Making PowerPoint Slides
Avoiding the Pitfalls
of Bad Slides
Presentation Guidelines
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Don’t use (presented by) or (Name) words in title slide.
Don’t use Mr. or Ms., may use Dr. or Prof. with name.
Don’t use Wikipedia or other un-authenticated
sources.
Get the technical material from books, periodicals, etc.
Last slide should be bibliography (references)
Slide number must be added (insert slide number from
Menu)
How to Use this Template
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This presentation template has all the formatting inbuilt
Save this template with the name of the presentation
you want to prepare
Read all the guidelines – slides
Delete the slides not required by you
Add new slides by selecting “New Slide” option type of
slide
All the formatting is automatically available
You can change the template design using “Design”
option
How to Use this Template
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Your first slide should be Title slide
Next Slide will contain “Contents” or “Outline”
Then all the slides as per requirement
Last slide should be “Summary” or “Conclusions”
Add “References” after “Summary” or “Conclusions”
Next is “Questions?”
Finally “Thank You”
<Title of Presentation>
<Name of Presenter>
<Class>
<Roll No>
Guide: <Guide Name>
Chemical Engineering Department
AISSMS College of Engineering, Pune -1
Outline or Contents (to be Covered)
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Outlines
Slide Structure
Fonts
Colour
Background
Graphs
Spelling and Grammar
Conclusions
References
Questions
Outline
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Make your 1st or 2nd slide an outline of your
presentation
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Follow the order of your outline for the rest of
the presentation
Only place main points on the outline slide
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Ex: previous slide
Ex: Use the titles of each slide as main points
Slide Structure – Good
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Use 1-2 slides per minute of your presentation
Write in point form, not complete sentences
Include a maximum of 8-10 points per slide
Avoid wordiness: use key words and phrases
only
Slide Structure - Bad
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This page contains too many words for a
presentation slide. It is not written in point
form, making it difficult both for your audience
to read and for you to present each point.
Although there are exactly the same number of
points on this slide as the previous slide, it
looks much more complicated. In short, your
audience will spend too much time trying to
read this paragraph instead of listening to you.
Slide Structure – Good (Not
Mandatory)
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Show one point at a time:
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Will help audience concentrate on what you are
saying
Will prevent audience from reading ahead
Will help you keep your presentation focused
Slide Structure - Bad
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Do not use distracting animation
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Do not go overboard with the animation
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Be consistent with the animation that you use
Fonts - Good
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Use at least an 18-point font
Use different size fonts for main points and
secondary points
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this font is 24-point, the main point font is 28-point,
and the title font is 36-point
Use a standard font Arial
Fonts - Bad
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If you use a small font, your audience won’t be able to read what you have written
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DO NOT CAPITALIZE. IT IS DIFFICULT TO
READ
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Don’t use a complicated font
Colour - Good
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Use a colour of font that contrasts sharply with
the background
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Use colour to reinforce the logic of your
structure
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Ex: light blue title and dark blue text
Use colour to emphasize a point
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Ex: blue font on white background
But only use this occasionally
Colour - Bad
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Using a font colour that does not contrast with
the background colour is hard to read
Using colour for decoration is distracting and
annoying.
Using a different colour for each point is
unnecessary
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Using a different colour for secondary points is also
unnecessary
Trying to be creative can also be bad
Background - Good
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Use backgrounds such as this one that are
attractive but simple
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Use backgrounds which are light
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Use the same background consistently
throughout your presentation
Background – Bad
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Avoid backgrounds that are distracting or
difficult to read from
Always be consistent with the background that
you use
Graphs - Good
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Use graphs rather than just charts and words
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Data in graphs is easier to comprehend & retain
than is raw data
Trends are easier to visualize in graph form
Always title (label) for your graphs (description)
Tables - Bad
January February
Blue Balls
20.4
27.4
Red Balls
30.6
38.6
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March
90
34.6
April
20.4
31.6
Graphs - Good
Items Sold in First Quarter of 2002
100
90
80
70
60
Blue Balls
Red Balls
50
40
30
20
10
0
January
20
February
March
April
Graphs - Bad
100
90
90
80
70
60
Blue Balls
50
Red Balls
38.6
40
34.6
31.6
30.6
27.4
30
20.4
20.4
20
10
0
January
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February
March
April
Graphs – Bad (Previous Slide)
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Minor gridlines are unnecessary
Font is too small
Colours are illogical
Title is missing
Shading is distracting
Spelling and Grammar
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Proof your slides for:
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speling mistakes
the use of of repeated words
grammatical errors you might have make
If English is not your first language, please
have someone else check your presentation!
