Creating Presentations that aren't Garbage

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Engagement is subjective. 

Don't think about that sentence too much, just blur your brain and pretend it doesn't breakdown under grammatical scrutiny. 

Different people become engaged by different types of presentations. 

Much more descriptive...but less catchy like a noisy fisherman. 

Through witnessing a vast array of speakers over the years, I have taken note of what engages me. What bothers me, what annoys me, and what just feels a little off. It's like when I edit a video...if it feels strange while I'm editing it, it is strange. 

I've had a chance to try and fail and try and be mediocre and try again with my own presentations. Over the years I've accumulated a few quick tips for creating a little more engaging presentation. 

Enough chit-chat, gimme the tips. 

Fine. Here goes: 

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  1. Keep it Simple - too much clutter per slide is going to make it look more like scrapbooking than presenting. 2 chunks of content and a header are the max per slide. 
  2. Limit Animations - I don't wanna feel like I'm witnessing a boring version of a Saturday morning cartoon. Hear that Nick, Jr!!!
  3. Use Decent Graphics - Say NO to clipart. Find a decent pic or meme or gif or just leave the text. Let Clippy the Microsoft Word paperclip retire in piece (and don't use Word either, but that's a story for another day). 
  4. Mix it up - Keep the audience guessing. If they can predict your next slide, they're going to start making sure Facebook is still in business. 
  5. Don't Write a Novel - What is this, a school for ants??? My favorite quote I made up about this so imma make it bold: If you're reading off the slide, then the audience doesn't need you. 
  6. Use Clean Fonts - Google recommendation: Montserrat. Or just anything besides something that looks handwritten(ish). 
  7. Keep it Short - Sounds redundant because of #1, but it's directed toward the amount of time you're on a slide. Hit 'em with the facts, then move on. Unless you're telling a story and moving around the room, that slide needs to move. It's like a brain reset. 

That's what I've got. 

Here's one of the YouTube Education presentations I do to give you an idea. WARNING: Some of the short/simple slides won't make sense by itself, but that's why I'm there to explain and/or tell a story during it! 

Thanks for making it this far. You the real MVP. 

Did I miss any? 

:)

Tyler