In today’s professional and educational environments, the ability to deliver effective presentations is a critical skill. Whether in business, education, healthcare, or community engagement, presentations serve as a vital tool for communicating ideas, persuading audiences, and sharing knowledge. However, the effectiveness of a presentation depends not only on the content but also on how it is structured and delivered. Poorly designed slides—cluttered with text, inconsistent fonts, or distracting animations—can undermine the message and disengage the audience (Reynolds, 2012).
This article explores best practices for creating PowerPoint slides while highlighting common pitfalls to avoid. Drawing on academic literature, journal articles, and reputable sources, it examines the significance of outlines, slide structure, fonts, colour, backgrounds, graphs, spelling and grammar, conclusions, and questions. The discussion demonstrates that strong presentation skills enhance clarity, professionalism, and audience engagement.
Outlines: The Foundation of Effective Presentations
The slides emphasise the importance of starting with an outline slide, which provides a roadmap for the audience. This technique sets expectations, clarifies the structure of the talk, and helps both the speaker and the audience follow the presentation logically.
As Atkinson (2004) explains, a clear outline creates a sense of direction, ensuring that key ideas are highlighted and that tangents are minimised. It also reassures the audience by letting them know what topics will be covered and how long the presentation is likely to take. For instance, a university lecturer might begin with an outline covering three main themes—introduction, analysis, and conclusion—allowing students to anticipate the flow of the lecture.
By contrast, omitting an outline may confuse audiences, leaving them uncertain about what to expect. A lack of structure can reduce engagement and cause listeners to lose focus (Anderson, 2016).
Slide Structure: Good vs Bad Practice
An effective slide structure is crucial for ensuring that presentations are clear and accessible. The guidance provided in the slides suggests using one to two slides per minute, keeping each slide to 4–5 key points, and avoiding lengthy paragraphs. This aligns with cognitive load theory, which states that audiences can only process a limited amount of information at once (Sweller, Ayres and Kalyuga, 2011).
Good practice involves:
- Using concise bullet points rather than full sentences.
- Presenting one point at a time to prevent the audience from reading ahead.
- Avoiding excessive animation, which can distract from the message.
For example, in a corporate meeting, a presenter introducing quarterly sales results should highlight only the essential figures rather than filling a slide with dense paragraphs of text. On the other hand, a bad slide structure—such as overcrowding the screen with information or inconsistent use of fonts and bullet points—can overwhelm the audience and reduce comprehension (Mayer, 2009).
Fonts: Clarity and Professionalism
Font choice significantly affects readability and audience perception. Clear, simple fonts such as Arial or Times New Roman are considered professional and easy to read (Guffey and Loewy, 2017). The slides recommend a minimum of 24-point font, with larger sizes for titles and smaller ones for secondary points. This ensures visibility, especially in larger rooms.
Common pitfalls include using overly small fonts, excessive capitalisation, or decorative fonts that may look attractive but are difficult to read (Duarte, 2010). For example, using a script font in a business proposal presentation may appear unprofessional and reduce the credibility of the speaker. Maintaining consistency in font style and size throughout a presentation enhances clarity and creates a cohesive visual identity (Reynolds, 2012).
The Effective Use of Colour
Colour is a powerful design element that can reinforce meaning, guide attention, and evoke emotions. According to Mahnke (1996), colours influence both mood and cognition, making them critical in presentations.
Good practice includes:
- Using colours that contrast with the background (e.g., dark blue text on a white slide).
- Applying consistent colour schemes to convey structure (e.g., using one colour for headings and another for body text).
- Employing colour sparingly to emphasise key points rather than overwhelm the slide.
Bad practice occurs when too many colours are used, when text blends into the background, or when inconsistent colour choices confuse the audience. For example, a slide with red, green, yellow, and purple fonts on a patterned background may look cluttered and distract from the core message. As Alley and Neeley (2005) suggest, colour should be purposeful, not decorative.
Backgrounds: Keeping It Simple
The background of a slide should support rather than compete with the main content. Simple, light-coloured backgrounds enhance readability and ensure that the text and visuals remain the focus (Duarte, 2010).
The slides caution against distracting backgrounds or frequent changes in design, which can confuse audiences and reduce professionalism. For example, a presentation on workplace training that uses multiple bright, clashing background patterns may appear unstructured and unprofessional. A clean, consistent background communicates clarity and focus, reinforcing the professional image of the presenter.
