Presentation and slide shows

The January issue of The Editorial Eye looked at effective presentations, or decks, as they're called in Ottawa. It advises writers to answer the same questions they must ask of any writing project. Who will attend? What is the message? What are we trying to achieve?

It also suggested some useful design tips.

• Use only four or five main points per screen, with a maximum of 40 characters per item. (Another rule is "7 by 7": seven main points, seven words each.)
• Avoid punctuation. Semi-colons may be grammatically right for bullet points, but they add clutter.
• Use the "build" feature to bring in points one at a time. This way, audiences won't read ahead.
• Remember that a presentation is also a speech. Good speeches are written to move forward. Don't refer to previous material in presentations, either.
• Review frequently. This helps audiences track your progress through complex data.
• Put detail on handouts.
• Be careful with colour. Too much colour can distract from your text.
• Convert tables to charts.

Cornerstone is a writing and editing firm that uses marketing and PR principles to create "words you can build your business on."

Call us from anywhere in the world for rush work.

Click here to exit.