your audience’s time.

1. Present One Idea Per Slide

Following Kawasaki’s rule on creating your PowerPoint presentation, identify the key points you want to convey to your audience and allocate one slide for each.

Presenting one idea per slide can help your audience stay focused on the topic at hand.  It makes it easier for them to understand and remember your message, as it reduces the amount of information they have to process at once. When there’s too much information on a slide, it can be overwhelming and distracting, making it difficult for your audience to stay engaged and attentive.

Presenting one idea per slide can also help you control the flow of information and ensure that you cover all of your main points.

2. Keep Your Slides Simple

As mentioned earlier, the 10/20/30 rule emphasizes simplicity. Keep your slides simple and avoid flashy design elements that may distract your audience.

Use a consistent color scheme , font style, and layout throughout your presentation. This will help your audience follow along and focus on your message.

3. Balance Text and Visuals

Visuals like images, charts, graphs, videos, and diagrams can help break up text-heavy slides and make your presentation more interesting and memorable. However, relying solely on images can also be ineffective and lead to confusion or disengagement.

When using visuals in your slides, it’s important to balance text and images. Text can provide important context and details, while images can help illustrate key points and make your presentation visually appealing.

Let’s say you want to inform your audience of your company’s marketing plan . Using a rising spiral template is an excellent choice since it can represent multiple plan stages with increasing intensity.

4. Break Down Your Presentation into Smaller Units and Make it Interactive

Kawasaki’s 10/20/30 rule only gives you 20 minutes to wrap up the whole presentation, but what if you need more than that?

It’s not uncommon to give presentations that last 45 minutes to an hour – for instance, if you are giving a lecture or facilitating a training workshop for employees. The longer your presentation, however, the harder it will be to hold your audience’s attention.

One great way to keep them engaged is to divide your presentation into smaller units and pause in between.

So, before the guy from the third row starts yawning, plan in-between activities to reenergize your audience and reacquire their attention. It can be a simple Q&A session, interactive exercises, or team-building activities.

Don’t forget to time your activities so they won’t disrupt the flow of your presentation.

5. Start Strong

The opening of your presentation is critical in capturing your audience’s attention and setting the tone for the rest of the presentation. Start with a compelling hook, such as a thought-provoking question, a powerful quote, or an engaging story, to grab your audience’s attention. Clearly state the purpose and objectives of your presentation to establish the context and provide a roadmap for what’s to come.

6. End Strong

Your outro is as important as your introduction. So, instead of ending your presentation with a flat Thank you slide , use the opportunity to nudge your audience to action.

Using a summary slide is one of the ways you can end your presentation if your goal is to reinforce your key points. It can be a useful reference for the audience, helping them remember the most important information.

You can also encourage your audience to take action based on what they’ve learned in your presentation. This can be a great way to motivate them to apply the concepts you’ve covered.

The 10/20/30 rule of PowerPoint is a useful framework to emulate in creating your presentation.

There are questions about the practicality of its application outside the business context. However, we can agree that it teaches us valuable insight – keeping presentations concise as possible. Limiting the number of slides, adhering to a strict time limit, and using a larger font size can create a concise presentation that effectively communicates your message.

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to presenting; you don’t have to strictly follow Kawasaki’s rule. Depending on the audience and the topic, modify the template and adapt your presentation to suit the situation.

Like this article? Please share

Presentation Approaches, Presentation Skills Filed under Presentation Ideas

Related Articles

Filed under Presentation Ideas • August 22nd, 2024

How to Write a Presentation Script

The script of a speech is a vital aspect for a presentation’s success. Join us here to learn the process of writing a presentation script.

Filed under Design • August 14th, 2024

Creating Custom Themes for PowerPoint and Google Slides

Do you want your slides to go beyond the average result from a template? If so, learn how to create custom themes for presentations with this guide.

Filed under Google Slides Tutorials • July 25th, 2024

How to Hide a Slide in Google Slides

Hiding a slide in Google Slides is a task that takes less than a minute. Learn how to quickly implement this tool for your presentations in this article.

Leave a Reply

Unlimited Access to PowerPoint Templates & more! Starting at only $49   Unlock Full Access

The Essential 5 Rules of Effective PowerPoint Presentations

PowerPoint presentations have become a cornerstone of modern communication, whether in the boardroom, the classroom, or the conference hall. When PowerPoint is used effectively, it can elevate your message, making your message engaging, clear, and memorable. There are 5 simple rules to follow to ensure your presentation doesn’t become a dreaded “death by PowerPoint” experience. In this blog, we’ll quickly explore these five essential rules of creating compelling and impactful PowerPoint presentations.

Rule 1: Keep It Simple

One of the cardinal sins in PowerPoint presentations is overcrowding your slides with text, bullet points, and too many visuals. The first rule is to keep it simple. Each slide should have a single, clear message. Use concise language, bullet points, and minimal text to convey your points. Visuals should be clean and uncluttered. Simplicity enhances comprehension and retention.

Rule 2: Visualize Your Data

Data is a critical element in many presentations, but raw numbers can be overwhelming. Rule number two is to visualize your data. Use charts, graphs, and diagrams to represent your data in a visually engaging way. Choose the right type of visualization for your information, ensuring it’s easy to understand at a glance. Well-crafted visuals make your data more accessible and memorable.

Rule 3: Tell a Story

The most compelling presentations are those that tell a story. Rule three is all about storytelling. Structure your presentation like a narrative with a clear beginning, middle, and end. Start with an attention-grabbing introduction, build your narrative with supporting points, and conclude with a memorable takeaway or call to action. A well-structured story captivates your audience and helps them connect with your message.

Rule 4: Design Matters

Effective design is crucial to a successful PowerPoint presentation. Rule four is all about design. Choose a consistent, visually appealing template. Use fonts, colors, and imagery that align with your message and branding. Ensure that text is legible and that visuals are high-quality and relevant. Good design enhances professionalism and keeps your audience engaged.

Rule 5: Practice and Rehearse

No matter how well your slides are designed, the delivery is equally important. Rule five emphasizes practice and rehearsal. Familiarize yourself with the content, so you can present confidently and naturally. Rehearse your timing, transitions, and any interactive elements. Anticipate questions and prepare for them. Practice helps you connect with your audience and come across as a confident, knowledgeable speaker.

Mastering the art of PowerPoint presentations requires following these five fundamental rules: simplicity, data visualization, storytelling, design, and practice. These rules can transform your presentations from dull and forgettable to compelling and impactful. By keeping your slides clear and uncluttered, visually representing data, weaving a narrative, paying attention to design, and practicing your delivery, you can create presentations that inform, engage, and leave a lasting impression on your audience. The next time you create a PowerPoint presentation, remember these rules to ensure your message shines.

Get Unlimited Access to EVERYTHING

How-To Geek

8 tips to make the best powerpoint presentations.

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Asus Unveils New Wi-Fi 7 Routers and an Adapter

6 ways new outlook for windows helps me save time, 5 reasons why i stopped using ubuntu, quick links, table of contents, start with a goal, less is more, consider your typeface, make bullet points count, limit the use of transitions, skip text where possible, think in color, take a look from the top down, bonus: start with templates.

Slideshows are an intuitive way to share complex ideas with an audience, although they're dull and frustrating when poorly executed. Here are some tips to make your Microsoft PowerPoint presentations sing while avoiding common pitfalls.

It all starts with identifying what we're trying to achieve with the presentation. Is it informative, a showcase of data in an easy-to-understand medium? Or is it more of a pitch, something meant to persuade and convince an audience and lead them to a particular outcome?

It's here where the majority of these presentations go wrong with the inability to identify the talking points that best support our goal. Always start with a goal in mind: to entertain, to inform, or to share data in a way that's easy to understand. Use facts, figures, and images to support your conclusion while keeping structure in mind (Where are we now and where are we going?).

I've found that it's helpful to start with the ending. Once I know how to end a presentation, I know how best to get to that point. I start by identifying the takeaway---that one nugget that I want to implant before thanking everyone for their time---and I work in reverse to figure out how best to get there.

Your mileage, of course, may vary. But it's always going to be a good idea to put in the time in the beginning stages so that you aren't reworking large portions of the presentation later. And that starts with a defined goal.

A slideshow isn't supposed to include everything. It's an introduction to a topic, one that we can elaborate on with speech. Anything unnecessary is a distraction. It makes the presentation less visually appealing and less interesting, and it makes you look bad as a presenter.

This goes for text as well as images. There's nothing worse, in fact, than a series of slides where the presenter just reads them as they appear. Your audience is capable of reading, and chances are they'll be done with the slide, and browsing Reddit, long before you finish. Avoid putting the literal text on the screen, and your audience will thank you.

Related: How to Burn Your PowerPoint to DVD

Right off the bat, we're just going to come out and say that Papyrus and Comic Sans should be banned from all PowerPoint presentations, permanently. Beyond that, it's worth considering the typeface you're using and what it's saying about you, the presenter, and the presentation itself.

Consider choosing readability over aesthetics, and avoid fancy fonts that could prove to be more of a distraction than anything else. A good presentation needs two fonts: a serif and sans-serif. Use one for the headlines and one for body text, lists, and the like. Keep it simple. Veranda, Helvetica, Arial, and even Times New Roman are safe choices. Stick with the classics and it's hard to botch this one too badly.

There reaches a point where bullet points become less of a visual aid and more of a visual examination.

Bullet points should support the speaker, not overwhelm his audience. The best slides have little or no text at all, in fact. As a presenter, it's our job to talk through complex issues, but that doesn't mean that we need to highlight every talking point.

Instead, think about how you can break up large lists into three or four bullet points. Carefully consider whether you need to use more bullet points, or if you can combine multiple topics into a single point instead. And if you can't, remember that there's no one limiting the number of slides you can have in a presentation. It's always possible to break a list of 12 points down into three pages of four points each.

Animation, when used correctly, is a good idea. It breaks up slow-moving parts of a presentation and adds action to elements that require it. But it should be used judiciously.

Adding a transition that wipes left to right between every slide or that animates each bullet point in a list, for example, starts to grow taxing on those forced to endure the presentation. Viewers get bored quickly, and animations that are meant to highlight specific elements quickly become taxing.

That's not to say that you can't use animations and transitions, just that you need to pick your spots. Aim for no more than a handful of these transitions for each presentation. And use them in spots where they'll add to the demonstration, not detract from it.

Sometimes images tell a better story than text can. And as a presenter, your goal is to describe points in detail without making users do a lot of reading. In these cases, a well-designed visual, like a chart, might better convey the information you're trying to share.

The right image adds visual appeal and serves to break up longer, text-heavy sections of the presentation---but only if you're using the right images. A single high-quality image can make all the difference between a success and a dud when you're driving a specific point home.

When considering text, don't think solely in terms of bullet points and paragraphs. Tables, for example, are often unnecessary. Ask yourself whether you could present the same data in a bar or line chart instead.

Color is interesting. It evokes certain feelings and adds visual appeal to your presentation as a whole. Studies show that color also improves interest, comprehension, and retention. It should be a careful consideration, not an afterthought.

You don't have to be a graphic designer to use color well in a presentation. What I do is look for palettes I like, and then find ways to use them in the presentation. There are a number of tools for this, like Adobe Color , Coolors , and ColorHunt , just to name a few. After finding a palette you enjoy, consider how it works with the presentation you're about to give. Pastels, for example, evoke feelings of freedom and light, so they probably aren't the best choice when you're presenting quarterly earnings that missed the mark.

