This document provides guidance on improving the legibility of PowerPoint presentations. It discusses introducing bullet points one at a time to keep audiences focused, using color and formatting to distinguish different types of information, and presenting text in a graphical way to help tell the story rather than just listing information. The document advocates treating PowerPoint more like a film to engage audiences rather than just listing bulleted information. It directs readers to another resource for further tips on splitting slides to improve presentations.

1. • PART
BAN
the BULLET
An Irreverent Guide to Producing
Presentations that Get Results
Alan Hoffman ▪ The Mission Group ▪ San Diego, California ▪ alan@missionconsult.com
© 2013 by The Mission Group. All Rights Reserved.
3

2. “The Prince of PowerPoint,
Alan Hoffman, wields his
laptop like a sword – or a
magic wand.”
— Nationally-recognized columnist
Richard Louv, San Diego Union-
Tribune, June 13, 2004.

3. In lesson #2, we learned
to expand our graphics.
In this lesson (#3), we’ll focus
on improving legibility.

4. Ensure Legibility
2 PRESENTATIONS WITH IMPACT
Avoid
Bulleted
Lists
1 Expand
Your
Graphics
2
Ensure
Legibility
3
4
Split Your
Slides
5
Explain
Everything
3

5. Ensure Legibility
3
PRESENTATIONS WITH IMPACT
Conditions that Currently Exist Future Conditions
1. Everyone wants the enterprise to
Ensure Legibility.
succeed
2. Stock price is generally holding
steady
3. Strong management team garners
employee respect
4. Employees buy into core mission: it’s
not just a job
5. Most employees:
a. Enjoy the catered lunches
b. Put in extra hours
c. Believe senior management is
open to new ideas
d. Enjoy writing in numbered lists
6. Market leadership in several
industries
7. Women and minorities report no glass
ceiling limiting their advancement.
1. Rapid changes in technology will make virtually all
our products obsolete within three years
2. Economic uncertainty threatens operations in
southern Europe
3. Korean factories under threat of destruction
4. New hires lack advanced math skills
5. Aging of senior management team means
likelihood of total turnover within next five years
6. Use of small text in PowerPoints threatens
legibility and causes eye strain for readers,
making them less friendly toward the organization
and its core values
7. New smartphone apps sell for much less than
older software offerings, cutting steeply into
projected profits
8. Sequestration of government funding adversely
affects our public sector business model
Small text +
Lots of it =
Slogfest
Lack of
headers =
Hard to
digest

6. Let’s take the first column,
“Conditions that Currently Exist,”
and build from that.

7. Ensure Legibility
Disposition
Everyone wants the
enterprise to succeed.
Value
Stock price is generally
holding steady.
Attitude
Strong management team
garners employee respect.
Buy-In
Employees buy into core
mission: it’s not just a job.
Morale
Most employees:
▪ Enjoy the catered lunches;
▪ Put in extra hours;
▪ Believe senior management
is open to new ideas;
▪ Enjoy writing in numbered lists.
Leadership
Market leadership
in several industries.
Diversity
Women & minorities report no
glass ceiling limiting their
advancement.
11
22
33
44
55
66
77
Current Conditions
Introducing
items one
at a time
aids in
keeping
your
audience
focused
and
interested.

8. Ensure Legibility
Disposition
Everyone wants the
enterprise to succeed.
Value
Stock price is generally
holding steady.
Attitude
Strong management team
garners employee respect.
Buy-In
Employees buy into core
mission: it’s not just a job.
Morale
Most employees:
▪ Enjoy the catered lunches;
▪ Put in extra hours;
▪ Believe senior management
is open to new ideas;
▪ Enjoy writing in numbered lists.
Leadership
Market leadership
in several industries.
Diversity
Women & minorities report no
glass ceiling limiting their
advancement.
22
33
44
55
66
77
Current Conditions
Introducing
items one
at a time
aids in
keeping
your
audience
focused
and
interested.

