powerpoint presentation like a pro

17 PowerPoint Presentation Tips From Pro Presenters [+ Templates]

Published: April 26, 2024

PowerPoint presentations can be professional, attractive, and really help your audience remember your message.

If you don’t have much experience, that’s okay — I’m going to arm you with PowerPoint design tips from pro presenters, the steps you need to build an engaging deck, and templates to help you nail great slide design.

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Buckle up for a variety of step-by-step explanations as well as tips and tricks to help you start mastering this program. There are additional resources woven in, and you’ll find expert perspectives from other HubSpotters along the way.

Table of Contents

How to Make a PowerPoint Presentation

Powerpoint presentation tips.

Microsoft PowerPoint is like a test of basic professional skills, and each PowerPoint is basically a presentation made of multiple slides.

Successful PowerPoints depend on three main factors: your command of PowerPoint's design tools, your attention to presentation processes, and being consistent with your style.

Keep those in mind as we jump into PowerPoint's capabilities.

Getting Started

1. open powerpoint and click ‘new.’.

A page with templates will usually open automatically, but if not, go to the top left pane of your screen and click New . If you’ve already created a presentation, select Open and then double-click the icon to open the existing file.

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Creating PowerPoint Slides

3. insert a slide..

Insert a new slide by clicking on the Home tab and then the New Slide button. Consider what content you want to put on the slide, including heading, text, and imagery.

• Finally, PowerPoint Live is a new tool that enables you to do more seamless presentations during video calls and may be a better overall match for doing presentations remotely. Check out this video:

11. Try Using GIFs.

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• Google Slides

15. Embed multimedia.

PowerPoint allows you to either link to video/audio files externally or to embed the media directly in your presentation. For PCs, two great reasons for embedding are:

• Embedding allows you to play media directly in your presentation. It will look much more professional than switching between windows.
• Embedding also means that the file stays within the PowerPoint presentation, so it should play normally without extra work (except on a Mac).

If you use PowerPoint for Mac it gets a bit complicated, but it can be done:

• Always bring the video and/or audio file with you in the same folder as the PowerPoint presentation.
• Only insert video or audio files once the presentation and the containing folder have been saved on a portable drive in their permanent folder.
• If the presentation will be played on a Windows computer, then Mac users need to make sure their multimedia files are in WMV format.
• Consider using the same operating system for designing and presenting, no matter what.

16. Bring your own hardware.

Between operating systems, PowerPoint is still a bit jumpy. Even between differing PPT versions, things can change. The easiest fix? Just bring along your own laptop when you're presenting.

The next easiest fix is to upload your PowerPoint presentation into Google Slides as a backup option — just make sure there is a good internet connection and a browser available where you plan to present.

Google Slides is a cloud-based presentation software that will show up the same way on all operating systems.

To import your PowerPoint presentation into Google Slides:

• Navigate to slides.google.com . Make sure you’re signed in to a Google account (preferably your own).
• Under Start a new presentation , click the empty box with a plus sign. This will open up a blank presentation.
• Go to File , then Import slides .
• A dialog box will come up. Tap Upload.
• Click Select a file from your device .
• Select your presentation and click Open .
• Select the slides you’d like to import. If you want to import all of them, click All in the upper right-hand corner of the dialog box.
• Click Import slides.

When I tested this out, Google Slides imported everything perfectly, including a shape whose points I had manipulated. This is a good backup option to have if you’ll be presenting across different operating systems.

17. Use Presenter View.

In most presentation situations, there will be both a presenter’s screen and the main projected display for your presentation.

PowerPoint has a great tool called Presenter View, which can be found in the Slide Show tab of PowerPoint. Included in the Presenter View is an area for notes, a timer/clock, and a presentation display.

For many presenters, this tool can help unify their spoken presentation and their visual aid. You never want to make the PowerPoint seem like a stack of notes that you’re reading off of.

Use the Presenter View option to help create a more natural presentation.

Pro Tip: At the start of the presentation, you should also hit CTRL + H to make the cursor disappear. Hitting the “A” key will bring it back if you need it.

Your Next Great PowerPoint Presentation Starts Here

Now that you have these style, design, and presentation tips under your belt, you should feel confident to create your PowerPoint presentation.

But if you can explore other resources to make sure your content hits the mark. After all, you need a strong presentation to land your point and make an impression.

With several templates to choose from — both in PowerPoint and available for free download — you can swiftly be on your way to creating presentations that wow your audiences.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in September 2013 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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27 Super Hidden PowerPoint Tips and Tricks Only The Pros Know!

Ausbert Generoso

Ever felt like your PowerPoint presentations could use a little magic? You’re not alone. Whether you’re a seasoned presenter or just getting started, there’s a world of PowerPoint tips and tricks waiting for you. In this guide, we’re diving into the nitty-gritty of Microsoft PowerPoint to uncover 30 hidden gems that’ll transform the way you create and deliver slides.

From making your designs pop to streamlining your workflow, these PowerPoint hacks are designed for real-world impact. No jargon, just practical insights that’ll have you presenting like a pro in no time.

Let’s cut through the noise and get straight to the good stuff – your next presentation is about to level up. Ready? Let’s get started.

27 PowerPoint Tips and Tricks That Put The Power in PowerPoint

1. Morph Transition for Seamless Animation

What’s it for:  Elevate your presentation by seamlessly animating objects and creating smooth transitions between slides. Morph transition is your key to a dynamic and visually engaging storytelling experience, allowing you to captivate your audience effortlessly. 

How to do it:

• Position the same object in different parts on multiple slides
• Select all slides, and go to the Transitions tab.
• Choose “Morph” as the transition effect.

2. SVG Image Integration

What’s it for:  Did you think SVG’s only work for websites and professional photo editing tools? They do, too, in PowerPoint! Import high-quality Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG). Maintain image clarity, resize without loss, and enhance your presentations with crisp logos and icons. 

• Save your chosen SVG on your device.
• Click on the Insert tab.
• Choose “Pictures” and select your SVG file.
• Adjust the size without compromising image quality.

3. Designer Feature for Quick Layouts

What’s it for:  Effortlessly create professional-looking slides with the Designer feature. Receive instant layout suggestions based on your content, saving time and ensuring your presentation looks polished. 

• Select a slide.
• Go to the Design tab and click Designer on the far right along the ribbon.
• Select through ready-made slide designs for instant layouts.

4. Insert 3D Models

What’s it for:  Amp up your presentations with manipulable 3D models, adding a dynamic dimension. Whether it’s showcasing products or visualizing data, 3D models bring your slides to life. 

• Click on the “3D Models” dropdown and proceed to Stock 3D Models.
• Search for a 3D model of your choice and insert.
• Manipulate and customize as needed.

5. SmartArt Graphics for Visual Hierarchy

What’s it for:  Convey complex ideas with visual hierarchy using SmartArt graphics. These graphics offer a structured and visually appealing way to organize information, making your content more digestible. 

• Go to the Insert tab.
• Select “SmartArt” and navigate through the available categories.
• Select a graphic template that fits your presentation needs.
• Enter your content and customize as needed.

6. Eyedropper Tool for Color Matching

What’s it for:  Maintain a cohesive design by using the Eyedropper tool to pick colors from images or elements within your presentation. Ensure consistency and professional aesthetics in every slide. 

• Select the editable, native PowerPoint object you wish to customize.
• Go to the Shape Format tab and click on the Shape Fill dropdown.
• Select “More Fill Colors…” and click the eyedropper icon to begin color appropriating.

7. Record and Insert Audio

What’s it for:  Infuse personality into your presentation by recording audio directly within PowerPoint. Ideal for adding voiceovers, explanations, or personal touches that enhance audience engagement. 

• Click on “Audio” and choose “Record Audio.”
• Record your audio and insert it into the slide.

8. Presenter Coach for Rehearsing

What’s it for:  Elevate your presentation skills with Presenter Coach. Receive valuable feedback on pacing, filler words, and more, refining your delivery for a confident and impactful performance. 

• Click on the Slide Show tab.
• Choose “Rehearse with Coach” to start practicing.

9. Hyperlink Navigation for Seamless Transitions

What’s it for:  Streamline your presentation flow by implementing Hyperlink Navigation. This trick allows you to create clickable links within your slides, enabling effortless transitions between related content or external resources, enhancing the overall navigational experience. 

• Select the text or object you want to hyperlink.
• Right-click and choose “Hyperlink” or use the Ctrl+K shortcut.
• Specify the destination, whether it’s another slide, a website, or a file, to create a seamless navigational experience.

10. Alt Text for Accessibility

What’s it for:  Improve accessibility by adding descriptive alternative text to images and objects. Ensure inclusivity for visually impaired individuals, making your presentation accessible to a wider audience. 

• Right-click on the image or object.
• Choose “Edit Alt Text” and enter a descriptive text.

11. Slide Zoom for Dynamic Navigation

What’s it for:  Elevate your presentation’s navigation with Slide Zoom, offering the flexibility to jump to specific slides during a presentation without adhering to a linear sequence. This dynamic feature ensures a more engaging and tailored audience experience. 

• Set a master slide where you’d like to put your “mini slides” altogether.
• Navigate to the Insert tab > Zoom dropdown > Slide Zoom.
• Select the slides you want to link onto your master slide and insert.

12. Live Captions and Subtitles

What’s it for:  Foster inclusivity by enabling live captions and subtitles in multiple languages. This feature enhances accessibility, making your presentation more engaging and comprehensible for a diverse global audience. 

• Go to the Slide Show tab.
• Select “Always Use Subtitles” and choose your language.

13. Password Protection for Security

What’s it for:  Safeguard your presentation’s sensitive content by adding a password. This security measure ensures that only authorized individuals can access and view the information, adding an extra layer of protection. 

• Navigate to the File tab.
• Select “Info” and click on “Protect Presentation.”
• Choose “Encrypt with Password” and set your password.

14. Animation Painter for Consistent Animations

What’s it for:  Maintain a polished and consistent look throughout your presentation by using the Animation Painter. Copy and apply animations across different objects with ease, ensuring a cohesive visual experience. 

• Select the object with the same, desired animation as the others.
• Go to the Animation tab.
• Click on “Animation Painter” and apply to other objects.

15. Linked Excel Charts for Real-Time Updates

What’s it for:  Integrate linked Excel charts for real-time updates in your PowerPoint presentation. Any modifications made to the linked Excel file automatically reflect in your slides, ensuring data accuracy. 

• Copy your Excel chart.
• In PowerPoint, use “Paste Special” and choose “Microsoft Excel Worksheet Object.”

16. Custom Slide Sizes

What’s it for:  Tailor your presentation to various screen dimensions by customizing slide sizes. This feature, accessible through the Design tab, ensures your content fits seamlessly across different display settings. 

• Navigate to the Design tab.
• Click on the “Slide Size” dropdown and choose “Page Setup”.
• Change “Slide sized for” to Custom.

17. Grid and Guidelines for Precision

What’s it for:  Achieve precise object alignment with gridlines and guides. This feature, essential for creating visually polished and organized presentations, ensures your content is visually appealing and professionally structured. 

• Go to the View tab.
• Check the “Grids” and “Guidelines” toggles for display options and customization.

18. Slide Master for Consistent Design

What’s it for:  Establish a cohesive presentation design by utilizing the Slide Master. This time-saving feature enables you to set consistent layouts, fonts, and colors throughout your presentation. 

• Click on “Slide Master” to access and customize master slides.

19. Quick Access Toolbar Customization

What’s it for:  Streamline your workflow by personalizing the Quick Access Toolbar with your most-used commands. This customization ensures quick access to essential tools, enhancing efficiency during presentation creation. 

• Click on the dropdown arrow on the Quick Access Toolbar.
• Select “More Commands” to customize your toolbar.

20. Ink Annotations for Handwriting

What’s it for:  Personalize your presentations with a touch-enabled device using ink annotations. This feature allows you to draw or write directly on slides, adding a unique and handwritten touch to your content. 

• Go to the Draw tab and click on Draw to begin drawing.
• Choose “Ink to Text” or “Ink to Shape” for handwriting annotations.

21. Crop to Shape for Image Customization

What’s it for:  Unleash your creativity by utilizing the Crop to Shape feature, allowing you to create custom image shapes. This adds a distinctive flair to your presentation, providing a visually dynamic and engaging experience. 

• Select the image.
• Navigate to the Picture Format tab.
• Click on “Crop” and choose “Crop to Shape.”
• Select the shape you want your image to have as frame.

22. Slide Show Recording with Narration

What’s it for:  Capture your entire presentation, including narration and animations, by recording a self-running slideshow. This feature is invaluable for sharing presentations with a wider audience, ensuring a consistent and engaging delivery. 

• Click on “Record Slide Show” and choose recording options.

23.  Dynamic Color Scheme Switch for Vibrant Slides

What’s it for:  Infuse energy into your presentation by dynamically switching color schemes. This handy trick allows you to quickly experiment with various color palettes, giving your slides a vibrant and fresh appearance in just a few clicks. 

• Explore different color options by selecting “Colors” and experimenting with the available palettes. Instantly transform the look of your presentation to match your desired mood and style.

24.  Smart Alignment and Distribution for Pixel-Perfect Precision

What’s it for:  Attain pixel-perfect precision in your presentation design with the Smart Alignment and Distribution trick. This technique allows you to not only align objects with accuracy but also evenly distribute them horizontally, ensuring a polished and visually appealing layout. 

• Select the objects you want to align.
• Navigate to the Format tab.
• Click on “Align” to access options like Align Left, Center, or Right for precise alignment.
• Further refine your layout by choosing “Distribute Horizontally,” ensuring equal spacing between objects and achieving a professional design.

25. Insert Online Videos

What’s it for:  Seamlessly integrate online videos directly into your presentation. This feature eliminates the need for external players, offering a smooth and immersive viewing experience for your audience. 

• Click on the “Video” dropdown and select Online Movie.
• Paste the video link and your video should be embedded onto your PowerPoint slide.

26. Embed Fonts for Portability

What’s it for:  Ensure consistent visual appeal on any device by embedding fonts in your presentation. This is particularly useful when sharing your work with others who may not have the same fonts installed, enhancing portability. 

• Go to the File tab.
• Select “Options” and go to the Save tab from the window popup.
• Check “Embed fonts in the file” as well as “Embed all characters”.

27.  Text Transformation

What’s it for:  Uncover the elegance of text transformation with the Shape Format trick. This hack allows you to access a myriad of text transformation designs, offering a swift and sophisticated way to elevate the visual appeal of your presentation. 

