Tips for PowerPoint Presentations Looking to make your presentations easy? We have you covered!

10/20/30 Rule

10 Slides.

• It can be difficult for audiences to understand 

more than ten concepts during a presentation.

20 Minutes or less.

(depending on the presentation, this may vary)

• Plan your time according to how much time 

you will need on each slide. 20 minutes is 

suggested, as it leaves enough time for 

discussion and Q&A. For longer presentations - 

plan to stop every 20 minutes for Q&A over the 

covered material.

30-point size type.

• The average and recommended type size for 

accessibility purposes is size 16 type. By using a 

larger font type the author can make it easier 

for audiences to read the slides.

Make it Engaging

Visual Bullets.

• Use different lines, shapes and spacing to 

separate content.

Columns.

• Create two columns of text for slides with lots of 

text.

Chunking.

• Organize content into groups - show this 

visually within the slides.

Picturization.

• Images allow the audience to connect an idea 

with the text.

Iconify.

• Icons take up less space and minimize clutter.

Backgrounding. (using images and slide 

designs)

• A great way to set the scene of the content.

Use Tables & Columns to Split Content.

• Create a clean and organized space.

Use Central Figures.

• A visual element that summarizes the main 

idea.

Layout Shaping.

• Use graphics to show content as a whole.

Roadmapping.

• Show direction, flow, and order through a 

journey.

555 Rule

5 words on a single line.

• Ensure the text is clear and concise and that the 

audience can be more focused on the speaker 

than the slide.

5 lines of text on a single slide.

• Stick to one idea per slide to help the viewers 

internalize more of the shared information.

5 slides that apply to the first two rules. (no 

more than)

• Look for ways to vary the content on the slides

Top Tips Don’t let PowerPoint scare you.

• Microsoft PowerPoint has many tools - use them.

Create custom slides BUT keep it simple.

• Slides shouldn’t be the star of the show - 

presentations are to be supportive with visual 

information, graphics, and supplemental points.

Write text with the audience members in mind.

• Type can show brand personality and 

professionalism. Simple serif and sans-serif fonts 

work best.

Use “Format Object” to better control designs.

• Formatting menus allow adjustments to slides.

Take advantage of what PowerPoint has to 

offer.

• PowerPoint tools have advanced - make your 

presentation unique and visually appealing.

Try using GIFs.

• GIFs are animated images that can 

communicate moods, ideas, information, and 

more. They are also a way to add some humor to 

a presentation.

Use presenter view.

• Within presenter view there is an area for notes, 

a timer, and a presentation display of what the 

audience is seeing.

References:

PowerPoint Best Practices

The 555 Rule

PowerPoint Design Tricks

Transform PowerPoint Slides into Engaging Presentations

This project was supported in part by grant number 90PPNU0002 from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human 

Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects with government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and 

conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL policy.