Technology Presentation Guidelines

Visual Presentations (PowerPoint, Video Production, etc.)

Presentations should engage an audience while sharing a message. 

Follow these tips:

• Select a background or design template appropriate to the audience
  • Professional: slides built with uncluttered templates or designed with subtle colors and graphics.  Attention is focused on the presenter while information is highlighted.
  • Informational: slides built with bright, colorful templates or designs to engage the audience visually.  Attention is shared between the presenter and the presentation.
  • Informal: slides built with bold colors and transitions.  The presentation, rather than the presenter, commands attention.
  • Custom: slides built with logos or commercial branding designed for specific or promotional purposes. The visual supports the presenter.

• Use high contrast between text and/or images and background
  • Bright rooms use a dark background with light text
  • Normal to low light rooms use a light background with dark text

 

• Use the same look for all the slides or transitions
• One topic per slide/screen shot
• No more that 6 bullets or phrases per slide
• Use space between text and images
• 24-point font size or larger
• Use bold type if it will improve text contrast
• Use easy to read fonts such as:

  Arial

Bookman

Lucida

Microsoft Sans Serif

Palatino

Verdana

Display Documents

Plan on using a document camera, as it projects a clearer image and has zoom features that an overhead projector does not. Follow these additional tips:

• Use landscape layout rather than portrait so the entire document can be shown without moving the paper
• Use 24-point font or larger
  • Plan on using the zoom feature for documents with smaller text
• Avoid shiny paper or objects, as they reflect light and cause bright spots on the projected image
• Look for high contrast when choosing color documents

Use of Handouts

Participants appreciate handouts if the information is useful to them. When printing PowerPoint handouts, be sure to think about your audience needs. 

• Will participants prefer just a print out of the slides or room to take notes?
  • Select print handouts and 6 slides per page for slides only
  • Select print handouts and 3 slides per page to provide room for notes
• Consider posting your document or presentation to a location where participants may retrieve the information, so paper can be conserved.
  • Indicate on handouts where the document or PowerPoint is located for retrieval purposes.