Presentation Planning for PowerPoint

Considerations

PowerPoint is a versatile presentation graphics application that allows you to create stylish presentations. This application can allow you to create a range of appealing slideshows for a variety of different audiences and purposes. When creating a slideshow, there are some considerations to acknowledge. Preparation is key when delivering a presentation.

Consideration for the audience must be taken into account before creating a presentation. The content will be influenced by the age, educational level, occupation and cultural background of the audience. Ensure that the presentation is suitable for the people who will attend. For example, a presentation designed for teenagers would not be appropriate for a corporate audience.

The presentation must be suited to what the audience is expected to know and what they will be able to understand. This means providing a presentation that meets the needs of the audience and is suited to the expected knowledge of attendees. For example, a presentation for younger students would be inappropriate for university students as they may not be able to fully comprehend the content of the presentation.

Having adequate lighting for the room is important. Poor lighting can result in difficulties viewing slides and can present a communication barrier between you and the audience. Appropriate lighting is vital for an effective presentation, so ensure that the room is fit for purpose.

If the room size is large, you may need to use a microphone and a projector. This is so you can project your voice around the room and audience members can view the slideshow clearly. Without a microphone, attendees towards the back of the room may not be able to hear you clearly and can result in confusion and loss of interest. Without a projector, the content of the slideshow may not be presented clearly. This is why these considerations should be taken into account prior to setting up for a presentation.

Layout is important to consider as everyone in the audience needs to be able to see the presentation clearly. Consider the following questions before deciding on the layout of the room. Where will the slides be displayed? Will the speaker be standing front and centre before the audience or to the side? Where will the speaker position themselves in relation to the audience? These considerations need to be addressed before delivering a presentation to ensure that audience members can view each slide clearly and hear the important points in a presentation.

It is important to have suitable video equipment so that slides can be seen clearly by everyone in the audience. Inadequate video equipment can result in poorly displayed slides and may cause confusion for audience members. Ensure that the content of the presentation is legible in each slide and that images, charts, videos and text are clearly presented.

Having adequate audio equipment is also important to ensure that the audience will be able to hear the presentation clearly. Always check the suitability of the audio equipment before commencing the presentation. Otherwise members of the audience may not be able to hear the presentation clearly.

Slideshow accessories can be used to deliver a convincing presentation. Laser pointers can be used to emphasise important points on a slide. For example, whenever there is a statistic in a chart that needs to be highlighted, a laser pointer can be used to draw attention to this important point.

Remote clickers are another accessory that can be used to deliver a presentation. This device allows you to progress through each slide seamlessly without having to return to the computer when advancing slides. It can also allow you to return to the previous slide whenever an important point is missed.

Having appropriate computer display adapters can be helpful when delivering presentations in different rooms. Ensure you have the necessary adapters as connections needed to use a computer with a projector may vary depending on the equipment being used.

All these considerations should be taken into account before preparing for a presentation. Ensure that you allow plenty of time to prepare prior to each presentation. Review slideshow material thoroughly before delivering a presentation to ensure that you are able to give the audience a clear understanding of what you intend to say.

Design, Content and Layout

Before you create your presentation, it is important to consider the length of your slideshow. Too long and you run the risk of boring your audience. Too short and there may be not enough time to cover all the material. Plan how long you will spend delivering the presentation and what would be appropriate for the type of presentation being given.

Allow adequate time to display each slide so that the audience can understand and follow the information being presented. Going through slides too quickly may make the content in a presentation too difficult to comprehend. This could make it seem as if the presentation is rushed and audience members may not be able to comprehend the key points of the slideshow. Go too slowly and the audience could lose interest in what is being said. Spend time practicing a presentation to find the appropriate length required for each slide. This can be achieved by using a helpful timing feature in PowerPoint.

Ensure you have accompanying graphical objects included in the slideshow such as photographs, charts, tables or diagrams. This can help you to explain the content of the presentation clearly and display information in a format audience members can understand at a glance. Graphical objects can also provide colour and variety to your presentation making it appealing to audience members. This can help to reinforce learning and allow audience members to understand the presentation better.

Apply colour combinations in your presentations to make text appear clearer. Adequate contrast makes text stand out more making the presentation easier to read. Choose contrasting colours to make text stand out better. Avoid colour combinations that make it difficult for people to view the slideshow. Some audience members may be colour blind or may have visual impairments, so providing a clear colour set for each slide is important.

Avoid having too much colour and too many accompanying images in the presentation. This may distract from the important content contained within a slideshow. Maintain a balance between text and colour so that the content is understandable and is presented in an interesting manner. Increasing the size of fonts can also enable people with visual impairments to clearly read text in the presentation.

Alternative text can be included to describe what images or objects are in a slideshow. Alternative text allows the screen reader to describe what an image, object, diagram or graph is. This is a useful feature for people who may have visual impairments.

Keep the level of detail concise and to the point so that the audience will be able to comprehend the intended message of the presentation. Having cue cards will help you to stick to the main points of a slideshow and provide the audience with a clear understanding of the presentation. Prolonging the length of time spent on covering content in each slide can become wearisome for audience members, so it is important to be brief and to the point when delivering a presentation.

Consider providing handouts that cover the important points in each slide. This will help audience members follow a presentation and can make delivering important points easier. It can provide attendees with reference material they can then use to revise material following the presentation. This can help to reinforce material learned during the presentation.

Limit animations where possible so that audience members do not become distracted. Having a good balance between static objects and animated objects is important. Too many animations may distract from the main content, too few and the content may become less interesting.

It is also useful to include appropriate transitions so that the presentation continues seamlessly and does not distract audience members. With a clear understanding of advanced PowerPoint features and how to deliver content, good presentations are possible for anyone who is expected to give them.

To learn more about presentations and Advanced PowerPoint features, click the book cover image below: