How to Avoid a
Power Point Disaster
For Projects, Oral Defense and Symposia
Created by Alicia Wargowsky & Christen Rae
Revised by Julie Sanchez Fall 2010
Introduction

A basic template is available from the BATS
website
http://dickmalott.squarespace.com/psy-4600survey-of-applied-beh/
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General Presentation Tips


Never read the content of a slide or stay
quiet during your entire power point
Use your presentation as a guideline

let the audience read it to the background music

OR provide spoken elaboration of bulleted points
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General Presentation Tips Contd.

Don’t use esoteric or unusual abbreviations

Refrain from using automatic slide transition

Read through the text of your slide
3 times before advancing to the next slide.
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Beginning steps

Create a specific folder for each PowerPoint
presentation on your computer where you
will save the following:
PowerPoint Presentation
Embedded Font
Music file


To Create a folder on Desktop:
Right Click on your desktop
Select “New”, and then “Folder”

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Beginning steps Contd.
 To Save your PowerPoint file:



Open PowerPoint program
Save the file in the folder created above
Save as “last name.semesteryear.” E.g.
Malott.Fall2010
 You may now begin making your Killer
PowerPoint Presentation!
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Music
 To insert Music into your slideshow:




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Be sure that the music file is saved as an MP3 file.
Locate the sound file you are looking for. Copy this file
and paste it or move it into the into the
presentation/slideshow folder you have created.
Go back to your PowerPoint program. Click Insert on
the toolbar, select “Movies and Sounds.”
Select “Sound from File” and locate the sound file from
the presentation folder than you have created.
Click OK once you have found your sound file.
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Music Contd.



Select “Yes” when prompted to play music
automatically
Drag the music-speaker icon off the slide.
Right click on the icon and select, “Custom
Animation.”
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Music Contd.



In the Custom Animation task pane on the right hand
side, arrange the list of effects so that the Music file is
at the top.
Click on the music file, and from the scroll down menu
select “Effect Options,” and then “Effect.”
Enter the number of slides you want the music to play
in by adding a number in the “stop playing after” box.
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General Tips for Music
 Do not use music with lyrics or loud




instrumental music.
Make sure the transition between songs is
smooth.
The song should NOT have any lyrics unless
they are truly relevant to your presentation.
Be thoughtful and original with your music! 
Remember to copy the music file to your
computer!!
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Fonts
 Do not use unusual fonts unless you…

embed them in your power point
 To learn how to embed fonts into your
PowerPoint, visit
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/826832
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Fonts Contd.
 Do use:

Font colors that contrast with the background, e.g. a
light font color with a dark background
 Do not use:
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
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blue font color on a black background
a yellow font color, unless it is on a black background
and using yellow in graphs never works!
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Video & pictures
 Use original digital photos or videos about you
and the project you worked on!
 Use clip art to fill spaces that are empty!
 Use a graphic on each slide or else your
presentation will be boring.
 Remember: complex, pop-up/flashing pictures
can be distracting.
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Themes

Students often use themes in PPT slide
shows.

While your presentation should be colorful,
creative, and entertaining, themes are very
distracting.
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Themes Contd.

Do Not use themes, especially TV shows or
cartoons (like Simpsons or Friends)!



Unless you are REALLY GOOD at them!
Unless it is a good theme for what you are talking
about!
Instead use clip art, original photos, and videos
about your project or research 
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Appendix A: Content for P499 &
BATS MA Students

Follow the outline of your thesis

Focus on your system’s disconnects and how you have fixed
them

Only use the 3-Con model if it applies to the participants of
your project rather than applying it to yourself or your
supervisor.
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Appendix A Contd.

Just present your project, not the BRSS or the BRSS
contingencies.

Show the responsibilities of each student participating in your
project and how it contributes to the overall goal of your
project.

Show relevant samples of material that you have developed, if
applicable (e.g.=manual).
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Appendix B: Presentation Checklist
Title Slide
Slide with Comments
Question & Thank You Slide
Clip Art
Charts, Diagrams
Remove Speaker Icon off the slide
Music
Avoid loud music or music with lyrics
Remember to copy music in folder
Avoid using distracting backgrounds
Do not use blue font color on a black background
Do not use yellow font color in text or graphs
Do Not read from the slides
No more than 8 words a sentence & no more than
6 lines in a slide
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Appendix B: Presentation Checklist
Bullets
Bullets come down one at a time
Bullet style should be consistent throughout the
PowerPoint
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