WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

Andrew T. Corbin Ph.D.Agriculture and Natural

ResourcesWashington State UniversitySnohomish County Extension

Improving PowerPoint

Presentations for SCRI Outreach

WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

Improving PowerPoint

Presentations for SCRI Outreach

Start with approved templates from your institution (if required by them)

Andrew T. Corbin Ph.D.Agriculture and Natural

ResourcesWashington State UniversitySnohomish County Extension

If not required – use a simple, creative and consistent theme

WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

Improving PowerPoint

Presentations for SCRI Outreach

Acknowledge the project using our official slide

Andrew T. Corbin Ph.D.Agriculture and Natural

ResourcesWashington State UniversitySnohomish County Extension

Biodegradable Mulches for Specialty Crops Produced Under Protective Covers

Debra Inglis and Carol Miles (Project Directors)1;Andrew Corbin, Ana Espinola-Arredondo, Annabel Kirschner, Karen Leonas, Tom Marsh and Tom Walters1;

Doug Hayes, Bobby Jones, Jaehoon Lee, Larry Wadsworth and Annette Wszelaki2; Eric Belasco and Jennifer Moore-Kucera3; Russ Wallace4; and, Marian Brodhagen5

1 25

SCRI Grant Award

No. 2009-51181-05897

43

Text should always be dark on light or light on dark

Improving PowerPoint

Presentations for SCRI Outreach

Avoid light text on light

background

And vise-versa

Which phrase is easier for you to read?

Text should always be dark on light or light on dark

The same concept applies with writing on images The same concept applies with writing on images

Biodegradable Mulches for Specialty Crops Produced Under Protective Covers

Debra Inglis and Carol Miles (Project Directors)1;Andrew Corbin, Ana Espinola-Arredondo, Annabel Kirschner, Karen Leonas, Tom Marsh and Tom Walters1;

Doug Hayes, Bobby Jones, Jaehoon Lee, Larry Wadsworth and Annette Wszelaki2; Eric Belasco and Jennifer Moore-Kucera3; Russ Wallace4; and, Marian Brodhagen5

1 25

SCRI Grant Award

No. 2009-51181-05897

43

Blue sky makes a good background for text

Use solid background over mixed imagery

Use consistent font style and sizes

Stone sans for headings

Stone sans semibold for body

You might think Comic sans looks cool – it doesn’t!

Other acceptable font styles

Arial

Calibri

Lucida sans unicodeTimes

Helvetica

Use consistent text style and sizes

Use consistent text style and sizes

Text boxes must have consistent

margins

Use consistent text style and sizes

Keep Caps Consistent• Between titles and bullets• Use the same style • For each text box

Keep text to a minimum – use phrases not sentences – no paragraphs!

Try using six words per slide

Keep text to a minimum – use phrases not sentences – no paragraphs!

We know how impossible that is

Keep text to a minimum – use phrases not sentences – no paragraphs!

But that should be your goal

Keep text to a minimum – use phrases not sentences – no paragraphs!

People want to listen to you

Keep text to a minimum – use phrases not sentences – no paragraphs!

Not read what’s on the

screen

Keep text to a minimum – use phrases not sentences – no paragraphs!

If you read from the screen

Keep text to a minimum – use phrases not sentences – no paragraphs!

You’re boring the audience to

death

Use animations judiciously and consistently

Fade in

Or fly in

But don’t mix styles

WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

Use images to make your point

Imagery works better than text

© Sunglint PhotographyCredit photographsA. Corbin

WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSIONImagery works better than text

Andrew T. Corbin Ph.D.Agriculture and Natural

ResourcesWashington State UniversitySnohomish County Extension

• Minimize text

• Short bullets

© Sunglint Photography

• Explain imagery

Charts and graphs

Don’t pull charts directly from Excel

Charts and graphs

• Maximize• Remove

background• Remove gridlines

Hi SeedFull Fert

Lo SeedHalf Fert

Hi SeedHalf Fert

Lo SeedFull Fert

• Avoid legends

If you need to include a legend – make it simple and large enough to see!

HS-FF

LS-HF

HS-HF

LS-FF

Hi SeedFull Fert

Lo SeedHalf Fert

Hi SeedHalf Fert

Lo SeedFull Fert

Charts and graphs

• Separate columns

Pou

nds/

acre

Treatment

Yield

• Make titles in PowerPoint

• Explain differences

• Cite work

Corbin 2010 unpublished

Tables

• Simplify

• Large font

• Explain

• Emphasize

Robertson (2004)

WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSIONTake a look at these useful tips for PowerPoint presentations

Andrew T. Corbin Ph.D.Agriculture and Natural

ResourcesWashington State UniversitySnohomish County Extension

• http://breeze.wsu.edu/ppttips/

• http://www.garrreynolds.com/Presentation/slides.html