PowerPoint Design Tips: The Complete Guide

Tap a tip for a more detailed explanation.

One message per slide

Rather than cramming too much onto a single slide, focusing on one core message makes it much easier for the audience to follow along.

Keep text to a minimum

Instead of writing out full sentences, organize slides around key words and phrases, and deliver the detailed explanation verbally.

Limit yourself to two fonts or fewer

Mixing too many typefaces can look cluttered, so limiting font choices to roughly one for headings and one for body text keeps things clean.

Use high-quality images

Blurry or pixelated images can undercut your overall credibility, so it is best to use high-resolution images whenever possible.

Keep a consistent color palette

Sticking to a limited palette of three or four colors throughout a presentation gives it a cohesive, professional feel.

Visualize data with charts and graphs

A chart or graph conveys the meaning of data far more intuitively than a table full of raw numbers.

Leave enough white space

Rather than filling a slide edge to edge with elements, leaving appropriate white space helps important content stand out more.

Great content loses impact if the design is cluttered

No matter how strong your content is, a complex, cluttered slide can break the audience’s focus. Following just a few basic principles can make a presentation look far more professional and persuasive.

Curious about video call etiquette too?

If you will be presenting over video, the video call etiquette guide is worth checking out as well.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it okay to use a lot of animation effects on slides?

Excessive animation tends to feel distracting rather than helpful, so it is more effective to use it sparingly, reserved for emphasizing a specific point.

What is an appropriate font size for presentation slides?

To stay readable from the back of a room, a minimum of 28pt for titles and 20pt for body text is a commonly recommended baseline.