9. Ensure Legibility
Disposition
Everyone wants the
enterprise to succeed.
Value
Stock price is generally
holding steady.
Attitude
Strong management team
garners employee respect.
Buy-In
Employees buy into core
mission: it’s not just a job.
Morale
Most employees:
▪ Enjoy the catered lunches;
▪ Put in extra hours;
▪ Believe senior management
is open to new ideas;
▪ Enjoy writing in numbered lists.
Leadership
Market leadership
in several industries.
Diversity
Women & minorities report no
glass ceiling limiting their
advancement.
33
44
55
66
77
Current Conditions
Introducing
items one
at a time
aids in
keeping
your
audience
focused
and
interested.

10. Ensure Legibility
Disposition
Everyone wants the
enterprise to succeed.
Value
Stock price is generally
holding steady.
Attitude
Strong management team
garners employee respect.
Buy-In
Employees buy into core
mission: it’s not just a job.
Morale
Most employees:
▪ Enjoy the catered lunches;
▪ Put in extra hours;
▪ Believe senior management
is open to new ideas;
▪ Enjoy writing in numbered lists.
Leadership
Market leadership
in several industries.
Diversity
Women & minorities report no
glass ceiling limiting their
advancement.
44
55
66
77
Current Conditions
Introducing
items one
at a time
aids in
keeping
your
audience
focused
and
interested.

11. Ensure Legibility
Disposition
Everyone wants the
enterprise to succeed.
Value
Stock price is generally
holding steady.
Attitude
Strong management team
garners employee respect.
Buy-In
Employees buy into core
mission: it’s not just a job.
Morale
Most employees:
▪ Enjoy the catered lunches;
55
▪ Put in extra hours;
▪ Believe senior management
is open to new ideas;
▪ Enjoy writing in numbered lists.
Leadership
Market leadership
in several industries.
66
77
Diversity
Women & minorities report no
glass ceiling limiting their
advancement.
Current Conditions
Introducing
items one
at a time
aids in
keeping
your
audience
focused
and
interested.

12. Ensure Legibility
Disposition
Everyone wants the
enterprise to succeed.
Value
Stock price is generally
holding steady.
Attitude
Strong management team
garners employee respect.
Buy-In
Employees buy into core
mission: it’s not just a job.
Morale
Most employees:
▪ Enjoy the catered lunches;
▪ Put in extra hours;
▪ Believe senior management
is open to new ideas;
▪ Enjoy writing in numbered lists.
Leadership
Market leadership
in several industries.
66
77
Diversity
Women & minorities report no
glass ceiling limiting their
advancement.
Current Conditions
Introducing
items one
at a time
aids in
keeping
your
audience
focused
and
interested.

13. Ensure Legibility
Disposition
Everyone wants the
enterprise to succeed.
Value
Stock price is generally
holding steady.
Attitude
Strong management team
garners employee respect.
Buy-In
Employees buy into core
mission: it’s not just a job.
Morale
Most employees:
▪ Enjoy the catered lunches;
▪ Put in extra hours;
▪ Believe senior management
is open to new ideas;
▪ Enjoy writing in numbered lists.
Leadership
Market leadership
in several industries.
Diversity
Women & minorities report no
glass ceiling 77
limiting their
advancement.
Current Conditions
Introducing
items one
at a time
aids in
keeping
your
audience
focused
and
interested.

14. Ensure Legibility
Disposition
Everyone wants the
enterprise to succeed.
Value
Stock price is generally
holding steady.
Attitude
Strong management team
garners employee respect.
Buy-In
Employees buy into core
mission: it’s not just a job.
Morale
Most employees:
▪ Enjoy the catered lunches;
▪ Put in extra hours;
▪ Believe senior management
is open to new ideas;
▪ Enjoy writing in numbered lists.
Leadership
Market leadership
in several industries.
Diversity
Women & minorities report no
glass ceiling limiting their
advancement.
Current Conditions
Introducing
items one
at a time
aids in
keeping
your
audience
focused
and
interested.