It's also worth mentioning that you don't need to use every color in the palette. Often, you can get by with just two or three, though you should really think through how they all work together and how readable they'll be when layered. A simple rule of thumb here is that contrast is your friend. Dark colors work well on light backgrounds, and light colors work best on dark backgrounds.

Spend some time in the Slide Sorter before you finish your presentation. By clicking the four squares at the bottom left of the presentation, you can take a look at multiple slides at once and consider how each works together. Alternatively, you can click "View" on the ribbon and select "Slide Sorter."

Are you presenting too much text at once? Move an image in. Could a series of slides benefit from a chart or summary before you move on to another point?

It's here that we have the opportunity to view the presentation from beyond the single-slide viewpoint and think in terms of how each slide fits, or if it fits at all. From this view, you can rearrange slides, add additional ones, or delete them entirely if you find that they don't advance the presentation.

The difference between a good presentation and a bad one is really all about preparation and execution. Those that respect the process and plan carefully---not only the presentation as a whole, but each slide within it---are the ones who will succeed.

This brings me to my last (half) point: When in doubt, just buy a template and use it. You can find these all over the web, though Creative Market and GraphicRiver are probably the two most popular marketplaces for this kind of thing. Not all of us are blessed with the skills needed to design and deliver an effective presentation. And while a pre-made PowerPoint template isn't going to make you a better presenter, it will ease the anxiety of creating a visually appealing slide deck.

• Microsoft Office

5 golden rules of PowerPoint design

april 30, 2024

by Deb Ashby

Wondering how to design the perfect PowerPoint presentation? It's easier than you think–just follow five simple rules to get started:

1. Consider using templates

When building a slide deck, it’s important to maintain consistency throughout. We want to ensure we are using consistent font styles, colors and themes. This can be tricky when designing from scratch, so why not start from a template?

Microsoft Create contains hundreds of pre-made, customizable PowerPoint templates, which means you don’t have to start from scratch and the fonts and colors are already set for you.

Simply choose a template from the gallery, customize it as needed, and you are done!

2. No walls of text

We’ve all seen PowerPoint presentations where slides contain too much text. The human brain struggles to listen and read at the same time. If you are presenting to an audience, keep the text on slides to a minimum.

Consider employing the “5-5-5" rule. No more than 5 lines, no more than 5 words, no more than 5 minutes. Think short and sharp memory joggers instead of rambling paragraphs.

Where possible, consider replacing text with visuals to represent your point. People remember images more than words.

3. Be mindful of colors and fonts

No one wants their audience to leave with a headache after an hour of straining to read slides. We need to ensure that our presentation is easy to read for everyone – even for those in the nosebleed seats at the back! Think about the font you are using. Is it appropriate for the presentation? What about the font size? Can people at the back easily read? What about people with visual impairment? Ensure all text is at least 24pts.

When it comes to color, ensure all slides have good contrast. Dark backgrounds should have light font and vice versa.

4. Use animation sparingly

Animation can really liven up an otherwise flat presentation. However, it should be used thoughtfully and sparingly. Too much of the wrong type of animation with objects flying in and zooming around the screen, while fun, can look confusing and unprofessional.

Animation should be subtle (especially for pitch decks and other formal presentations). With every animation you add, ask yourself, "Is this going to enhance my presentation or distract from it?"

5. Engage your audience

When presenting to an audience, there is usually an awkward time before the presentation begins while the speaker waits for everyone to arrive. During this time, people may start scrolling on their phones or get distracted with work emails, and it can be hard to pull the audience back.

To avoid this issue, work to grab your audience's attention before the presentation even starts. Instead of just having the title slide on the screen, consider creating "kiosk slides." These are a series of slides that contain a combination of interesting things for the audience to look at or engage with. Maybe you have an interesting image? A funny quote or fun facts? Or maybe there is a question you want them to think about prior to the session?

Create these slides and have them automatically cycle round before the presentation starts.

Related topics

10 Tips to Make Your PowerPoint Presentation Effective

You may have heard of the famous 10/20/30 rule , devised by Guy Kawasaki , for designing presentations. This rule states that using 10 slides in 20 minutes at a 30 point minimum font size is the most effective presentation strategy—but what does this really mean?

The most important thing to remember, particularly if you’re using PowerPoint to convey your message, is to keep your audience in mind when preparing your presentation. Your audience wants a relevant presentation, not just something that is visually appealing .

A common mistake speakers make when designing PowerPoint presentations is being too passionate about it that they put everything they know into it. In trying to get their point across, presenters tend to use complex jargon and impart too much information, leaving the audience confused about the actual purpose of the presentation.

So how can you simplify your information but still convey a powerful message to your audience?

Here are 10 suggestions:

1) Cut out the wordiness

Ironic as it may seem, an essential part of proving a point is to use a minimal amount of words per slide so that the audience is focused on you, not on the screen. It’s rather difficult for any kind of audience to read texts and listen to you at the same time. If you have longer statements, break them down into multiple slides and highlight the key words. This doesn’t mean you limit your content to dull, boring facts. Feel free to incorporate anecdotes or quotes as long as they’re relevant and support your message.

2) Add pictures

Instead of more words, supplement your ideas with vivid imagery. Again, the key is not overusing photos to the point that it makes your presentations look unprofessional. Photos should only be used if they promote or emphasize the main idea of your slide.

3) Use appropriate animation

Like pictures, use animation only when appropriate and only if you’ve completely rehearsed your presentation with the animation flow. Otherwise, they will be distracting and will make it appear that you’ve designed your presentation in poor taste.

4) Don’t overuse numbers

As with words, minimize the amount of numbers you present in each slide. If you have charts that summarize the total figures toward the end, then you no longer need to fill up your entire chart with the little numbers on the scale.

5) Use large fonts

Aside from the obvious reason that larger fonts are more readable, size dictates the impact of your message and a larger one makes it easier for your audience to clearly grasp what you’re saying or want to highlight. Aside from font size, pay attention to the spacing between paragraphs, rows, and columns; you don’t want your text to appear jumbled.

6) Maintain consistency

The whole objective of your presentation is to drive home a point, not to make your presentation look cheesy. Keep your font sizes and the size and format of a box on one page consistent throughout your slides.

7) Limit bullet points

Keep your bullet points to a maximum of 5-6 per slide. In addition, the words per bullet point should also be limited to 5-6 words. It’s also wise to vary what you present in each slide, such as alternating between bullet points, graphics, and graph slides, in order to sustain the interest and focus of your audience.

8) Choose colors and contrast effectively .

Use bold colors and high contrast. A color may look completely different on your monitor than it will when projected on a large screen.

9) Tell a story

Everyone loves a good story , especially if it’s something that they can easily relate to. A good story begins with a problem and the more irritating the problem is for the audience, the more effective your presentation will be once you’ve provided a possible solution for them.

10) Be flexible

In order to develop a strong connection with your audience, you need to be flexible with your slides. During your speech, you may feel that some slides have become unnecessary; therefore you want to prepare your presentation in such a way that you can easily interchange or eliminate them. Conversely, prepare some optional slides in anticipation of questions or ideas you expect from your audience. This will give your presentation the “wow” factor.

When using PowerPoint to deliver a PowerFUL point, your goal isn’t to design the best presentation but the most effective one. This means creating a presentation that your audience can connect with through interest, participation, memory recall, and ideally, learning something useful.

Create professional presentations online

Other people also read

9 Ideas For Your Next PowerPoint Presentation

10 Ways to Make Academic Presentations More Interesting

5 Design Principles of Improving your Presentation Style

• Presentation Design

10 Simple Rules for Crafting Effective Presentation Slides

Introduction.

In today’s fast-paced world, effective communication is crucial, and one powerful tool for communication is the presentation slide. Whether you’re pitching a new idea, delivering a sales pitch, or sharing important information, a well-crafted slide can make all the difference. At Slide Marvels , we understand the power of presentation slides, and we’re here to share our top ten simple rules for creating slides that captivate, engage, and inspire your audience.

Rule 1: Keep It Simple

The cardinal rule of effective presentation slides is to keep them simple. Avoid cluttering your slides with excessive text or visuals. Instead, focus on conveying your message concisely and clearly. Use bullet points, short sentences, and impactful visuals to get your point across without overwhelming your audience.

Rule 2: Use High-Quality Visuals

Visuals can enhance the effectiveness of your presentation slides, but only if they’re high-quality and relevant. Choose images, charts, and graphs that are clear, crisp, and directly support your message. Avoid using low-resolution images or unnecessary graphics that distract from your content.

Rule 3: Stick to a Consistent Design

Consistency is key to creating professional-looking presentation slides. Choose a cohesive color scheme, font, and layout and stick to it throughout your presentation. Consistent design not only improves the visual appeal of your slides but also helps reinforce your brand identity and message.

Rule 4: Limit Text

Long paragraphs of text have no place on presentation slides. Instead, aim to convey your key points using brief, succinct phrases or bullet points. Your slides should serve as visual aids to complement your spoken words, not replace them.

Rule 5: Use White Space Effectively

White space or negative space is the space around elements on your slide. Embracing white space can improve readability and focus your audience’s attention on the most important parts of your content. Avoid overcrowding your slides and allow each element to breathe.

Rule 6: Tell a Story

Effective presentation slides should tell a story that resonates with your audience. Structure your slides in a logical sequence that builds suspense, delivers key points, and concludes with a strong call to action. Use storytelling techniques such as anecdotes, examples, and metaphors to engage your audience on an emotional level.

Rule 7: Practice Visual Hierarchy

Visual hierarchy refers to the arrangement of elements on your slides to guide your audience’s attention. Use size, color, and positioning to emphasize important points and lead your audience through your content in a natural flow. By prioritizing information visually, you can ensure that your message is conveyed clearly and effectively.

Rule 8: Keep Animations Subtle

While animations can add interest and dynamism to your presentation slides, they should be used sparingly and with purpose. Avoid flashy or distracting animations that detract from your message. Instead, opt for subtle transitions and animations that enhance the overall cohesion and professionalism of your presentation.

Rule 9: Practice Rehearsal

No matter how well-designed your slides are, effective presentation delivery requires practice and rehearsal. Familiarize yourself with your content, timing, and delivery to ensure a smooth and confident presentation. Rehearse your presentation multiple times to iron out any kinks and refine your delivery for maximum impact.

Rule 10: Engage with Your Audience

Finally, remember that effective presentations are not one-sided lectures but interactive experiences. Engage with your audience by inviting questions, encouraging discussion, and soliciting feedback. By fostering a dialogue with your audience, you can create a memorable and impactful presentation experience.

Creating effective presentation slides is both an art and a science, but by following these ten simple rules, you can elevate your slides from ordinary to extraordinary. At Slide Marvels, we’re passionate about helping our clients communicate their ideas with clarity, creativity, and impact. Contact us [email protected] today to discover how we can help you unlock the full potential of your presentations.

Connect with Us:  LinkedIn –  slidemarvels  | Twitter –  SlideMarvels  | Instagram –  slidemarvels

Team’s Presentation Game with Real-Time Collaboration Tips

Are you ready to take your team’s presentations to the next level? At Slide Marvels, we specialize in creating stunning […]

PowerPoint AI: Improving Design, Slide Layouts, and Automation

In the modern era of digital communication, creating compelling and professional presentations has become essential. Microsoft PowerPoint, a leader in […]

Power of PowerPoint: Build a Sturdy Bridge of Ideas with Slide Marvels

In today’s fast-paced business world, effective communication is paramount. Whether it’s presenting a new project to stakeholders, conducting a training […]

Unsupported browser

This site was designed for modern browsers and tested with Internet Explorer version 10 and later.

It may not look or work correctly on your browser.

