Can anyone give me easy tips on how to make a half decent PowerPoint?

[OhioOhioOhio]

I'm crap at technology.

Use one of the templates.

See if there are any walkthrough videos on YouTube.

Practise on one slide and use the action buttons to see how you can jazz it up a bit.

Use the templates.

Simple designs, good quality, interesting imagery

Don’t overdo it. Use animation sparingly.

Don’t fill the page with words, less is more in most cases and where possible use graphs and infographics to demonstrate your point. Don’t write what you’re going to say on the slides - use the bullet points as memory triggers.

One page per minute of your presentation max.

Don’t over do the jazz. Words pinging around the page, swooping in from left and right and all over the place makes it look muddled and confusing.

Pick three colours max and use them as a theme. It gives your presentation cohesion.

If appropriate, use and embedded short video clip, especially if it’s a long presentation - breaks things up a bit.

Good luck

Make sure nothing you write is smaller than 18 points minimum - that's the smallest legible size if you're any distance away.

Limit what you write - keep written content to aides memoire for your spoken presentation unless using a quotation from a source. No more than 3 bullet points per slide.

Think hard about images to use and how you shape/frame them. Don't use any images that are out of focus when blown up. Don't use clip art.

Don't use too many animations - they slow you down too much and mean you have to click too often. Get a remote clicker to move the slides on so you don't have to hover over the laptop.

As a PP said, use a template - the new ones are pretty good. The new version should give you layout/design suggestions.

Get a pen and two pieces of paper.

Page 1 is where you map out your story. Think about your audience: what do they need to know?

Split the page into three sections- a beginning where you tell them what you're going to tell them. A middle where you tell them. And an end where you tell them what you've told them.

Fill the sections in per above but think carefully about how to make your content engaging and memorable. I usually use stories that I tell while showing pictures then have summary slides that have words on them. Try to avoid bulleted lists.

Then use page two to map out what you want each slide to look like.

Then you just have to make the slides. You can use the embedded templates in .ppt or there are loads on the web. Nick a design from someone whose PowerPoint is good and then make changes to it.

General style guide:

Avoid too many bullets
If you want people to listen and not read then use animation to control what they can see at any one time (but keep it simple, nothing needs to bounce or twist) but you'll need a clicker when you present it.
Use consistent colours throughout - less is more.
Use "align" and "distribute" commands to get everything to line up, either with the edge of the slide it with other elements.

Remember that the content and story are the purpose of the exercise.

Good luck.

Use PowerPoint wizard - -I think it's still called that.

Keep it simple. Stick to one font in a size that can be read by the audience. And bullet point. Don't use ms clip art, it's grim.

Rope in any child over the age of about nine!

My kids do all my PowerPoint presentations usually for the price of a bar of chocolate!!

Make sure nothing you write is smaller than 18 points minimum - that's the smallest legible size if you're any distance away

I would say 24 point as a minimum but I guess it depends on the size of room you’re working in. 24 is my minimum in an average sized classroom.

Find a half decent powerpoint online (about anything) , save It, edit it to suit your content. Change a few colours etc

Check carefully for embarrassing typos that the spell check will miss e.g. pubic instead of public - been there!

Less is more.
Look at the TED talks - and see how they present.
Consistent look

28 is the recommendation on size in teaching, yellow background. Use a template, then click on Insert-new slide for more. Click on text box to insert text.

If you want something less boring than a PowerPoint, use Prezzi.

Watching with interest ...