PowerPoint Design Tips

In a recent training session that addressed the PowerPoint design tip, I was asked, “Should I use complete sentences or bulleted keywords on PowerPoint slides?”

My response was: “When I design my PowerPoint slides I sometimes use a complete sentence if I am providing the definition of a term or concept at the beginning of a session, and I want to ensure that everyone is on the same page with a concept or definition.

Based on learning style preference, some people (visual learners and kinesthetic learners) like to take notes, so I take that approach for them. In my opinion, a full definition like that is also useful if someone wants to refer back to it or share it with someone else later. Typically, with the slide on the screen, I paraphrase the concept rather than reading it verbatim (this is for the auditory learners)”.

PowerPoint Design Tips by The Creative Trainer

This approach is more of my personal preference. Also, I would not use complete sentences on every slide in a presentation since I do not want participants to spend all their time writing long sentences while I continue to deliver content.

In most training sessions, I also provide workbooks or handouts with the bulleted concepts at the beginning of the program and allow people to take notes on that during the session.

For additional PowerPoint presentation tips and ideas for effectively designing and delivering training events for adult learners, please check out these publications:

For over four decades my passion for training adults and helping employees maximize their knowledge and skills and reach their full potential has been a driving force for me professionally.

Throughout my career, I’ve designed, developed and delivered hundreds of training programs for organizations and as public workshops, taught classes at the undergraduate and graduate level, and consulted with organizations and individuals on learning and performance issues. I have also owned and managed three successful businesses focused on learning and performance and consulting.

Along the way, I’ve written twenty-four successful workplace topics/self-help books that have been translated into multiple languages. I have also contributed to thirteen compilation books, written hundreds of articles and participant guides for training videos, and shared my knowledge with thousands of readers through newsletters, speeches, and four blogs.

As an internationally-known award-winning author and talent development consultant I have traveled to, and worked in, over seventy countries and geographic regions. These adventures have been thoroughly enjoyable and educational as I have interacted with people and cultures from around the world. My experience as an internal and external talent development professional and performance consultant has provided me with wonderful experiences that I get to share with my trainees, audiences, and readers.

Specialties: Brain-based/Creative Training Techniques, Train-the-Trainer, adult learning, interpersonal communication, supervisory/management skills, customer service, writing, and publishing.

Flip Chart Use – 4 Creative Tips for Trainers, Presenters, and Educators

Flip charts have been a highly visible, value-demonstrated visual aid for presenting information in training sessions, businesses, social organizations, schools, and religious institutions for decades. Facilitators, educators, managers, trainers, and others involved in gathering and delivering information in group settings have come to rely on the flip chart as a low-tech reliable tool. It is inexpensive and highly versatile in its usage. Creative Tips for Trainers blog article should help you a lot.

Here are four simple strategies for increasing your effectiveness when using flip charts:

1) To draw large even circles on your flip chart pages when you do not have a protractor handy — modify a standard wooden ruler or yard/meter stick.

Simply drill small holes at incremental points (i.e. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 inches or centimeters) in your ruler or yard/meter stick and then place it over your paper.

Next, insert a stick pin, like the ones used to secure the paper to bulletin or cork boards, through the first hole in the ruler or yard/meter stick to secure it to the point you wish to be the center of your circle.

Finally, place the sharp point of a pencil through the hole at the size of the circle you desire (i.e. six inches/centimeters) and rotate the ruler or yardstick around in a fluid motion to draw your circle.

2) To reduce wear and damage to your pre-drawn flip charts page try permanently mounting a three-inch strip of masking or painters tape (two-inches in length) horizontally on the back of each page in all four corners.

You can then put a rolled piece of tape on top of each of these whenever you need to use the page and tape it to the wall.

This decreases the chance of ripping a page by removing tape directly from the back after using it.

3) In a training or brainstorming session when someone offers an issue, idea, expectation, concern or whatever that is not part of the planned agenda, create a flip chart entitled Important Issues on the spot.

Tell learners the person offering the information that while their item is important and of concern, it is crucial to get through the planned agenda before addressing extra issues. Also, explain that if time permits at the end of the session you will revisit items on the sheet. If that is not possible, tell them you will either meet privately or schedule another meeting to address the items, as appropriate.

This approach recognizes the importance of identifying and capturing issues of interest to participants without sacrificing valuable program time or getting off track.

4) Use pertinent photos, drawings, or cartoons of people to your flip chart pages in order to support or complement the text on the sheet. Select images that tie into the theme or topic of your session or meeting.

When positioning your images, position them so that the person is facing or looking toward the text. This subtle technique is more visually appealing since the figure seems to be looking at what you wrote.

For additional creative ideas for designing, preparing, using, transporting, and storing flip charts, get a copy of The Big Book of Flip Charts: A Comprehensive Guide for Presenters, Trainers, and Meeting Facilitators.