After writing last week’s post on screenshots, I started thinking more about how much visuals really do affect our presentations. I decided to do a bit of research and found an informative article on ways to make your presentation look great. (I will share the link later in the post to give proper credit to my source.)
The author, Dave Johnson, shared 10 rules in his CBS MoneyWatch article that would help a presentation look its best. His focus was on consistency throughout the presentation and readability on each slide. I thought I would pass along these rules to help you spruce up your presentations, too!
* Use thicker lines for visibility
* Use the same line width everywhere in your presentation or it looks like a ransom note
* Use shapes instead of lines for readability and visual interest
* Line everything up on a grid
* Use size to convey importance; don’t vary box sizes just to accommodate larger text labels
* Don’t spam the slide with lots of different graphic styles
* Don’t use more than three unique colors
* Use primary colors
* Use bright backgrounds — don’t put text or graphics against grey or black
* Don’t use very similar colors — they all look the same on a projector
I think I have broken a few of these rules in previous presentations. I will definitely remember to check for these items when I am creating my next presentation! On the article’s page, you can also view a Slideshare presentation highlighting some of the do’s and don’t’s of presentations. Here is the link to his article: http://ow.ly/8Nbwp . Enjoy!
Recently I was doing a new features class on Office 2010. During the class, I went through one new feature in PowerPoint, Excel, and Word called “screenshots”. For years I have had to use a separate program to capture a shot of my screen for use in handouts. The screenshot feature allows you to insert an image of any window/program that is not minimized to the taskbar.
Just recently, we celebrated Data Privacy Day. I thought that since it is important enough to have a day devoted to it, I might include some tips/idea to protect yourself. We have seen a rise in the number of leaks in private consumer and business data over the past year. Almost daily, the news reports another company or organization who was hacked or somehow had important data compromised. It is a little overwhelming to know how to stay safe in this environment!
