The first time I created a PowerPoint presentation, I went a little crazy. I overdid all those neat little bells and whistles - animations, colors, patterns, sounds - so my presentation ended up like a carnival midway.
And my message was lost in the tumult.
Learn from my mistake. When preparing a PowerPoint presentation, don't get all caught up in the technology. Animations and such are great, but only if they serve a purpose.
Now you might ask yourself, so what's the attraction of features like animation anyway? Think about a time you sat through a long, boring lecture that was nothing but a single speaker reading from notes. Do you remember anything from that presentation? Chances are your brain shut off from monotony. Now imagine if the same speech had been presented in colorful bites with movement that woke up your brain. The benefits of a colorful, zesty presentation include grabbing and holding audience attention and connecting main points to visuals so that they can be remembered.
The trick is to not go overboard and dazzle your audience with so many pyrotechnics that they lose the point of your presentation. Choose interesting but subdued backgrounds for your slides. Make your transitions practical and cohesive, allowing them to signal a wake-up without getting the listener off track. And most important, follow the standard pattern of a good speech: "Tell them what you're going to tell them; then tell them; then tell them what you told them." Using attractive, muted colors, start with a quick overview; give your main points and supporting details; and then wrap it all up with a crisp and efficient listing of your main points.
That's it. When it comes to PowerPoint, opt for interesting instead of dazzling, and let your message show through.
—Joyce Lee
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