• Presentations

30 PowerPoint Presentation Tips to Make Good PPT Slides in 2024 (+ 6 Expert Tips)

• Bahasa Indonesia

Here are 30 quick PowerPoint presentation tips to help you improve your presentations. 

Plus, get PowerPoint tips on changing your slide design to make your content shine. We've even called on six presentation experts for their best tips.

How to Make a Good PowerPoint Presentation (Watch & Learn)

This screencast is a speed round of my very favorite PowerPoint tricks. It's a great resource to learn how to make a presentable PowerPoint. I'll walk you through ten of my favorite PowerPoint tips and tricks to create a better presentation.

Keep reading for an illustrated version of these good PPT tips (and more) that you can use to improve your PowerPoint presentations. You'll see 30 of our favorite PowerPoint presentation tips and tricks, including techniques to update slide master PowerPoint 2024 designs.

Jump to content in this section:

• How Do You Give a Memorable PPT Presentation?
• Practice Makes Perfect
• Adapt Your Presentation to the Audience
• Use a Custom Font
• Use Contrast
• Avoid Too Many Animations
• Use the Rule of Three
• Use a Custom PPT Theme Design
• Make Use of Charts and Graphs
• Use the Built-in Slide Layouts
• Align Text Consistently
• Make Your Exports User-Friendly
• Try a Different Color Scheme
• Edit Slide Masters for Consistency
• Use the Alignment Feature
• Use Stock Assets
• Reduce Your Content
• Rethink Your Slide Order
• Use PowerPoint Animations
• Invite Collaborators
• Add Supporting Video Clips
• Use Infographic Templates
• Use Impactful Closing Techniques
• Include Data in the Appendix
• Alternate Between Solid Color and White Slides
• Present Information With Maps
• Keep the Design Best Practices in Mind
• Set a Time Limit
• Test Your Content Everywhere

30 Tips: How to Make Good PowerPoint Presentation Designs Fast in 2024

A few tried and true tips can help you speed up your PowerPoint presentation design. Check out 30 of my favorite PowerPoint tips to do just that. Each of these give you PowerPoint slideshow help to create good PowerPoint slides:

1. How Do You Give a Memorable PPT Presentation?

If you're learning the top PowerPoint presentation tips and tricks, you're probably asking yourself: how do I give a presentation that won't be forgotten?

We all want to be remembered. The best PowerPoint slideshow help to make a mark on the audience. There are tried-and-true ways to do just that, and expert Neil Tomlinson shares expertise on being remembered:

Get your main point into the presentation as early as possible (this avoids any risk of audience fatigue or attention span waning), then substantiate your point with facts, figures etc and then reiterate your point at the end in a ‘Summary’.

2. Practice Makes Perfect

Also, don’t forget to practice your presentation. Go through your slide deck a few times to make sure you know it like the back of your hand when the big day arrives. Doing so helps you feel more confident. It'll reduce any anxiety and nervousness you might feel as the presentation day approaches.

What's the best way to rehears for a good PowerPoint? Here's one of the top PowerPoint presentation tips from expert presenter Sandra Zimmer :

Once slides are ready, practice one slide at a time aloud until you feel like you know it and like the flow of speech. Be willing to change anything that does not feel in flow. At the end of learning all your slides, practice the whole talk.

If you want even more great PowerPoint presentation tips and tricks, check out the following post:

3. Adapt Your Presentation to the Audience

Let's say that you're a seasoned presenter with a pretty standard set of presentation topics. Maybe you're an expert in your field, and you're asked to give a PPT presentation frequently on similar topics.

That's the value of being an expert. You might have a standard spiel that you give your audiences, and your content won't totally change from one presentation to another. That's why it helps to make only slight tweaks to adapt your presentation to each audience.

Leading presentation expert Suzannah Baum offered up this advice:

Different audiences will have different needs and different challenges, which requires me to re-sequence the slides, or create new ones. I tend to do a lot of research on my audiences – via surveys, interviews, and conversations with the hiring manager – to help me better understand what information would be most relevant to them.

How do you adapt to your audience? Here are a few more tips:

• Learn about them. If you're asked to speak, talk to the curator of the presentation to learn more about the audience and their background.
• Ask about them! With contact details, send out a survey or a response link to ask for feedback and preparation info. Ask leading questions like "what do you want to learn?"
• Consider the environment.  If you're presenting via Zoom, your style will differ from presenting in person. The key is to acknowledge the difference and adapt to your environment.

Learn everything you can about your audience. Learning how to make a presentable PowerPoint is all about thinking of the recipient, not the presenter!

4. Use a Custom Font

A PowerPoint presentation tip that'll make your slideshow more interesting and more engaging is to use a custom font.

Fonts set the tone for your presentation. So, when you use a premium font, you’re opting for a high-quality font while also adding a personal or creative touch. 

When choosing a font, remember that you want everyone to read your text easily. 

5. Use Contrast

One PowerPoint trick is to use contrast to make some of your text stand out or make it easier to read.

If you’re putting text over an image on our PowerPoint slide, you may need to use a white box with black text in it to make your text easier to read. You can also use contrasting colors to highlight important text.

6. Avoid Too Many Animations

Another PowerPoint tip is to avoid having too many animations or transitions.

When you've got too many animations, it can be distracting to the audience. It’s not only distracting, but it's unprofessional.

It’s best to stick to one or two animations throughout your presentation. Also, if you've got any animations in your presentation, make sure to test them to see if they work before presenting.

7. Add Audio

Include audio on a slide on PowerPoint to increase audience engagement. Audio can be anything from fun sound effects to interview clips. You can even add an audio clip of your voice.

Audio gives you a break from speaking while also engaging the audience. Envato Elements has hundreds of premium audio clips if you want to add some.

8. Use the Rule of Three

One PowerPoint tip and trick is to follow the rules of PowerPoint.

One of those rules is the rule of three. It's where you start by dividing your presentation into thirds. Everything should come in thirds, so if you use bullet points, you should only have three. If you use icons, you should only have three.

When things come in threes, it's easier to remember them. For more information, read this informative article:

9. Use a Custom PPT Theme Design

Above all, consistently use custom PowerPoint themes. Microsoft has built-in themes that you can use for free, sure. But the premium themes that are on Envato Elements   are a major step-up from PowerPoint's built-in themes. 

When you subscribe to Envato Elements, you'll have access to unlimited downloads of all the PowerPoint themes. Right now, Envato Elements has almost 4,000 PowerPoint themes and that number is always growing. You'll learn tips for a good PowerPoint presentation by using the best templates.

10. Make Use of Charts and Graphs

Illustrate your data with the use of charts and graphs. Not only will you be able to make your presentation more visually appealing, but you'll also help your audience remember the information better.

Many PowerPoint templates already include chart and graph elements. Easily customize them to make your data and stats more interesting and easier to understand.

Want to learn more about how to use data? Turn to expert Adrienne J ohnston , a presentation professional:

When it comes to visualizing data in presentations, we have to remember that our audience does not need all the fine details of the data - they need the main takeaway and we need to make sure that's evident to them when looking at the slide.

11. Use the Built-in Slide Layouts

Inside of PowerPoint themes, you'll find layouts , which are custom slide designs.

Most themes include a selection of content layouts that you can use as a starting point for your own slide designs. You can leverage slide master PowerPoint 2024 designs with the help of layouts.

Layouts are like a starting point for your PowerPoint presentation slides. They contain combinations of placeholders for text boxes, images, and more.

Instead of clicking and drawing individual objects onto the slide, use one of these layouts to start your slide off. It's one of the top PowerPoint presentation tips and tricks to save time.

12. Align Text Consistently

When you're working with text on your slide, it helps to ensure that it aligns consistently. Keeping your text aligned in the same orientation really makes a slide look clean. 

In the example below, I've basically got three text boxes:

• list of bulleted points

Notice that all this text is aligned left. 

Aligning text was the " aha " moment that I learned when I started studying slide design. It's one of those steps that makes a slide look much neater and professional, so keep it in mind when designing.

13. Make Your Exports User-Friendly

No matter how great your PowerPoint presentation slides look, you need to think about how your user will use the presentation file. 

Any of these are likely scenarios if you're regularly sending presentations to other users:

• The viewer may not have PowerPoint installed on their computer.
• The recipient may be using a version of PowerPoint that renders the presentation differently.
• Maybe you don't want the user to be able to make any edits or see your notes in the presentation file.

In this case, my favorite tip is to export the presentation as a PDF. To do that, go to File > Export > Create PDF , and then save your presentation as a PDF.

This is sure to help most of your users see the presentation just the way you intended.

14. Try a Different Color Scheme

Many PowerPoint themes have more than one color scheme that you can apply to your presentation. On the Design  tab, click on the drop-down next to Themes to try out a different color scheme.

Typically, these will restyle your entire presentation. Premium themes that you might get from Envato Elements, for example, may have many versions inside the original presentation zip file.

15. Edit Slide Masters for Consistency

The slide master controls the design for your PowerPoint slide. Instead of making the same change to each slide, apply a change to a slide master. It'll affect all the PowerPoint presentation slides that use the same master.

It's ideal to apply a logo to the slide master itself, for example. This keeps the logo the same size and in the same position on each slide.

To do that, go to View > Slide Master.  On the right side, you're likely to see a variety of slide masters that control designs for many slides. Drop the elements that you want to remain consistent onto one of the slide masters.

16. Use the Alignment Feature

PowerPoint presentation slides look better when the objects on them are in line with one another. There's a certain visual rhythm that occurs when objects line up in the center or along certain boundary lines.

When you start dragging objects on your slide, you'll see guiding lines that pop up. These are very intuitive, and you'll likely notice that they help you line up your objects. You might seem them pop up when you've got a box that's equidistant between two other objects on the slide, for example.

This is one of the best tricks for improving the look of your PowerPoint slide. Spend some time making sure that your key elements line up cohesively.

17. Use Stock Assets

Earlier, I mentioned using Envato Elements to grab PowerPoint themes. But there's more that comes with an Envato Elements subscription for presentations.

That includes a wide variety of stock photos, graphics,  and custom designed fonts  that you can use in your presentation. Instead of reusing the same stock photo or clip art, Envato Elements has everything you need to supplement a presentation. 

Again, Envato Elements is the perfect subscription if you build presentations. It's a one-stop-shop that you can use to fill content.

18. Reduce Your Content

There's nothing that makes an audience tune out faster than being overloaded with slide content. Sometimes we try to make so many points that the audience misses all of them due to information overload.

Less is truly more. When you cut the weaker points of your presentation, the audience's attention will follow your key points accordingly.

It seems like cheating, but one of the best steps that you can take for your slide is to simply reduce the number of items that are on it. Convert some of your typed points to things you'll speak verbally.

19. Rethink Your Slide Order

Sometimes, I find that my presentations are out of order. I might spend too much time explaining my decision before I get to the conclusion.

In these cases, I like to use Slide Sorter View  to re-sequence the slides in my presentation. To access this view, go to View > Slide Sorter  on PowerPoint's ribbon.

From Slide Sorter view, you've got a top-down view of all the slides in your presentation deck. It sometimes becomes obvious that the slides can be reordered into a better sequence from this view.

20. Use PowerPoint Animations 

One of my favorite PowerPoint presentation tips is to complement your major points with a bit of animation. Using animation can bring a key point onto your slide with style!

Check out ten of the best PowerPoint tips for how to use animation from expert Sven Lenaerts below:

21. Invite Collaborators

Building a presentation often benefits from a second set of eyes. That's why it helps so much to invite a collaborator to work with you side-by-side in Microsoft PowerPoint.

