Power Point: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

No, I don't mean a production by Sergio Leone but actual presentations that either you or I have witnessed or possibly have even given. For the sake of entertainment, let's look at the ugly for starters.

Isn't this slide fun to look at! Small font size, lots of text, did I mention too much text? It seems all the really bad slides have too much text, too small a font size, too many pictures, poor quality pictures, garish colors, and colored fonts that clash with the garish colored background. What did I miss? Hey, I'm not an expert but that slide was ugly! The only thing that could have made it worse is if they uses some nice clip art and a busy background.

Now let's look at a better one, or at least not as ugly as the first.

Well, this slide has a nice larger font, BUT I find it hard to read because of the background with its black and white static going on. Maybe it's supposed to be crushed Oreo cookies? Hard to say if this is actually uglier than the first or not.

Now it's time for a GOOD PowerPoint slide.

Why is this a good slide? It's clear, concise, easy to read (at least when in presentation mode) and the speaker doesn't just stand there reading everything like probably happened with the first ugly example. The rest of the slides in this particular presentation aren't as clear and concise as this example but for the audience (students in a classroom setting) it's just fine.
For a non-classroom setting, you want to capture your audiences attention and give them something to focus on while you deliver the presentation. Note that I said YOU deliver the presentation. If the PowerPoint does all the presentation, why are you there talking? A person could just look at your slides when they have a more convenient time.
The take-home message is this: Avoid "Death by PowerPoint"
There are a host of helps available online. Sift through them and see what they offer. What one person thinks is good, another may think is bad. Try to gauge what your audience will react to and make it appropriate for them. Remember, the presentation is for them, not you!