Conclusions
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Use an effective and strong closing
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Use a conclusion slide to:
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Your audience is likely to remember your last words
Summarize the main points of your presentation
(not detailed description)
Suggest future avenues of research
References
Use the standards given in the following slides
for references.
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References
Books
 Eckhoff, R. K., “Dust Explosions in the Process Industries,” 3rd ed., Gulf
Professional Publishing, Houston, TX (2003).
 Rothenberg, G., “Catalysis: Concepts and Green Applications,” WileyVCH, Weinheim, Germany (2008).
 Allen, M. P., and D. J. Tildesley, “Computer Simulation of Liquids,” Oxford
Univ. Press, Oxford, U.K. (1987).
 Doherty, M. F., et al., “Distillation,” Section 13 in Green, D. W., and R. H.
Perry, eds., “Perry’s Chemical Engineers’ Handbook,” 8th ed., McGrawHill, New York, NY (2008).
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References
Papers
 Babb, S. E., Jr., “Parameters in the Simon Equation Relating Pressure
and Melting Temperature,” Reviews of Modern Physics, 35 (2), pp. 400–
413 (1963).
 Bertrand, R. R., and J. H. Siegell, “Emissions of Trace Compounds from
Catalytic Reforming Units,” Environmental Progress, 22 (1) pp. 74–77
(Apr. 2003).
 Wolsky, A. M., et al., “CO2 Capture from the Flue Gas of Conventional
Fossil-Fuel-Fired Power Plants,” Environmental Progress, 13 (3), pp.
214–219 (Aug. 1994).
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References
Meeting Papers and Presentations
 Benin, A., et al., “Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs) for CO2 Capture,”
presented at the 2008 AIChE Spring National Meeting, New Orleans, LA
(Apr. 7–9, 2008).
 Baldwin, P., “Ramgen Power Systems Low-Cost, High-Efficiency CO2
Compressor,” presented at the 7th Annual Conference on Carbon
Capture and Sequestration, Pittsburgh, PA (May 5–8, 2008).
 McLarnon, C. R., and J. L. Duncan, “Testing of Ammonia-Based CO2
Capture with Multi-Pollutant Control Technology,” Proceedings of the 9th
International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies,
Washington, DC (Nov. 16–20, 2008).
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References
Government Agency Publications
 U.S. Chemical Safety and Investigation Board, “Combustible Dust Hazard
Study,” Investigation Report 2006-H-1, CSB, Washington, DC (Nov.
2006).
 U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, “Improving
Reactive Hazards,” www.csb.gov/reports, CSB, Washington, DC (2002).
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References
Government Regulations
 U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration, “Standard for
Hazardous Materials — Process Safety Management of Highly
Hazardous Chemicals,” 29 CFR 1910.119.
 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “National Emissions Standards for
Equipment Leaks — Control Level 2 Standards,” 40 CFR 63, Supbart UU.
 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “National Emissions Standards for
Hazardous Air Pollutants: Miscellaneous Organic Chemical
Manufacturing and Miscellaneous Coating Manufacturing: Proposed
Rule,” Federal Register, 67 (65), pp. 16154–16259,
www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/mon/monpg.html (Apr. 2, 2002).
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References
Industry Standards
 National Fire Protection Association, “Standard for the Prevention of the
Fire and Dust Explosions from the Manufacturing, Processing and
Handling of Combustible Particulate Solids,” NFPA 654, NFPA, Quincy,
MA (2006).
 Instrument Society of America, “Application of Safety Instrumented
Systems for the Process Industries (S84.01 Standard),” ANSI/ISAS84.01-1996, ISA, Research Triangle Park, NC (Feb. 1996).
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References
Technical Society and Industry Association Publications
 American Petroleum Institute, “Development of Emission Factors for
Leaks in Refinery Components in Heavy Liquid Service,” Publication No.
337, API, Washington, DC (Aug. 1996).
 American Petroleum Institute, “Evaporative Loss from Storage Tank
Floating Roo Landings,” Technical Report 2567, API, Washington, DC
(2005).
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Questions??
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End your presentation with a simple question
slide to:
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Invite your audience to ask questions
Provide a visual aid during question period
Avoid ending a presentation abruptly
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