Trent University
MyTrent
  • Academics
    • Undergraduate Programs
    • Graduate Programs
    • Trent Online
    • Summer Courses
    • Continuing Education
    • Study Abroad
    • Academic Calendar
    • Academic Timetable
    • Academic Skills Centre
    • Academic Advising
    • Library
    • Centre for Teaching and Learning
  • Admissions
    • Undergraduate
    • Thinking of Applying
    • Already Applied
    • Received an Offer
    • Accepted My Offer
    • Graduate
    • International
    • Indigenous
    • Returning to Trent
    • Transfer
  • Services & Support
    • Academic Advising
    • Academic Skills Centre
    • Administrative Departments
    • Alumni Services
    • Athletics
    • Campus Security
    • Careerspace
    • Colleges
    • Communications
    • Conferences
    • Financial Aid
    • Financial Services
    • Health & Wellness
    • Indigenous Services
    • Information Technology
    • International Students
    • Learning Support
    • Parking
    • Printshop
    • Recruitment
    • Registrar's Office
    • Residence & Housing
    • Student Clubs
    • TrentU Card
  • Research
    • Research at Trent
    • Research Centres
    • Find an Expert
    • Resources
  • Give to Trent
  • About Trent
    • About Trent
    • Careers
    • Giving to Trent
    • Governance
    • How to Find Us
    • Media
    • News & Events
    • President's Office
    • Staff Directory
    • Trent Facts
    • Contact Us
  • Campus Locations
    • Peterborough
    • Durham GTA
    • Online
  • Future Students
    • Undergraduate
    • Thinking of Applying
    • Already Applied
    • Received an Offer
    • Accepted My Offer
    • Graduate
    • International
    • Indigenous
    • Returning to Trent
    • Transfer
  • Current Students
  • Alumni
  • Trent Forward: COVID-19 Info
  • Apply
  • Visit
  • Give
  • Map
  • Careers
  • Directions
  • Library
  • Site Map
  • Bookstore
Skip to main content Home
  • Peterborough
  • Durham GTA
  • Online
  • MyTrent
MENU
Trent University

Academic Skills

  • Welcome
  • Appointments
  • How To Guides
  • Documentation Guide
  • Programs & Events
  • Contact
A female student writing in her notebook

Academic Skills

  • Welcome
    • Information for Faculty
    • Information for Graduate Students
    • Tutor Board
  • Appointments
  • How To Guides
    • Transition to University - Advice for First Year
    • Level Up: Resources for Upper-Year Students
    • How Do I Protect My Academic Integrity?
    • How to Study
    • How to Learn Online
    • How to Manage Your Time
    • How to Write in University
      • How to Approach Any Assignment
        • Writing Essays
        • Writing the English Essay
        • Creating an Annotated Bibliography
        • Writing Article Summaries
        • Writing Academic Reviews
        • Writing Reflection Papers
        • Writing Literature Reviews
        • Writing Policy Assignments
        • Writing Business Reports
        • Preparing and Delivering Oral Presentations
        • Creating Poster Presentations
        • The Art of Powerpoint
      • Planning Your Assignment
      • Developing an Argument
      • Writing Introductions, Conclusions, and Body Paragraphs
    • How to Succeed in Math and Science
    • How to Use Sources
    • How to Edit Your Writing
    • Academic Skills Online Resources Index
  • Documentation Guide
  • Programs & Events
  • Contact
TRENTU.CA / Academic Skills / How To Guides / How to Write in University / How to Approach Any Assignment / Creating Effective Powerpoint Slides

Creating Effective Powerpoint Slides

  1. Plan: Look at the Big Picture
  2. Create Slides
  3. Keep It Simple and Clear
  4. Design Principles
  5. Oral Presentation
  6. Have a Back Up Plan

A good PowerPoint slideshow complements your presentation by highlighting your key message, providing structure, and illustrating important details.

While it is not difficult to create a good PowerPoint presentation, it is very easy to create a bad one. Bad PowerPoint presentations may have one or more of the following characteristics: too much specialized detail, too many slides, too many colours, unnecessary images or effects, small text, unreadable figures, and/or unclear slide order.

The strategies below can help you to create effective presentations and to save your audience from “death by PowerPoint.”