• Select the text you want to transform.
• Navigate to the Shape Format tab.
• Click on “Text Effects” and explore the “Transform” options for a variety of stylish text designs. Instantly apply a transformation that suits the tone and style of your presentation.

5 Critical Best Practices to Implement These Pro PowerPoint Tips and Tricks for a Technically Proficient Presentation

Enhance the technical brilliance of your presentation by focusing on these crucial best practices:

1.  Streamlined Font Selection

• Practice:  Limit your font styles to a maximum of three per slide.
• Why:  Simplifying fonts enhances readability, maintains visual consistency, and prevents distraction, ensuring your message is clear and impactful.

2.  High-Resolution Images

• Practice:  Source HD images from reputable free resource websites like Freepik or Unsplash .
• Why:  High-resolution images prevent pixelation, ensuring clarity and professionalism. Crisp visuals contribute to a visually appealing presentation.

3.  Cohesive Color Palette

• Practice:  Stick to a consistent color palette throughout your slides; use the eyedropper tool for precise color matching.
• Why:  A unified color scheme enhances visual harmony, reinforces brand identity, and elevates the overall aesthetics of your presentation.

4.  Efficient Data Visualization

• Practice:  Use charts and graphs for data-driven slides, choosing appropriate chart types for different data sets.
• Why:  Visualizing data through charts improves comprehension, making complex information more accessible and engaging for your audience.

5.  Transitions with Purpose

• Practice:  Apply slide transitions judiciously. Choose transitions that complement the content and avoid excessive animations.
• Why:  Subtle transitions maintain audience focus, while excessive animations may distract from the core message.

Final Thoughts

In presentation-making, technical practices harmonized with thoughtful design is the key to delivering an impactful message. Whether it may be as simple as considering font choices, to incorporating high-resolution visuals, you do not only get to enhance the aesthetics but also ensure your audience’s undivided attention.

Remember, a technically proficient presentation is not just a showcase of information, but also one that leaves a rather immersive experience for those who will see. But at the end of the day, it comes down to your delivery. So, no sweat! You’re doing amazing, rockstar!

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How to create Professional Presentation Design: 13 Top Tips

Cookie-cutter PowerPoint templates are not going to impress anyone, not yourself, and certainly not your audience who’s probably already either half asleep or trying to sneak out the door unnoticed. To stand out with a professional presentation, you need to be extra creative as no one has the patience to sit through a really bad presentation made with lousy templates. In this post, you’re going to find out how to design a powerful PowerPoint presentation that will wow your audience and will keep them glued to their seats.

7 Amazing Tips to Learn How to Design Professional PowerPoint Slides

Whether you need to prepare a presentation for school or work, it’s important to consider the design you will use. A bad PowerPoint design can make you look unprepared, messy, and overall untrustworthy. Your presentations are a key element when it comes to creating a positive impact on your audience and a good first impression.

Here you’ll find 7 helpful tips to enhance your skills and help you create more professional-looking PowerPoint slides.

1. Use professionally designed PowerPoint presentation templates

There are so many modern-looking templates available on the web today. You don’t have to design your slides from scratch, rather you can build off one of these templates and use your own creativity to make your presentation professional and effective.

Templates are a great option for all those people trying to upgrade their PowerPoint design game! They are a great starting point for all those who are not professional designers. And the best part is, you can still edit them to make sure they fit your needs as best as possible.

Microsoft Office has an incredible collection of slide templates you can access directly from PowerPoint. But you can also find more specific and business-oriented professional PowerPoint slides all around the web. Sites like Envato offer a unique collection of templates you can pay for and download.

If you want professional, business PowerPoint presentations, you should also check out our Templates by 24Slides platform . Our designers constantly work on outstanding, business-oriented presentation templates you can download, completely free of charge! You’ll find stunning PowerPoint presentations for all fields of business, from pharmaceutical to human resources, along with many useful tools like graphs, timelines, and much more!

2. Focus on the visual aspect of your slides (Consider using modern design techniques)

A styled and professional presentation is never going to be boring. Think about how you can make your PowerPoint slides fun and engaging. Remember that your presentation slides should be a complement to the speaker, not compete with them.

Professionally designed presentations help illustrate and convey in a visual way what you’re going to say out loud. Text should be limited in your slides, as you don’t want your audience to distract themselves by trying to read rather than listening to you. Try to replace text as much as possible with images, icons, or other visual elements that will illustrate your message. This will not only make your presentation look more professional, but will also help it be more memorable.

Use your creative design skills in building interesting slides that present your topic and convey your message accurately. Bullet points and bold numbers offer excellent visual devices when breaking up your texts. You can also give your presentation slides a more polished look by playing with your slide layout. For example, you can wrap your text around a shape , or use the Design Ideas tool to give your text some extra visual impact.

You can also use grids to provide a more professional edge to your presentation. Grids also give the appearance of white space, which will ensure that your texts are not overpowered by images.

3. Be strategic when picking colors and fonts

And still on the topic of the visual aspect, you should also pay extra attention to graphic elements as colors and letter fonts. Colors are a must to take into consideration when learning how to make professional-looking PowerPoint slides. Making sure your colors complement each other and that they don’t clash is key to making your presentation look polished and clean.

PowerPoint offers default color schemes you can automatically apply to all your slides. This is a great way to make sure your color palette works well. But you can also create and edit your own color schemes in PowerPoint . This way, you’ll be able to use the same colors and create a more cohesive, professional look in your presentation slides. Learn more about how to pick the perfect colors for your PowerPoint presentations here .

Typography is another aspect that can give your presentation design an extra impact. Many people Don’t think much about the letter fonts they use for their PowerPoint slides. However, if you pick any of the professionally designed PowerPoint themes, you’ll notice that each design has its own combination of fonts to fit its design. Picking good typography is a great way to give your presentation a polished and professional look.

4. Keep your brand and your story on your mind (link to professional designers secrets)

If you want to go the extra mile and make your presentation slides look truly professional you should focus on your brand and your product . Use your brand identity guidelines to make sure your presentation uses the graphic line and color scheme that represents your company.

Something as easy as making sure your presentation has your logo and follows your brand colors will help you make your presentation look more professional instead of a generic template!

You can also focus on your product or business field to make your presentation look more customized. Add icons and images related to your business. Don't be afraid to get creative and fun! It’ll certainly make your presentation more memorable and it’ll help you stand out from the competition.

5. Matching simple content with a strong cover

You probably heard of the golden rule “less is more” when it comes to designing. That’s always true because it helps designers to achieve better designs through simplicity. The body slides will work better if you don’t use too many images, different fonts, and shapes.

Pick some specific unifying elements (colors, shapes, or icons) to create a simple but effective slide design. Using white space smartly is also a must when working on a minimalistic design. You don’t want your slides to look too cramped! Rather, give your slides a single splash of color or give the main stage to a single visual element.

The minimalist design is great to make your presentation look polished and professional. But it’s also a great way to make sure that your audience’s attention is 100% exactly where you want it to be! Use a strong cover to even out simple slides.

6. Use a unifying background

A simple, easy way to make your presentation look more professional is to pay extra attention to your slides’ backgrounds. Working on this specific aspect of your slides can make your presentation design look more professional, even if you don’t add anything too crazy on the slides themselves. A well-designed background will give your audience the impression that work and effort have been put into your presentation and that you pay attention to detail.

For example, using a textured dark background is an excellent option for businesses that want to convey elegance and sleekness. Against a dark background, the element you choose to add to your slide will pop up even more. You can rest assured that it’ll definitely make an impression on your audience!

7. Reuse your slides (Use similar frames)

Reusing your slides is an incredible way to save time and make your presentation design look more cohesive. For example, you can use frames. Frames are effective in containing the information you want to convey. These are usually made with transparent shapes and your slides can be duplicated using similar frames. This is actually one of the keys to better-looking presentation designs. Your slides will look more professional as they will all follow the same design style.

After creating the slides, save them as templates. Meaning, you may duplicate them while adapting your content as the body slides. You can use the Master Slides feature to create customized themes for your presentations. This will help you create cohesion not only within a single presentation but throughout all the presentations of your company!

6 Tips for Executing More Professional Presentations

Today, you can take advantage of abundant materials and ideas in designing professional presentations. Understanding different ways to encourage and entertain your audience, however, is crucial when making PowerPoint presentations. The following 6 tips to execute professional presentations are guidelines in presenting a topic to an audience successfully:

It’s so cliché but it’s true that “ timing is everything ”. If you’re free to choose your presentation schedule, it would be better to pick a mid-morning slot. Many professional presenters say this is the best time to capture the attention of individuals who are more alert between morning and afternoon. Just remember to be succinct so as not to waste other people’s time.

2. Be brief

Audiences normally have a short attention span. People easily get bored when given long texts to read. If you want to attract attention and keep them listening, be straightforward. Don’t add unnecessary content which will only lengthen the presentation. Avoid fluff content. Present your topic with some exciting ad-lib.

3. Encourage audience participation

It’s a great challenge for presenters to keep their audience interested in what they are saying. Making an impression in the first 30 seconds will help you engage the audience and make them participate in the discussion. Inject humor while changing slides to keep them involved.

4. Emotional connection

Just like in commercials, it’s important for any professional presentation to connect emotionally with the audience. Inject sentiments when delivering your message. That way, you humanize the visual aids and help the crowd understand what you are trying to convey. Trigger their feelings and motivate them to take action.

5. Visual aids

Most people are visual learners. Meaning, presenters need to understand that their audience relies on visual aids in order to get the message. Make sure that your points are supported by visual aids. Your message, with a mental image, is more clearly understood by the audience.

6. Graphics and images are essential in presentation designs

They provide remarkable support while you deliver your speech. Also, designing visuals can be challenging when using charts and other complex visuals. However, you can make simple ones to ensure accurate and easy-to-understand details.

Built-in Themes vs. Custom Professional Presentations

Presentation templates help presenters make their job easier. The only problem is that built-in themes are too generic. No matter how beautiful your font or design is, the workflow still becomes identical to other presentations. And that is the last thing you would want to happen in your presentation, right?

If you want to stand out with a great presentation, you should consider outsourcing your presentation design . It’s the most effective way to get an amazing, professional-looking presentation design that will wow your audience, all while saving time and effort!

Completing the Professional Presentation Package

Knowing how to make PowerPoint presentations more visually appealing and professional is a very useful skill. But you also have to factor in your charisma, audible voice, and preparedness to make your presentation as good and as powerful as possible. Looking good is just a bonus. So the next time you design a professional presentation, keep in mind the most important things: grabbing your audience’s interest, clear and understandable content, and some humor will make you an outstanding communicator.

I hope you learned something new from all these points I’ve covered today and you can now create a good PowerPoint presentation design. As you probably already know, humans are highly visual creatures. The brain processes visual information more efficiently than plain text. It’s the standard you need to comply with when making professional presentation designs. Enticing and appealing slides will keep your audience attentive and reactive throughout your presentation.

At 24Slides , we spice up PowerPoint presentations with professional design techniques and loads of creativity. We create beautiful presentations from scratch and redesign existing ones. Take a look at some examples of our work and let’s get in touch .

You might also find this interesting: The 12 Best Presentation Design Agencies to Outsource Your Work

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How to Design a Professional PowerPoint Presentation

Our series of tips on presentation design outlined some generic rules and ideas that you can live by to create better, more professional presentations. Today we want to follow that up by taking you through the actual process of designing a presentation from start to finish.

We’ll break down every step of the design process, from choosing colors and images to using whitespace properly. After reading through this you should be all set to design your own beautiful presentation slides that will put your coworkers to shame.

Using a pre-built PowerPoint template can be a good starting point for many people (we collected some of the best PowerPoint templates for you!). But if you’re wanting to design your own from start-to-finish, you’re in the right place!

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A Word About Content

I usually make a big deal about content preceding design, and presentations are no exception. Ideally, you’ll have the topic and much or all of the content outlined before you even think about design. This will in every way shape the appearance of your design, which is why working from pre-built templates isn’t always the best move (though generic templates can and do work great in some circumstances).

The reason that I bring this up is that I don’t really have an actual presentation in mind for this project. I’ll be running with a basic theme, but the textual information will be entirely placeholder copy. Your image, font, color and layout selection shouldn’t necessarily match mine but instead reflect the topic and content you’re working with.

Choosing A Color Scheme

Before I even open Photoshop (yes, I design PowerPoint/Keynote slides in Photoshop and drop them in), I want to find a color scheme on which to base my entire design. When I need to quickly find several colors that go together I usually start with Adobe Color CC . Not only is it a great way to build your own color schemes, it’s an outstanding source to find schemes built by others that you can just grab for your projects.

As luck would have it, I liked the very first color scheme I saw upon opening Color. This scheme was featured on the home page and looked like a great place to start for our presentation design.

Now, if you wanted to get everything exactly right, you could make a list of the RGB or Hex values, but I prefer a quicker, more direct route. What I usually do is snap a screenshot of the color scheme, paste it into my document and stretch it across the canvas on its own layer for easy access. This way I can quickly activate the layer, eyedropper the color I want, then hide the layer and get back to work. It’s a bit like having a palette of colors to dip your paintbrush in.

Designing Your Cover Slide

Now that we have a color scheme, the design work is going to be much simpler. One trick that designers often use in presentations is to leverage the color scheme as heavily as possible. If you’re new to design, you’ll likely think that this is too easy, too plain or even that it’s cheating somehow, but trust me, it’ll be much more attractive and professional than that horrid Microsoft clipart library you love so much.

To start, simply grab one of your colors from the scheme you chose and flood the background of your slide with it (I chose #631c25). Good job, there’s your background. Don’t freak out. It’ll look great. Now let’s throw in some typography.

Choosing a Font

Font choice is a major issue for non-designers. The tendency is to think that most fonts are “boring” and to look around for something exciting and fun. This inevitably leads to the use of Comic Sans or some other equally hideous font.

Unless you’re an elementary school teacher, your presentations should never look like this. Instead, why don’t you try one of those “boring” fonts to see if you can come up with something you like.

Combining fonts can be a tricky task and can take a trained eye to pull off. Fortunately, font designers have already created collections that work well together and if you’re not a designer, they make it easy to pull off great typography. The trick is to just stay in a family. Again, I know this sounds lame, but it works really well if you make sure the two styles you choose are very different.

