9.3: Effective Power Points

Effective Power Points

Introduction

Slides are not the speech, they’re support for it. The best decks make ideas easier to see, reduce mental effort, and keep attention on your spoken message. Research on multimedia learning shows that audiences learn and remember more when visuals are clear, relevant, and free of extra clutter (e.g., coherence, signaling, and redundancy principles (Mayer, 2020).

PowerPoint slides are tools to help your audience see what you’re saying. They are not meant to be the speech itself, just a visual guide that makes your message easier to follow and remember. Good slides keep the audience focused on your ideas instead of reading blocks of text. The best PowerPoints are clear, simple, and consistent so your message stands out.

BIG — Make text and visuals easy to see

What It Means:

Your audience should be able to read your slides easily from anywhere in the room. If the words or visuals are too small, people will stop listening and start squinting.

• Use large type. Headings and key phrases should be big enough to read from the back of the room; avoid thin/condensed fonts. Guidance for “glanceable” reading recommends larger sizes and non-condensed fonts for content that must be read quickly at a distance (Nielsen Norman Group, 2016).
• Prioritize contrast. Ensure text stands out from the background; follow accessibility advice (e.g., meet WCAG-aligned contrast ratios) so slides remain readable in various rooms and projectors (Microsoft Support, n.d.).
• Design for scanning. Keep line lengths reasonable and chunk information so it can be grasped at a glance (Nielsen Norman Group, 2015).

How to Do It:

• Use large fonts (at least 28-point for main text and 36-point for titles).
• Choose bold, easy-to-read fonts like Arial, Calibri, or Verdana.
• Make sure there is strong contrast between text and background (dark text on a light background or vice versa).
• Don’t overload slides with small text or too many images, less is more.

Why it matters:

If people can’t read it instantly, they stop listening while they struggle to decode your slide.  In other words, if your audience can’t see what’s on the slide, they won’t hear what you’re saying. Big, readable slides help everyone stay focused on your message.

Figure: PowerPoint Slide Bad and Good Example of Big Text. (OpenAI. (2026). ChatGPT (April version) [Large language model] (chat.openai.com [chat.openai.com])                                                                                          

SIMPLE — Show less so the audience learns more

What it Means:

Each slide should show one main idea. Too much information can overwhelm your audience and make them tune out.

• Cut clutter. Remove decorative text, busy backgrounds, and off-topic graphics; audiences learn better when extraneous material is excluded (the coherence principle). Use visual cues (arrows, bolding, highlights) to direct attention (the signaling principle) (University of Hartford, n.d.).
• Don’t duplicate full sentences. Pair a visual with your narration rather than reading paragraphs on screen (the redundancy principle) (University of Hartford, n.d.).
• One idea per slide. Follow expert presentation guidance: increase the slide-to-idea ratio, avoid “slideuments,” and keep a high signal-to-noise ratio (Reynolds, n.d.).
• Be consistent. Use a stable layout, alignment, and hierarchy from slide to slide; consistent styling improves readability and comprehension (Cleveland Web Works, n.d.).

How to Do It:

• Use short bullet points instead of long sentences or paragraphs.
• Avoid reading directly from the slide. Talk about what’s on it.
• Use visuals like charts or photos to explain ideas faster than words.
• Keep the same style, font, and layout on all slides for a clean look.
• Cut out anything that doesn’t directly support your point.

Why it matters:

Overloaded slides increase cognitive load; audiences read instead of listening and quickly disengage. Nielsen Norman Group. Put simply, when slides are simple and focused, your audience can easily follow along and remember the key ideas you want them to take away.

Figure: PowerPoint Slide Bad and Good Example of Simple. (OpenAI. (2026). ChatGPT (April version) [Large language model] (chat.openai.com [chat.openai.com])                                                                                          

ATTRACTIVE — Make it clean, cohesive, and accessible

What It Means:

Attractive slides look neat, balanced, and easy on the eyes. A well-designed slide helps your audience feel confident in your preparation and credibility.

