Graphic Design Principles for PowerPoint

Importance of Design

• Makes something easier to use or to understand
• Serves as visual representation of your information

Use of Color

• Use white, black or very dark blue
• Text should have high contrast

Tips for Text

• No smaller than 36 points
• Settle on one or two sans-serif typefaces
• Avoid cursive or italics

More About Text

• Don’t try to put too much on one slide
• Limit to 5 lines
• NEVER EVER, EVER USE ALL CAPS

See How Bad it Looks!

LONG BLOCKS OF TEXT THAT ARE IN ALL CAPS ARE DIFFICULT FOR THE READER BECAUSE THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE IN THE SIZE OF THE LETTERS. USE BOLD OR COLOR FOR EMPHASIS INSTEAD. ALL CAPS SHOULD GENERALLY ONLY BE USED FOR HEADLINES.

Graphics - Less is More

<inserted slide with good color contrast, one image as a focal point, and less then 5 lines>.

Don't Do This

<inserted image with 4 images, 8 lines of text>