For instance, I chose a Helvetica Bold Condensed and a Helvetica Light for my cover slide. Notice how different the fonts are from each other in terms of thickness. Choosing two styles that are relatively close causes visual confusion and should be avoided as a general rule of thumb. Instead, what you want is contrast and plenty of it.

Alignment and Layout

Notice a few things about the way I set up this slide. First, I used a strong left alignment for the text. As I say in just about every design article I write, center alignment should be a last resort, not a first. It tends to be the weakest text alignment that you can choose, having a hard edge increases readability considerably (notice that book pages aren’t center-aligned).

Also, notice the generous whitespace that I used. Remember that you don’t have to eat up every inch of space. Giving your text room to breathe helps your layout immensely and gives the design a clean look.

Adding an Image

At this point you might be wondering why you wasted your time reading so I could give you such plain advice. The truth is, most people that create presentations could improve them by 100% from following the advice above. However, I realize minimalism may be too extreme for some folks so let’s throw in an image to make it look nice.

Since our text is on the left, I wanted to find something a little heavy on the right. The general theme that I’ll go for is “City photos” assuming I had some sort of architecture or city-centric presentation to give. Again, you’ll have to choose iamges relevant to your own topic.

I grabbed this Flickr Creative Commons image from photographer Ben Spreng .

Now, if we just made this image our background, the text would become unreadable and we would be ditching our color scheme. What we’re going to do instead is set it on top of the colored slide and set our blending mode to Overlay. Then throw your opacity to around 45%.

As you can see, this helps the slide look much more interesting but keeps the text and colors fairly intact. It’s a simple solution that adds a lot of interest to an otherwise plain design.

Adding Content Slides

The cover may seem like it’s only a tiny part of the battle, but you’ve actually already set the tone for the entire presentation. You’ve got your theme, color scheme and fonts already in place. Now you just need to set up a few different layouts for your content.

The thing to keep in mind is to keep everything extremely simple, and that includes the level of content that you include. Apart from design, these are just good presentation tactics that you’ll learn in every public speaking class. Filling your slides with everything you’re going to say makes you unnecessary. You could just email everyone the slides and shut up.

Instead, the slides are merely meant to be a visual aid. Show a slide with your overall topic or main point, then speak the rest, without reading. Nothing is worse than watching a guy read his note cards word-for-word for thirty minutes, except perhaps watching a guy turn his back to the audience so he can actually read his slides out loud to you the whole time! You may laugh, but I’ve seen it happen folks.

For our first content slide, we’ll grab another Flickr photo and set it to the bottom portion of our slide at full bleed. Then we’ll set the top to another color from our scheme and toss in some text using the same exact formatting that we used on the cover.

See how this closely resembles the theme we’ve already established while still looking significantly different? This is they key to good presentation design: cohesiveness without redundancy.

Now for our third slide, we can simply do the inverse of the second slide with a new color and a new image .

Adding Informational Elements

It would be nice if every slide ever presented could work in a full bleed image, but the truth is that this simply isn’t practical. It will often be the case that you’re presenting graphical information or some other item that isn’t necessarily a photo.

My advice here is to try to stick as close to your theme as possible. For the slide below I flooded the entire background with a solid color from our original scheme and made a quick 3D graph with white columns (I drew a few flat boxes in Illustrator and applied a 3D effect).

As you can see, this slide is very information-focused and yet it doesn’t sacrifice the aesthetics and simplicity we’ve already established.

You’re All Set

From here you might come up with one or two more alternate slide designs and then rotate between them for the duration of your speech. The result is a presentation that is beautiful, very readable and highly professional. The bonus is that the simple, straightforward design will probably result in less work than a clip-art-filled horror show.

Most of the time, great design doesn’t mean being particularly artistic or knowing how to create amazing complex layouts. Instead, it’s about presenting information in an attractive and user-friendly way. With this goal in mind you realize that you’re probably trying way too hard if your end result is ugly. Try cutting out half or more of the elements on one of your slides and giving what’s left a strong left or right alignment with plenty of whitespace.

I hope this article has convinced you to abandon that clip art gallery once and for all. The benefits of clean, minimal design in presentations are clear: the information is easier to take in and the end result is more professional than the mess of information you typically see in presentation slides.

Of course, if you’re looking to get started quickly, flick through our collection of the best PowerPoint templates to find a beautiful set of pre-made designs!

60 Effective PowerPoint Presentation Tips & Tricks (Giant List)

Here's a PowerPoint presentation tips and tricks guide that takes you through how to make a good PowerPoint presentation.

The best PowerPoint presentations shouldn’t be remembered. Instead, they should fall into the background to support you and the message you’re trying to get across.

Unlike good PowerPoint presentations , bad PowerPoint presentations are a distraction. You may remember them, but not in a good way.

You’ve seen them before. They might have millions of lines of text. Or a disjointed flow to the slides. Even worse, some slides feature ugly photos and poor design that detract from the message you’re trying to get across. That can even hurt your credibility as a professional or speaker.

This article will take you from finding your initial topic to learning how to make a great PowerPoint presentation. Our guide covers everything in between so that you learn how to present a PowerPoint like a pro.

These Microsoft PowerPoint presentation tips and guidelines are organized into sections. So cut straight to the advice you need and come back when you’re ready for the next steps.

Guide to Making Great Presentations (Free eBook Download)

Also, download our Free eBook: The Complete Guide to Making Great Presentations . It’s the deepest resource for learning effective presentation skills for a PPT.

This eBook covers the complete presentation process. It takes the PowerPoint tips and tricks you learn in this article further. Learn how to write your presentation, design it like a pro, and prepare it to present powerfully. It’s another great source for presentation design tips.

Master PowerPoint (Free Course): 15 Essential Tips

This article is full of helpful tips so you can build a powerful presentation. You can also find more PowerPoint tips in this video lesson:

To learn even more about how to make a PowerPoint look good, review the huge list of tips below.

What Makes a PowerPoint Presentation Effective?

Knowing how to use PowerPoint and work within it quickly is helpful. But more important is making a good presentation that hits all your goals. A great PowerPoint presentation is:

• Prepared to Win . Research, plan, and prepare your presentation professionally. It helps you deliver an effective message to your target audience.
• Designed Correctly . Your visual points should stand out without overwhelming your audience. A good PowerPoint visual shouldn’t complicate your message.
• Practiced to Perfection . Rehearse your timing and delivery so that your points land as practiced with a live audience.
• Delivered With Poise . Present with a relaxed inner calm and confident outward projection. Give your audience warmth, excitement, and energy.
• Free From Mistakes . Avoid typos, cheesy clip art, and mistakes like reading directly from your slides.

Consider this your all-inclusive guide to how to make a good presentation. We’ll look at preparing your presentation and explore how to design it in PowerPoint. Plus, we’ll cover how to practice and nail your delivery successfully come presentation time.

We’ll also address what not to do in these tips for PowerPoint presentations—so you can sidestep any big mistakes. Now let’s dig into these tips for effective PowerPoint presentations.

Killer Presentation Preparation Tips to Get Started Right

Before even opening PowerPoint, start by addressing these things. These Microsoft PowerPoint tips and tricks will ensure that you’re prepared for your presentation:

1. Know Your Stuff

Your presentation isn’t about your slides alone. It’s about the message you want to get across. Before filling in stats, facts and figures, think about the narrative that’ll be discussed, why, and in what order.

2. Write It Out

Start in a Word or Google doc, and storyboard or script the entire presentation. This will give you an idea of how the information presented will flow and how viewers will see it in sequence. Learn the complete writing process .

3. Highlight What’s Most Important

A presentation covers the most crucial pieces only. Whatever you’ve been working on that led to this—a paper, a work project, a new product design—doesn’t need to be shared in its entirety. Pick key points and put the rest in an “Appendix” to refer to during the Q&A session at the end.

4. Know Your Audience

How you talk to a room full of medical professionals should be different from the way you address a room full of young entrepreneurs. Everything, in fact, is different: your topic selection, the language you use, the examples you give to illustrate points. The little bits of humor you include should be tailored specifically with your target audience in mind.

Understand your audience’s needs to create a successful PowerPoint presentation. Customize your content to meet their specific requirements.

5. Rehearse! (Yes, Already)

It’s never too early to get used to the rhythm of your presentation and take note of points you want to emphasize. While saying it out loud, you’ll start to develop a “feel” for the material. You’ll notice that some things work well, while others don’t and might need to be worked around.

6. Rewrite After You Rehearse

As you’re rehearsing your presentation, you’re bound to stumble over sections that don’t quite flow naturally. Instead of reworking your delivery, it might be time to consider the content and rewrite the areas that served as stumbling blocks.

“Editing is hard. ‘It’s good enough,’ is a phrase wannabes use. Leaders take editing seriously.” – Anthony Trendl

The most important part of creating a great presentation is the writing stage. The second most important stage is rewriting.

7. Share With a Friend

If the stakes are high for your presentation, it’s never too early to get feedback from those that you trust. Here’s an article that helps you collaborate as a team on a PowerPoint presentation. Get PowerPoint design tips from those that you trust when you collaborate.

Simple Tips to Design Your PowerPoint Presentation Better

Second only to you (the information you bring and how you present it) is your PowerPoint slides. If not designed well, a PowerPoint can be disengaging or distracting (regardless of the content quality). Here are some presentation design tips to make sure this doesn’t happen to you:

8. Keep Your Slides Simple

This is one of the most important PowerPoint presentation tips to follow when designing your slides. Keep in mind that less is more (effective.) A cluttered slide is distracting. It causes confusion for an audience: Which part of the slide should I focus on? Should I read the slide or pay attention to the presenter?

A simple, visually appealing slide will engage your audience, keeping them on track with your main points. Here’s an example of a simple slide that serves its purpose perfectly:

Minimalist slide templates like Nook can help you resist the urge to clutter your slides.

9. Limit Words on Your Slides

Piggybacking on the last point, less is more effective. If possible, avoid bullets altogether. Otherwise cut them to just a few simple words. The audience should be listening, not reading.

10. Use High-Quality Photos and Graphics

One of the most important tips for quality PowerPoint presentations is to use high-quality photos and graphics.

Earlier in this tutorial, you saw Envato Elements, an all-you-can-download service with PPT tips inside of templates. Those pre-built designs are a beginner’s best friend. They’re even better when paired with Elements’ unlimited library of stock photos .

People are more likely to take you seriously if your presentation is visually appealing. Users view attractive design as more usable. Similarly, they’ll view a more attractive PowerPoint as more effective.

11. Use Accurate and Relevant Charts and Graphs

Charts and graphs can also be distracting if they’re not used right. Make sure your information design is simple and clean so that the audience doesn’t spend the entire time trying to decipher what your X axis says. Learn more about PPT data presentation .

12. Use High-Quality, Fresh Templates

Have you seen the old PowerPoint template that looks like worn paper and uses ink splashes? Yeah, so has your audience. Templates can be distracting if they’re too basic or if the design feels dated. You need one with great design options.

Costs are always a concern. But when you use Envato Elements, you’ve got everything you need to create a great PowerPoint presentation . That’s thanks to the incredible all-you-can-download subscription package.

The best PowerPoint tips and tricks can hardly compare to the value of using a template while building your presentation.

On Envato Elements, there are thousands of PowerPoint design templates that are ready to use. Instead of designing a presentation from scratch, start with a template! Just add your specifics to the placeholders.

Templates like Galaxi are impressively designed and waiting for your slide specifics.

The best PowerPoint design tips save you time. And there’s no tip more powerful than this one: use a pre-built template . It helps you master how to present a PowerPoint without spending all your time in the app.

13. Choose Appropriate Fonts

Fonts are an important part of engaging your audience. Fonts and typography choices have a subconscious effect on viewers. They can characterize your company’s presentation and brand either positively or negatively. Make sure that you’re choosing fonts that are professional and modern.

14. Choose Color Well

Like font choice, colors cause specific subconscious reactions from viewers. Choosing an outdated color combination for your presentation will render it ineffective.

Below is an example of the Popsicle PowerPoint template , which has a modern presentation color choice:

The Popsicle PowerPoint template highlights how harmonized color palettes can create beautiful slides.

15. Clean + Simple Formatting Makes All the Difference!

We’ve got a full tutorial on how to make a good presentation slide . Give it a read through and review the accompanying video. Just remember, less is more. The focus is you and your message , not your slides.

16. Make Sure All Objects Are Aligned

A simple way to create a well-designed presentation is to make sure all items on a slide are intentionally aligned. To do this, hold down Shift and select all the objects you want to include. Then choose Arrange in the options bar and apply Alignment Type .

17. Limit Punctuation

This isn’t the place for exclamation points. Emphasize your points (while speaking). Don’t enlist punctuation to do this for you. (Leave these at home!!!)

18. Avoid Over-Formatting Your Points

This PowerPoint presentation tip is simple. There’s no need to have every word of every bullet point capitalized, or to have all your bullet points in title case. If possible, drop bullets altogether. Again, the simpler, the better!

Limit your text formatting, including reducing the use of bullets, underline, and other effects. Compare the before example on the left to the revised version on the right.

19. Combine Information With Graphics in PowerPoint

One of the most powerful presentation skills for PPT is using infographics. With the right type of visuals, slides come to life and reduce the text in favor of graphics.

Infographics help combine information with graphics. It’s easier to explain complex ideas when you use visual formats that are intuitive.

Practice Presentation Tips: Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse!

Delivery is probably more important than the actual content. Here’s how to become more aware of your own unique ticks, and how to present like a polished pro:

20. I’ll Say It Again, Rehearse!

Just do it. Again and again. Experiment with pauses, gestures, and body language. Practice around one hour for every minute of your speech.

21. Practice With a Timer

Consistency is key to an effective PowerPoint presentation. The timing should be similar (ideally the same) each time you rehearse. This one will especially pay off when it’s time to present in front of your audience.

22. Slow It Down

Many of the best speakers today intentionally speak slowly. You’ll have the chance to emphasize, appear more thoughtful, and make your information easier to digest.

23. Pause More Often

Like the prior tip, pausing more often allows your main points to be emphasized and gives time for information to sink in. You need to let key points breathe a little before rushing into the next section.

24. Record Yourself

Use your phone’s voice recorder. Assess and critique yourself. Consider:

• Are your pauses too short or too long?
• Are you speaking slowly enough? Too slow?
• When you’re nervous, does your voice get high like the mice in Cinderella?