Pushing your presentation up to OneDrive and inviting collaborators is easy. Thanks to the cloud-based approach, more than one user can edit a slide deck in real time. Learn how to do that in the tutorial below:

22. Add Supporting Video Clips

Building impactful presentations is all about adding other perspectives and angles to the content. One of my favorite ways to do that is to add a video clip. Maybe that's a production that you built on your own or found on sites like YouTube.

Either way, learn how to add and auto play a video clip in the quick tip below:

23. Use Infographic Templates

More presentations than ever will feature visuals that tell stories with data. But it's easy for an audience become overwhelmed with data. 

That's where infographics come into play. Learn to use them in PowerPoint in the tutorial below:

24. Use Impactful Closing Techniques

I've sat through many presentations in my life. I can only remember a few that really stick out, thanks to techniques that highlighted key points. You need PowerPoint tips and tricks that help leave your audience with an impact.

To do just that, make sure you use some of the techniques highlighted in the article below:

To do that, just drag and drop the thumbnails into the order you want. When you return to Normal view, the PowerPoint presentation slides will be in the resequenced order you set here.

25. Include Data in the Appendix

Many PowerPoint presentations include data in the form of charts and graphs. That means that you'll condense specifics into a few easy-to-follow charts.

But what if your audience wants more of the backing details? Maybe they want to validate and review the detail for themselves. In that case, a   set of  appendix slides  with extra data is sure to help.

Appendix slides are included at the end of a presentation deck for backup purposes. You might not present them, but your audience is certain to appreciate that you included them. That helps your presentation continue to be useful even after you leave the room.

Here's a great tip from: pro presenter  Graeme Thomas of Johnny F Designs:

If (my clients) are sending the deck straight to clients however, I would then put all the information on the slides but will often use more slides so that they aren't too cluttered. In cases where there is a lot of content, like financial statements, I would use  appendix slides.

Including an appendix helps your audience understand data  without  overwhelming them with that data. Follow these tips so that you get the best of both worlds.

26. Alternate Between Solid Color and White Slides

Alternating between solid color and slides with a white background can produce an interesting visual effect and engage your audience. You can use the solid-colored slides to signify a new section in your presentation.

Not to mention, solid-colored slides are the perfect way to re-enforce your brand colors and build your brand recognition.

27. Present Information With Maps

If you’re trying to make a case for a global expansion or need to report on how other branches are performing, consider using a map to help your audience visualize the data.

There's no shortage of quality PowerPoint templates with maps built in so be sure to take advantage of them.

28. Keep the Design Best Practices in Mind

The design of your presentation matters just as much as the content of your presentation. That’s why you need to devote an equal amount of time to making sure the design of your presentation is on point as you do to the actual content.

Familiarize yourself with best design practices and keep them in mind as you go about customizing your template.

29. Set a Time Limit

How many slides is the right number for you? Well, it all depends on the time limit you set for your presentation.

Believe it or not, setting a time limit is helpful to create good PowerPoint slides. If you want to learn how to make a presentable PowerPoint, it's a must to lock in the time limit and ensure that your slides support that timeframe. 

Expert presenter Stephanie Ottavan offers one of our top tips for a good PowerPoint presentation based on time limits:

A presenter is usually limited to a specific time frame and you want to adhere to that as closely as you can. If you have animations and transitions in your deck, these take added time so make sure to rehearse in “show mode” of PowerPoint or Keynote and time yourself.

Believe it or not, setting a time frame is one of the most important part of creating a PPT presentation. It helps you influence how many good PowerPoint slides you should design.

30. Test Your Content Everywhere

PowerPoint in 2024 could take place anywhere. Maybe you present, online, in-person, or beam it to mobile devices. It's important to remember that the content will appear differently on each device.

PowerPoint Online is a different medium than many other apps. Make sure that your presentation design appears the same by testing it with the help of this tutorial. It shows you how your PPT presentation appears even in a browser:

Discover Great Premium PowerPoint Templates With Google Slides (For 2024)

Creating a great presentation starts with a great template. And a great PowerPoint slide design use the best presentation practices, for example:

• Use high-quality photos and graphics to help tell the story.
• Keep text to a minimum.
• Stick to one idea per slide.

Designing a great template doesn’t mean you've got to start from scratch, though. Take a look at some of the best PowerPoint templates we've got on Envato Elements.

1. Neo PowerPoint Template

The Neo PowerPoint template features a modern and bold design and includes five color variations to get you started. Along with this, you'll also get 10 master slides and 30 individual slides for all your presentation needs.

2. Vexana PowerPoint Template

The Vexana template is a great choice for brands that need a touch of elegance. This template works with PowerPoint and Google Slides and comes with a grand total of 150 slides. It also has five color variations and includes infographic elements and photo placeholders.

3. Sprint PowerPoint Template

The Sprint PowerPoint template features a professional and modern design. The template is easy to customize. You'll find 20 masters in the standard 4:3 size, allowing you to choose the best layout for your information.

4. Travelicious PowerPoint Template

For any presentation that deals with the topic of travel, check out the Travelicious template. This template is compatible with both PowerPoint and Google Slides. It includes three premade color variations as well as 30 unique slides.

 As you can see from the examples above, there's no shortage of beautiful and professional PowerPoint slide designs on Envato Elements . What’s more, Envato Elements allows you to download as many PowerPoint templates as you want. Plus, get thousands of other design assets such as fonts, photos, and icons—all for one low monthly price.

Want to see even more great PowerPoint template examples? Be sure to check out our related roundup:

Need Help? Grab Our Making Great Presentations eBook (Free)

We've got the perfect complement to this tutorial. You can find more information in our eBook on making great presentations . Download this PDF eBook now for FREE with your subscription to the Tuts+ Business Newsletter. 

It'll help you master the presentation process from initial creative ideas through to writing, design, and delivering with impact.

PowerPoint Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Now that you’ve read about PowerPoint tips and tricks, if you want to learn more about PowerPoint, here are some FAQs:

1. What Is a Placeholder?

Placeholders in your slide on PowerPoint help you easily add text or images to your slide without changing your design.

In a template, sometimes the placeholders have prompts such as “Click to insert a picture” or “Click to add text.” These prompts let you know what kind of placeholder it is. To learn more about placeholders, read this article: 

2. How Can I Automatically Play a Video?

A PowerPoint tip is to insert an automatically played video in your presentation. When you've got a video that'll play automatically, it saves you the trouble of starting your video manually.

Videos can illustrate topics or specific points. They're also a great way to keep your audience engaged. If you want to learn how to play a video automatically, read this tutorial:

3. How Can I Add a Map to my Slide?

Another PowerPoint trick is to add a map to your slide. If you're discussing a specific location, then a map can help your audience visualize the location you're presenting. To learn how to add a map to your PowerPoint slide, read this tutorial:

4. How Do I Add a GIF to My Presentation?

Adding a GIF to your slide on PowerPoint is one way you can grab your audience's attention. To add a GIF to your slide, you’ll need to download a GIF.

Once you download it, upload it into PowerPoint and use it on your slide. For more information about how to add a GIF to your slide on PowerPoint, read this article:

5. Can I Recover My Unsaved Presentation?

Another PowerPoint trick is to learn how to recover unsaved PowerPoint files so that you can be prepared in case of an emergency. If you want to learn more, read this tutorial:

Learn More About How to Make Presentable PowerPoints

These quick PowerPoint Presentation tips are some of my favorite ways to rapidly improve a presentation. Keeping them in mind while you build a presentation can help you build a deck that you'll be confident about presenting.

Check out these tutorials to keep learning more about PowerPoint. These tutorials will give you more ideas for fixing up your PowerPoint presentation slides efficiently:

Find More Templates

Didn't see a template you like? Here are some more:

Use These PPT Presentation Tips on Your Next Presentation

Now that you've studied some of our best PowerPoint tips, it's time to put them to use. Download one of our top-notch PowerPoint themes from Envato Elements to get started. These PowerPoint presentation tips and tricks give you confidence to make you a skilled presenter.

Editorial Note : This post was first published in February of 2019. Our staff updates this post regularly — adding new, exciting PowerPoint tips and templates (with special help from Brenda Barron , Andrew Childress and Sarah Joy ).

• Presentations
• Most Recent
• Infographics
• Data Visualizations
• Forms and Surveys
• Video & Animation
• Case Studies
• Design for Business
• Digital Marketing
• Design Inspiration
• Visual Thinking
• Product Updates
• Visme Webinars
• Artificial Intelligence

10 Top PowerPoint Presentation Tips for Beginners (2022 List)

Written by: Heleana Tiburca

Creating a PowerPoint presentation can seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t need to be.

In this list, you’ll find the best practices and tips for creating a powerful PowerPoint presentation for beginners.

You’ll learn how to:

• Create a professional-looking slideshow presentation
• Keep your Powerpoint presentation design cohesive
• Make your slides interactive
• Animate text and graphics

So without further ado, let’s jump right in.

10 Tips for Effective PowerPoint Presentations

Tip #1: choose an interesting topic, tip #2: do some deep research, tip #3: use an amazing presentation tool, tip #4: pick out a presentation template, tip #5: keep your audience in mind, tip #6: add eye-catching headings and text, tip #7: keep it engaging with animations, tip #8: make your powerpoint interactive, tip #9: add visuals to your presentation, tip #10: practice presenting your slideshow.

So, you need to create a PowerPoint presentation but don’t know where to start. The very first and most important thing you’ll need to do is to decide on your topic.

You’ll want to make sure that the topic you choose is interesting and engaging for those who will be listening to you present your slideshow.

If you’re not in control of your topic and you’ve been assigned a task to present, don’t worry. There are lots of different ways that you can capture your audience’s attention, and transform a boring topic into an incredibly interactive and engaging presentation.

You can do this by using an effective PowerPoint presentation template that will capture your audience’s attention, no matter how bland the subject.

Learn more about PowerPoint templates and how you can use them to your advantage in tip #4!

Once you’ve chosen your PowerPoint presentation topic, you need to make sure that you get all of your facts straight.

Do a deep dive into your research and come up with useful and interesting information that you can use at your next presentation.

Once you’ve gathered up some information, it’s time to make a bullet point list of topics you want to cover, to make sure you don’t leave anything important out in your presentation.

After you’ve created a bullet point list full of your main points and all the important points that you want to convey, you can then make an outline of your speech.

This can be a rough draft, or you can write out in great detail your entire “script”, so to say. If you’re a spontaneous writer, then you may want to write directly in the slideshow editor of your choice.

If not, you can write it all out on a document, so that you’re ready to copy and paste right onto your slideshow presentation.

The best way to create an amazing slideshow is by using an equally amazing slideshow tool.

A tool like Visme will help you create a professional-looking and exciting PowerPoint presentation efficiently and quickly, even as a beginner.

Visme is a slideshow presentation maker that lets you easily create your entire presentation from start to finish. You can even import existing PowerPoint presentations into Visme and edit them there. When you’ve finished editing, you can export editable PowerPoints to present offline.

Visme is a diverse tool that does so much more than just create PowerPoint presentations. You can create anything design-related there, including videos, social media posts, ebooks, manuals, infographics and more.

Other than hundreds of slide templates and fully designed presentations, you also get access to advanced editing tools to make your presentation unique and creative.

Add and replace backgrounds, tap into free libraries of photos, videos, icons and illustrations, add pre-animated assets or manually animate objects and text, and switch up the color scheme with a single click.

With Visme, creating presentations that stand out is as easy as 1-2-3.

Now, let’s jump into the specifics of how to make an effective presentation.