Plan: Look at the Big Picture

  1. Plan: Plan your talk first (see Academic Skills Oral Presentations) and then plan your PowerPoint to accompany your argument and evidence.
  2. Audience: Who is in your audience and what do they know about the material? What do you want them to learn? Consider your overall argument and evidence that you want to present.
  3. Purpose: Define the goals, topic and appropriate depth and scope of information.
  4. Presentation Length: Know the time available for your presentation. Be realistic about how much material you can cover as it is important that you keep within your time limit. Follow the general rule of thumb: You need about one slide per minute.

Creating Slides

You are now ready to create individual slides. If you have never used PowerPoint before, you can find hundreds of good tutorials online. Find one that works for you.

The classic PowerPoint error is to write sentences on a slide and read them. Rather than treating your slides as a script for your presentation, let the content on your slides support your message. Remember: LESS IS MORE.

Keep It Simple and Clear

Text

  • Where possible, include a heading for each slide
  • Use bulleted points and avoid long sentences (it is often suggested that you include no more than 6 lines per slide or 6 words per line)
  • Font size: 30 - 48 point for titles, 24 - 28 for text
  • Avoid all capital letters
  • Proofread carefully for spelling and grammar

Figures and Images

  • Ensure images are clear and relevant
  • Label all figures and tables
  • Put units beside numbers on graphs and charts

General Design Principles

  • Embrace empty space
  • Use vertical and horizontal guide markers to consistently align elements
  • Avoid too many colours, clutter or fancy visual effects
  • Use high contrast to ensure visibility: e.g. Black text on white background or black on light blue
  • Maintain consistency of the same elements on a slide (colours, fonts, styles, placement etc.), as well as, between slides in the slide deck
  • Use animation sparingly, if at all. If you use transitions, use the same kind each time
  • Edit entire slide deck to ensure organization is logical and design is consistent

Oral Presentation

Even with the best of PowerPoints, good presentations require practice and refinement Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse! Listen for awkward or unclear wording and make edits as needed. Keep an eye on time limits. Practice presenting alone, but also for friends.

Advance the slide when you reach that point in the presentation. Do not stand in front of the screen or talk to it. Face the audience at all times.

Try to test your presentation in the room before your talk; you may need to adjust the colours or font size for the room and equipment. For further information, see How to Prepare and Deliver an Oral Presentation.

Have a Back-Up Plan

Remember that PowerPoint may look great, but technical failures do happen. Mentally prepare for any eventuality. Make sure to save the presentation several ways: save on a USB stick and email it to yourself. Print out the slides to have a paper version in case of equipment failure and practice giving your presentation without your slides.

How To Guides

  • Transition to University - Advice for First Year
  • Level Up: Resources for Upper-Year Students
  • How Do I Protect My Academic Integrity?
  • How to Study
  • How to Learn Online
  • How to Manage Your Time
  • How to Write in University
    • How to Approach Any Assignment
      • Writing Essays
      • Writing the English Essay
      • Creating an Annotated Bibliography
      • Writing Article Summaries
      • Writing Academic Reviews
      • Writing Reflection Papers
      • Writing Literature Reviews
      • Writing Policy Assignments
      • Writing Business Reports
      • Preparing and Delivering Oral Presentations
      • Creating Poster Presentations
      • The Art of Powerpoint
    • Planning Your Assignment
    • Developing an Argument
    • Writing Introductions, Conclusions, and Body Paragraphs
  • How to Succeed in Math and Science
  • How to Use Sources
  • How to Edit Your Writing
  • Academic Skills Online Resources Index
Trent University logo
Challenge the Way You Think

Trent University respectfully acknowledges it is located on the treaty and traditional territory of the Mississauga Anishinaabeg. We offer our gratitude to First Peoples for their care for, and teachings about, our earth and our relations. May we honour those teachings.

Peterborough

1600 West Bank Drive
Peterborough, ON Canada, K9L 0G2

Toll Free: 1-855-MY-TRENT

Campus Map

Durham Greater Toronto Area

55 Thornton Road South
Oshawa, ON Canada, L1J 5Y1

Phone: 905-435-5100

Campus Map

Social Media Directory
  • Contact
  • Directions
  • Site Map
  • Accessibility
  • @ Copyright 2023 Trent University