It’s always weird to hear your own voice recorded; don’t stress it. Use this as a time to adjust.

25. Choose Three Focal Points in the Room

If you stare at the same spot (or even creepier, the same person) the entire time, your presentation will be ineffective (and awkward.) People will be distracted by you, wondering what you’re staring at.

Try this: pick three points in the room (typically: left, center, right). Take time to direct your delivery toward each physical focal point in the room. Also, focus on the center when making your primary points.

26. Vary Your Sentence Length

This makes you sound more interesting, and it’s easier for your audience to follow. Think short and punchy. Or go long and complex for dramatic effect.

27. Modulate!

Don’t speak in monotone for your whole presentation. Be conscious of raising and lowering your voice tone. Otherwise, people will tune you out, and you’ll come across like the teacher in Charlie Brown.

28. Practice in Front of a Mirror

What you look like is as important as how you sound. Pretend you’re having a normal conversation, and allow your hands to move with your speech to emphasize your points. Just don’t get carried away! (I’m thinking Brene Brown or President Obama , not your Aunt Jamie after a few gin and tonics.)

29. Use “Present Mode” When Rehearsing

When you finally are ready to hit the Present button in PowerPoint, make sure you use the Present Mode option. This allows you (and only you) to view extra notes about each slide—just in case you forget something!

30. Practice With New Audiences

If possible, try doing a few real live test runs as a webinar or even at a local Toastmasters organization to get some feedback from a live audience.

31. Engage the Audience by Asking Questions

There’s no reason that a presentation should be one-sided. Why not invert the format and ask your audience a question?

To learn how to create a slide that kicks off a Q&A, use this article . These PowerPoint design tips help you create an engaging and exciting discussion.

Helpful Tips to Step Up and Deliver Come Presentation Time

When the actual day arrives, there are only a few last PowerPoint presentation tips and guidelines to keep in mind:

32. Take a Deep Breath

Deep breathing is proven to relieve stress. It’s simple, and it’ll help you remain calm and in the moment, even up to the last minute before starting.

33. Lighten Up Your Mood

Tell yourself a joke or watch a funny video clip. Do this before the presentation, of course. Research concludes that happy people are more productive. More productive is more focused and able to perform better.

34. Remind Yourself to Take It Slow

When we’re stressed or nervous (or both), we tend to speak faster. Consciously, take yet another deep breath and remind yourself to take it slow!

35. Read the Room

Every presentation room has a temperature. It’s your job as a speaker to gauge it and tailor your presentation to it.

Here’s a great example. Layoffs are coming at a company, and you’re asked to speak to an audience. Even if the audience isn’t personally affected by the actions, you’ve got to consider the morale of the workforce.

Skilled speakers have a knack for reading the energy of the room and adjusting their presentation on the fly.

The last thing that group will want to hear is how strong the economy is and why the company is the best place to work. That doesn’t mean that you’ve got to align to their uncertainty, but don’t go too far against the grain while presenting.

Robert Kennedy III is a master of bringing energy and aligning a speech to the audience. Here’s his advice for adjusting:

“It can be hard to wake up a “dead” crowd but go for it. Most of all, don’t take their energy personally. Focus on serving them with every bit of your fiber then leave empty.”

36. Fake It ‘Til You Make It!

Go forward with confidence. If you act confident, you’ll start to feel more confident. Move slowly with grace, speak clearly, smile, wear something nice. You’ll appear confident to all attendees (no matter how you feel internally).

PowerPoint Presentation Tips and Tricks to Help Avoid Mistakes (What Not to Do)

Most importantly, focus on what you can do to make your presentation better. There are a few important things not to do that we’ve got to address. Here are a handful of PowerPoint presentation tips and tricks to help you avoid missteps.

37. Stop With the Sound Effects

Sound effects are distracting and outdated. In most cases, avoid them. Add audio or music to your presentation to inject interest or highlight an important point, but it’s something to take extra care with. If you insert audio, then make sure your use really connects with your audience and has a fresh approach. Otherwise, it’s best to leave it out.

38. Don’t Use Flashy Slide Transitions

Again, this is distracting and outdated. Use transitions and subtle animations in your PowerPoint presentation. But you need to take care and do it right .

39. Beware of Clip Art

This PowerPoint presentation tip shouldn’t even have to be said. But please, please don’t use clip art. Use professional graphics instead.

40. Don’t Be Afraid to Be Afraid

The fear of public speaking is a real one. Many beginners think that if they’re feeling nervous that a presentation won’t go well or succeed. That might lead them to cancel the presentation.

Here’s a tip from expert Sandra Zimmer, who leads The Self-Expression Center on conquering your fears before you take the stage:

“Get out of your head and into your body. I do this through a grounding exercise that really works to calm nerves and bring you present in the moment.”

If you think that public speaking fears aren’t normal, you might never give your award-winning presentation. So don’t be afraid to be afraid, and acknowledge it’s part of the process!

41. Don’t Read Directly During Your PowerPoint Presentation

If you spend your entire presentation looking at the screen or your note cards, you’re sure to lose your audience’s attention. They’ll disengage from what you’re saying, and your presentation will fall flat.

Reading from your paper or screen also makes it look like you’re not prepared. Many people do it, but no one should. As a general rule, only present something you know well and have, at least mostly, memorized the main points of.

42. Don’t Miss Out on PowerPoint Customizations

Many new PowerPoint users often make significant mistakes when using Envato Elements designs.

The best way to see how to make a good presentation PPT is to start with designs from others. That means using a template, but that doesn’t mean you can’t customize them!

Don’t forget that PowerPoint templates are infinitely customizable. Think of them as guides with built-in presentation design tips.

To see more presentation tips that show you what not to do, make sure to check out our guide .

Work in PowerPoint More Effectively (Tips & Tricks to Level Up Your PPT Skills)

These PowerPoint tips will help you get the most out of the application to level up your next presentation. Let’s dive in.

43. Use the Visual Guides

When you’re designing your next PowerPoint presentation, it helps to create a sense of visual rhythm. Slides that have objects aligned and centered are more likely to resonate with an audience.

44. Use a Few Animations (Tastefully)

Animations in effective PowerPoint presentations are a slippery slope. We’ve all sat through presentations where there were so many objects in motion that it was easy to lose focus on the key ideas in the presentation.

But that’s why animations get an unfairly bad reputation. Use animations to create motion and hold an audience’s attention. Use them sparingly and on key elements on your slide, and you’ll capture that attention properly.

45. Stage Key Content With Animations

You just learned that animations should avoid being distracting. But there’s an important principle to using animations properly. It’s called staging content.

Staging content means that the content appears step by step. There’s nothing worse than overwhelming an audience with all your content at once. But when you stage content, bring it on step by step.

Take it from presentation pro Suzannah Baum :

“If you’re sharing a slide with lots of different points on it, using the animation to reveal those points one at a time is a way to keep the presenter’s content flowing smoothly.”

For more animation presentation tips and tricks, follow our guide .

46. Add a Video to Your PowerPoint

When you’re sharing a big idea in your presentation, it helps to share your perspective from a few different angles. Adding a video to supplement your content can do just that. Luckily, it’s easy to add and embed a YouTube video in your next PowerPoint presentation.

47. Add Charts & Graphs

Charts and graphs can help you tell stories with data. It’s easy for an audience to zone out when you throw a big data table or set of statistics at them.

instead, convert those to charts and graphs. Try out our tutorial to learn how to edit those graphs.

48. Build Your Own Infographics With SmartArt

Earlier in this tutorial, we gave you one of my favorite PowerPoint design tips: use infographic templates.

Here’s another. One of my favorite PowerPoint features is SmartArt, which allows you to build infographics right inside the app.

You don’t have to use another graphic design app like Photoshop or Illustrator to add visuals. Instead, try out SmartArt to help you build graphics that are easy to update.

49. Use Presenter View

Remember that when you use the PowerPoint, you’ re the presentation. The slides are just there to reinforce what you’ve got to say and support your speaking points.

That’s why I always recommend using Presenter view. More often than not, you’re going to have several displays. Presenter view shows your content on your screen, while your presentation is displayed on another screen.

50. Track Your PowerPoint Changes

One of my favorite PowerPoint design tips is to collaborate. Those who know you best will suggest compelling changes that are sure to help you succeed.

As you start collaborating on your presentation, it helps to keep track of proposed and included PowerPoint changes. Use this article to track changes made by others.

10 More Advanced PowerPoint Tips & Tricks

Really need to wow an audience with a good PowerPoint presentation? Give these tips a try to make an unforgettable impression:

51. Engage With an Interactive Quiz

A good PowerPoint presentation gets your audience involved. One of the best PowerPoint tricks is to do that with a quiz. By engaging audiences, a quiz makes your slides memorable.

By adding trivia, you’ll see how to present a PowerPoint in a way that people will love. Channel your inner game-show host today. MIDTEST is a  good PowerPoint presentation  with quiz slides.

52. Illustrate With Custom Image Masks

One of the top PowerPoint tips is to illustrate your slides. But you can go beyond simple, rectangular images on each slide.

The Burte template is full of  PowerPoint tricks , including custom image masks. Image masks shape photos into unique works of art. And thanks to premium templates, you can style photos just like this. Masks overlay your photos onto geometric shapes, instantly elevating your style.

53. Print Handouts With Extra Notes

Wonder how to give a good presentation PPT that audiences will remember? Give them a piece of it to take home.

PowerPoint makes it easy to print handouts with room for notes on the page. This way, audiences can keep copies of your slides, along with their own notes. This is the perfect way to ensure everyone engages with and retains your content.

54. Make Bulk Edits With Master Slides

When you think about how to present a PowerPoint, consider your branding. That means keeping your logo front and center in the eyes of an audience. But if you’re working with a lengthy slide deck, this could seem daunting.

That’s where master slides come in. They’re common in premium layouts, and they’re a leading example of presentation skills for PPT. Master slides let you make bulk edits fast.

55. Shrink File Sizes for Sharing

Many of the top presentation tips involve making your slides more accessible. Often, that involves sharing them with audiences online.

You’ll often find that email clients and cloud services limit the size of files that you share. This can be a problem with large PPT slide decks. But there are a few quick steps you can take to reduce PPT file size. Cut graphics, scale down photos, and more.

56. Map Processes With Flowcharts

As you consider how to do a good PowerPoint presentation, think of ease of understanding. After all, you’re trying to explain something to your audience.

The  Flowcharts in Infographics  template seamlessly illustrates ideas and processes. A flowchart maps out a process in a visual way. Instead of resorting to endless narration, try a quick illustration like this. It saves you time and effort, and your audience is sure to thank you.

57. Use Brand-Specific Colors

Using presentation skills for PPT helps form an association between your message and branding. There’s no better way to do that than with your brand colors.

PowerPoint makes it easy to change color themes, adding your brand colors and logo to each slide. This is one of the top PowerPoint tricks for marketing presentations.

58. Build Social Media Posts in PPT

A good PowerPoint presentation doesn’t have to be shared through a projector. Use the app and templates to build amazing illustrations to use anywhere.

A template like Soffee helps you learn how to present a PowerPoint easily with a pre-built design.

Try using PowerPoint to create social media posts. It helps you engage with your audience, with no need to design custom layouts from scratch.

59. Be Industry-Specific

One of the top presentation tips in 2024 is to be industry-specific. That means avoiding generic layouts and choosing something more customized.

This offers two key advantages. First, you save time by having layouts built for you. Second, you gain design inspiration for your specific topic. Themed templates are truly the best of both worlds.

The Medical and Health template is a good PowerPoint presentation with a set theme.

60. Design for Online (Virtual) Sharing

Last but not least in our list of PowerPoint tips comes virtual presenting. More and more often, slides will be shared with online audiences around the globe.

Why not design your slides for that very purpose? And then learn how to share flawlessly with a global team? It’s one of the top presentation tips for 2024. Embrace it today.

More Great PowerPoint Tutorial Resources

We’ve built a resource for Microsoft PowerPoint that you’re sure to want to try. It includes countless PowerPoint tips and tricks. It’s called How to Use PowerPoint (Ultimate Tutorial Guide) and has all the PowerPoint design tips you need.

Discover More Top PowerPoint Template Designs From Envato Elements for 2024

You’ve just seen our favorite powerful PowerPoint presentation tips and guidelines to help you improve your speaking. We’ve also mentioned Envato Elements, an incredible all-you-can-download source for top PowerPoint designs .

Here are five of the best PowerPoint templates that you can use to create your best presentation yet:

1. Galaxi PowerPoint Template

Blast off to success with the help of this PowerPoint template! Think of the pre-built slide designs as pro PowerPoint design tips. They’re built by professional graphic designers. All the popular and modern slide styles that are perfect for your next presentation. Use Galaxi’s five styles and 30 designs to create a great presentation.

2. Masmax PowerPoint Template

We selected templates for this article that match the PowerPoint tips and tricks provided. Masmax fits the bill perfectly across its 234 unique slide designs. These slide designs are sure to align with the latest in design expectations.

3. STYLE Multipurpose PowerPoint Template V50

Style is subjective, but we can all agree that this template is stunning! The light and airy slide designs are built with fashion-focused designs in mind. But that doesn’t mean that it’s not perfect for most presentations. When learning to present a PowerPoint, remember that templates can be customized to suit your purpose.

4. Peachme Creative PowerPoint Template

Peachme has image-focused slides with splashy designs. The slides are colorful and perfect for a modern presentation. Don’t worry about remembering all the PowerPoint design tips because they’re included in the pre-built slides. Use Peachme’s designs for your presentation today.

5. Buizi Office Building Rent PowerPoint Template

Buizi markets itself as a real estate focused template. It’s ideal for that purpose because of the minimal, image-focused slide designs. But that also makes it a perfect choice for presentations in many fields.

We’ve just scratched the surface of PowerPoint design tips with these five options. Here are many more, bundled inside of the best roundups on Envato Tuts+:

How to Build a Good PowerPoint Presentation Quickly (In 2024)

You’ve already seen effective presentation skills PPT techniques. But you may be wondering exactly how to do a good PowerPoint presentation. It only takes a few clicks. Let’s learn how in just five steps.

For this mini-tutorial, we’ll use the Enjoy PowerPoint Template from Envato Elements. You’ll see that it’s a beautiful template that helps you learn how to present a PowerPoint by giving you every object and layout you need.

Let’s get started:

1. Choose Your Slides

As you can see, a template like Enjoy has dozens of unique slides inside. The key to how to give a good presentation PPT is to choose only the slides that you need.