Ready to create your own presentation in minutes?

• Add your own text, images and more
• Customize colors, fonts and everything else
• Choose from hundreds of slide designs and templates
• Add interactive buttons and animations

Next on our list of PowerPoint tips for beginners is picking out the perfect template.

Visme is an amazing presentation software that has an abundance of slideshow presentation templates that you can choose from and customize.

We have modern PowerPoint templates, data-driven presentation templates, colorful templates and everything in between. Just scroll through all the templates and we’re confident you’ll find the perfect one for you.

If you want, you can even design templates of your own and save them for future slideshows that you want to create in a similar fashion.

You can also browse through our presentation themes, which include hundreds of pre-made slides you can mix and match to create your own presentation deck.

Once you pick out your template, you can edit every single design aspect, from the overlays to images, to the color scheme, clipart and stickers, slide transitions and more.

We recommend finding a template that resembles the presentation that you need so that the design process goes as smoothly and easily for you as possible. Creating a presentation should be enjoyable, and Visme makes that process possible.

If you are feeling confident and you don’t want to use one of our professionally designed slideshow templates, you can start from scratch and create your own. Add and remove as many pages are you want and benefit from our stock images and videos, stickers, text templates and more.

Once you’ve chosen your template, you need to think of your audience. Not every presentation design is going to be appropriate for every audience.

In order to make an effective PowerPoint, you need to get in your audience’s head. Ask yourself, “What do they want to see?” or “What value can I bring to them?”.

The design approach you take will greatly impact the results of your audience’s retention. You want to make sure that you please your audience as much as possible and keep them engaged with what you’re trying to convey to them.

If you need to create a report-based, data-driven presentation, then you need to add lots of charts. But not just any type of boring chart. You can use one of Visme’s beautiful charts and edit the values, axis, legend, colors, appearance and more.

If you already have your data in an Excel sheet or Google sheet, you can import them into Visme’s editor and they will automatically be turned into visual data.

You can also add charts and graphs, diagrams, tables, maps and data widgets. Whatever you need, Visme has it.

You want to make sure that your PowerPoint slideshow’s readability is on point. You can do this by choosing the clear and engaging fonts that go with your presentation topic and theme.

In Visme, you can customize the font, style, size and color of your text. Adjust spacing, borders and even animate the text to make your slides more engaging.

We have tons of typefaces for you to choose from, from Helvetica to Calibri and Arial, to sans-serif and serif fonts, we know you’ll find the perfect one to create a great presentation.

Remember, less is more when it comes to a seamless design. Instead of lines upon lines of text, you should be strategic about your text design.

Make sure not to use more than 3 different typefaces per slide. This will keep your design looking sleek and not overloaded.

You can do also use premade text templates created by our professional designers. Simply scroll through all the different text templates, find one you like, and drag and drop it onto your slide. From there, you can customize it as much as you please.

It’s important to keep all the design elements and text on your slideshow aligned, so take advantage of our grid and keep everything visually pleasing and aligned.

You can drive your main points home with a large heading, and align other, smaller text boxes beneath to make sure you stay on track and don’t deter from your main points.

One way you can make your text stand out is to incorporate shapes. If you want to make your text pop out and come to life, add a shape behind them.

Make sure the shape color you choose is a good contrast to the text color so that you can easily see what is written out without having to squint your eyes and decipher what’s written.

You can also take advantage of negative space in your design. If you feel like there’s an empty spot in your slide that looks a little awkward, it’s the perfect place to add some text.

Using negative space for showcasing text is always visually appealing, so use those blank spaces to your advantage!

Another great way you can keep your audience engaged with your presentation is by animating objects. Instead of just showing them a boring, static slide, why not animate the text and objects to bring everything to life?

In Visme’s editor, you can animate any object with just the click of a button.

Make any element slide in and out, bounce, fade in or fade out, spin, appear from thin air and more. There are so many ways you can animate objects and fit your design style to make your presentation stand out from the rest.

You can even go through our library of professionally designed animated graphics and drop them onto your slide. Choose from animated characters, illustrations, icons, special effects and avatars.

Once you add an animated graphic to your design, you can customize them in many different ways, such as editing the pose, speed, repetitions and colors.

Instead of just having your next slide show up as a static image, use a transition between the two slides in order to make the transition seamless.

Visme has lots of elegant and modern transitions to choose from. Scroll through our transition presets and try them out to see which one suits your style best. You might like the zoom-in transition, slide-in or fade.

There are so many transitions for you to choose from, but we recommend you find the one you like most and use it for all slide transitions for the entire slideshow presentation. This will keep your design cohesive and easy on the eyes.

Don’t forget, you can also use sound effects in your presentation when necessary and you want to grab your audience’s attention!

Throughout the entire presentation, you’ll want to make sure that you keep things interactive and entertaining for your audience.

Even though PowerPoint is widely used for creating slideshows, there are many different presentation softwares you can use.

If you use Visme’s presentation maker, you can make your slideshow interactive. One way you can do that is by adding external links to any graphic in the presentation. This way, you can quickly access different pages and documents without ever needing to leave the slideshow.

Another amazing interactive feature of Visme’s is the interactive maps and data visualizations. You can have your viewers simply scroll and hover over an object and more information will pop up.

For example, if you want to create a map with statistics regarding each state, you could add the information to each state in the chart, and then when someone hovers over the state, the statistic will pop up.

This is very convenient for conveying lots of information in an organized way.

You can’t have a good presentation without adding high-quality images, videos, stickers and clipart to your presentation. Without engaging visuals, you’ll quickly lose your viewer’s attention, and risk having a boring PowerPoint presentation.

Visme makes it incredibly simple to add your own multimedia. If you want to upload your own photos, video or audio, you can do so by clicking on “photos” or “media” and clicking “upload.”

Once you click on the “upload” button, you can upload your multimedia from your computer, then find it in your Visme library.

If by chance you aren’t happy with the media you have, or you don’t have any images to upload at all, there’s no need to worry.

Visme is loaded full of high-quality videos and images that are free for you to use in your presentation designs.

If you want to browse through millions of stock videos and stock images, just click on “photos” in the left menu toolbar. This will take you to all of our stock images. To search for a specific image, type a keyword in the search bar to find exactly what you’re looking for.

Once you find the perfect image or video, you can drag and drop it onto your presentation. You can then add shapes and frames to your image for a modern, geometric look.

If you’d like to edit and enhance your chosen image, you can do so in the Visme editor. You can change the brightness, contrast, colors, shadows and more. You can add and customize filters to your images for a cohesive color scheme.

For a highly effective and great presentation, you need to feel confident when presenting.

Firstly, You can rest assured that after creating a PowerPoint presentation in Visme, your design will be professional and engaging for your crowd, but now it’s up to you.

You need to be as engaging and exciting as your presentation is, so don’t wait until the last minute to practice your public speaking. Rehearsing your slideshow presentation will simplify the public speaking process and things will go much better if you practice.

Having a bulleted list next to you so you stay on track and making eye contact with your audience will help them pay attention, and will make a good presentation an excellent one.

The more you practice, the more comfortable you’ll be with your presentation. So make sure to run through it a few times and you’ll be good to go.

Ready to Level Up Your Presentations?

The best way you can create a powerful Microsoft PowerPoint presentation is by using a tool that isn’t necessarily PowerPoint.

Visme is an all-in-one design tool that will aid you in not only creating slideshows but any other type of visual content that you need, such as infographics, social media posts and documents.

Give Visme a go and create a free account today . You might become addicted to its awesomeness, so use it at your own risk!

We know that after reading all these tips, your presentation skills have gone through the roof. You’re practically a master slide-maker by now.

If want even more information and tips that can help you create modern PowerPoint designs, you can check out some of our tutorials on our YouTube channel .

We hope this article was helpful to you and we wish you the best of luck on your upcoming presentation. We know you’re going to smash it!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

We have received lots of questions regarding PowerPoint presentations and we want to make sure you get the answers you're looking for.

So let’s dive into your questions.

Q1. What is the 10-20-30 Rule of PowerPoint?

The 10 20 30 Rule of PowerPoint suggests that each presentation should have 10 slides, shouldn’t last any more than 20 minutes in total and all fonts should be at least 30 points or larger.

This is a great rule of thumb to keep in mind when creating a PowerPoint presentation.

Q2. What is the 5 by 5 rule in PowerPoint?

The 5 by 5 rule was put in place to help keep your audience from feeling overwhelmed by text.

The text on each slide should be short and to the point and have no more than five words per line and no more than five lines of text per slide.

Q3. How do you make a good PowerPoint presentation?

A good PowerPoint presentation is created in a great design tool like Visme.

Choose an engaging template, know your main points, use engaging images and animations, and drive home your main points by practicing presenting your presentation before going public with it.

Q4. What makes an effective PowerPoint presentation?

You can create an effective PowerPoint presentation by using no more than 10 slides, not overwhelming your audience with big chunks of text, having all your design elements aligned, using a great template, knowing your main points and driving them points home with a great closing argument.

Q5. What are the advantages of PowerPoint templates?

Some of the advantages to using PowerPoint templates are that you get professionally designed slideshows without having to know how to design and you can quickly copy and paste your text into the text boxes already set up for you.

But you don’t have to use PowerPoint to create PowerPoint presentations. You can use a design tool like Visme to create amazing PowerPoint Presentations.

Q6. How to make a PowerPoint presentation attractive?

One powerful way you can make your PowerPoint presentation attractive is by using high-quality visuals. This includes having high-quality images, videos, stickers, transitions, animations and more.

One easy way you can do this is by using a Visme PowerPoint presentation PowerPoint and customizing it to suit your needs.

Q7. What should a PowerPoint presentation include?

A good PowerPoint presentation should include about 10 slides full of useful information, engaging visuals, interactive elements and high-quality images among other important things.

You text should be clear and easy to read, the images shouldn’t be blurry, your main points need to be easy to spot as soon as you open the slide and you should include seamless transitions.

Q8. What’s the best alternative to PowerPoint?

The best alternative to PowerPoint in our opinion is Visme.

Visme is a presentation maker, but it's also much more than that. You can create animated slideshows, documents, infographics, social media posts, videos, and more quickly and easily.

Unlike other tools, Visme gives you the most value for your money. You can also tap into features like data visualization, brand management, team collaboration, customizable animated assets like illustrations, icons and characters, and much more.

Ready to get started? Sign up for a free Visme account today and take it for a test drive for as long as you like.

Create beautiful presentations faster with Visme.

Trusted by leading brands

Recommended content for you:

Create Stunning Content!

Design visual brand experiences for your business whether you are a seasoned designer or a total novice.

About the Author

I’m Heleana and I’m a content creator here at Visme. My passion is to help people find the information they’re looking for in the most fun and enjoyable way possible. Let’s make information beautiful.

Detailed Presentation Guidance: The Different Presentation Rules

Presentation rules provide valuable guidelines for creating engaging and effective presentations. These rules encompass principles such as clarity, brevity, and audience engagement to improve communication effectiveness. Common rules include the 10-20-30 rule, which advocates for concise content; the 1-6-6 rule, which emphasizes simplicity; and the 3E rule, which focuses on content and audience. By following these rules, presenters can deliver presentations that capture the audience's attention, clearly communicate key messages, and inspire action. Ultimately, presentation rules serve as essential tools for creating powerful presentations that resonate with audiences and achieve communication goals. In this text, we will examine the 10-20-30 Rule, 1-6-6 Rule, 5-5-5 Rule, 15-30-45 Rule, and 3E Rule.

The 10-20-30 Rule

1.definition:.

