Do's and Don'ts
False, no more than 3 images!
What is the minimum and maximum number of images that should be displayed on one slide?
Minimum: 0, Maximum: 3
A presenter uses small text because it looks good on their laptop. Why might this be a problem for the audience during a presentation?
Possible answers:
- Audience sitting far away may not be able to see.
- Slides must be designed for visibility at the back of a room.
Why should each slide focus on one main idea?
Possible answers:
- Helps the audience understand the message quickly.
- Too many ideas can confuse the audience.
True or False: Knowing how to make a slides presentation is only useful for higher education (CEGEP and/or university).
Explain your rationale.
FALSE, this is a useful skill in:
- High school classes (projects, group work)
- Workplace (team meetings, proposals, training, or client presentations)
- Workshops or conferences
- Community organizations
- Online content
- Personal projects
Name one font type that is recommended for a slide.
Answers may vary: Arial, Calibri, Verdana
Why should slides include visuals such as images, charts, or diagrams?
Visuals keep the audience engaged and increase comprehension of the subject matter.
- If the audience is disconnected from the example, the relatability levels decrease.
- Good example should engage most of the audience.
A presenter places important information in the bottom corner of a slide. Why might this reduce clarity?
Possible answers:
- The audience may not notice it immediately.
- Key information should be easy to see.
Why might a slide be an effective tool to use during an oral presentation?
Possible answers:
- Helps organize information
- More entertaining for the audience
- Keeps a logical flow
You have 15 bullet points on a slide. Share two problems that this creates.
Answers may vary:
- Overwhelming
- Hard to follow
- Main ideas get lost
A student includes a pie chart in their slide, but never explains it to the audience. What opportunity is being missed?
Possible answers: Missing the opportunity to explain key information, the audience may not understand what the chart is trying to demonstrate...etc.
A slide contains a lot of technical vocabulary that the audience may not understand. Why could this weaken the presentation?
Possible answers:
- The audience might not understand the key ideas being presented.
- Might lose focus or become confused by unfamiliar terms.
- The main message of the presentation might be missed.
A slide contains three different ideas with no headings or subtitles. Why might this make the presentation harder to follow?
Possible answers:
- The audience may struggle to understand how ideas connect.
- Clear headings organize information logically.
During a presentation, the audience asks questions out of order, disrupting the planned sequence. How does prior experience creating slides equip the student to adapt effectively?
Possible answers:
- Flexible Thinking
- Dynamic communication skills in unpredictable settings
A slide uses a dark red font on a dark blue background. Identify the problem and correct it.
Use high-contrast colors (dark text on a light background)
A presenter uses a visual that conflicts with the message they are explaining. Why may this confuse the audience?
Possible answers: The audience may receive two messages at once, creating confusion about the slide's main point. The audience might focus on the visual rather than the explanation, etc.
A presenter fills slides with information because they fear forgetting what to say. Why can this create problems for the audience?
Possible answers:
- The slide is too crowded with text.
- The audience may focus on reading instead of listening to the speaker.
- Slides should support the speaker, and not act as a script.
A slide shows a colourful map with icons representing data, but there is no legend (a visual explanation of the symbols). What problem might this cause? How can it be solved?
Solution: Add a clear legend indicating the crucial details.
A student learns the power of editing and re-editing slides for their school presentations. How does this long-term habit help them beyond school?
Possible answers:
- Builds attention to detail
- The practice of revising work
- Qualitative over quantitative
Scenario: A student is presenting statistics about social media use. Their slide contains a large chart with 10 categories, labels smushed underneath, and a paragraph summarizing the information. What problems might the audience face when viewing this slide? Suggest two ways to improve the clarity of the information.
Possible answers: Simplify the chart (only show what is most important), increase and properly space the labels for the people sitting in the back, and replace the paragraph with bullet points.
Scenario: One slide about population growth includes:
A large photo of a crowded city, a line graph showing population increase, a pie chart showing population growth by region, and a small map of the world.
What visual design problems might the audience experience, and how could this slide be improved?
Possible answers:
- Too many visuals competing for attention.
- No clear focal point
- Hard to know where to look first.
- One main visual or create additional slides to include multiple variations
Scenario: A presenter designs slides for their own understanding of the topic, not for someone seeing the information for the first time. Why is this a common mistake when creating presentations?
Possible answers:
- Presenters understand their topic well, so they assume their audience does too.
- May exclude information or skip explanations.
- Harder for the audience to follow
Scenario: A slide uses 6 arrows to connect a sequence of steps, but many overlap, cross other shapes, and are hard to follow. The presenter thinks this looks artistic. Why might this confuse the audience, and what is the solution?
- It becomes increasingly difficult for the audience to follow the sequence.
Improvement: Redraw connections clearly, maintain a logical flow. Focus solely on this information (no other main ideas)
Scenario: A student who learned slide design in school is asked to present to a community organization. There's no projector, so they'll have to speak without slides. How does their training still benefit them in this case?
Possible answers:
- Skills in organizing and prioritizing information.
- Knowledge of how to structure ideas logically.
- Builds critical thinking habits