Do you want to make your presentation memorable? PowerPoint gives you the ability to create powerful visual aids that will help you create the best presentation possible. Learning how to make the most of PowerPoint takes some time, but with practice and experimentation, you'll be able to create unique and effective presentations. Start with Step 1 to get started.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Creating a Presentation
Step 1. Choose between a blank presentation and a template
When you open a new PowerPoint file, you can choose whether to create a blank presentation or use a template. Blank presentations allow you to choose the style you prefer, but they take longer. Templates, on the other hand, give a uniform style to your presentation, but may not be perfectly suited to your needs.
- You can change every aspect of a template, so feel free to pick one that comes close to your idea and modify it however you like.
- You can apply themes to your project after adding the content. Click on the Design tab and choose a theme. It will be applied immediately to your project. You can undo the change (Ctrl + Z) or go back to an empty theme if you don't like it.
- You can access the templates from the File tab. Click on New and then browse the available templates. You can also download other templates from the internet.
Step 2. Create the title slide
The title is the first thing your audience will see. It should be easy to read and give you a basic idea of what your presentation is about. Most speakers will also include their name or company name in the title.
Step 3. Add the slides for the content
Press Ctrl + M to create a new slide. It will be added after the one you are viewing. The slide will contain a title field and a text field. You can choose to use these fields or insert other objects from the Insert tab.
- When adding a text field, you can click on its margins and drag them to resize it as you like. You will be able to do this even after writing some content inside.
- You can click on any text field and start typing to add text to your presentation. You can format the text as you would in Word, using the options available on the Home tab.
Step 4. Browse your presentation
You can use the pane on the left side of the window to quickly scroll through the slides. Clicking on one of them will open it and you can modify it. You can click on the Outline tab to see a summary tree of your presentation. Each slide will be identified by its title.
Step 5. Preview the presentation
You can get an idea of the progress of your presentation by pressing F5 to start the preview. Click the mouse to advance the slides. Use the preview to understand how long the presentation is and whether the information is easy to follow from one slide to the next.
Part 2 of 3: Adding an Extra Touch
Step 1. Add transitions between slides
Once you have your content inserted into your slides, you can start adding effects to make your presentation more interesting. Choose a slide and click on the Transitions tab. You will see the list of the most common transitions. You can also click the arrow at the end of the list to open the full list of available transitions.
- When you choose a transition you will change the way a slide is displayed. For example, adding a transition to slide 2 will change the transition from slide 1 to slide 2. You will be able to see a preview in the slide editing window when you click on a transition.
- Avoid overdoing it with too many different transitions. You could distract the audience and not give the right emphasis to the most important component: the content.
Step 2. Add backgrounds
Solid white background slides are boring. If your presentation will only consist of black text on a white background, half the audience will fall asleep before the third slide ends. Use subtle backgrounds to make your project more pleasing to the eye.
- Right-click on an empty section of a slide and select "Format Background", or click the Design tab and click the arrow icon next to "Background" on the far right.
- Choose the type of filling. You can choose a solid color, a gradient fill, an image, or a textured background. By clicking on one of these choices you will be able to view all the options related to it, such as fill color, image position, gradient settings and more. Experiment until you find the best background for your presentation.
- By default, the background will only be applied to the active slide. Click the "Apply to All" button to apply the background to all slides.
- Make sure the text is still easy to read after adding the background.
Step 3. Add the images
Adding photographs, diagrams, and other visual aids can help audiences understand your presentation ideas and convey your message. The images break the monotony of the text and help the audience stay alert.
- Click the Insert tab. You will see many insert options. Click the Image button to insert an image from a file on your computer. You can click the Photo Album button to insert an entire photo album into the slide.
- Use the Chart button to insert an easy-to-read chart that can help the audience understand the data. Once you have chosen the type of chart, Excel will open and you can enter data or copy it from an existing spreadsheet.
- Use the Shapes button to insert predefined shapes or draw your own. You can use shapes to highlight important text passages or to create arrows or other visual indicators.
- Avoid smothering your presentation with too many images. If a page is too chaotic, the public will not be able to easily assimilate the information presented within.
Step 4. Add links
You can add links to your slides that will allow you to quickly access websites or email addresses. This can be especially useful if you will be distributing your presentation and want people to be able to easily visit related web pages or send you an email.
To add a link, place the cursor in a text field and then click the Hyperlink button on the Insert tab. You can choose to link to a file on your computer, a web page, an email address, or another slide in your presentation
Step 5. Embed a video
You can add video files to your slides. This can be useful for inserting video files related to your presentation. The file will be played when you show the slide that contains it.
- Click the Video button on the Insert tab. You will be able to browse the folders on your computer to find the file.
- While it's not easy, you can embed videos from YouTube as well. You will find guides on wikiHow that will explain how to do this.
Part 3 of 3: Making the Presentation Memorable
Step 1. Use the minimum number of slides
Overlong presentations bore the audience, even if they are fans. Even off-topic slides that contain little content will only unnecessarily prolong the presentation and lower audience interest. Try to make your presentation short and interesting, and make sure you make the most of all the space on each slide.
Step 2. Choose the right font size
The presentations must be read, otherwise they would be mere speeches. Make sure your audience can easily read what you have written. A font size 10 may be fine for computer viewing, but once projected onto the screen it will be too small.
For the same reasons, also make sure you choose fonts that are easy to read. Curved and whimsical fonts can be very beautiful, but if the audience can't discern the text, they won't be effective
Step 3. Use a consistent and discreet style
The best presentations have a clear and consistent style, use minimal amounts of color and style notes in order not to be trivial but without ever falling into tacky. If in doubt, use one of the templates as a guide.
Step 4. Check three times for spelling and grammar errors
If you misspell a word, you may not notice it, but surely someone in the audience will. Spelling and grammar errors will reduce your credibility, albeit on a subconscious level, so you'll need to make sure 100 percent that everything is spelled clearly and correctly.
Get someone to help you check your presentation for errors before making it public. Another person reading your presentation for the first time will be able to find more errors than you can
Step 5. Practice
Using PowerPoint is only part of your presentation. The other part is you! Take the time to rehearse what you are going to say and how to manage the steps between slides. Work on the pacing and make sure each slide accurately summarizes what you will say. Write notes or memorize the presentation; you should always avoid reading slides while presenting.