10 slides: There should be no more than ten slides. What is important in a presentation is what the speaker says. The presentation is just an aid. Every time you show slides on the screen, the audience's attention shifts: from what you are saying to the screen. If you keep showing slides, the more distracted the audience becomes. And the more slides you have, the more points you are likely to make.

20 minutes: The time of presentation should not longer than 20 minutes. Most people's attention spans only last a short time, and we can only focus on a topic for so long. When presenting, limiting time to 20 minutes is a better standard. Too much time leads to verbosity and too much non-essential information. Too little time means that key information may not be conveyed and the topic may not be obvious.

30 Point size: Fonts should not be smaller than size 30 In a slide show, the larger the font, the fewer the words, and the better it is to grab your audience's attention. This forces you to aim for clarity and brevity. If there are too many words, the audience will focus on the slides and not be able to concentrate on the speaker's presentation.

The 10-20-30 Rule in presentations was generated by Guy Kawasaki, a renowned entrepreneur, author, and venture capitalist. This rule is often used as a guideline for creating concise, focused, and engaging presentations that effectively convey key information without overwhelming the audience with too much detail.

Kawasaki first introduced the 10-20-30 Rule in 2005 on his blog, and later discussed it in his 2004 book, The Art of the Start. He drew this rule from his own experience as a speaker and listener, recognizing the need for presentations to be concise, clear, and visually appealing, especially in the fast-paced world of entrepreneurship and business pitching.

The 10-20-30 Rule encourages presenters to focus on essential content, preventing information overload and ensuring clarity. Its constraint promotes brevity and keeps the presentation engaging, respecting the audience's attention span. It also ensures that key points are easily visible even from a distance. Collectively, these functions help presenters craft concise, impactful presentations that effectively convey their message, engage the audience, and leave a lasting impression.

The rule's simplicity and effectiveness has led to its widespread adoption across a wide range of industries as an essential guide for speakers to deliver impactful presentations that capture and hold the attention of the audience while effectively delivering key messages.

The 1-6-6 Rules

1.definition.

1 main ideas: One main idea principle means that each slide conveys the same concept or message. This main idea serves as the focal point around which the entire slide content revolves. By limiting each slide to one main idea, presenters can maintain clarity, focus, and coherence in their presentations, making it easier for the audience to understand and retain the key message.

6 bullet points: No more than six bullet points per slide. This recommendation aims to maintain clarity and focus within the presentation by avoiding overcrowding slides with excessive information. Having no more than six bullet points per slide helps ensure that each point receives adequate attention from the audience. It also encourages presenters to prioritize the most important information and avoid overwhelming viewers with too much detail.

6 words per bullet point: This means that each point cannot be expressed in more than six words. This way can encourage concise and have an impactful communication. For examples, when one of your slides is talk about “Benefits of work hard”, your bullet point can be “gain money” and “improve professional capability”.

The 1-6-6 presentation rule probably emerged as a response to the need for concise and impactful presentations, and it is likely stemmed from cognitive science research. While its precise origin is not definitively documented, it likely evolved from a combination of communication principles and practical experience in public speaking and presentation design.

One potential influence is the broader movement towards minimalist design and communication clarity, which gained momentum in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. As technology advanced and attention spans decreased, presenters sought methods to streamline their message delivery and improve audience engagement.

The 1-6-6 Rule in presentations serves several critical functions. By limiting each slide to one main idea and six bullet points with six words or fewer per point, it promotes clarity, conciseness, and audience engagement. This rule encourages presenters to distill complex concepts into easily digestible chunks, enhancing comprehension and retention. Additionally, it helps prevent overcrowded slides and information overload, ensuring that key points stand out and resonate with the audience. Ultimately, the 1-6-6 rule facilitates effective communication, allowing presenters to deliver their message with precision and impact, while keeping the audience focused and attentive throughout the presentation.

The 5-5-5 Rule

5 lines of text: When we create a slide show, there should not be too much text content. Putting too much information on a slide can lead to too much information and distract the audience. Limiting the number of lines on a slide effectively distills key information and focuses the audience's attention on the main message.

5 words in each line: Slides cannot have more than 5 words per line. When creating a slide template, readability must be prioritized. Limiting the number of words per line to 5 ensures that the text is easy to read and understand, even from a distance.

5 text-heavy slides: No more than 5 slides with too much information. This rule is also a limitation to prevent slides with too much information from distracting the audience. By limiting the number of consecutive slides with text to five, you can increase the use of visuals, multimedia, and other forms of content that can help maintain interest and enhance understanding.

The 5-5-5 presentation rule has emerged as a pragmatic guideline in the realm of concise and impactful communication. Like the 1-6-6 Rule, although its exact origin is not definitively documented, it likely evolved from the collective wisdom of presentation experts and public speakers seeking to streamline message delivery while maintaining audience engagement.

This rule is a response to the challenges of capturing and retaining audience attention in an era of shortened attention spans and information overload. By distilling presentations into a limited number of slides, each containing a succinct narrative conveyed through a small number of sentences, presenters can focus on conveying essential information and compelling storytelling.

The 5-5-5 Rule in presentations is a guideline aimed at enhancing clarity, brevity, and impact. It suggests using no more than 5 words per bullet point, 5 bullet points per slide, and 5 text-heavy slides. It encourages presenters to distill complex ideas into concise, easily digestible points, improving audience comprehension. Then, it prevents overcrowding on slides, ensuring that visual elements remain clear and uncluttered. Finally, by limiting the time spent on each slide, it maintains audience engagement and prevents boredom, fostering a dynamic and effective presentation environment.

The 15-30-45 Rule

15 minutes: This refers to presentations that are 15 minutes or less. The timing of a speech is a quest for appropriateness. Too long or too short is not good. Most people stay focused on one thing for about 15 minutes or so. So, keeping your presentation under 15 minutes is appropriate.

30 slides: Keep the number of slides used in your presentation to 30 or less. Unlike the 10-20-30 rule, the numbers here are more flexible, but it's usually recommended to have no more than 30 slides to make sure you don't overcrowd your presentation in a short period of time.

45 seconds: The average presentation time per slide is around 45 seconds. The time spent on each slide should be roughly equal to ensure that you maintain a consistent pace during your presentation. It is also easier to time your presentation.

As with the 1-6-6 Rule and the 5-5-5 Rule mentioned earlier, the 15-30-45 Rule is likely evolved from similar principles as other presentation guidelines—namely, the need for brevity, clarity, and audience engagement.

Presenters and communication experts recognized the importance of respecting audience attention spans and avoiding information overload. They observed that shorter presentations with fewer slides tend to be more engaging and effective in conveying key messages. Therefore, the 15-30-45 Rule emerged as a practical guideline to help presenters structure their presentations in a concise and impactful manner.

The 15-30-45 Rule for PPT presentations is a guiding principle designed to help presenters create concise yet effective presentations within a time limit. The time limit helps presenters to organize their presentations efficiently and ensure that the main message is conveyed in the limited time available. Presenters also streamline their content and focus on the most critical information. An average presentation time of 45 seconds per slide requires presenters to design concise and clear slides to ensure that the audience has enough time to read and understand the content on each slide. In addition to this, presenters are better able to keep the audience's attention, making them more focused on the content of the presentation and increasing audience engagement and interaction.

The 3E Rule

Engage: When we give a presentation, we can capture the audience's attention with some compelling content. This could be a compelling story, an interesting statistic, a striking question, or an engaging image. This will be able to engage the audience at the beginning of the presentation and keep them interested in what is to come.

Explain: After engaging our audience, we need to explain our main point, message, or content. This may include explaining the benefits of our product or service, introducing a concept or theory, or sharing some data or case studies. Make sure our explanation is clear, concise, and presented in a way that your audience can easily understand.

Empower: Presentations should empower the audience to take actions. Columns include calling on them to take a specific action, providing resources for them to continue learning or participating, or motivating them to participate in a discussion or share their ideas. Make the audience feel that they can learn something from the demonstration and be able to apply that knowledge or idea in real life.

Different from the 10-20-30 Rule, the 3E Rule in presentations emerged as a structured framework to guide presenters in crafting more effective and impactful presentations. While there isn't a single documented origin for this rule, it reflects main principles of effective communication and storytelling that have been developed and refined over time.

"Engage" attract audience attention with compelling beginning, ensuring sustained interest. "Explain" facilitates clear and concise delivery of main ideas, aiding audience comprehension. Through "Empower," presenters arouse action or application of presented information, fostering audience involvement. Overall, these functions create dynamic presentations that captivate, inform, and motivate audiences, facilitating better retention and application of content. By guiding presenters in crafting engaging narratives, providing clarity, and inspiring action, the 3E rule elevates the impact and effectiveness of presentations, ultimately enhancing communication outcomes.

.css-1qrtm5m{display:block;margin-bottom:8px;text-transform:uppercase;font-size:14px;line-height:1.5714285714285714;-webkit-letter-spacing:-0.35px;-moz-letter-spacing:-0.35px;-ms-letter-spacing:-0.35px;letter-spacing:-0.35px;font-weight:300;color:#606F7B;}@media (min-width:600px){.css-1qrtm5m{font-size:16px;line-height:1.625;-webkit-letter-spacing:-0.5px;-moz-letter-spacing:-0.5px;-ms-letter-spacing:-0.5px;letter-spacing:-0.5px;}} Best Practices The #1 rule for improving your presentation slides

by Tom Rielly • May 12, 2020

When giving presentations, either on a video conference call or in person, your slides, videos and graphics (or lack of them) can be an important element in helping you tell your story or express your idea. This is the first of a series of blog posts that will give you tips and tricks on how to perfect your visual presentations.

Your job as a presenter is to build your idea -- step-by-step -- in the minds of your audience members. One tool to do that is presentation graphics, such as slides and videos.

Why graphics for your presentation?

A common mistake is using slides or videos as a crutch, even if they don’t actually add anything to your presentation. Not all presentations need graphics. Lots of presentations work wonderfully with just one person standing on a stage telling a story, as demonstrated by many TED Talks.

You should only use slides if they serve a purpose: conveying scientific information, art, and things that are hard to explain without pictures. Once you have decided on using slides, you will have a number of decisions to make. We’ll help you with the basics of making a presentation that is, above all, clear and easy to understand. The most important thing to remember here is: less is more.

Less is so much more

You want to aim for the fewest number of slides, the fewest number of photos, the fewest words per slide, the least cluttered slides and the most white space on your slides. This is the most violated slide rule, but it is the secret to success. Take a look at these examples.

As you can see in the above example, you don’t need fancy backgrounds or extra words to convey a simple concept. If you take “Everything you need to know about Turtles”, and delete “everything you need to know about” leaving just “turtles”, the slide has become much easier for your audience to read, and tells the story with economy.

The above example demonstrates that a single image that fills the entire screen is far more powerful than a slide cluttered with images. A slide with too many images may be detrimental to your presentation. The audience will spend more mental energy trying to sort through the clutter than listening to your presentation. If you need multiple images, then put each one on its own slide. Make each image high-resolution and have it fill the entire screen. If the photos are not the same dimensions as the screen, put them on a black background. Don’t use other colors, especially white.

Your slides will be much more effective if you use the fewest words, characters, and pictures needed to tell your story. Long paragraphs make the audience strain to read them, which means they are not paying attention to you. Your audience may even get stressed if you move on to your next slide before they’ve finished reading your paragraph. The best way to make sure the attention stays on you is to limit word count to no more than 10 words per slide. As presentation expert Nancy Duarte says “any slide with more than 10 words is a document.” If you really do need a longer explanation of something, handouts or follow-up emails are the way to go.

