Table of Contents
Effective powerpoint checklist: is your powerpoint good.
I’ve been working with a number of presenters to help them develop more effective, engaging presentations for upcoming conference or training sessions. While PowerPoint should never be the focal point of a presentation, effective slide design is important for those presenters who choose to use PowerPoint in their sessions.
To help presenters determine whether their slides are any good, I put together the Effective PowerPoint Checklist to help them perform a self-assessment.
Definition of an Effective PowerPoint Deck
I don’t know that there’s any one, universal definition for “good” PowerPoint design , but I think “good” slides have several things in common:
- They’re visually attractive.
- They’re easy to read.
- They don’t distract from the presenter or the presentation.
In the spirit of these three characteristics, here is the aforementioned checklist (and you can download a PDF of the Effective PowerPoint Checklist ):
What’s missing from the Effective PowerPoint Checklist? I’d love to hear any suggestions in the comment section.
Brian Washburn
Brian has over 25 years of experience in Learning & Development including the last 7 as CEO of Endurance Learning.
Brian is always available to chat about learning & development and to talk about whether Endurance Learning can be your training team’s “extra set of hands”.
See author's posts
Articles Similar to Effective PowerPoint Checklist: Is Your PowerPoint Good?
Trainer’s Approach to Effective PowerPoint
At Endurance Learning we talk a lot about the appropriate use of PowerPoint. This conversation with Mike Parkinson gets into how to create engaging and effective PowerPoint presentation.
Training-themed Valentines for Your Favorite L&D Colleagues (2020 Edition)
Small gestures can make a big difference. These Valentines can help keep you and your training team front of mind around your organization.
A Presentation Is Not…
A friend recently asked for some help giving a presentation to a board. She was doing this outside of work, and I love a good
Wrapping Things Up
There are several ways to address bandwidth needs, but one of the cheapest ways is to find ways to optimize work processes.
Making Your PowerPoint Slides Effective
There are too many poor PowerPoint presentations out there, which is why making just a few tweaks to your own deck can keep your audience on the edge of their seats.
When PowerPoint and Adult Learning Collide
Want more effective slides? Align them with key principles of adult learning theory.
Subscribe to Get Updates from Endurance Learning
Brian Washburn CEO & Chief Ideas Guy
Enter your information below and we’ll send you the latest updates from our blog. Thanks for following!
Find Your L&D Career Path
Explore the range of careers to understand what role might be a good fit for your L&D career.
Enter your email below and we’ll send you the PDF of the What’s Possible in L&D Worksheet .
Let's Talk Training!
Enter your information below and we’ll get back to you soon.
Download the Feedback Lesson Plan
Enter your email below and we’ll send you the lesson plan as a PDF.
Download the Microsoft Word Job Aid Template
Enter your email below and we’ll send you the Word version of this template.
Download the Free Lesson Plan Template!
Enter your email below and we’ll send you a Word document that you can start using today!
Download the Training Materials Checklist
Enter your email below and we’ll send you the PDF of the Training Materials Checklist.
Subscribe to Endurance Learning for updates
Get regular updates from the Endurance Learning team.
- SUGGESTED TOPICS
- The Magazine
- Newsletters
- Managing Yourself
- Managing Teams
- Work-life Balance
- The Big Idea
- Data & Visuals
- Reading Lists
- Case Selections
- HBR Learning
- Topic Feeds
- Account Settings
- Email Preferences
What It Takes to Give a Great Presentation
- Carmine Gallo
Five tips to set yourself apart.
Never underestimate the power of great communication. It can help you land the job of your dreams, attract investors to back your idea, or elevate your stature within your organization. But while there are plenty of good speakers in the world, you can set yourself apart out by being the person who can deliver something great over and over. Here are a few tips for business professionals who want to move from being good speakers to great ones: be concise (the fewer words, the better); never use bullet points (photos and images paired together are more memorable); don’t underestimate the power of your voice (raise and lower it for emphasis); give your audience something extra (unexpected moments will grab their attention); rehearse (the best speakers are the best because they practice — a lot).
I was sitting across the table from a Silicon Valley CEO who had pioneered a technology that touches many of our lives — the flash memory that stores data on smartphones, digital cameras, and computers. He was a frequent guest on CNBC and had been delivering business presentations for at least 20 years before we met. And yet, the CEO wanted to sharpen his public speaking skills.
- Carmine Gallo is a Harvard University instructor, keynote speaker, and author of 10 books translated into 40 languages. Gallo is the author of The Bezos Blueprint: Communication Secrets of the World’s Greatest Salesman (St. Martin’s Press).
Partner Center
IMAGES