FAQ: How can I make an effective PowerPoint presentation?

When designing your PowerPoint presentation, remember: less is more and simple is better! Here are a few quick tips for creating engaging and effective presentations:

• Plan ahead. Prepare an outline of your presentation ahead of time, before you begin working on the PowerPoint slides.
• Be consistent. Use a template to help you maintain a consistent design (colors and font styles) throughout the presentation.
• Keep it simple. Include one message or idea per slide, and keep each slide uncluttered and easy to read. Avoid overusing special effects and flashy styles or fonts.
• Keep it short. Use concise, bulleted lists instead of full sentences or paragraphs of text. Stick to key phrases, and only include essential information.
• Complement your content. Add a few well-chosen, high-quality images, tables, or figures that complement your text. Use them sparingly, for greater impact.

You should always check with your professor and view your assignment rubric to see if there are any specific requirements with regards to font choice, citations, formatting, or length.

More Information

• Tips for creating and delivering an effective presentation This link opens in a new window (Microsoft Office)
• Death to weak PowerPoint: strategies to create effective visual presentations This link opens in a new window (Frontiers in Psychology journal)

Further Help

This information is intended to be a guideline, not expert advice. Please be sure to speak to your professor about creating presentations.

Campus Students

To access academic support, visit your Brightspace course and select “Tutoring and Mentoring” from the Academic Support pulldown menu.

Online Students

To access help with citation and more, visit Academic Support via modules in Brightspace:

• The Complete Guide to Using Academic Support via Brightspace This link opens in a new window
• Accessing Writing STEM Help This link opens in a new window