Here is a great rule. Dare I even say a presentation commandment. Don’t stuff your PowerPoint slides with information overload. Cramming is prohibited. They’re hard to decipher quickly and easily, and put audiences to sleep.
On ppt slides, never say with words what you can say with a picture. You’re the speaker, so YOU use words, let your slides be your visuals. Some say no more than 6 words per slide. Think VISUALS, not WORDS, when crafting your next stack of ppt slides.
PowerPoint slides should be closely akin to the design of billboards. And what are billboards known for? Words or visuals? VISUALS! You’re not driving on a highway hoping to catch 3 bullets with 25 words on it. You need something you can absorb in 3 seconds. So next time you’re thinking ppt presentation think billboard method. Think 3 second glance by an audience member, and see if they can grasp everything you’re trying to throw at them.
“Presentations are a ‘glance media’ — more closely related to billboards than other media…. Ask yourself whether your message can be processed effectively within three seconds. The audience should be able to quickly ascertain the meaning before turning their attention back to the presenter.” — Nancy Duarte