15. Ensure Legibility
Disposition
Everyone wants the
enterprise to succeed.
Value
Stock price is generally
holding steady.
Attitude
Strong management team
garners employee respect.
Buy-In
Employees buy into core
mission: it’s not just a job.
Morale
Most employees:
▪ Enjoy the catered lunches;
▪ Put in extra hours;
▪ Believe senior management
is open to new ideas;
▪ Enjoy writing in numbered lists.
Leadership
Market leadership
in several industries.
Diversity
Women & minorities report no
glass ceiling limiting their
advancement.
Current Conditions
Color can
also be
used to
distinguish
items and
keep visual
interest.

16. Another option is to use
“information panels.”

17. Ensure Legibility
Info panels PRESENTATIONS WITH IMPACT
help break
down lots of
information.
Disposition
Value
Attitude
Buy-In
Morale
Leadership
Diversity
3
Current Conditions

18. Ensure Legibility
PRESENTATIONS WITH IMPACT
Disposition
Value
Attitude
Buy-In
Morale
Leadership
Diversity
3
Everyone wants
the enterprise
to succeed.
Current Conditions

19. Ensure Legibility
PRESENTATIONS WITH IMPACT
Disposition
Value
Attitude
Buy-In
Morale
Leadership
Diversity
3
Stock price is generally
holding steady with
respect to competitors.
Current Conditions

20. Ensure Legibility
PRESENTATIONS WITH IMPACT
Disposition
Value
Attitude
Buy-In
Morale
Leadership
Diversity
3
Strong management
team garners
employee respect.
Current Conditions

21. PRESENTATIONS WITH IMPACT
% of employees who agree or
strongly agree that “I personally
share my company’s mission.”
Average
among our
competitors
Employees buy
into core mission:
it’s not just a job.
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Ensure Legibility
Disposition
Value
Attitude
Buy-In
Morale
Leadership
Diversity
3
Current Conditions
Our
score

22. PRESENTATIONS WITH IMPACT
MOST EMPLOYEES:
Enjoy the
catered lunches
Ensure Legibility
Disposition
Value
Attitude
Buy-In
Morale
Leadership
Diversity
3
Current Conditions

23. Ensure Legibility
PRESENTATIONS WITH IMPACT
Disposition
Value
Attitude
Buy-In
Morale
Leadership
Diversity
3
MOST EMPLOYEES:
Put in
extra hours
Current Conditions
John Smith,
Sales Star

24. Ensure Legibility
PRESENTATIONS WITH IMPACT
Disposition
Value
Attitude
Buy-In
Morale
Leadership
Diversity
3
SSVVPP KKeevviinn BBuurrkkee
IInnnnoovvaattiioonn CChhaammppiioonn
MOST EMPLOYEES:
Believe senior
management is
open to new ideas
Current Conditions

25. Ensure Legibility
PRESENTATIONS WITH IMPACT
Disposition
Value
Attitude
Buy-In
Morale
Leadership
Diversity
3
Report to the Committee
1. Introduction: sales and new products.
2. Third quarter sales results met
projections, though September sales
were lower than expected.
3. Fourth quarter projections are for sales
growth of 3% compared to Q4 last year.
4. Sales growth is expected to be driven by
a slowly-improving economy and two new
products that outpace our competitors’
offerings.
MOST EMPLOYEES:
Enjoy writing in
numbered lists
Current Conditions
A little
humor (just
a little)… to
make sure
you’re still
paying
attention.