Following a “less is more” approach is one of the simplest things you can do to improve your presentation visuals and the impact of your presentation overall. Make sure your visuals add to your presentation rather than distract from it and get your message across.

Ready to learn more about how to make your presentation even better? Get TED Masterclass and develop your ideas into TED-style talks.

© 2024 TED Conferences, LLC. All rights reserved. Please note that the TED Talks Usage policy does not apply to this content and is not subject to our creative commons license.

Presentation Training Institute

A division of bold new directions training, the 6 by 6 rule for presentations explained.

There are countless tips and tricks for giving great presentations but one that you might be familiar with is the 6×6 Rule. This presentation rules suggests that you should include no more than six words per line and no more than six bullet points per slide. The goal of this rule is to prevent your slides from becoming so dense and text heavy that people don’t want to look at it. While it might sound like a great idea in theory, it’s not as cut and dry as it seems. Here’s a little more information and what the 6×6 rule actually looks like and why it could use a little tweaking.

What does the 6×6 Rule look like? If you were to present on a topic using the 6×6 rule, all of your slides would resemble something like this: Have only one idea per slide Have no more than six points This slide has six bullet points Each bullet point has six words Is this a good presentation rule? If you were bored reading these bullet points, then you understand why this technique is not always effective. Sure, there are times when we come across a simple saying that truly sticks in our minds such as “Today’s decisions are tomorrow’s realities.†However, it’s nearly impossible to fill all of your slides with such eloquent and profound statements. As a result, you end up cutting out valuable information just to stick to the 6×6 Rule.

Why it doesn’t always work. Your main focus should be conveying your main points as clearly as possible. While it’s true that you don’t want to lose people in text heavy slides, there are times when it’s just not possible to explain your point in six words or less. When you try, you end up cutting and distorting the information to the point where your meaning gets lost. Furthermore, if you want to use a quote or tagline to further explain your message, you can’t exactly break up the quote and eliminate words. This is just one example of how the rule does not apply in all situations

How the 6×6 Rule can act as a guide. This isn’t to suggest that the 6×6 Rule should never be implemented, it’s simply to explain why it shouldn’t be forced all the time. When you are designing your presentation, you have to find a way to convey your message without being too wordy. The 6×6 Rule is a great reminder to cut and edit when possible to keep things concise, but it doesn’t have to be the standard for every single slide. Remember that you should be the star of your presentation so don’t be overshadowed by poor slide design.

• Google Slides Presentation Design
• Pitch Deck Design
• Powerpoint Redesign
• Other Design Services

• Design Tips
• Guide & How to's

8 rules of effective presentation

Right now, it becomes more and more difficult for our brains to perceive the full diversity of digital content. Still, sooner or later, your college task will be to create it by yourself. Images, sounds, and messages overload our brains, so if you want to make an excellent and effective presentation, you should work hard. To cope with tons of information, you need to learn how to structure and present it correctly.

So, how to create a compelling college presentation and what mistakes to avoid?

Rule #1. Use the content to make your audience engaged

First of all, you should offer an engaging, well-structured, and successfully submitted content. This is the most significant part of your presentation design , and it’ll be evaluated in the first place. You don’t want your peers to look for their phones during the speech, do you? Be prepared to accept the fact that most people are not ready to listen to your words carefully. So your task is to change their opinion and make them pay attention.

Rule #2. Don’t read the text from the slides

As a rule, people don’t like it when the speaker repeats the text placed on the slides of their presentation. You must explain the information on each slide with your own words to make it sound persuasive. Otherwise, there is a risk that both your professor and your peers will simply fall asleep.

Rule #3. Don’t be too brief

Usually, the audience does not tolerate the fonts and images in a presentation that are too small. You can come up with a brilliant text for each slide, but all your creative work will be wasted if this text is not readable.

Rule #4. Make jokes and be sincere

If your topic allows, try to make a joke or two. Read these jokes to your friends first and check if they like it. Look at your audience, stop to make conclusions, smile. Even your professor will appreciate your communicative skills and charisma.

Rule #5. Use the right fonts

Believe it or not, but the font does affect the reader’s confidence in the text. Forty thousand people participated in the research to prove it. They were shown the same paragraph typed in different fonts: Comic Sans, Computer Modern, Georgia, Trebuchet, Baskerville, Helvetica. The results are the following: the text that is written in Comic Sans and Helvetica does not inspire readers’ confidence, but the Baskerville font, on the contrary, receives consent and approval. According to psychologists, this is due to its formal appearance.

Rule #6. Visualize

We all perceive information differently. When your professor asks you to make a lovely presentation, they usually have a particular image in their mind. And it may differ from yours a lot. Therefore, it is better to show pictures than to explain everything in words. Try to use clear illustrations for your key messages.

Rule #7. Simplify

Remember that “less” does not mean “boring.” It’s OK to use a white background. Don’t try to “decorate” the slide with a large number of objects if you can explain its essence in one word or picture. Using illustrations and a minimum of text, you can communicate with your peers and professor more effectively and grab their attention.

Rule #8. Practice makes it perfect

Creating an effective presentation is not just adding cool content and pictures to the slides; it is also the ability to present them. While making a speech, you should be understood, heard, and accepted. When you start to rush and jump from the 1st slide to 7th, and then back to 3rd, you will most likely forget something important. Will your professor understand something? I do not think so.

#ezw_tco-2 .ez-toc-widget-container ul.ez-toc-list li.active::before { background-color: #ededed; } Table of contents

• Presenting techniques

50 tips on how to improve PowerPoint presentations in 2022-2023 [Updated]

• Present financial information visually in PowerPoint to drive results
• Keynote VS PowerPoint
• Types of presentations

A complete guide to perfect pitch deck design: structure, tips & examples

What is presentation design?

What Are The Basic Rules For Creating A Presentation?

‍ “The details are not the details. They make the design.” ~ famed designer and architect Charles Eames

The late Charles Eames , renowned 20th-century master of design and architecture, had a point when he said the details make the design. After all, a visual presentation is a sum of its parts. If designed strategically, however, an effective and cohesive design is transformed into more than a sum of its parts— it becomes a valuable entity all its own. Still, it all starts with the basic design elements and presentation rules.

Want to design an effective visual presentation that communicates your message and achieves your objectives? Be sure to remember the following seven basic rules for creating a presentation:

1. Speak to your audience

"Designing a presentation without an audience in mind is like writing a love letter and addressing it 'to whom it may concern ." ~ Ken Haemer , former AT&T presentation research manager

Effective presentations aren’t one size fits all. To reach an audience, a presentation design should be catered to that audience. You wouldn’t reach a room of business executives in the same way you would communicate with a room of fourth-graders. 

The audience should be considered in every design choice. What sort of humor would the audience respond to? What types of images would best catch its collective interest? What basic knowledge of the topic does the audience already know? Each of these considerations should impact how the message is communicated and how the presentation is designed. 

2. Remember the 10/20/30 rule

“Think of your slides as billboards. When people drive, they only briefly take their eyes off their main focus, which is the road, to process a billboard of information. Similarly, your audience should focus intently on what you’re saying, looking only briefly at your slides when you display them.” ~ Nancy Duarte , author and CEO of Duarte, Inc.

It isn’t always easy for amateur designers to know the difference between principles of good design and what amounts to a hot mess. One of the more basic PowerPoint presentation rules is the 10/20/30 rule .

What is the 10/20/30 rule? It’s threefold yet simple:

• Use no more than 10 slides in your presentation.
• Present for no longer than 20 minutes.
• Use fonts no smaller than 30 points in your design.

While experienced presentation designers might veer away from this rule for certain slide decks, a beginning designer can follow the 10/20/30 rule to keep their audience interested, provide an appropriate amount of information and ensure their message clearly can be understood.

3. Customize your theme or branded style

“Design is the silent ambassador of your brand.” ~ Paul Rand , art director and corporate logo designer

Consistency and unity are vital aspects of an effective presentation. Every slide should look like it’s part of a package with specific typography and color palettes . 

Presentation designers might spend hours customizing the details on each PowerPoint slide, or they can use a PowerPoint alternative presentation software like Beautiful.ai and create a custom theme that not only unifies the slides into a cohesive design, but also reflects a brand’s style guide .

4. Include high-quality assets

“There are three responses to a piece of design – yes, no, and WOW! Wow is the one to aim for.” ~ Milton Glaser , famed graphic designer

If a presentation design is a sum of its parts, then those parts must be of a premium caliber. High-quality presentations are made up of high-quality elements, including vivid photos, eye-catching videos and engaging infographics. 

Beautiful.ai users can choose from a library of thousands of free stock photos, icons and logos. The cloud-based PowerPoint alternative presentation design software also makes it simple for users to add high-quality music and other audio tracks , as well as a variety of animations to bring presentations to life.

5. Illustrate your data

“I found I could say things with colors and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way,” ~ artist Georgia O’Keefe

Numbers rarely lie, but they also don’t always make a lot of sense to audiences. Nobody wants to sit through a presentation where they are inundated with so much data that they are either left confused or asleep. 

But when data is illustrated, its story begins to emerge. Considering 65% of people are visual learners, data visualizations like infographics are a vital element of an effective presentation.

Beautiful.ai users can create a plethora of various graphs, charts and infographics to illustrate any type of data. Just choose the best type of infographic among the smart slide templates , enter the numbers and watch as artificial intelligence designs colorful and informative data visualizations, including bar graphs, scattergraphs, pie charts and so many more, right before your eyes.

6. Tell a story

“If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.” ~ author Rudyard Kipling

Humans respond to emotion, and one of the best ways to convey emotion is through storytelling. Empathetic characters, personified data and relatable experiences all help convey emotional tones and messages. In fact, research has shown that multiple areas of the brain display heightened connectivity after the subject listens to a story.

Designing a presentation that tells a story , therefore, captures audience attention, holds its interest and conveys more powerful messages. Be sure to consider the narrative of your presentation when choosing how to illustrate your ideas. 

Remember, every good tale has a distinct beginning before following a story arc that leads to a powerful conclusion. Likewise, presentations are the perfect media to utilize elements of visual storytelling , which has long been used as an effective tool in the realms of both marketing and education, thanks to the additional engagement it fosters.

7. Less is more

“Simplicity, carried to an extreme, becomes elegance.” ~ Jon Franklin , author and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner

It’s easy to overdo it when adding elements to a presentation. After all, most presenters have a lot more information to convey than they can squeeze into a reasonable number of slides. 

It’s only natural to want to add as much as can fit onto a slide, but the most effective slide decks usually are the simplest presentations. Your audience isn’t there to read a novel, and adding too many details not only makes the information less digestible and less memorable, but the design also will appear cluttered, busy and unprofessional.

Simplicity is key in presentation design. Stick with two primary colors when customizing your theme, and add shades of these if additional hues are needed. Likewise, stick with a primary font and adjust its size and weight as needed to create a cohesive design. Use photos and data visualizations, but stick with no more than one or two per slide. 

As much as possible, let the visual elements of the presentation take the place of extra text. Remember, some empty space is your friend.

Of course, Beautiful.ai users don’t have to memorize these PowerPoint presentation rules. The PowerPoint-alternative software employs AI to apply the same principles of great design used by the pros, modifying the presentation design each time new content is added. They can also choose to customize multiple presentation templates , perfectly curated by professional designers to fit a variety of topics. 

Samantha Pratt Lile

Samantha is an independent journalist, editor, blogger and content manager. Examples of her published work can be found at sites including the Huffington Post, Thrive Global, and Buzzfeed.