• Readable fonts & limited variety. Choose clear, screen-friendly typefaces; use no more than 2–3 fonts (weights/styles included) to maintain hierarchy without chaos. Keep ample white space. (See general typography guidance.) (Nielsen Norman Group, 2016).
• Color done right. Use high-contrast color pairs, avoid relying on color alone for meaning (e.g., not just red vs. green), and prefer built-in accessible themes (Microsoft Support, n.d.).
• Images that match the message. Use relevant, high-quality visuals that reinforce your point; avoid generic or decorative images that add noise (again, coherence/signal-to-noise) (University of Hartford, n.d.).
• Visual hierarchy & layout. Make the most important element the most prominent; align elements to a simple grid; keep margins generous; test the “3-second rule” (can a viewer recall the key message after a 3-second glance?) (Duarte, 2020). 
• Accessibility features. Check contrast, reading order, and link text; caption videos; and run the accessibility checker before presenting (Microsoft Support, n.d.).

How to Do It:

• Stick to 2–3 fonts total. Too many fonts look messy.
• Pick colors that go well together and are easy to read (for example, dark blue text on a light background).
• Use high-quality images that match your message, not random or funny pictures that distract from it.
• Keep your design consistent from slide to slide, same title placement, font sizes, and color scheme.
• Use animations or transitions only when they add to your message, not just for decoration.

Why it matters:

Attractive, accessible slides project professionalism, build credibility, and help everyone in the room follow your story. digitalaccessibility.unc.edu

Figure: PowerPoint Slide Bad and Good Example of Attractive. (OpenAI. (2026). ChatGPT (April version) [Large language model] (chat.openai.com [chat.openai.com])                                                                                          

In Summary

• Big enough to read at a glance; strong contrast.
• Simple: one idea per slide; minimal text; clear cues.
• Attractive and consistent: limited fonts/colors, purposeful images, accessible theme, captions/alt text as needed.
• These practices keep attention on you while your slides do their job: making your message visible, memorable, and easy to understand.

Exercise \(\PageIndex{1}\)

A student is giving an informative speech on “Building and Maintaining Good Credit in College.” The student designs a PowerPoint that follows the “Big, Simple, Attractive” principles:

• Big: Each slide uses large, clear fonts (no smaller than 28-point for text) with bold headings like “Credit Scores Matter” and “How Interest Works.” The student ensures all text is visible from the back of the classroom.
• Simple: Instead of paragraphs, each slide features 3–4 short bullet points and one relevant visual, such as a bar graph comparing interest rates or a simple diagram showing how credit utilization affects a score. There are no unnecessary animations or crowded text boxes.
• Attractive: The student uses a clean, consistent blue-and-white color scheme across all slides. The background is light with dark text for contrast, and only two fonts are used throughout, one for headings, one for body text. Each image (like a credit card or bank app screenshot) is high-quality and clearly connected to the topic.

By keeping slides visually consistent and easy to read, the student keeps the audience’s attention on the message, not the slides, and reinforces key ideas about financial responsibility in a visually appealing way.

 

Key Takeaways 

• Big: Use large, readable text and clear visuals so every audience member can easily see and understand the information at a glance.
• Simple: Keep slides uncluttered with one main idea per slide, minimal text, and visuals that reinforce, not distract from your spoken message.
• Attractive: Maintain a consistent, professional design with easy-to-read fonts, high-contrast colors, and relevant images that enhance audience engagement and comprehension.

Exercises

• Find a crowded or poorly designed PowerPoint slide online (or from a previous class) and redesign it using the principles of Big, Simple, and Attractive. Write a short paragraph explaining what changes you made and why.
• Choose one main point from your upcoming speech and create a single PowerPoint slide for it. Use large fonts, minimal text, and one relevant image or graphic that clearly supports your message.
• Exchange a short PowerPoint (3–4 slides) with a classmate and evaluate each other’s slides for readability, simplicity, and visual appeal. Offer at least two specific suggestions for improvement based on the Big, Simple, Attractive framework.