Introduction to Engineering
PowerPoint
Agenda
 Basic instruction in using PowerPoint
Fundamentals of PowerPoint
Presentations
Quick review of PowerPoint basics
Using templates and masters
Notes pages and handouts
Tables, graphs, and pictures
Advanced features: animation, sound
Review and practice using PowerPoint to
prepare visual aids for your oral
presentations.
Tips
Be creative when designing your slides,
but avoid being too creative. The design
must not detract from your message.
Always make sure your slides look good
on the actual media you will be using.
• Wow, this slide is
a real eye sore.
•Imagine having to
sit through a talk
with 30 slides just
like this one…
•Variety is the
spice of life, so
make sure your
slides don’t all
look the same…
•…but be careful
not to overdo it
on colors, fonts,
graphics, etc.
Tips (continued)
Take advantage of the “Notes Page”
feature for complex slides. Click on
View…Notes Page.
Use this feature to make detailed notations
about your presentation.
Tips (continued)
Handouts can be printed for distribution to
the audience using File…Print and making
the appropriate selection in the Print What
box. You can select the type of format for
Handouts (2,3, or 6 slides per page)
Exercise #1
Click View…Master and experiment with
changing the default layout and settings
for slides
Change font styles, colors, and sizes
Add background objects and/or images
Change other features (e.g., line spacing,
location of textboxes)
This font is Tahoma, size 44
Here the font is Tahoma, size 32
Size 28
Size 24
• Size 20
• This is the smallest font you should use. Otherwise, the
slide is too difficult to read.
Insert a team logo or symbol for a more
personalized look
Making a Template
On a blank presentation, create a master
slide.
Click File…Save As, and change the
selection in the Save as Type box from
“Presentation” to “Design Template”
Then, apply your new design template to your
slide show.
Exercise #2
Create a text slide containing a bulleted
list
Switch to “Notes Page” view and add
notes to be used by the speaker for this
slide
Bulleted List and Text
Change the bullets using Format…Bullets
and Numbering
At most, put three bullets per slide for a
clean presentation
Minimize the number of words on text
slides
Exercise #3
Create a slide containing a table and
graph
You may create these either directly in
PowerPoint, or by copying them from a different
application (e.g., Excel, MATLAB)
Add speaker notes
Text and Chart
 Avoid making graphs
too complex
 Limit the number of
equations you present
 You must make
appropriate
acknowledgements
for all information
sources.
70
60
50
40
A's
B's
30
20
10
0
1st Qtr 2nd
Qtr
3rd
Qtr
Images
 Use Insert…Picture to
copy drawings and
clip art onto your
slides.
 For photographs, use
a digital camera or
scanner.
Media
To play a movie or sound in your
presentation, use Insert…Movies and
Sounds.
Sounds can be taken from computer files,
audio compact discs, or can be recorded.
In Class: Assignment #13
Create a slide that uses animation…
For technical talks, don’t get too fancy!