One Point per Slide

Are you still creating PowerPoint slides with lots of bullets and text? This 4-min. video will revolutionize how you create presentations. You'll see a makeover, step-by-step, that gets rid of a distracting background and turns a boring, bulleted slide into a clear, image-rich presentation. For more tips, go to http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• PowerPoint
• presentations
• presenting
• bullets
• images
• tips
• Ellen Finkelstein

[ellenfinkl]

Ah, you mean the 3rd slide. They are employees. It explains that premiums are based on claims from the employees, rather than the community or a medical exam. So I show a group of employees. The topic is difficult and abstract for most people, so I think that the images (including that one) help people both understand and remember the point. What happens is people think back and remember the picture and then they can remember the point. If it's just text, most people can't remember.

[jenniw333]

And I would add "Do NOT read the slide!" Lots of text usually means the information should be in the speaker notes, not on the slide...

[ellenfinkl]

@jenniw333 Yes, but when you put it up there, people can't help but read it. So you're right, it's the presenter's responsibility to put the text in the notes and not on the slide.

[VonTrousers]

Good start, but the photo of the four people on the final slide (the "circle of diversity") doesn't add anything to the presentation. If the photo doesn't amplify or clarify your point, leave it out.

[jenniw333]

@ellenfinkl Agree!

[ellenfinkl]

Great that you're doing research, no matter how small. It's good to test these things. Just like people do market research to see which words convert best.

[nzpers]

Thanks again.

You've added another element - presenter>text>pix! Interesting.

Right top - yes, I was quoting from the reasearch on printed page but wondering whether it applies to ppt also.

I had run a small experiment: text (list) placed in which gets recalled better and the result was Top right fin full followed by top two items in all other quadrants.

[ellenfinkl]

No supporting research, but there's a tradition of standing to the left of a slide, so people look at you first and then the slide, left to right. I don't agree-makes more sense to me to let people look at slide first and then listen to presenter. Top-right sounds more applicable to a printed page, perhaps because on right-facing pages, you turn the page from there & because near the spine is harder to get to (you have to force the magazine, let's say, wide open). What do you think?

[nzpers]

Thanks Ellen again for responding. This is getting interesting!

I agree you dont ppt if u r not having any need for a visual. My short point was not every slide need to have a visual invariably. The very fact of not having one can grab attention and break the 'monotony' if I may call it so!

I had read long back that the right top is where the eye naturally lands and hence ads are positioned there. But you have a different theory. Any supporting research?

[ellenfinkl]

I felt the visuals would help people remember unfamiliar, technical concepts, like "community rated." To me, if you don't need a visual, you don't need a slide. I've seen slides with just words (Lessig's presentations), but he uses words as images, I think.

I wanted people to read the text first and then look at the picture to help understand the concept. Most people go from left to right. However, I've done the opposite for presentations where I wanted the image to have the most impact.