One of the best PowerPoint tricks is to start by selecting slides you wish to use from your template.

In PowerPoint, scroll through the sidebar on the left to view different slide layouts. Right-click and choose Delete to remove unwanted designs. Plus, you can click and drag slide thumbnails to reorder them in the deck.

2. Add Text

Consider how to do a good PowerPoint presentation without investing a ton of time. That’s where premium templates come in.

One of our top presentation tips when working with a PPT is to lean on the pre-built text boxes for your content.

To add custom text, simply click and select the contents of any text box on your slide. Then, type in your own words. Repeat as needed throughout your slide deck.

3. Customize Fonts

With text selected, it’s easy to customize fonts on each slide. Find the Font section on PowerPoint’s Home tab. From there, you’ve got a variety of dropdown options.

Another of our top tips for presentation tricks is to use a custom font setting in your template.

Click to change the font, font size, and more. You can also use the buttons on the left to add bolds, italics, and more.

Need more custom font styles? As an Envato Elements subscriber, you’ve got instant access to thousands of custom fonts . Use them in your presentation with ease.

4. Insert Images

Slides like this one contain an image placeholder. That’s another advantage found only with premium templates. These make adding images a breeze.

Add images to your PPTX template for more visually interesting slides.

To get started, find an image file stored on your computer. Then, drag and drop it over the placeholder. PowerPoint will import it, sized and scaled for a perfect fit.

5. Change Colors

One of the top effective presentation skills is changing shape colors. This helps you control the look and feel of each slide.

With a shape selected, find the Shape Format tab on PowerPoint’s ribbon. Then, click on the Shape Fill dropdown. You’ll see a color chooser menu appear. Click on any thumbnail to apply it to the shape or browse through the Gradient and Texture options.

Start Putting These PowerPoint Presentation Tips & Tricks Into Use Today!

Learning to write, design, and present a PowerPoint presentation is an invaluable skill, no matter where you use it. If you’re a good communicator of important messages, you’ll never go hungry.

Luckily, improving PowerPoint presentations isn’t as hard as it seems. Follow these tips for PowerPoint presentations to design and deliver with greater confidence.

Remember: Less is more (effective) . Use PowerPoint presentation templates for better design and more effective visual impact. And you can customize a PPT template quickly , with the right workflow.

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• Presentations

12 Top PowerPoint Hacks to Make Quick Presentation Designs in 2024

Spend too much time working in PowerPoint? You need PowerPoint presentation hacks that save time and give you great results. We've put together 12 of the best techniques for hacking PowerPoint like a pro.

Here's the goal: work fast and deliver great-looking presentations. With our PowerPoint design hacks, you'll definitely do both. These are the most efficient way to create your next presentation. Let's dive in!

12 Top PowerPoint Presentation Hacks

PowerPoint design hacks serve two purposes. They save you time, and they help you serve up impressive designs to wow your audience. What's more, you don't need to be a design expert to use the 12 PowerPoint design hacks we'll cover. Here's our list:

1. Use the Guides

PowerPoint's guide features are great PowerPoint hacks you can use right away. These help you keep objects in perfect alignment. Imagine that you're dragging an image onto a slide.

You've already placed some other content on the slide. For example, you've added a chart and a text box. Your goal with the image is to align it with these other objects so that their edges line up.

Dragging objects in PowerPoint is easy - you simply click and pull on any piece of content. As you move it around the slide, you'll see red dotted lines start to appear. These are guides, which show alignment and distance. They look at your selected object, telling you how it fits alongside the other slide content. 

Guides in PPT are dynamic. They adjust as you move. This makes them the perfect way to craft a symmetrical, visually pleasing slide fast. 

2. Scale Objects Precisely With the Size Menu

Hacking PowerPoint really involves making your slide designs work their best for you. They boost productivity by making changes easy and uniform.

Consider this situation: you have three objects on the same slide and you want them to be the same size. At the moment, each of the three is different.

You could adjust the size of each object in turn, but that wastes time. Why not change all three at once? To begin, click on the first object. Then, hold down Shift on your keyboard and click the other two. You now have all three selected.

Since these are images, you'll see the Picture Format tab on PowerPoint's ribbon. (If you're using different objects, it may be labeled Shape Format or Graphics Format ).

Clicking Picture Format , you'll see the Size group on the right side. Here, there are boxes for Height and Width . You can type in custom values, which represent the exact size of the selected objects.

When you're finished, hit Enter , and the objects will all resize to match.

3. Always Use Premium Templates

PowerPoint presentation hacks let you work smarter, not harder. So why spend time building slide layouts from scratch, when you can leave it to the experts? This is the advantage of premium templates, which you should be using today. Premium templates are built by creative experts that have you in mind. 

These templates have robust features and unmatched flexibility. Rather than building slide designs from scratch, you can just fill in your own content.

The best source for premium PowerPoint templates is Envato Elements. With thousands of designs to choose from , you're sure to find the perfect one for you. Elements is an all-you-can-download membership service. For a flat monthly rate, you can use the full library of templates!

Plus, Elements includes stock photos, fonts, and much more. All these assets are the perfect companions for your next slide deck.

4. Split Objects Evenly With the Distribute Option

Often, you'll find yourself working with several objects on a single slide. These include pictures, charts, graphics, and more.

For a stylish slide layout, it's helpful to split objects equally distant from one another. This is possible on either a horizontal or vertical axis. Fortunately, there are PowerPoint design hacks to do exactly that. 

To distribute objects evenly, begin by selecting them. Again, this is done by holding down the Shift key and clicking on multiple objects. And once again, return to the Format menu on PPT's ribbon. 

Distribute options in PPT live on the Align dropdown menu. It's on the right side, in the Arrange group. Click on the Align menu arrow, and you'll see a list of options appear.

The Distribute Horizontally and Distribute Vertically options are near the bottom. Clicking one will snap objects around, so that their relative distance is equally split. It's a fast and easy way to build neater slide layouts that are easy to read. 

5. Streamline Bulk Edits With Master Slides

Suppose that you're building a slide deck, and you want to place the same image on every slide. But your PPT deck has dozens of slides in it! 

Placing objects on each slide is a slow, manual process. Fortunately, it's not necessary if you know the master slide PowerPoint design hacks. Master slides, in essence, control bulk edits in your presentation.

To work with them, begin by going to the View tab and choosing Slide Master . You'll see a sidebar on the left, with one or more numbered slides. These numbered slides are the master slide layouts. The indented slides represent layouts in your deck controlled by the master slide. Any change that you make to a master slide will automatically apply to all slides below it.

In this example, you can insert an image and place it in one corner. It'll be placed on each slide controlled by the master. This is the beauty of PPT's Slide Master. It enables bulk editing in a flash. Make a change just once, and it applies universally.

6. Shape Photos Into Stylish Shapes

PowerPoint presentation hacks help you work with images in new and creative ways. Images, of course, are works of art. But they can themselves be styled into different shapes! It's a fun way to make unique slide layouts.

To shape a photo in PowerPoint, select an image and go to the Picture Format tab on the ribbon. Then, click on the Crop drop-down arrow, found in the Size group. From the list of options, hover over Crop to Shape. 

When you do, you'll see an array of shape choices, grouped into categories. There are basic geometric shapes, arrows, equation symbols, and many more. Click on any one of them, and the selected photo is trimmed to fit inside the shape.

7. Format Backgrounds for Sleek Backdrops

Every slide has a background. Often, this is simply empty white space with content on top. But with a few clicks, you can transform this vacant area into a stunning design element of its own.

To begin, find the Design tab on PowerPoint's ribbon, and click on it. You'll see many options appear on the menu bar. The one you need is in the Customize group on the right, and it's labeled Format Background . Choose this one.

The Format Background sidebar appears on the right side of your slide. There are several fill choices that you can use:

• Solid Fill lets you add a colorful background
• Gradient Fill lends a 3D effect
• Pattern Fill adds waves or stripes
• Picture or Texture Fill is even more powerful. Using it, you can insert an image to form your slide background.

By default, using Format Background changes only the slide that you've selected and in view. But another of our PowerPoint design hacks lets you add your new background to every slide.

To do this, click Apply to All at the bottom of the Format Background sidebar. Your new design applies to every slide in the deck!

8. Stage Content in Sequence With the Animation Pane

Animations are PowerPoint presentation hacks that help control the pace and flow of your slides. And they look great, too! When you've got many animations on one slide, they can seem tough to control. Luckily, the Animation Pane is there to help.

Think of PowerPoint's Animation Pane as the control center for animations. You can access it by going to the Animations ribbon tab, then click on Animation Pane . The pane appears as a sidebar on the right side of your screen.

Animations on your slide will be listed in order by numbers. These numbers also appear on the slide, so you won't have to guess what object an animation is tied to.

The Animation Pane gives you full creative control of animations. You can drag them around the list to change the sequence.

Or you can right-click on an animation to control when and how it starts. And up in the Timing section, you can adjust speed features like Duration and Delay.

By using the Animation Pane , you unlock a full set of PowerPoint presentation hacks. These let you control animations that impress your audience and keep you on track. 

9. Use Add-ins to Gain Extra Features

PowerPoint hacks aren't limited to the app's built-in features. When you think about hacking PowerPoint, you should remember to check out add-ins. Add-ins are extra features that you can add to your PowerPoint installation.

To start working with PowerPoint add-ins, be sure that you're on the Insert tab. This, like the other tabs we've used, is found on PPT's ribbon. Near the middle, you'll see the Add-ins group. 

To get an add-in, click on Get Add-ins. PowerPoint will launch the Office Add-ins menu, from which you can browse a huge number of options. Many of these help with custom charting and style elements that you can't otherwise edit.

When you have an add-in selected, choose Install. Once it's loaded, you can access your add-in and begin working with it. Return to the Insert tab and click on the My Add-ins dropdown. Your installed add-ins are listed, and you can choose one to launch. 

10. Find Inspiration With Design Ideas

PowerPoint design hacks help you build stunning slide layouts quickly. That's especially true when you're working with premium templates!

But sometimes, you may struggle to find a perfect slide layout for the content you're sharing. Of course, you can move objects around the slide to make it look different. Wouldn't it be useful to get a bit of help?

Yes, and PowerPoint makes it easy! When you're working on a slide, and need some inspiration, go to the Design tab. Over on the right side, you can see a button called Design Ideas.

Click this, and a sidebar menu will launch. PowerPoint will analyze the contents of your slide, and come up with new creative layouts. These are previewed in the thumbnail images. If you see one that you like, click on it.

PowerPoint will apply the design. All of the content scaling and moving will be handled for you. It's a single-click way to craft inspired layouts when you hit a style impasse! 

11. Craft Data Visuals With the Excel Charting Feature

PowerPoint design hacks extend to your data, too! For example, you can add beautiful custom charts to your PPT slides. These help you share data in style.

But sometimes, you may be working with a large volume of data. Perhaps you've got it in a spreadsheet or listed in a database. A chart is your best option for sharing.

To add a chart, go to Insert > Charts . Chart designs in multiple categories appear on the menu. Choose one to add, then click OK .

Now, you'll witness the power of Excel-based charting in PowerPoint. This is a top choice when you're hacking PowerPoint because it gives you the tools you need to share data.

An Excel spreadsheet will open, right inside of PPT! In it, you can type (or import) raw data to chart. 

You can change the values, along with headers and titles. Truly, it's a fantastic way to bring your data to life. Instead of working on the chart itself, you're filling data into a spreadsheet. As you work, the PPT chart will update in real-time.

12. Learn Keyboard Shortcuts

Last but not least come PowerPoint presentation hacks that you can use again and again. These are keyboard shortcuts, and they work with any PPT slide deck. Keyboard shortcuts help you perform specific actions in PowerPoint, without the need to open any menus. 

By learning keyboard shortcuts, you can save time on tasks you perform the most. They take only a second, and they can often complete multi-step tasks in one move. Here are a few favorite PowerPoint shortcuts that you can start using right away:

For a complete overview of the most useful PowerPoint keyboard shortcuts, check out our full tutorial:

The Best Source for Designs With Built-In PowerPoint Hacks (With Unlimited Use)

Envato Elements is the best place for PowerPoint design hacks built into top-notch templates. For a flat-rate fee, you get unlimited downloads of the top PowerPoint themes, photos, fonts, and so much more.

It's impossible to match Elements' value. As you saw in an earlier tip, templates give you methods for hacking PowerPoint presentations in no time. That flat rate gives you more assets than you can imagine. Unlimited PowerPoint templates means unlimited possibilities for designs.

Explore PowerPoint Designs Now

On Envato Elements, you unlock unlimited access to everything you need. Custom fonts, illustrations, and so much more power up your PowerPoint. These PowerPoint presentation hacks take you to the next level.

Now You Know the Best PowerPoint Design Hacks

Who doesn't love a time-saving trick? Don't forget that the best way to use PowerPoint hacks is to tap into the unlimited library on Envato Elements. This and the 11 other tips in this template help you design the best presentation in less time.

I'm sure you want to put these PowerPoint presentation hacks into action. Pick a few from this tutorial and start using them with that presentation you're working on. I'll bet you love the finished PowerPoint presentation.

• Client Stories

Presentation Design Hacks: Use PowerPoint Like a Pro

By rachel pluck, insights / graphic design / presentation design hacks: use powerpoint like a pro.

When you’re giving a presentation, whether it’s a pitch to a potential new client or customer or an internal brief of a new process or protocol, you want to make sure it looks good. Even further, you want to make sure your presentation makes you as a brand look good.

Not only does your presentation need to present all of the necessary information in a digestible manner, it needs to be engaging to your audience.

We’ve all sat through painfully boring PowerPoint presentations. Don’t let your next presentation become one of ‘em.

At Digital Ink, presentation design is a major area of expertise — we’ve worked on presentations for some pretty big brands, including Bank of America, L’Oreal, Gillette and Kellogg’s.

We checked in with our Creative Director Jason Forrest for some handy tips and tricks for presentation design, specifically taking a look at PowerPoint, one of the most commonly-used presentation programs.

1. Get creative with typography

Nothing will make your presentation look more average than using the default font (we’re looking at you, Calibri ).

Rather than using Arial or Times New Roman for the millionth time, branch out and try a unique font style that better captures your topic or message while capturing audience attention.

Better yet, use a font that aligns with your brand — if you have a brand style guide , you probably already have an idea of approved fonts that work well within your company’s creative.

