This infographic gives you 24 very concrete and practical tips and tricks for designing PowerPoint slides that are both accessible and easy to understand. Going through these will take you less than 6 minutes and save you lots of time afterwards in the process of creating good teaching and learning slides.
Some examples of its recommendations include using a built-in slide layout or a template to maintain a linear and logical presentation sequence. Each slide should have a unique title, and it’s recommended to use layout boxes for titles and text. The document suggests choosing a sans serif font such as Arial, Inter, or Verdana and using it consistently throughout the presentation. For readability, it recommends a minimum font size of 24 for text, 28 for sub-headings, and 36 in bold for headings. In terms of formatting and color use, the guide advises avoiding italics or all caps for emphasis, suggesting bold text instead. It also recommends not using color alone to communicate information and avoiding red and green colors as they can be difficult to differentiate. Hyperlink text should be underlined instead of colored. For legibility, the guide recommends avoiding background images and effects. A cream-colored background is preferable to a pure white one to ensure good legibility. Additionally, there should be sufficient contrast between the background slide color and the text.
It furthermore emphasizes the importance of having relevant headings for each slide and avoiding large blocks of text. The content should be limited in amount per slide, using plain language and only widely recognized abbreviations. Every slide should feature a title for clarity. In structuring the presentation, it suggests using keywords instead of complete sentences and recommends the use of bullet points and lists, ensuring punctuation follows each item. It also advises against splitting words across two lines. When it comes to visuals, the guide recommends using images that enhance understanding, suggesting JPEG format for insertion. It advises against using complex charts or tables unless they are going to be thoroughly explained. Hyperlinks should be marked with meaningful language, avoiding nondescriptive phrases like ‘link’ or ‘click me’. The guide also suggests avoiding unnecessary animations and ensuring that any multimedia used is captioned for accessibility.
(The document directs readers to the Copenhagen Business School’s Teaching & Learning website for more information on accessibility.)