26. Ensure Legibility
PRESENTATIONS WITH IMPACT
Disposition
Value
Attitude
Buy-In
Morale
Leadership
Diversity
3
Market Leadership
in Sales and Early
Adoption
Current Conditions

27. Ensure Legibility
PRESENTATIONS WITH IMPACT
Disposition
Value
Attitude
Buy-In
Morale
Leadership
Diversity
3
No limits to
advancement.
“Oh, I
see you’ve
decided against
the glass
ceil ings.”
Current Conditions

28. Improving an
impossible slide.

29. Ensure Legibility
Difficult to PRESENTATIONS WITH IMPACT
read, not
compelling,
IInnttrroodduuccttiioonn
and mixes
important
with less
vital
information.
TTrraannssppoorrttaattiioonn rreesseeaarrcchh iinn ccoollllaabboorraattiioonn wwiitthh tthhee
RReeggiioonnaall MMuunniicciippaalliittyy ooff OOttttaawwaa--CCaarrlleettoonn ((nnooww
CCiittyy ooff OOttttaawwaa))
RReeggiioonnaall ooffffiicciiaall ppllaann::
FFoolllloowwss ttrraannssiitt ffiirrsstt ppoolliiccyy
RReedduuccee ccaarr ddeeppeennddeennccee
IInnccrreeaassee ooppppoorrttuunniittyy ffoorr ccaarr ppooooll ttrraannssiitt
TToo ddeeccrreeaassee aauuttoo mmooddaall sshhaarree ffrroomm 8800%% ttoo 7733%%
IInnccrreeaassee ttrraannssiitt mmooddaall sshhaarree ffrroomm 1144%% ttoo 2200%%
RRMMOOCC hhaass ddeevveellooppeedd mmooddeell ttoo ssiimmuullaattee aanndd
pprreeddiicctt aauuttoo aanndd ttrraannssiitt ddeemmaannddss
3

30. Ensure Legibility
We begin 3
by
introducing
the subject.

31. Ensure Legibility
3
Regional
Transportation
Plan Regional Municipality
of Ottawa-Carleton
City of Ottawa
We can
then show
our
response to
the
situation.
TRA NSI T
FI RST!

32. Ensure Legibility
We then 3 GOALS:
AUTO MODAL SHARE TRANSIT MODAL SHARE
focus on
the goals…
the
challenge
to be
achieved.

33. Ensure Legibility
GOALS:
2005
2025
–– 99%%
80% 73%
AUTO MODAL SHARE TRANSIT MODAL SHARE
We then 3
focus on
the goals…
the
challenge
to be
achieved.

34. Ensure Legibility
GOALS:
2005
2025
–– 99%% ++ 4433%%
2005
2025
80% 73% 14% 20%
AUTO MODAL SHARE TRANSIT MODAL SHARE
We then 3
focus on
the goals…
the
challenge
to be
achieved.

35. Ensure Legibility
So we developed a detailed model
to simulate and predict
auto and transit demand.
We can 3
then show
how our
product—its
model—
comes to
the rescue.
The graphic
gives an
idea as to
the
complexity
of the
model.

36. Even with “just text,”
graphical treatment
can help tell your story.

37. Ensure Legibility
3
PRESENTATIONS WITH IMPACT
PowerPoint:
Bulleted Lists
or
Film-Like Medium
of Communication?
The text is
small and
lacking
impact.

38. Ensure Legibility
3
PRESENTATIONS WITH IMPACT
PowerPoint:
Bulleted Lists
or
Film-Like Medium
of Communication?
Even larger
text doesn’t
make the
point well.

39. Ensure Legibility
3
PRESENTATIONS WITH IMPACT
PowerPoint:
Bulleted Lists
or
Film-Like Medium
of Communication?
Make it
bolder—still
doesn’t
make the
point well.

40. Ensure Legibility
3
PRESENTATIONS WITH IMPACT
Bulleted Lists
— or —
Film-Like Medium
of Communication?
Here, the
way the text
is displayed
helps
convey the
message of
the text
itself.

41. Be sure to check out Lesson 4:
Split Your Slides.
Available at:
www.slideshare.net/TheMissionGroup/
improving-your-powerpoint-presentations-pt-4

42. Clarity, focus,
and visual interest
→ success.

43. Do you need to take
your presentations
to the next level?
We can help!
Workshops Consulting Design

44. Clarity, focus, and visual interest
Thank
You!
= success.
Alan Hoffman
“The Prince of PowerPoint”
alan@missionconsult.com (619) 232-1776