©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD ©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

User-Friendly PowerPointGuidelines

Based on “Evidence-Based Human Factors

Guidelines for PowerPoint Presentations” (Durso et al., 2011)

Erik CB Olsen, PhDUser Friendly Presentations

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

What is our . . .

?

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

What is

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

PitchMan

Demoof

Responsibilities

What’s inthe box?

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

What is

3 uses

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

Use PowerPoint

• To be– Clear– Informative– Increase impact

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

What is our . . .

?

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

PowerPoint Guidelines!

?

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

PowerPoint Guidelines

1. Font2. Color3. Layout4. Comprehension5. Charts, Graphs, & Tables

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

Font

• Style• Size• Case• Spacing

• with “little feet” and is better for long lines of text to help readers follow along

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

Font Style• Use Tahoma

– Short bulleted text– Sans serif– Highly legible

• Arial is good

• So is Verdana

• Microsoft Sans Sarif is ok too

• After a while it is hard to tell the difference! (this is Tahoma again)

• After a while it is hard to tell the difference! (this is Tahoma again)

vs. • Times New Roman

– Times New Roman is a serif font with “little feet” and is better for long lines of text to help readers follow along

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

Font Style• Use Tahoma

– Short bulleted text– Sans serif– Highly legible

• Arial is good

• So is Verdana

• Microsoft Sans Sarif is ok too

• After a while it is hard to tell the difference! (this is Tahoma again)

vs. • Times New Roman

– Times New Roman is a serif font with “little feet” and is better for long lines of text to help readers follow along

vs. Times New Roman• Times New Roman is a serif font with

“little feet” and is better for long lines of text to help readers follow along

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

Font Size

• This is Tahoma 32 point font– At least 22 point for bullets– 16 point for figure legends and axes

16 point18 point

20 point

24 point28 point

32 point

Figure of Increasing Font Sizes from 16 to 32 Point Font (labeled using 16 point)

22 point

44 point

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

PitchMan

Demoof

Responsibilities

I like 44!

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

Font Case

• Use sentence case for your bullets– Make initial letter uppercase– Aids in directing attention

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

Font Spacing & Embellishments

• This is plain old Tahoma– Impact is harder to read– KaiTi spreads letters too far

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

Font Spacing & Embellishments

• This is plain old Tahoma– Impact is harder to read too– KaiTi spreads letters too far

• Restrict italics for emphases or

• Use bold for emphasis• Avoid animations

– or flashing text

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

Color

• High-contrast text-to-background combinations– Dark text on a light background– Black on white

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

This is Tahoma 32 Point Font

• This is Tahoma 28– This is Tahoma 24

• Background is white– White 15% darker

• Text is black

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

Color

• High-contrast text-to-background combinations– Dark text on a light background– Black on white

White on Black Black on White Black on Grey

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

This is Tahoma 32 Point Font

• This is Tahoma 28– This is Tahoma 24

• Background is light grey– White 15% darker

• Text is black

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

Color

• High-contrast text-to-background combinations– Dark text on a light background– Black on white

• Consider split complementary colors

Yellow on Blue Blue on Yellow

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

This is Arial 32 Point Font

• This is Arial 28– This is Arial 24

• Background is pale yellowish orange– Choose 75% transparency or – a paler shade

• Text is blue 25% darker

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

Color

• High-contrast text-to-background combinations– Dark text on a light background– Black on white

• Consider split complementary colors• Avoid red-green contrasts

Green on Red Red on Green

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

This is Arial 32 Point

• This is Arial 28– This is Arial 24

• Background is red• Text is green

Demoof

Responsibilities

YUK!

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

Guidelines

• Layout– Be consistent– Leave a margin around the slide

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

Comprehension

"As a rule, begin each paragraph with a topic sentence . . . "

William Strunk, 1918- The Elements of Style

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

Comprehension

So . . . 1

. . .

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

Slide

Comprehension

1 for . . .

! ! !

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

Comprehension

“Use bullets (not multiline paragraphs). For a variety of reasons, both ergonomic and rhetorical, the slide should be a collection of short bullets that assist you in making the presentation. This recommendation will also help you avoid the urge to read the slides as your presentation.”

Durso et al. (July, 2011)- Ergonomics in Design, p. 6

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

Comprehension

• Use bullets• Affirmative • Active voice• 4 ± 1 bullets per slide• Avoid distractions

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

Comprehension

• Use bullets• Affirmative • Active voice• 4 ± 1 bullets per slide• Avoid distractions

– Photos or images ok

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

Category 1Category 2

Category 3Category 4

00.5

11.5

22.5

33.5

44.5

Series 1

Series 2

Series 1Series 2

Charts, Graphs, & TablesAvoid 3D!

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

Category 1 Category 2 Category 3 Category 40

1

2

3

4

5Series 1 Series 2

Charts, Graphs, & TablesThis is easier to understand

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

Category 1 Category 2 Category 3 Category 40

1

2

3

4

5 Series 1Series 2

Charts, Graphs, & TablesIntroduce 1 element at a time!

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

Category 1 Category 2 Category 3 Category 40

1

2

3

4

5 Series 1Series 2

Charts, Graphs, & TablesIntroduce 1 element at a time!

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

Category 1 Category 2 Category 3 Category 40

1

2

3

4

5 Series 1Series 2

Charts, Graphs, & TablesIntroduce 1 element at a time!

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

Category 1 Category 2 Category 3 Category 40

1

2

3

4

5 Series 1Series 2

Charts, Graphs, & TablesIntroduce 1 element at a time!

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

Category 1 Category 2 Category 3 Category 40

1

2

3

4

5Series 1 Series 2

Charts, Graphs, & TablesThen bring in Series 2 and explain it!

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

Category 1 Category 2 Category 3 Category 40

1

2

3

4

5Series 1 Series 2

Charts, Graphs, & TablesThen bring in Series 2 and explain it!

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

Category 1 Category 2 Category 3 Category 40

1

2

3

4

5Series 1 Series 2

Charts, Graphs, & TablesThen bring in Series 2 and explain it!

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

Category 1 Category 2 Category 3 Category 40

1

2

3

4

5Series 1 Series 2

Charts, Graphs, & TablesThen bring in Series 2 and explain it!

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

Charts, Graphs, & Tables

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

Charts, Graphs, & Tables

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

Charts, Graphs, & Tables

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

PitchMan

Demoof

Responsibilities

But wait,there’s more!

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

Purpose: To teach

1. Pitches

2. PowerPoint guidelines

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

Purpose: To teach

1. Pitches

2. PowerPoint guidelines

3. Makeovers!

©2012 Erik CB Olsen, PhD

. . . coming up

next!