But be sure to err on the side of caution: your typography still needs to be legible (looking at you now, Comic Sans).

2. Use quality images

Using impactful imagery and high-quality graphics in your presentation is a great way to spice things up, but not just any old image will do.

Stay away from childish clip art or really bad stock photos that come with the software.

Chances are, if it’s free to use with your version of PowerPoint, your audience has probably seen it before, taking away any potential wow-factor.

You can take your own photos with a digital camera or smartphone, or purchase a quality stock image from a site like Adobe Stock or iStock.com.

Make sure that the resolution of your image suits your needs. Never stretch or skew an image to fit in the desired frame.

3. Make use of slide masters

A slide master will let you stretch your creative muscles, making almost any slide layout a possibility.

In short, a slide master is the top slide that controls all of the information about the theme, layout, style, font and position for all slides in the deck that use it as a base.

This can make editing an existing theme or creating a custom template a breeze.

Slide masters offer you a wide variety of layout tools, allowing you to set images and text as placeholders for future slides, in the exact places you want in almost any combination you can think of. This really allows you to get creative with your design without locking you into a particular theme.

You can create as many slide masters in your presentation as you’d like, but make sure that your presentation still flows cohesively!

4. Edit images directly in PowerPoint

This may seem counterintuitive to a professional graphic designer, but you don’t necessarily need to edit your images in Photoshop or another design program before pulling them into your PowerPoint presentation.

The built-in image crop tool in PowerPoint is surprisingly robust. It will limit the amount of time it takes to create a presentation and can help to keep your overall file size low.

PowerPoint even allows you to make basic color corrections to an image, which is great if you snapped a quick picture on your iPhone or camera. Use the “corrections” tool to desaturate photos or adjust the brightness/contrast levels to reduce over- or under-exposure of an image.

Lastly, once you have your image edited as desired, use PowerPoint’s align tool to perfectly line up an image in the slide, in relation to other images or text boxes.This can help to make sure your layout is crisp and exactly how you want it, eliminating the guesswork.

5. Reduce file size before sharing

Now that you’ve got all of your elements set up and your layout perfected, it’s time to save out your file and gear up for the big presentation.

Depending on where you need to save or send your PowerPoint, whether it’s going on a thumb drive or being emailed to a coworker, file size matters.

If your presentation is huge, trim down the excessive image sizes to help cut back. Go to File > Compress Pictures and then check the box that says “delete cropped areas of pictures.”

This will get rid of the parts of images that you already cropped out of your layout that you no longer need.

Feel free to adjust the various picture quality sizes so that you get an image resolution that looks good in your presentation but helps you to achieve a minimal file size.

If you’re looking for even more tips on presentation design, check out this presentation Forrest created with some of his top tips (back in our Junger Media days).

A presentation within a post about presentations — very meta, we know.

Need more help? Reach out to see how we can make your next presentation a knockout .

How do you make your presentations look good? Let us know on Twitter.

Photo by  Headway  on  Unsplash

About Rachel Pluck

Rachel Pluck is a communications specialist for Jessica Lawlor & Company (JL&Co), focusing on content and digital marketing. She previously spent four years in the marketing world, working in-house at a tourism bureau before joining a full-service marketing agency and is currently the Digital Marketing Coordinator at Clark Associates Inc. In addition to her 9-to-5 responsibilities, Rachel is a photographer specializing in landscapes and family portraits.

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How to make the best Powerpoint presentation + real examples!

July 1, 2023

Ever sat through a PowerPoint presentation and thought, "Wow, that was mind-blowing"? Yeah, us either. But, let's face it, we've all been there—either on the giving or receiving end of a less-than-stellar presentation. It's high time we changed that narrative. Creating your best PowerPoint presentation isn't just about throwing together a bunch of slides – it's an art. It’s about telling a story that captivates, informs, and even entertains your audience. 

A new age is upon us, and it’s time to explore the ins and outs of what makes a PowerPoint presentation not just good, but great. From nailing your content and story flow to the nuances of design and delivery, we've got you covered. So, whether you're gearing up for that crucial sales pitch or prepping for an all-important investor meeting, buckle up! Your presentation skills are about to go from mundane to magnificent.

Your Presentation Should Tell a Story

When it comes to creating a killer PowerPoint presentation, it all starts with the story. You heard that right! Not the fancy animations or the snazzy graphics (though they do have their place), but the story. It’s the backbone, the foundation, the heartbeat of your presentation.

Think about how you feel when you watch your favorite TV show or read a book you can’t put down. Good storytelling takes us to another place, where the rest of the world slips away and the story steps into the forefront. Great presentations can do the same thing if the presenter can harness the power of storytelling. 

There are also plenty of science-backed reasons to prioritize good storytelling. One article by Lani Peterson for Harvard Business Corporate Learning says, “Scientists are discovering that chemicals like cortisol and dopamine are released in the brain when we’re told a story. Why does that matter? If we are trying to make a point stick, cortisol assists with our formulating memories. Dopamine, which helps regulate our emotional responses, keeps us engaged.“ More engagement; more impactful presentations.

So, how do you nail down a storytelling strategy that sticks? Let’s break it down.

Craft Your Narrative

First, identify your core message. What’s the one thing you want your audience to remember when they walk out of the room? This is your North Star, guiding every aspect of your presentation. If you’re having trouble with this step, ask yourself, “Why am I giving this presentation?”

Understand Your Audience

Who is your audience? Tailor your story to resonate with them. Are they tech-savvy millennials or industry veterans? Your story should speak their language. Presentations that skip this step will miss out on a crucial opportunity to connect with the audience. And if you can’t connect with them, then what’s the point? One solution is to focus on understanding the needs, challenges, and aspirations of your audience. That way, you’ll be able to address their specific pain points and interests.

Create a Structured Flow

Like any good story, your presentation needs a beginning, middle, and end. Start with an introduction that hooks, follow with content that informs and engages, and conclude with a memorable takeaway. If you need ideas on how to start your presentation, see this guide with 12 ideas for hooking your audience from the very start .

Find Inspiration

Look to the pros! Ever read an article by Andy Raskin or April Dunford ? These folks know their stuff when it comes to strategic narratives. Dive into their work for some inspiration on how to weave a compelling story in your presentation. Just like we’ve all been through our fair share of boring presentations, most likely you’ve experienced a presentation that left an impression. Ask yourself why it was so impactful–you might be able to draw from their expertise!

Change the Narrative

Say you’re working on a sales deck. Instead of going with the typical problem-solution story structure, Andy Raskin has a different take on it:

Start with a big, relevant shift in the world. “We are living in a new era” type of statement. This will grab the attention, but also create some urgency for the prospect.

Then you move on to show that there will be winners and losers in this new era. The ones who act on this shift will have more probability of winning. In other words, “what I am about to offer you is crucial for winning in this new era.”

Now that you have set the stage, you can “tease the promise land” as Andy calls it. This is not where you show your product features. This is simply a teaser about this new future state and what to expect if you react to this shift in the market.

Then, you highlight the “Old world vs New world” to show the contrast, and how old methods do not work in this new era.

And finally, you provide real-life stories to support your claims. These could client case studies, article snippets, industry updates - anything that adds credibility to everything you just said.

Voilà, you’ve got yourself a story arc! This is a simple and straightforward way to craft a story that connects.

Nail Your Story First

Remember, at the end of the day, your presentation is more than just a collection of slides, but rather a vessel for storytelling. It’s not just about what you say, but how you say it. A well-crafted story can transform your presentation from a mere transfer of information to an impactful, memorable experience. So, take the time to nail your story, and you’re already halfway to creating your best PowerPoint presentation. Your audience will thank you!

Embracing Professional Design for Impactful Presentations

When you've nailed your narrative, the next crucial step in crafting your best PowerPoint presentation is design. This stage is where your story gets visually translated, elevating it from a mere script to an engaging, compelling experience.

The Role of a Presentation Agency

Not everyone possesses an innate talent for design, and that's perfectly fine. This is where a presentation design agency can become an invaluable asset. These presentation experts act as the alchemists of your PowerPoint, transforming basic slides into visually stunning and strategically aligned pieces of art. However, be selective when you choose who to work with. There is a big difference between a "meh" designer vs a “wow” designer when it comes to preparing well-crafted presentations.

Simplifying Complexity

One of the critical talents of a presentation design agency is their ability to distill complex concepts into simple, digestible visuals. An overcrowded slide can quickly lose your audience's attention, but a well-designed one can convey your message succinctly and effectively. Not only that, presentation experts can remove the complexity of creating great slides by designing the best presentation templates for your needs, making the process easier for you in the end.

"We have been using SLIDES™ services for our corporate PowerPoint template, and the PPT template is so well done and easy to use that we all feel like we now have PowerPoint superpowers creating new presentations in no time with stunning look!"

Jérôme neuvéglise, product owner qoqa, creating visual harmony.

Consistency in your presentation’s visual elements - such as color schemes, typography, and imagery - is essential. A presentation design agency ensures that these elements work in harmony, creating a unified and professional look that enhances your overall narrative. The best presentation layouts are those created by experts who know how to make your brand stand out.

Visualizing Ideas Effectively

Presentation agencies excel in translating your ideas into impactful visuals. They ensure that your graphics, charts, and images aren't just visually appealing but also contribute significantly to the telling of your story. After all, why spend so much time honing your story if your visuals fall flat?

When to Opt for Professional Presentation Design

We know that deciding to outsource is a tough call, and you want to make sure your resources are well spent. Here are a few things to consider before seeking out help from a presentation agency:

High-Stakes Presentations

For presentations that can have a significant impact on your business - such as those in sales, partnerships, or investment pitches - professional design isn't just a luxury, but a necessity. These are the scenarios where the expertise of a presentation design agency can make a substantial difference. 

Stripe’s CEO Patrick Collison said in a recent podcast:

 “My intuition is that more of Stripe's success than one would think is down to the fact that people like beautiful things and for rational reasons. Because, what does a beautiful thing tell you? It tells you the person who made it really cared, and you can observe some superficial details, but probably they didn’t only care about those and did everything else in a slapdash way. So, if you care about the infrastructure being holistically good, indexing on the superficial characteristics is not an irrational thing to do.“

Oftentimes in presentations, we ignore how we are making people feel with our slides. Think about this quote next time you’re preparing your slides.

Overcoming Skill and Time Constraints

If you're not well-versed in design or if time constraints are tight, opting for professional help is a wise decision. This not only ensures quality but also frees you up to concentrate on refining and rehearsing your presentation. This guide shows 18 of the most common presentation mistakes people make, and gives tips on how to avoid them.

In essence, professional design is about giving your presentation the visual edge it needs to not just capture but also maintain your audience's attention. By considering the services of a presentation design agency, you're ensuring that your presentation is not just seen, but also remembered and appreciated.

Mastering the Art of Delivery

Alright, you’ve got a gripping story and a set of stunning slides. But wait! There’s still a crucial piece of the puzzle left – your delivery. This is where the rubber meets the road. Remember, no matter how dazzling your slides are, they can’t rescue a lackluster delivery. 

More Than Just Slides

First things first, let’s get one thing straight: people aren’t just buying into your PowerPoint. They’re buying into you – your ideas, your enthusiasm, your conviction. Your slides are merely a tool to complement your narrative, not the other way around. Your slides are never the star of the show. It's you. It sure is harder to improve your delivery compared to your slides. But it will be the best investment of your life.

The Human Connection

At its core, a great presentation is about making a connection with your audience. It’s about storytelling, not just through words on a slide, but through the way you present them. Your tone, your body language, your ability to engage – all these elements combine to create a compelling delivery.

Know Your Story Inside Out

Your first step should be to know your story like the back of your hand. This doesn’t mean memorizing your script word for word but being familiar enough with your content to speak confidently and fluidly about it.

Rehearse, Then Rehearse Some More

Practice might not always make perfect, but it sure does make confidence. Rehearse your presentation multiple times. This will help you iron out any kinks in your delivery and help you manage those pesky nerves.

When our founder Damon gave his first keynote presentation, he experienced some technical issues that would throw off any professional speaker. But since he had rehearsed his speech so well, he knew it inside out. And he could handle the mishap with calm, make some jokes about it, and then get back to his talk when the tech decided to work again.

Engage With Your Audience

Remember, a presentation is a two-way street. Engage with your audience, ask questions, and encourage participation. This interaction makes your presentation more memorable and impactful. The former product manager at Netflix , Gibson Biddle, shared this great example:

“In a virtual setting you need to double-down on engagement tactics. Today, I use Google Slides plus Slido to do real-time polling, word clouds and to answer questions. It makes the experience incredibly interactive to the extent that I now have an equal NPS for virtual and in-person presentations.”

Body Language Matters

Your body language speaks volumes. Maintain eye contact, use gestures to emphasize points, and move around if possible. This non-verbal communication can significantly enhance the impact of your delivery.

In today’s increasingly digital world, we also have to think about virtual presentations and how to put our best foot forward through a screen. An awkward camera angle or a weird background can be a distraction to your audience, so shift your focus to a flattering camera angle, solid camera quality, and a neutral background. 

Authenticity is Key

Be yourself. Your audience can tell when you’re putting on a façade. Authenticity breeds trust and connection, which in turn makes your message more persuasive.

Investing in Yourself

Finally, investing in your delivery skills is investing in yourself. Whether it’s through public speaking courses, professional coaching, or simply seeking feedback from peers, improving your delivery skills is invaluable. Remember, a great delivery can elevate a good presentation to a great one. So, give your delivery the attention it deserves, and watch as you transform from a presenter to a storyteller, captivating your audience one slide at a time.

Final Thoughts

So, there you have it – the roadmap to creating a PowerPoint presentation that’s not just good, but outstanding. It all starts with crafting a compelling story, enhanced by visually striking and well-thought-out design, and brought to life through engaging and authentic delivery. Remember, your best PowerPoint presentation will feel like more than just a collection of slides to your audience. This is a powerful storytelling tool, and you are the storyteller.

The key takeaway? Invest time and effort into each aspect of your presentation. Understand your narrative, collaborate with design professionals if needed, and hone your delivery skills. It’s this combination of content, design, and delivery that transforms a standard presentation into an unforgettable experience.

In the end, what sets a great PowerPoint presentation apart is the ability to not just share information but to tell a story that resonates, inspires, and persuades. Whether you’re pitching to potential clients, investors, or sharing insights with your team, remember that the most impactful presentations are those that connect with the audience on a deeper level. So go ahead, create, deliver, and captivate.