Graphs and Tables: Visualising Data Effectively
In many professional fields, data presentation is critical. The slides suggest that graphs and tables are more effective than raw text or numbers, as they allow audiences to visualise trends and relationships more easily. Mayer (2009) supports this by demonstrating that dual coding—combining visuals with words—enhances understanding and memory retention.
Good practice involves:
- Using graphs to highlight key trends (e.g., a line graph showing growth over time).
- Keeping visuals simple, with clear labels and titles.
- Avoiding unnecessary gridlines, excessive shading, or overly small fonts that obscure meaning.
For example, when presenting financial data to stakeholders, a clean bar chart comparing quarterly revenue is far more effective than a cluttered spreadsheet of figures. Tufte (2001) argues that data visualisation should prioritise clarity and avoid unnecessary decoration, a principle often neglected in poorly designed slides.
Spelling and Grammar: Attention to Detail
Accurate spelling and grammar are essential for maintaining credibility. Mistakes can distract the audience and damage the speaker’s professional image (Guffey and Loewy, 2017). In some cases, errors may even lead to misunderstandings that affect decision-making.
For example, a presenter pitching a business proposal that contains repeated words, missing punctuation, or incorrect spelling may appear careless. In professional contexts, such errors can undermine trust and reduce the perceived value of the message. Proofreading, peer review, and the use of spell-check tools are essential strategies to ensure high standards of written communication (Bailey, 2018).
The Importance of Conclusions/Summary
The conclusion is one of the most important parts of a presentation. As Lucas (2019) notes, audiences tend to remember most vividly the opening and closing remarks of a presentation. A strong conclusion should summarise key points, reinforce the central message, and leave the audience with a clear call to action.
For instance, in an academic setting, a student presenting research findings might conclude by highlighting the significance of their results and suggesting directions for further research. In a business meeting, a manager might end a presentation with actionable recommendations and a summary slide that consolidates key arguments.
Engaging with Questions
The final element of effective presentation design is preparing for questions. Encouraging questions demonstrates openness and helps clarify uncertainties (Daly et al., 2016). A simple “Questions?” slide at the end signals that the presenter welcomes dialogue, preventing the presentation from ending abruptly.
Moreover, as Brown and Atkins (2002) argue, responding effectively to questions requires both active listening and the ability to think on one’s feet. For example, in a workplace training session, employees may ask unexpected questions about safety protocols. A confident, well-prepared response reinforces the speaker’s expertise and builds audience trust.
The creation of effective PowerPoint slides is an essential skill for professionals across industries. Presentations that are well-prepared, clearly structured, and visually engaging can significantly enhance communication, foster engagement, and strengthen credibility. In contrast, poorly designed slides—characterised by excessive text, inconsistent fonts, distracting colours, and grammatical errors—can undermine even the most valuable content.
By following best practices related to outlines, slide structure, fonts, colour, backgrounds, graphs, spelling and grammar, conclusions, and questions, presenters can deliver messages that are not only clear and informative but also memorable and persuasive. Ultimately, effective presentation skills are not merely about style; they are about building trust, inspiring confidence, and ensuring that the intended message resonates with the audience.
References
Alley, M. and Neeley, K.A. (2005) Craft of Scientific Presentations: Critical Steps to Succeed and Critical Errors to Avoid. New York: Springer.
Anderson, C. (2016) TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking. London: Headline.
Bailey, S. (2018) Academic Writing: A Handbook for International Students. 5th edn. London: Routledge.
Burgoon, J.K., Guerrero, L.K. and Floyd, K. (2016) Nonverbal Communication. 2nd edn. New York: Routledge.
Duarte, N. (2010) slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations. Sebastopol: O’Reilly Media.
Guffey, M.E. and Loewy, D. (2017) Business Communication: Process and Product. 9th edn. Boston: Cengage Learning.
Katt, J.A. and Condly, S.J. (2009) ‘A preliminary study of classroom speech anxiety: A quantitative analysis of students’ self-reports’, Communication Research Reports, 26(3), pp. 214–226.
Lucas, S.E. (2019) The Art of Public Speaking. 13th edn. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Mahnke, F.H. (1996) Color, Environment, and Human Response. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Mayer, R.E. (2009) Multimedia Learning. 2nd edn. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
