The document discusses how to create more effective PowerPoint presentations by reducing excessive information on slides. It notes that people can only process around 5-7 pieces of information at a time. The document analyzes a sample slide that contains over 15 individual pieces of data, text, images and formatting. It then provides suggestions to simplify slides by removing logos, titles, unnecessary text and spreading content over multiple focused slides to keep the audience engaged.

1. Here’s a way to keep your
audience from falling asleep.

2. Look at a typical PowerPoint
slide like this one.

3. Title of this slide
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Series 3
Series 2
Series 1
This is the text
 important point 1
 another important thing
 really important!
Things I want to say
 point 4
 point 5
 point 6
 point 7
 point 8
X Y Z C o m p a n y , s i n c e 1 9 8 4 !
LOGO

4. Cognitive scientists say
that most people can only
process around 5 to 7
pieces of information at
one time.

5. More than that, they start
getting confused.

6. Title of this slide
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Series 3
Series 2
Series 1
This is the text
 important point 1
 another important thing
 really important!
Things I want to say
 point 4
 point 5
 point 6
 point 7
 point 8
X Y Z C o m p a n y , s i n c e 1 9 8 4 !
LOGO

7. How much information is
on that typical slide?

8. Let’s count.

10. 6 large elements:
1. The title
2. The graph
3. Big bullet 1
4. Big bullet 2
5. The company name
6. The company logo

12. 6 smaller elements:
1. The labels on the x-axis
2. The labels on the y-axis
3. The labels on the colors
4. The bars on the graph
5. The 3 bullets under big point 1
6. The 5 bullets under big point 2

13. There are 5 kinds of color.

14. Title of this slide
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Series 3
Series 2
Series 1
This is the text
 important point 1
 another important thing
 really important!
Things I want to say
 point 4
 point 5
 point 6
 point 7
 point 8
X Y Z C o m p a n y , s i n c e 1 9 8 4 !
LOGO

15. There are 5 different fonts
and one emphasized text.

16. Title of this slide
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Series 3
Series 2
Series 1
This is the text
 important point 1
 another important thing
 really important!
Things I want to say
 point 4
 point 5
 point 6
 point 7
 point 8
X Y Z C o m p a n y , s i n c e 1 9 8 4 !
LOGO

17. And there is a mixture of
shapes (bullets, logo, bars
on graph, etc.)

18. Title of this slide
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Series 3
Series 2
Series 1
This is the text
 important point 1
 another important thing
 really important!
Things I want to say
 point 4
 point 5
 point 6
 point 7
 point 8
X Y Z C o m p a n y , s i n c e 1 9 8 4 !
LOGO

19. You can count as well as I can.
Way more than 7 pieces of
information.

20. No wonder audiences
are getting confused
and falling asleep.

21. What to do?

22. Remove the logo and the
company name.
You showed them at the beginning, you’ll
show them at the end, they’re on your
handouts and your business cards, and
you were introduced. It’s just extra
information at this point.

23. 0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Series 3
Series 2
Series 1
Title of this slide
This is the text
 important point 1
 another important thing
 really important!
Things I want to say
 point 4
 point 5
 point 6
 point 7
 point 8

24. Remove the title.

25. 0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Series 3
Series 2
Series 1
This is the text
 important point 1
 another important thing
 really important!
Things I want to say
 point 4
 point 5
 point 6
 point 7
 point 8

26. Make a title slide.
If you feel it is necessary to have a
title, make a title slide.
Then get on to the content.

27. Title of this section

28. 0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Series 3
Series 2
Series 1
This is the text
 important point 1
 another important thing
 really important!
Things I want to say
 point 4
 point 5
 point 6
 point 7
 point 8

29. Remove some of the bullets.
Why are the bullet points there?
If you really want the audience to read
them, then keep them.
If they are for the presenter to read,
well,
write them on a notecard…

30. 0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Series 3
Series 2
Series 1
This is the text
 important point 1
 another important thing
 really important!

31. Put the graph on its own
slide.
If you are talking about the graph,
then talk about the graph.
Make it big enough for everyone to see.
Make it clear.
What is important about the graph?
Explain it with no distractions.

32. 0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Category 1 Category 2 Category 3 Category 4
Series 3
Series 2
Series 1

33. Give the graph a title.
Otherwise, people get confused.

34. 0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Category 1 Category 2 Category 3 Category 4
Series 3
Series 2
Series 1
title of the graph

35. Put the bullets on their own slide.
Make the text large enough to read from the back
of the room.
Remember that we can really only comfortably
process 5 things at a time. Make sure there are
never too many points.
Group them in an understandable way.

36. • This is the text
• important point 1
• another important thing
• really important!

37. Change to an easy font.
Sans serif fonts can be read easily from far.
They also work better with weaker beamers or
when there is too much light in the room.

38. This is the text
• important point 1
• another important thing
• really important!

39. Keep the audience with you.
Put the bullet points on a series of slides so
that they appear when you are ready to talk
about them.

40. This is the text

41. This is the text
important point 1

42. This is the text
important point 1
another important thing

43. This is the text
important point 1
another important thing
really important!

44. The idea is to communicate,
rather than to confuse.

45. So,

46. The next time you see this on
your screen.

47. Title of this slide
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Series 3
Series 2
Series 1
This is the text
 important point 1
 another important thing
 really important!
Things I want to say
 point 4
 point 5
 point 6
 point 7
 point 8
X Y Z C o m p a n y , s i n c e 1 9 8 4 !
LOGO

48. Please change it.

49. Or, you could just pass out
pillows and blankets in order
to help your audience sleep
better.