How to create presentation slides up to 5 times faster

Ever struggled to create powerful slides for your presentations? Don’t worry, we've all been there! That’s why we've put together a few tips to help you worry less and deliver more.

PowerPoint is the most popular presentation software worldwide, used everywhere from corporate board rooms to university classrooms, so what better than to maximize its potential? After all, there are plenty of time-saving features that can help you make slides up to five times faster, helping you out with your tight schedule. 

1. Use PowerPoint Designer 

Not sure how to arrange your content? Create stunning slides in seconds with PowerPoint Designer. First, make sure you’ve got the right version of Office and that it’s turned on in Settings. Pickit works seamlessly with Designer and in just a couple of clicks you can create amazing layouts. Insert an image and choose from the selection of suggested design ideas. Simple as that.

2. Use large enough font sizes

Pay attention to your choice of font. When creating a presentation, have in mind both the font size and the font type. Try to use no more than two different fonts in your presentation, and make sure they flow well with each other and don't clash or distract.

• Font size Why is it so important when creating a presentation? The font needs to be large enough to read from across the room. The size most commonly used for text body is  28+, a font less than 24-point is used when adding explanatory text, where you could use a 20-point font size. Use at least 30+ size for headlines to be sure they're easy to read. 
• Font type Choose a font that’s easy to read, ex: Myriad Pro, Lucida Console, Tahoma, Helvetica, Calibri, Gil Sans, Futura, Century Gothic. For example, Gil Sans works well for headings and Tahoma for the text. 

3. Less is more, so keep it simple

Use an unexpected photo or clipart image that catches people off guard. Or why not try a few unpredictable ingredients that can help keep people’s attention and make your PowerPoint more dynamic and engaging?

• Include only one idea or message per slide
• Stick to three to five bullets at a time
• Use no more than five elements per slide

"91% of people feel that a well-designed slide deck would make them feel more             
confident when giving a presentation."

4. Use engaging images for impact

Want to quickly improve a tired slide deck? Make your images larger and reduce the quantity of text. Images should be chosen carefully to reinforce your message. We know our brain can process images up to 60,000 times faster than text, and using a large image gets your point across quickly, without being a distraction. And a shortlist of brief bullets will help your audience follow your argument. 

See more: Why even "non-creative" people need to use quality presentation images

5. Try the 10/20/30 rule 

There's no universal laws when it comes to slide count and time, but many people agree that Guy Kawasaki's 10/20/30 rule is a good benchmark. The rule suggests that PowerPoint presentations should ideally have 10 slides, last no more than 20 minutes, and contain no font smaller than 30-point. For an engaging and meaningful session try the following:

• 10 slides According to Guy, this the optimal number of slides in a PowerPoint presentation because a normal human being can't be expected to comprehend more than 10 concepts in a short meeting. Sometimes you might need a few extra slides, but don't go adding them unless you need to. There's no need to use filler slides if they don't add value to your presentation.

• 20 minutes On average, spend around 2 minutes per slide. Make sure you're aware of your time slot. Even if the setup goes perfectly, people will arrive late and have to leave early. In a perfect world, you should be able to give your pitch within 20 minutes, and have 10-20 minutes left for questions and discussion. This way you'll make sure that you're fully engaging with your audience.

• 30 font size Surprises in headlines work because the human brain is stimulated by the unexpected. These prove to be far more stimulating and grab our attention much quicker than things we know well.

Go ahead! Check it out and let us know what works best for you. Is the 10/20/30 rule the magic ingredient that will save the day for you? Or is it the images found in our award-winning app for PowerPoint?