Your audience is waiting.

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Professional presentations are all about making an impact. Your slides should look the part. Once you know what makes a presentation look professional, you can customize any half-decent PowerPoint template or create your own custom slides.

Our PowerPoint tips will help you avoid common mistakes, keep your audience engaged, and create a professional presentation, in form and content.

PowerPoint Slide Design

The design can leave a first and lasting impression. Give it a professional touch to win your audience's trust and attention.

1. Carefully Compose Your Slides

Don't copy and paste slides from different sources. You don't want your presentation to look like a rag rug. What you're aiming for is a consistent look. This will help your audience focus on the essential; your speech and the key facts you're highlighting on your slides.

To that end, use a basic template or make your own . PowerPoint comes with a wide selection of professional PowerPoint presentation templates , but you can also find free ones online.

PowerPoint Tip: When you open PowerPoint, note the search field at the top. One of the suggested searches is "presentations". Click it to see all of PowerPoint's default presentation templates. Choose a category on the right to narrow down your search.

Pick an easy to read font face . It's hard to get this right, but these professional-looking Google fonts are a safe bet. Unless you're a designer, stick to a single font face and limit yourself to playing with safe colors and font sizes.

If you're unsure about fonts, refer to "The 10 Commandments of Typography" shown below for orientation.

Carefully select font sizes for headers and text. While you don't want to create a wall of text and lose your audience's attention, you do want them to be able to read what you've highlighted. So make your fonts large enough.

PowerPoint Tip: PowerPoint offers several different slide layouts. When you add a new slide, choose the right layout under Home > New Slide . To switch the layout of an existing slide, use Home > Layout . By using the default layouts, you can make coherent design changes across your presentation anytime you want.

Leave room for highlights, such as images or take home messages. Some elements should stand out. So try not to bury them in background noise but give them the space they need. This could be a single quote or a single image per page with nothing but a simple header and a plain background.

Decorate scarcely but well. If you have good content, you won't need decoration. Your template will be decoratively enough.

Note: Restrict the room your design takes up, and don't ever let the design restrict your message.

2. Use Consistency

Consistently use font face and sizes on all slides. This one goes back to using a template. If you chose a professional presentation template, the designer would have taken care of this aspect. Stick to it!

Match colors. This is where so many presentations fail. You might have chosen a funky template and stuck to the designer's color profile, then you ruin it all with ugly Excel charts .

Take the time to match your visuals to your presentation design.

Text and Background Colors

A poor choice of colors can ruin your presentation.

3. Use Contrast

Black text on a white background will always be the best, but also the most boring choice . You're allowed to use colors! But use them responsibly.

Keep it easy on the eyes and always keep good contrast in mind. If you're color-challenged, use one of the many online tools to select a good looking color palette. Or just use a template and stick to its default colors.

PowerPoint Tip: Use PowerPoint's Design menu to quickly change the font and color palette of your entire presentation using preset design layouts.

4. Apply Brilliance

Carefully use color to highlight your message! Colors are your friends. They can make numbers stand out or your Take Home Message pop.

Don't weaken the color effect by using too many colors in too many instances . The special effect only works if used scarcely. Try to limit pop colors to one per slide.

Make a brilliant choice: match colors for design and good contrast to highlight your message . Use a professional color palette, to find which color will work best with your theme. Use The 10 Commandments of Color Theory shown below to learn more about colors:

Text on PowerPoint Slides

K eep I t S traight and S imple. That means...

• Keywords only on your slides.
• Absolutely no full sentences!
• And never read your slides , talk freely.

Remember that your slides are only there to support, not to replace your talk! You want to tell a story, visualize your data, and demonstrate key points. If you read your slides, you risk losing your audience's respect and attention.

PowerPoint Tip: Afraid you'll lose your train of thoughts? Add notes to your slides. Go to View and under Show click Notes to make them show up under your slides while editing. When starting your presentation, use PowerPoint's presentation mode (go to Slide Show and under Monitors , check Use Presenter View ), so you can glance at your notes when needed.

6. Take Home Message

Always summarize your key point in a Take Home Message. Ask yourself, if your audience learned or remembered one single thing from your presentation, what would you like it to be? That's your Take Home Message.

The Take Home Message is your key message, a summary of your data or story. If you're giving an hour-long presentation, you might have several Take Home Messages. That's OK. Just make sure that what you think is key, really matters to your audience.

Make your Take Home Message memorable. It's your responsibility that your audience takes home something valuable. Help them "get it" by making your Take Home Message stand out, either visually or through how you frame it verbally.

Presentation Visuals

Images are key elements of every presentation. Your audience has ears and eyes, they want to see what you're talking about, and a good visual cue will help them understand your message much better.

7. Add Images

Have more images in your slides than text. Visuals are your friends. They can illustrate your points and support your message.

But do not use images to decorate! That's a poor use of visuals because it's just a distraction.

Images can reinforce or complement your message. So use images to visualize or explain your story.

Use a sufficient image resolution. Your visuals might look good on your desktop, but once blown up by a projector, low-resolution images will make your presentation look anything but professional. So choose a resolution that matches the projector's resolution. If in doubt, don't go below a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels (XGA) and aim for 1920 x 1080 pixels (FullHD).

Always maintain your image's aspect ratio. Nothing looks more awkward than a distorted image. Whatever you do, don't stretch images. If you have to resize them, do so with the aspect ratio intact, even if that means dropping slightly above or below your target resolution.

PowerPoint Tip: Need a visual, but don't have one at hand? PowerPoint is connected to Bing's library of online images you can use for your presentations. Go to Insert and under Images select Online Images . You can browse by category or search the library. Be sure to set a checkmark for Creative Commons only , so you don't accidentally violate copyrights.

Note: Yes, a picture is worth a thousand words. In other words, if you don't have time for a thousand words, use a picture!

PowerPoint Animations and Media

In animations, there is a fine line between a comic and a professional impression. But animations can be powerful tools to visualize and explain complicated matters. A good animation can not only improve understanding, it can also make the message stick with your audience.

8. Don't Be Silly

Sparingly use animations and media. You should only use them in one of two cases:

• To draw attention, for example, to your Take Home Message.
• To clarify a model or emphasize an effect.

Embed the media in your presentation and make sure it works in presentation mode. Testing your presentation at home will save you time and avoid embarrassment.

Target Your Presentation Content

Your target, i.e. your audience, defines the content of your presentation. For example, you cannot teach school kids about the complicated matters of the economy, but you may be able to explain to them what the economy is in the first place and why it is important.

9. Keep Your Audience in Mind

When you compile your PowerPoint presentation, ask yourself these questions:

• What does my audience know?
• What do I need to tell them?
• What do they expect?
• What will be interesting to them?
• What can I teach them?
• What will keep them focused?

Answer these questions and boil your slides down to the very essentials. In your talk, describe the essentials colorfully and use your weapons, i.e. text, images, and animations wisely (see above).

Note: If you fail to hit the target, it won't matter how ingenious your design is or how brilliantly you picked colors and keywords. Nothing matters more than your audience's attention.

10. Practice Your Presentation Like a Professional

A well-practiced and enthusiastic talk will help you convince your audience and keep their attention. Here are some key points that define a good talk:

• Know your slides inside out.
• Speak freely.
• Speak with confidence, loud and clear.
• Speak at a steady pace, better too slow than too fast.
• Keep eye contact with your audience.

Bonus: Implement the 10/20/30 Rule

The 10/20/30 rule is a concept brought forward by Guy Kawasaki:

It’s quite simple: a PowerPoint presentation should have ten slides, last no more than twenty minutes, and contain no font smaller than thirty points.

A similar concept is PechaKucha , a storytelling format limited to 20 slides and 20 seconds per slide, i.e. less than seven minutes to conclude the presentation.

Now there's a challenge! Telling your story succinctly, might help you get through to some of the busiest and most distracted people on the planet.

One Final PowerPoint Presentation Tip

I've shown you how to think through your entire presentation, from choosing a design to speaking to your audience. Here's a mind trick: never try to interpret the looks on your listeners' faces. Chances are, you're wrong. Just assume they're focused and taking notes.

You've done your best to create a professional PowerPoint presentation that will help your audience focus on the content and learn new things. The looks on their faces aren't doubt or confusion. It's focus! Well, d'oh! Obviously, you're the expert, and they're the learners. If you can get into this mindset, you can relax and perform at your best.

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Tech Explained

How to use powerpoint like a pro: the ultimate guide.

September 14, 2022 • Devin Partida

You probably think of PowerPoint as a tool for creating presentations. And while you certainly can use it to make basic presentations, PowerPoint can do so much more! In this guide, we will explore how to use PowerPoint like a pro.

We’ll discuss its basic and more advanced features and give you tips for using them to create beautiful and professional-looking slideshows.

PowerPoint’s Basic Features

Microsoft’s  PowerPoint is a versatile tool that can be used for much more than just presentations. With its wide range of features, it’s perfect for creating infographics, educational materials and so much more. Let’s take a look at some of its key features:

1. Animations

PowerPoint allows you to animate your slides in a variety of ways. You can add entrance and exit effects, use preset animations, or even create your own custom animations.

The Animations tab at the top of the PowerPoint menu allows you to explore different options.

PowerPoint comes with a variety of slide layouts to choose from, or you can create your own custom layout. You can also add background images or colors, and insert videos and shapes onto your slides.

3. Design Ideas

Not sure how to get started? PowerPoint’s Design Ideas feature can give you some inspiration. Just click the Design Ideas button on the far right of the Home tab, and PowerPoint will generate a variety of design options for you to choose from.

Adding images to your slides can really make your presentation pop. PowerPoint comes with a built-in image search engine, so finding the perfect image for your presentation is easy. Just click the Insert tab, then click the Pictures button.

5. Slide Transitions

Transition effects can add interest and professionalism to your slideshows. To add a transition, just click the Transitions tab, then select the transition you want to use. You can also set how long you want the transition to last, and whether or not you want it to play automatically.

Adding videos to your PowerPoint slides is a great way to engage your audience. To insert a video, just click the Insert tab, then click the Video button. You can either choose a video from your computer’s file system, or search for one online. You can also insert audio only by selecting the Audio button.

PowerPoint comes with a wide variety of shapes that you can use to add interest to your slides. To insert a shape, just click the Insert tab, then click the Shapes button. You can either choose from one of the preset shapes, or draw your own custom shape. You can add icons or SmartArt also.

8. Presentation Notes

The Presentation Notes feature allows you to add notes to each slide in your presentation. This is perfect for adding additional information or instructions that you don’t want to include on the slide itself. To add notes, start typing in the space underneath your slides that says “Click to add notes.” You can edit how your notes appear by navigating to the View tab, then clicking the Notes button.

Charts are a great way to visualize data in PowerPoint. To insert a chart, just click the Insert tab, then click the Chart button. You can choose from a variety of chart types, including bar charts, line charts and pie charts.

PowerPoint’s More Advanced Features

In addition to its basic features, PowerPoint also has some more advanced features that you can use to take your presentations to the next level. Let’s take a look at some of these features now:

1. Animation Painter

The Animation Painter allows you to copy animations from one object to another. This is a great way to save time if you want to use the same animation on multiple objects. To use the Animation Painter, just click the Animations tab, then click the Animation Painter button.

2. Slide Master

The Slide Master feature allows you to create a custom slide layout that you can reuse throughout your presentation. This is perfect for creating a consistent look and feel for your slides. To access the Slide Master, just click the View tab, then click the Slide Master button.

3. PowerPoint Templates

You can also use external PowerPoint templates . These templates will make your presentations very unique since they deviate from the templates that come downloaded onto PowerPoint’s software. `

Tips for Using PowerPoint Like a Pro

Now that you know how to use PowerPoint’s basic and some more advanced features, here are some tips for using PowerPoint like a pro:

• Use slide transitions sparingly:  Too many transitions can be distracting and overwhelming for your audience.
• Keep your animations simple: Complex animations can be difficult to understand and follow.
• Use images and videos wisely: Only add images and videos that are relevant to your presentation and add value to it.
• Use charts and graphs to visualize data.  This will make it easier for your audience to understand and remember the information you’re presenting.
• Use the Slide Master  feature to create a consistent look and feel for your slides.
• Keep your presentations short and sweet.  Longer presentations can be difficult for audiences to pay attention to.

Level Up Your Next PowerPoint!

PowerPoint is a powerful tool that you can use to create professional and engaging presentations. By using PowerPoint’s basic and more advanced features, you can take your presentations to the next level.

By following these tips, you’ll be able to use PowerPoint like a pro in no time! And if you’re ever feeling stuck, just remember: there’s always help available online. With a little practice, you’ll be giving amazing presentations in no time at all!

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I tried using a windows clone as a daily driver, here’s how it went, this is how i fixed the windows update error 0x80070643, quick links, table of contents, start with a goal, less is more, consider your typeface, make bullet points count, limit the use of transitions, skip text where possible, think in color, take a look from the top down, bonus: start with templates.

Slideshows are an intuitive way to share complex ideas with an audience, although they're dull and frustrating when poorly executed. Here are some tips to make your Microsoft PowerPoint presentations sing while avoiding common pitfalls.

It all starts with identifying what we're trying to achieve with the presentation. Is it informative, a showcase of data in an easy-to-understand medium? Or is it more of a pitch, something meant to persuade and convince an audience and lead them to a particular outcome?

It's here where the majority of these presentations go wrong with the inability to identify the talking points that best support our goal. Always start with a goal in mind: to entertain, to inform, or to share data in a way that's easy to understand. Use facts, figures, and images to support your conclusion while keeping structure in mind (Where are we now and where are we going?).

I've found that it's helpful to start with the ending. Once I know how to end a presentation, I know how best to get to that point. I start by identifying the takeaway---that one nugget that I want to implant before thanking everyone for their time---and I work in reverse to figure out how best to get there.

Your mileage, of course, may vary. But it's always going to be a good idea to put in the time in the beginning stages so that you aren't reworking large portions of the presentation later. And that starts with a defined goal.

A slideshow isn't supposed to include everything. It's an introduction to a topic, one that we can elaborate on with speech. Anything unnecessary is a distraction. It makes the presentation less visually appealing and less interesting, and it makes you look bad as a presenter.

