Presentation using Powerpoint or similar software is one of the most critical job skills the modern job market needs due to its effectiveness in clarifying objectives and shortening data. However, if this software is misused, it will be a poor and messy presentation that does not serve its purpose.
It’s not just about the job market. Almost every lecture or course has a presentation that students give to their colleagues. Moreover, the expression is often evaluated and forms part of the final grade.
So how can you prepare a professional presentation that will ensure your superiors’ satisfaction or your teachers at the university? In today’s article, we have collected several practical tips for creating an organized, planned, and effective presentation in communicating the information it contains.
How To Make a Presentation for School
1. Write before you start designing a presentation.
Presentation software and applications help you present your message to the audience. However, you won’t deliver a good message if you don’t know it. Therefore, write its content before you start working on your presentation design. At this point, adhere to the following:
- Write your thoughts down.
- Write the main snippet headings included in the presentation.
- Ensure these snippets are coherent and in a logical sequence.
- Adjust the headline placement until you get a satisfactory result.
- Ensure it contains an introduction, main content, and a conclusion.
- Write your presentation content by referring to the snippets.
- Finally, go to your preferred program and prepare your presentation.
2. Choose an attractive presentation title.
Slide one is the most important of all. This slide shows how much your audience is interested or not in the topic. So, make sure the first title is exciting and catchy.
Start by asking a question about the main topic of the presentation. Then, involve the audience in the show by asking for their opinion about a particular aspect of the subject.
3. Stick to simple designs
If your audience is not children, choose simple, uncluttered designs, and avoid distracting backgrounds with lots of colours and elements. As for the font, make sure of the following:
Choose simple, easy-to-read fonts such as Arial or Calibri that can be presented on various devices.
- Stick to a maximum of three types in one presentation.
- Use uni-font (size/ type/ colour) for all headings and the rest of the content.
4. Do not overuse movements and effects.
You don’t need to present the text using a new effect each time. Likewise, it is not necessary to add animations to each slide. Here are some tips in this regard:
- Make your presentation similar to the news channels’ presentations.
- Using simple effects such as moving from right to left or vice versa.
- Avoid complex effects such as spinning because they are often slow and boring to the audience.
- Use no more than three types of transition effects between slides.
- Don’t put these effects among all the slides.
5. Focus on one idea per slide
If you put much information on one slide, you risk confusing the audience. So be sure to include only one main idea on each slide. On the other hand, if you find your presentation exceeding your allotted time, it probably means that you have put many ideas into it, and it is best to shorten and edit its content.
6. Use text in moderation.
Remember: when the audience is busy reading what you have written, they probably won’t listen to what you say. So make sure to write a minimum amount of text. The following tips will help you:
- Write the text as bullet points instead of paragraphs.
- Write just the heads, and then you can expand on each point.
- Do not use more than 5 points on each slide.
- Use a large text size to ensure your audience can read it.
7. Use photos smartly
Stick to the following when using images in your presentation:
Use high-quality photos.
- Be aware of copyrights, especially in a global presence.
- Don’t use small and enlarged images.
- Don’t use the ready-to-use Clip Art.
- Only use cartoons if your presentation requires them.
8. Use the proper graphs.
Use the correct chart in the right place. Here are the types of graphs and their uses:
- Pie graphs: used to show percentages. Make sure that it does not exceed six sections in each circle. Use contrasting colours to show the critical sections or separate them from the circle to distinguish them.
- Bar charts: used to show changes in quantity over a specified time. Use a maximum of 8.
- Horizontal bar charts: used to compare specific quantities among themselves, like comparing a company’s sales in 4 regions. Use a maximum of 8.
- Line graphs: They show trends and developments in a specific field. Be sure to use it only in this context.
9. Use the colours well.
Colours are a huge attraction. Make sure you know some basics in this regard. The colours are divided into two types, cool and warm:
- Cool colours (blue or green) are used in the background since they seem to fade in the distance.
- Warm colours (red or orange) are used for essential elements, such as the title and text because they appear closer and more precise.
If you’re giving a presentation in a dark room, use a darker background and light colour text. - If you will be presenting in a bright room, use a light background and dark colour text.
10. End the presentation with Call to Action (CTA)
One of the best ways to end your production is by CTA. For example, you can ask about your audience’s opinion on a matter related to your subject or suggest trying the product you talked about. You can also attach your contact information to inquire and learn more.
