7 rules for creating quality slides for a presentation

Do not overload the slide with text

This is the most important rule that freshmen very often break. You shouldn't try to fit all the information you find on a slide; it's better to add only the main talking points and put one or two illustrations. Firstly, because a large amount of text makes the listener read it rather than listen to your speech. Secondly, “canvasses” of text on a slide are considered a sign of poor preparation and inability to select only important information. Third, it's much easier to find a mistake on such slides.

Don't make a show out of a presentation

Different animations to transition from slide to slide, gifs, cartoon pictures, or too bright a template — this is not something you should put in an academic presentation. You're talking about something important; you don't want to distract your audience with irrelevant elements.

Insert links to sources

It used to be less important, but nowadays the rules about plagiarism are much stricter. If you used a definition from Wikipedia or a quote from a website, put the link at the bottom of the slide. Not only will you avoid potential copyright issues, but you'll show your professionalism.

Use a consistent style for your illustrations

This isn't a strict rule, but we recommend that you use images that go with each other. For example, you can use icons or special illustrations from one series that you can find online. This will give your presentation a cohesive and unified style.

Don't use a light font on a dark background

Remember that your slides should be done in such a way that they can be seen even from the back of the audience. Writing in white or light yellow on a black or dark gray background — is not a good idea. It's best to use a tried-and-true classic: black on white.

Use alignment and formatting

When the header on each slide is at a different level or the text is noticeably shifted to one side, you can conclude that the student did not approach the task professionally and made the presentation hastily. Make sure the blocks of information and pictures are aligned and the headers are always at the same level.

Do not read from slides

This rule is more about defending than preparing the slides themselves, but we found it to be very important. In order to successfully defend your presentation at university, you must show that you have analyzed and researched a lot of information without violating the rule about having a lot of text on a slide. That's why it's important to show that you've prepared, and have different information to present orally and on screen.

Good luck! We're sure you'll do great!