Check Instructions

You should carefully study what your instructor needs you to include. Give priority to class presentation instructions from your professors. You should refer to these PowerPoint presentation tips in this article if your professor did not provide detailed instructions.

What Appears First

The first slide is crucial in setting the tone of your presentation. It should be professional and well-designed. Aesthetic is not the only aspect of an appealing project presentation. In class presentations, your title slide should include your student identification details. Be conscious of what appears first because it may shape the audience’s impression of the presentation.

Consistency Of Fonts

You should use the same font for the entire presentation. If you choose Calibri, use it throughout and do not use Arial or Times New Roman. Our experts recommend using fonts that will be compatible with all presentation platforms. Calibri, Tahoma, Arial, and Verdana are among the most recommended fonts.

Consistency Of Colors

PowerPoint presentation experts recommend consistency in color and background throughout. Consistency helps enhance professionalism, audience engagement, and information retention. You should settle on a theme with a limited number of colors and use a consistent background that does not interfere with text readability.

Contrast Between Colors

Contrast your colors to make it easy for your audience to read what you are presenting. Use complementary colors to make your text more readable.

Subheadings

Your hierarchy of subheadings in the presentation should be well-structured. The structure eases content flow and communication.

Your hierarchy should have consistent formatting, indentation, numbering/bullet points, and text alignment. Structuring enhances the organization and visual appeal necessary to effectively convey ideas.

Text On Slides

In preparing class presentations, always remember the maxim of “Less is More.” Use bullet points and be concise to enhance readability, engagement, and recall. Each bullet point should contain a short phrase or a few words. 

Keywords or key phrases are enough to capture the essence of your points. Maintain consistency but avoid cramming multiple bullet points in one slide. Consider visual aids such as charts, images, and diagrams to enhance engagement.

Bullet Points

Have no more than 5-6 bullet points per slide. The bullet points in a slide should start in the same way. If the first line is to be non-bulleted, the bulleted points that follow should start logically as a continuation of the first sentence. Complete sentences should end with a full stop. Semi-colons apply when showing bullet points that are continuing a sentence.

In-Text Citations

Class presentations may be primarily visual but citations are necessary to give credit to sources. Some instructors specify the format. In such instances, you should follow their requirements. If that requirement is missing, you can have citations in the notes section, text boxes within the slide, or use footnotes/endnotes. In such cases, ensure consistency in your in-text citations and references.

Pictures/Images

Visuals are integral to effective class presentations. They make presentations more engaging and memorable. In academic contexts, references are necessary unless you created the visual. 

Cite any visual from the internet by indicating its bracketed URL address in the slide. The citation for the visual should not count toward the references on the bibliography slide.

Writing Mechanics

You should ensure high-quality writing mechanics. Closely pay attention to capitalization, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and any relevant aspect applicable to academic writing. After all, treat class presentations as academic pieces.

Review The Presentation

Always review your presentation before finalizing it. View every slide from the beginning to the end to ensure it flows logically.

Conclusion

In conclusion, crafting effective class or project presentations can significantly elevate your academic and professional outcomes. By following these 12 PowerPoint presentation tips, you can create visually appealing, informative, and engaging presentations.

The main factors to remember apart from content are:

• Prioritize clarity, conciseness, and consistency,
• Incorporate visuals strategically for better understanding and retention, and
• Practice delivery to gain confidence.