Supplementary Materials
ELC 2203
University English for Business Students
Unit 6 Giving Oral Academic Presentations

Activity - Discussion
• Discuss with a partner and come up with some guidelines for the use of fonts, colours, and graphics when designing PowerPoint slides for presentations.

PowerPoint Presentation
Guidelines
• The following slides present guidelines for the use of fonts, colours, and graphics when designing PowerPoint slides for presentations.

PowerPoint Slides
•Highlight key points and / or reinforce what the facilitator is saying.
•Should be short and to the point, include only key words and phrases for visual reinforcement.

Consistency of Layout
•Convey a sense of completeness.
•Show headings and logos in the same spot on each frame.
•Use the same margins, font type, font size, and colours.

Fonts
• Font style should be readable.
– Recommended fonts:
Arial
, Tahoma,
Veranda
• Standardise the font throughout
– This presentation is in Tahoma.
Do!

Font Size
Your slides must be readable, even at the back of the room.
• This is a good title size –
Tahoma 40 point.
• A good subtitle or bullet point size -
Tahoma 32 point
•
• Content text should be no smaller than
Tahoma 24 point.
This font size is not recommended for content. Tahoma 12 point.

Fonts Don’t!
• Don’t Sacrifice Readability for Style.
• Don’t Sacrifice reaDability for Style.
• Don’t Sacrifice Readability for Style.
• Don’t Sacrifice
Readability for
Style.

Caps and Italics
• DO NOT USE ALL CAPITAL LETTERS
– Makes text hard to read
– Conceals acronyms
– Denies their use for EMPHASIS
• Italics
– Used for “ quotes ”
– Used to highlight thoughts or ideas
– Used for book, journal, or magazine titles

Using a Template
• Use a set font and colour scheme.
• Different styles to the audience.
are disconcerting
• Make the audience focus on what you present.
• Remember NOT to sacrifice readability for style.

Using the Same Background on Each Slide
Do!!


Don ’ t use multiple backgrounds in your presentation.

Changing the style is distracting.
Don’t!

C o l ou r s
• Reds and oranges are high-energy but can be difficult to stay focused on.
• Greens , blues, and browns are softer, but not as attention grabbing.
• Reds and Greens can be difficult to see for those who are colour blind.

Avoid These Combinations
• Examples:
–Green on Blue
–Dark Yellow on Green
–Purple on Blue Don’t!
–Orange on Green
–Red on Green

Background C o l ou r s
Remember: Readability!
This is a good mix of colours. Readable!
This is a bad mix of colours. Low contrast.
Unreadable!
This is a good mix of colours. Readable!
This is a bad mix of colours. Avoid bright colours on white.
Unreadable!

Graphs and Charts
Make sure the audience can read them!

Graphs and Charts
Can you see what this graph is about?
8

Graphs and Charts
• Avoid using graphics that are difficult to read.
• In the previous example, the bright colours on a white background and the small font make the graph hard to read.
• It would be very difficult to see, especially at the back of a room.

This graph contains too much information in an unreadable format.
Don’t!
10

“Readable”
Graphs
These are examples of “readable” graphs, with nice line widths and good colours.
Do!

Charts and Graphs
20
10
0
50
40
30
80
70
60
Mode A
Mode B
Mode C
North America Europe Austrailia
Don’t!

Charts and Graphs
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
North
America
Europe Australia
Mode A
Mode B
Mode C
Do!

Charts and Graphs
• Look at the previous slide again.
• What exactly is the chart about?
• What should be put above or underneath the chart to tell the audience what it is about!

Charts and Graphs
• Remember that a chart / graph should always carry a title which explains what it is about !

Title
Example of a readable & understandable chart
90000
80000
70000
60000
50000
40000
30000
20000
10000
0
88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97

Example of a readable & understandable chart
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
30
48
74
Title
Exhaust gas from vehicles
40 40
24
Exhaust system in tunnel
30
14
2
Excess usage of vehicles
Cross harbour tunnel
Eastern harbour tunnel
Western harbour tunnel
Factors leading to serious air pollution

Illustrations
• Use only when needed, otherwise they become distracters instead of communicators.
• Should relate to the message and help make a point.
• Ask yourself if it makes the message clearer.
• Use simple diagrams – they are great communicators.
Do!

Limit Each Slide to One Idea
• Use Bullet Points to Cover
Components of Each Idea.

Bullets
• Limit each bullet point to only a few words avoid long sentences that go on and on!
• Keep each bullet to 1 to 2 lines, 3 at the most.
• Limit the number of bullets on a screen to 6,
4 if there is a large title, logo, picture, etc.

• To make a slide stand out, change the font, background, or add animation.

Limit Animation!
• Use the same animation throughout the entire presentation.
• Using more than one can be very distracting.
– The audience will only see the animation and not the message you’re trying to get across .

During the presentation…
• YOU are the presenter –
DON’T let the media dominate the presentation.
• Stand aside – DON’T block the visual !
• Expand on points – Don’t read word for word !
• Remove the slide when not talking about it – DON’T leave it “up” when it’s not needed.
GOOD LUCK!!

Source
Adapted from the website of
ARMA International (2008) http://www.arma.org/LearningCenter/Facilitator/ uploads/PowerPointGuidelines.ppt
(Accessed on 12 April 2008)