Recommended Articles

5 slides you should ditch in your investor pitch deck, how executives can implement presentation management without getting bogged down, beautiful.ai is your presentation shortcut, how to nail your presentation in a pinch.

Ten simple rules for giving an effective presentation

Everyone has to give presentations at some point. Whether pitching a new product, presenting at a lab meeting, or giving a talk at a conference, the ability to give an effective, engaging, and persuasive talk cannot be understated. Unfortunately, these skills are rarely taught formally in school. I’ll present ten simple rules that will help reduce your anxiety and make your presentations as effective as possible.

1. Have something worth presenting

This is probably the most important rule, which is why it’s Rule 1. If you don’t have something worth presenting, you shouldn’t be asking people to spend an hour of their time listening to you. Thankfully, you were probably invited or asked to present because you have something worth presenting. 

What does it mean to have something worth presenting? Related to Rule 4, you should have one key message that you want to impart to your audience. It could be a new fact, a proposal you have, an argument you want to make, or a call to action. Whatever it is, it should be genuine, novel, and something you’re excited to tell people about.

2. Organize your presentation

In fifth grade, we learned that essays should have an introduction, body, and conclusion, and every body paragraph should have a topic sentence, evidence, and a concluding sentence. This is still a great organizing principle for your presentation. How do you organize a verbal talk, where your audience can’t go back to listen to your introduction again? I like to have an outline slide where I talk about how my presentation will be structured. On subsequent slides, or at various points in my talk, I’ll reference this outline with a phrase like “We’ve talked about bananas and apples so far as examples of very popular fruits. Now I’ll switch to talking about durian, which is significantly less popular.”

3. Show rather than tell on slides

I can’t tell you how many times I have seen slide decks where every slide is stuffed full of words and pictures — even from the most seasoned professors. While it may be tempting to have everything on your slides (maybe to refer to during your talk: see Rule 6), people will pay attention to what’s on them than to what you are saying. Instead, use slides as they were meant to be used — visuals to accompany your talk. Often, the best talks will not even have titles on their slides, just a figure or a picture or a phrase to make a point. 

4. Less is more

Your goal in giving a presentation is to leave your audience with one key message. A year from now, if asked what your presentation was about, they should be able to recall that message. Try to hammer in the key message over and over again, and present evidence and logic that point to this conclusion. It will be tempting to try to provide as much new information as possible, but a recent study [2] showed that when hearing stories, people enjoyed familiar stories more than novel ones, probably because they already have an idea how these stories are structured. The easier you make it for your listeners to follow your talk (by streamlining your message), the more they will enjoy it and remember it a year from now.

5. Plan to take less time than allotted

Relating to Rule 4, it is essential to plan your presentation with some amount of buffer time. The first 10 minutes allotted to your talk might melt away as a result of a previous presenter running late or various tech issues. People might interrupt your talk to ask questions. The last thing you want to happen to you is to be rushed because of factors out of your control. Instead, if you’re allotted an hour for your talk, plan it for 45 minutes. Also, do not underestimate how much your audience will appreciate it if you let them out early!

6. Be aware of your facial expression and eyes

Your audience is the people sitting in front of you, not the projector screen behind you. People naturally pay attention when someone is looking directly at them while talking. Conversely, they will tune out if your eyes are not on them. To keep people’s attention, make eye contact with different parts of your audience periodically — focus on one person in each “sector” of your audience. Look back at your slides briefly to point at something with your pointer or gesture at something, but don’t read off your slides or have your body turned towards the screen. Finally, bring a smile and lots of excitement. If you are excited about your topic, at least part of your audience will also be excited — but if you seem bored and uninterested, no one will be engaged. 

7. Use hand motions and movement to your advantage

Related to Rule 6, gestures and movement are a very effective way to engage with your audience. You can point at parts of your slide, or make hand gestures to make a point, or set out the organization of your talk. People also naturally pay more attention to someone who is moving than someone who is standing motionlessly behind the podium. If possible, get out from behind the podium and use the entire stage to your advantage! Moving purposefully also has the added effect of making you feel more confident, and the audience perceiving you as more confident because you aren’t “hiding” behind the podium.

8. Pause frequently, speak slowly, and remember to breathe

One of the most underrated skills in communication is pausing. When used correctly, pauses can have dramatic effect by underscoring a point that you just made. I think the longest intentional pause I’ve heard in a talk is 5 seconds, which may sound like an eternity when you’re onstage but certainly is not for the audience. You can also take advantage of the power of pauses by simply pausing whenever you feel the need to regroup your thoughts, instead of using a filler word such as “like” or “um”. Many studies have shown that pauses signal competence, while filler words signal lack of competence. 

When you do speak, speak clearly and slowly, and enunciate. The easier the listener’s job is, the more likely he or she will understand and retain your message. Many novice presenters make the mistake of speaking far too quickly, 

9. Practice, but do not memorize

Whoever said practice makes perfect was absolutely right with regards to presentations. Practicing out loud (to your dog, significant other, or anyone else — or even the mirror!) has the benefit of helping you assess whether your sentences are understandable, or whether they’re too wordy or awkward. Practicing is also important for building effective transitions, developing phrases that are concise and powerful, and trying out gestures. Even the most experienced orators and speakers practice and look to others for advice and suggestions, so don’t be shy and grab a friend to listen to your talk!

When you practice, time yourself and make it as close to the real deal as possible. For a public speaking class I took in college, I practiced in front of the mirror so that I could have a virtual audience. Others film themselves to watch for tics, awkward moments, or other things to add or avoid. Be careful about sounding scripted — your talk should (in most settings) be natural and conversational.

10. Practice one more time than you think you should

The more you practice, the better your talk will be. That extra practice round will build even more confidence and help you sort out those last-minute problems. 

Related Content

Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Your JavaScript is turned off limiting this website’s functionality

Storage Tank System Rules, Forms and Reference Guidelines

Permitting and compliance assistance program quick links.

• Permitting and Compliance Assistance Program (PCAP)
• PCAP Contact List
• Financial Assurance
• Grease Waste
• Hazardous Waste Management
• Osborne Reef Waste Tire Removal Project
• Solid Waste Section
• Storage Tank Compliance
• Waste Reduction
• All Permitting and Compliance Assistance Program content

Florida Statutes

376.301 , Florida Statutes - Definition of Terms 376.303 , Florida Statutes - Powers and duties of the Department of Environmental Protection

Rules and Forms

Underground storage tank systems (usts), forms for usts.

• 62-761.900(1) Discharge Report Form and Instructions  (Form Updates Effective 6/25/2023)
• 62-761.900(2)  Storage Tank Facility Registration Form and Instructions  (Form Updates Effective 7/9/2019)
• 62-761.900(3 ) Financial Mechanisms for Storage Tanks. See Storage Tank Financial Assurance Forms  for individual Form Parts A - P (Form Updates Effective 6/25/2023)
• 62-761.900(4) Alternative Procedure Form
• 62-761.900(5) Underground Storage System Installation and Removal Form for Certified Contractors (Form Updates Effective 7/9/2019)
• 62-761.900(6) Incident Notification Form and Instructions
• 62-761.900(7) Closure Integrity Evaluation Report Form for USTs (Form Updates Effective 10/13/2019)
• 62-761.900(8) Limited Closure Report Form for USTs (Form Updates Effective 10/13/2019)
• 62-761.900(9) Storage Tank Equipment Registration Form (Form Updates Effective 7/9/2019)

Aboveground Storage Tank Systems (ASTs) 

Forms for asts.

• 62-762.901(1) Discharge Report Form and Instructions  (Form Updates Effective 6/26/2023)
• 62-762.901(2) Storage Tank Facility Registration Form and Instructions  (Form Updates Effective 7/9/2019)
• 62-761.900(3) Financial Mechanisms for Storage Tanks- See Storage Tank Financial Assurance Forms  for individual Form Parts A - P (Form Updates Effective 6/25/2023)
• 62-762.901(4) Alternative Procedure Form
• 62-762.901(6) Incident Notification Form and Instructions
• 62-762.901(7) Closure Integrity Evaluation Report Form for ASTs (Form Updates Effective 10/17/2019)
• 62-762.901(8) Limited Closure Report Form for ASTs (Form Updates Effective 10/17/2019)
• 62-762.901(9) Storage Tank Equipment Registration Form (Form Updates Effective 7/9/2019)

Mineral Acid Tank Form

• 62-762.891(1) Containment and Integrity Plan Certification Form

Storage Tank Systems Reference Guidelines (non-copyright)

• Instructions for Conducting Sampling During Underground Storage Tank Closure , July 2019
• Instructions for Conducting Sampling During Aboveground Storage Tank Closure , July 2019 
• Technical Standards and Corrective Action Requirements for Owners and Operators of Underground Storage Tanks (UST) 40 CFR Part 280, July 2015
• Designation of Hazardous Substances 40 CFR 302.4, August 1989
• 62-761 Appendix A - Secondary References
• 62-762 Appendix A - Secondary Reference

2019 Rule Presentations

• Reminders for Owner/Operators of Underground Storage Tank Systems 2019 Presentation
• Reminders for Owner/Operators of Aboveground Storage Tank Systems 2019 Presentation

Placard Recipient Information

• Placard Recipient Report  (by Fiscal Year)
• Green Tag Delivery Registration Placard Recipients  (Daily Report)
• Delivery Prohibition Report  (Daily Report)

Storage Tank Program Documents and Information

• 2019 General Reminders for Regulated UST Owners/Operators  (Quick View Guide)
• 2019 General Reminders for Regulated AST Owners/Operators  (Quick View Guide)
• New Emergency Generator Storage Tank Owner Outreach
• Storage Tank Systems-Valves-Isolation (Block) and Anti-siphon
• Storage Tank Systems-Incidents–Investigations, Repairs, and Follow-up
• UST Closure Process Flowchart
• AST Closure Process Flowchart
• Flowchart for County Compliance and Referrals  
• Definition of Pollutants
• 2017 UST Training Slides  (2017 Rulemaking)
• 2017 AST Training Slides  (2017 Rulemaking)

Related Links

• Storage Tank System Equipment Registration
• Storage Tank Facility Registration
• Alternative Procedures for Storage Tank Systems
• Storage Tank Financial Responsibility

Interested in subscribing to DEP newsletters or receiving DEP updates through email?

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is the state’s lead agency for environmental management and stewardship – protecting our air, water and land. The vision of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection is to create strong community partnerships, safeguard Florida’s natural resources and enhance its ecosystems.

• Parks & Rec

Some content on this site is saved in an alternative format. The following icons link to free Reader/Viewer software: PDF: | Word: | Excel:

The content on the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP's) website was written and published in English, and English is the sole authoritative language for all such content. As an aid to site visitors who might benefit from multiple language options, the website offers an automated translation feature for browser content in the footer. The translation link will not convert attached or linked files, such as PDFs.

The website translation feature uses Gtranslate® (https://www.drupal.org/project/gtranslate). Gtranslate® is a third-party tool which is not owned, maintained, modified, or controlled in any way by DEP, and which is not endorsed by DEP as preferable to either human-generated translations, or any other automated translation options.

Translation is a nuanced and complex activity and computer-generated translations cannot be expected to be perfectly accurate. Automated translations of this site are not reviewed in advance by DEP and could convey incorrect or offensive language. DEP disclaims any liability for errors, omissions, or interpretive inconsistencies arising in the context of such translation. Site users assume all risk in using translated text. DEP is not responsible for any loss, damage, or harm resulting from reliance on translated text. Use of the translation tool in this website implies understanding and agreement with this assumption and disclaimer.