This goes for text as well as images. There's nothing worse, in fact, than a series of slides where the presenter just reads them as they appear. Your audience is capable of reading, and chances are they'll be done with the slide, and browsing Reddit, long before you finish. Avoid putting the literal text on the screen, and your audience will thank you.

Related: How to Burn Your PowerPoint to DVD

Right off the bat, we're just going to come out and say that Papyrus and Comic Sans should be banned from all PowerPoint presentations, permanently. Beyond that, it's worth considering the typeface you're using and what it's saying about you, the presenter, and the presentation itself.

Consider choosing readability over aesthetics, and avoid fancy fonts that could prove to be more of a distraction than anything else. A good presentation needs two fonts: a serif and sans-serif. Use one for the headlines and one for body text, lists, and the like. Keep it simple. Veranda, Helvetica, Arial, and even Times New Roman are safe choices. Stick with the classics and it's hard to botch this one too badly.

There reaches a point where bullet points become less of a visual aid and more of a visual examination.

Bullet points should support the speaker, not overwhelm his audience. The best slides have little or no text at all, in fact. As a presenter, it's our job to talk through complex issues, but that doesn't mean that we need to highlight every talking point.

Instead, think about how you can break up large lists into three or four bullet points. Carefully consider whether you need to use more bullet points, or if you can combine multiple topics into a single point instead. And if you can't, remember that there's no one limiting the number of slides you can have in a presentation. It's always possible to break a list of 12 points down into three pages of four points each.

Animation, when used correctly, is a good idea. It breaks up slow-moving parts of a presentation and adds action to elements that require it. But it should be used judiciously.

Adding a transition that wipes left to right between every slide or that animates each bullet point in a list, for example, starts to grow taxing on those forced to endure the presentation. Viewers get bored quickly, and animations that are meant to highlight specific elements quickly become taxing.

That's not to say that you can't use animations and transitions, just that you need to pick your spots. Aim for no more than a handful of these transitions for each presentation. And use them in spots where they'll add to the demonstration, not detract from it.

Sometimes images tell a better story than text can. And as a presenter, your goal is to describe points in detail without making users do a lot of reading. In these cases, a well-designed visual, like a chart, might better convey the information you're trying to share.

The right image adds visual appeal and serves to break up longer, text-heavy sections of the presentation---but only if you're using the right images. A single high-quality image can make all the difference between a success and a dud when you're driving a specific point home.

When considering text, don't think solely in terms of bullet points and paragraphs. Tables, for example, are often unnecessary. Ask yourself whether you could present the same data in a bar or line chart instead.

Color is interesting. It evokes certain feelings and adds visual appeal to your presentation as a whole. Studies show that color also improves interest, comprehension, and retention. It should be a careful consideration, not an afterthought.

You don't have to be a graphic designer to use color well in a presentation. What I do is look for palettes I like, and then find ways to use them in the presentation. There are a number of tools for this, like Adobe Color , Coolors , and ColorHunt , just to name a few. After finding a palette you enjoy, consider how it works with the presentation you're about to give. Pastels, for example, evoke feelings of freedom and light, so they probably aren't the best choice when you're presenting quarterly earnings that missed the mark.

It's also worth mentioning that you don't need to use every color in the palette. Often, you can get by with just two or three, though you should really think through how they all work together and how readable they'll be when layered. A simple rule of thumb here is that contrast is your friend. Dark colors work well on light backgrounds, and light colors work best on dark backgrounds.

Spend some time in the Slide Sorter before you finish your presentation. By clicking the four squares at the bottom left of the presentation, you can take a look at multiple slides at once and consider how each works together. Alternatively, you can click "View" on the ribbon and select "Slide Sorter."

Are you presenting too much text at once? Move an image in. Could a series of slides benefit from a chart or summary before you move on to another point?

It's here that we have the opportunity to view the presentation from beyond the single-slide viewpoint and think in terms of how each slide fits, or if it fits at all. From this view, you can rearrange slides, add additional ones, or delete them entirely if you find that they don't advance the presentation.

The difference between a good presentation and a bad one is really all about preparation and execution. Those that respect the process and plan carefully---not only the presentation as a whole, but each slide within it---are the ones who will succeed.

This brings me to my last (half) point: When in doubt, just buy a template and use it. You can find these all over the web, though Creative Market and GraphicRiver are probably the two most popular marketplaces for this kind of thing. Not all of us are blessed with the skills needed to design and deliver an effective presentation. And while a pre-made PowerPoint template isn't going to make you a better presenter, it will ease the anxiety of creating a visually appealing slide deck.

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5 powerpoint hacks that will make you look like a pro.

Investing in improving your PowerPoint skills is definitely worth the time and effort. But while designing the perfect PowerPoint is one thing – and we have plenty of advice on creating a great looking presentation – the best looking slide deck in the world can crash and burn if you aren’t equipped with the skills to present it.

We’d always recommend getting yourself familiar with PowerPoint software. Not only will these skills give you that inner glow that comes when feeling more comfortable delivering presentations but these are skills to increase your value to your current and future employers and who know what doors they could open for you.

We’ve put together 5 PowerPoint hacks that will improve your delivery. You can investigate all these hacks in ‘Presenter View’. To activate this, go to  Slide show tab -> Monitors -> Use Presenter View.

Then when you change to presenter mode at the bottom of your screen…

…you will get a dashboard view on your laptop/desktop while displaying the full slide view on the output screen. The dashboard view gives you an earlier and next slide preview so you know what’s coming up and also the narrative notes for each slide. It’s really rather useful!

1) F5 to start your presentation

If you’re really prepared you are of course already in Presenter Mode and all set. Otherwise, just click on F5 and you’re good to go – it couldn’t be simpler. Presenter Mode opens up and you’re off!

2) 3 keyboard shortcuts to navigate your way through your presentation

There are lots of keyboard shortcuts to learn but, honestly, who ever does? Our brains are too cluttered remembering our ever-increasingly list of usernames and passwords without trying to squeeze in even more.

But it is worth remembering these three. They will help you move seamlessly around your presentation . Your audience won’t really be aware, or even care – but they certainly will if you don’t!

• N  – move to next slide (of course, you could just press Enter or the forward arrow)
• P  – go back to previous slide (often quicker than looking for the back arrow)
• Slide Number + Enter  – go to a specific slide (great if you know your presentation well and can take the audience to a particular piece of information, possibly even to answer a question)

3) Zoom in to focus on a particular area of your slide

On the Presenter dashboard you will see a small magnifying glass symbol in the bottom left hand corner of the current slide. Click on that to activate and a box appears which you can position over whatever you want to focus on. Click again and you zoom right in. Click on the magnifying glass icon again to zoom back out.

This is really helpful if you need even more emphasis to make your point.

4) Draw or write on your slides while presenting

Look again at that bottom left hand corner and you will see a pen symbol. If you click on that you can turn your mouse pointer into either a Pen or Highlighter. You choose. The Pen will allow you to write on the screen or perhaps underline, circle or draw arrows to draw people’s attention to particular points. It’s not the easiest thing to control so I would suggest you practice a bit if you think this is something you might want to use. The Highlighter also does just what you would expect – highlight any particular point just as you would on paper with a pen.

If you click on the pen symbol again you will see how easy it is to erase anything you’ve done.

5) Get your audience’s attention with a blank screen

If you need to refocus your audience’s attention on to you and what you’re saying, simply switch to a blank screen. You’re not competing for attention then and your audience have nothing to do but turn to you. This is a good technique to use, as John Zimmer suggests in his article Rethinking Final Slides , at the end of your talk, but indeed anywhere you need your audience to listen, and listen well.

Click  Ctrl + B  on your keyboard and they screen turns black; click Ctrl + W and the screen turns white.

Click any key on your keyboard to move back to your presentation.

Master these simple tricks and it will increase your confidence when presenting. Increase your confidence and presentation success will follow.

Please let us know if there’s any other tips that we should know. And if you want to find out about all the keyboard shortcuts available in Presenter Mode, read this article,  Look Effortlessly Expert as you Present with PowerPoint , or watch the video that goes with it.

• Latest Posts

Rosie Hoyland

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• The Only PowerPoint Templates You’ll Ever Need - 26th March 2019
• 12 Tips for the Technologically Challenged Speaker - 25th March 2019
• The Best Way to Protect Yourself from Misleading Graphs - 17th January 2019
• 3 Tips to Boost Your Confidence - 13th September 2018

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The Only PowerPoint Templates You’ll Ever Need

Anyone who has a story to tell follows the same three-act story structure to...

How to Make a Powerpoint Presentation Like a Professional?

Powerpoint presentations are ubiquitous in the modern workplace, but many people struggle to create them effectively. A poorly made presentation can distract and bore an audience, ultimately defeating the purpose of creating one in the first place. In this article, we’ll provide some tips on how to make a Powerpoint presentation like a professional, so you can create engaging and effective presentations every time.

1. Plan Your Content

Before you start creating your presentation, take some time to plan your content. Think about what you want to communicate and what key points you want to make. Consider your audience and tailor your presentation to their needs and interests. It’s also a good idea to think about the structure of your presentation and how you’ll move from one topic to another.

2. Choose a Cohesive Design

3. keep it simple, 4. use high-quality images.

Images are an important part of any Powerpoint presentation, but using low-quality images can detract from the overall impact of your presentation. Use high-quality images that are relevant to your message and help to convey your  ideas . You can find a wide variety of free images online, but be sure to check the license terms to make sure you have permission to use them.

5. Limit Text on Slides

6. use animation and transitions sparingly.

Animation and transitions can be useful tools to help your audience stay engaged with your presentation, but it’s important to use them sparingly. Too many animations or transitions can be distracting and take away from the message you’re trying to convey. Use them only when necessary and make sure they enhance your presentation rather than detract from it.

7. Practice Your Presentation

Once you’ve created your Powerpoint presentation, it’s important to practice delivering it. This will help you to become familiar with the content and ensure that you’re able to deliver it confidently and smoothly. Consider practicing in front of a mirror, recording yourself, or practicing in front of a friend or colleague.

8. Engage Your Audience

Finally, it’s important to engage your audience throughout your presentation. Consider using interactive elements such as polls or surveys to get feedback from your audience. Ask questions and encourage discussion to keep your audience engaged and interested in your presentation.

In conclusion,  creating a Powerpoint presentation  like a professional requires careful planning, cohe sive design, simple slides, high-quality images, limited use of animation and transitions, practice, and engagement with your audience. By following these tips, you’ll be able to create engaging and effective presentations that get your message across to your audience.

How to Design your PowerPoint Presentations like a Pro

PowerPoint is the ideal place to show your ideas creatively and efficiently. However, to design visually appealing slides is a challenge. You can have access to great tools to put together a presentation, but you need to prove your design skills as well. Here are a couple of tips on how to design your PowerPoint presentations like a pro.

Use transitions

Transitions are not the biggest part of the presentation. Nevertheless, they can make a positive impact on the design perspective. PowerPoint has a wide variety of transitions. There are a couple of things to remember. For example, try to use only one form of transitions because, otherwise, it will be very distracting. Also, do not overuse this option because it can become tiring for your audience.

Incorporate the text appropriately

Visuals are crucial , especially when it comes to a presentation. But you should be able to incorporate text that will win the attention of your audience. For instance, use an appropriate amount of text with an easy-to-read font. Avoid text stuffing and do not go beyond six lines of text.

Choose the right background

People should be able to read what is on the slide. Therefore, find the right contrast between the text and background color. It is natural advice that designers stick to but can also be a failure. Use simple and readable colors to achieve the desired effect.

Use relevant stock images

Some presenters do not pay much attention to the meaning behind a stock image. They tend to incorporate it into the slides only because of good quality. Meanwhile, some professionals ask help from designers or work with software to create their original images. Otherwise, if you cannot find any images that convey your message in the best way, better to not attach any.

Simple is the best

When users start using software for the first time, they want to incorporate all possible tools. Is it a wise strategy? We would say no because simple is the best. If you use something new, take it slowly and learn what fits in. Try not to make your presentation look busy because the focus should be on what you say.

To sum up, it is important to make your slides unique, functional, and proud to share. Once you learn some simple design rules you will know how to design your PowerPoint presentations like a pro. Learn every day new things and learn for life with keySkillset .

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Microsoft 365 Life Hacks > Presentations > How to work on a group presentation

How to work on a group presentation

Working in a group can be a great way to tackle complicated tasks or share unique knowledge. When it comes to illustrating your team’s results to an audience, it can be tricky to navigate how to pace your presentation and who gets to speak, among other factors. Check out these tips for how to start a presentation speech, how to conclude a group presentation, and everything in between.

How to do a group presentation

Some people thrive working in groups , while others prefer to tackle projects by themselves. Balancing all these differing personalities is one of the key skills to ensuring that your presentation goes smoothly:

Tell your story with captivating presentations

Powerpoint empowers you to develop well-designed content across all your devices

Designate roles and presenting order to team strengths

The clearest way to do set presentation roles, and the order of these roles, is to set them early in the process and based upon the strengths of your group members. Designate roles based on certain skillsets and to keep from duplicating efforts. For example, having one or two people work exclusively on designing your PowerPoint presentation can streamline the process. Depending on how long your presentation is, you can assign everyone on your team three to five slides to discuss.

The importance of practicing

In addition, it helps to rehearse your presentation multiple times to iron out any kinks and build confidence. Practice your presentation together as a group so everyone can be prepared in front of your audience. Here, communication is key, scheduling regular meetings and clearly delegating tasks ensure everyone is on the same page.

How to start a group presentation speech

Just like the rest of your presentation, it helps to have just one person speak at a time. Assign the role of introducer to someone on your team. You can also choose to designate someone as the narrator who can both start the presentation, introduce team members, and finish in the conclusion.

Ensure that they clearly state the purpose of your presentation and provide an overview of what you’ll cover. You can also start with a compelling hook or an intriguing question to grab the audience’s attention. Introduce each member of your group and their roles and expertise to establish credibility and cohesion.

How to conclude a group presentation

At the end of your presentation, it helps to summarize the key points of your presentation and reiterate your main message so that your audience can retain as much information as possible. End with a strong closing statement or call to action to leave a lasting impression on your audience. Thank them for their time and invite further discussion or questions.

Mastering the art of group presentations requires effective collaboration, enough time for preparation, and a confident delivery. Play to your group’s strengths, give everyone plenty of time to speak, and value everyone’s contributions equally. Check out more tips for how to create an effective presentation , how to make group projects go smoother , or how to connect with virtual audiences .

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