Sunday, August 29, 2010

Document Design

The layout and the content are the two most important elements in creating a good power point presentation. Power point presentations are used in almost everywhere, schools, universities, working places, meetings, etc. It is important to know how to create a good document to deliver your message across effectively.

First, the writing (content) determines to your audience your understanding of the subject discussed. A good piece of writing should not contain symbolic or hidden interpretations but instead should be direct and straight to the point (Rothman, 2005). This is to prevent information loss and difference of interpretation from the audience. The words and the structure used must be simple, visible and easy to read (Marquez, 2010).

The layout of the slides are relatively important as well as - the way we organize our slides, the colours and text we use, visual aids, number of slides, et cetera (Russel, n.d). A wisely chosen image or diagram can enable better understanding to the audience, rather than over-using texts (Microsoft.com, n.d). It is very important to utilize the images, appropriately. Over-using images can be distracting and can cause failure in delivering the messages across. Slides filled with excessive text can be dull as well. Another major mistake that most presenter does is reading out exactly what is prepared on the slides. It is considered a major mistake because that is not presenting but just simply reading out loud (Russell, n.d).

Well-prepared slides do not necessarily guarantee a good presentation. The speaker (presenter) plays an important role as well; speaking clearly, staying focus, as well as providing opportunities for interactions with the audience (Marquez, 2010). Interactions can allow the audience to be more interested to the subject and therefore are more likely to understand the intended message.
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Reference
12 tips for creating better presentations, Microsoft at work, viewed 29 August 2010, http://www.microsoft.com/atwork/skills/presentations.aspx.

Marquez, Z 2010, How to make a good powerpoint presentation, Ezine Articles, viewed 29 August 2010, http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Make-a-Good-PowerPoint-Presentation&id=4313178.

Rothman, S 2005, What makes good scientific and technical writing, Associated Content, viewed 29 August 2010, http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/9447/what_makes_good_scientific_and_technical.html?cat=4.

Russell, W n.d, 10 Tips for creating successful business presentations, About.com, viewed 29 August 2010, http://presentationsoft.about.com/od/powerpointinbusiness/tp/bus_pres_tips.htm.

Russell, W n.d, Presentation mistakes - 10 most common presentation mistakes, About.com, viewed 29 August 2010, http://presentationsoft.about.com/od/presentationmistakes/tp/080722_presentation_mistakes.htm.

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