Clear, concise, and easy to read,
your audience will understand
the message of this graph at a
glance.
This 3D graph should be avoided.
Adding a third dimension to a graph with
only two variables is much too
complicated for your audience.
Top Ten Ways to Ruin a Presentation
By Megan Lappi, Gettyworks
Your presentation is a reflection of you. Is it conveying the right message, or just making you
look bad?
Using the right visual elements in your presentation can be a powerful way to enhance your
message. Adding the wrong visual elements or too many of them can easily ruin what
you have to say. Every element in your presentation should complement your message, not
compete with it. So do yourself a favor and don't follow these tips!
1. Use boring images.
Use too many images, images that are too small, or mediocre images with not enough visual
punch. Poor visuals will not only distract your audience, they will also detract from your
message and make you look less professional. Make sure the images you choose suit your
identity and the message you want to convey.
2. Give them tons to read.
As a rule, if it's on-screen, they'll read it from start to finish. So, think about introducing
each new bullet with a mouse click. This cuts down on the amount of information they'll be
introduced to at one time and helps you to explain your point before the audience can make
any prejudgments. Outline your points briefly and effectively on each slide using short
phrases and sentences no more than five bullets per page and five words per bullet.
3. Use complicated graphs and tables.
If they have to spend more than about ten seconds trying to decipher your graph or chart, it's
too complicated! A quick scan of your creation should give the audience an easy
understanding of what you're trying to explain. Make all on-screen elements as simple to
understand as possible.
4. Pack too much visual information onto each slide.
Too much information will overwhelm the audience and distract them from the message. For
maximum impact, keep the number of visual elements down to three per page. For example,
on one slide, you might include four bulleted points, a headline, and one graphic. Above all,
go for simplicity.
5. Choose colors that convey the wrong message.
It may be tempting to combine colors wildly, especially with so many to choose from. But
different colors convey different meanings. Do you know what they are? Make sure your
color choices are simple. It's best to stick to two or three colors per presentation not per
slide. For maximum impact, use the same color combinations in all of your marketing
materials.