Presentation skills form an essential part of office administration in Kenya, where professionals regularly communicate ideas, project updates, and business proposals to diverse audiences. Effective presentations enhance clarity, engagement, and persuasion, which are vital in environments such as county government offices, banks, and educational institutions. Mastery of presentation slide requirements and design principles ensures that an office administrator can deliver information in a professional and visually appealing manner, strengthening organizational communication and decision-making.

12.1 Presentation slide requirements

Slides support the speaker; they do not replace the speech. A good slide can be read at a glance from the back of the room, carries one main idea, and looks consistent with the other slides. Four requirements decide whether slides are readable: the font, the font size, the colours and the amount and kind of text. Consistency matters throughout: the same fonts, sizes and colours on every slide, best achieved by setting them once in the theme or slide master.

Other slide requirements

• One idea per slide: each slide carries one main point, with a clear title stating it.
• Simple, relevant visuals: pictures, charts and diagrams that explain the point, not decoration.
• White space: do not fill every part of the slide.
• Slide size: 16:9 widescreen for most modern projectors and screens (Design, Slide Size).
• Accessibility: alternative text for pictures when slides are shared, and colours that remain distinguishable to people with colour vision deficiency.

12.1.1 Font

Use plain, clear sans-serif fonts such as Calibri, Arial, Aptos or Segoe UI, which read well on screens and projectors. Use no more than two fonts in a presentation (one for titles, one for body text), and avoid decorative or script fonts, which are hard to read at a distance. Use bold for emphasis rather than underlining or many capitals; text in full capitals is slower to read. If the presentation will be shown on another computer, use common fonts (or embed the fonts when saving) so the layout does not change.

12.1.2 Font size

Text must be readable from the back of the room. As a guide:

If text has to be made smaller than this to fit, there is too much text on the slide: split it into two slides or move detail to a handout.

12.1.3 Color

Colour should help reading and show structure, not distract.

• Use strong contrast between text and background: dark text on a light background, or light text on a dark background.
• Use a limited, consistent colour scheme, ideally the organisation's colours or the theme's colours.
• Avoid red and green together for meaning, since they are hard to tell apart for many people with colour vision deficiency.
• Avoid busy or patterned backgrounds behind text.
• Check the slides on the actual projector if possible: colours often look paler when projected.

12.1.4 Text

• Keep text short: key words and phrases, not full paragraphs. A common guide is no more than about six bullet points of about six words each.
• Give every slide a clear, informative title.
• Use parallel wording in bullet lists and keep one level of bullets where possible.
• Check spelling and grammar (Review, Spelling).
• Put the detail in the speaker's notes (the Notes pane) or a handout rather than on the slide.
• Never read the slides aloud word for word: the slide shows the point and the speaker explains it.

Chapter Summary

This chapter explored the essential requirements for creating effective presentation slides, focusing on appropriate font choices, font sizes, color schemes, and clear, concise text to enhance readability and audience engagement. It then examined the selection and customization of design themes and slide layouts, including how to apply themes to existing slides, choose layouts for new slides, and reset or tailor layouts to suit specific presentation needs. The preparation of work-related presentations emphasized understanding the audience, thorough planning, anticipating potential questions, and techniques for managing presentation anxiety. The chapter also discussed the ethical considerations of manipulating presentations through emotional appeal, the use of negative emotions, imposing terms, and presenting biased information. Finally, it addressed practical aspects of printing presentation slides, ensuring that hard copies are clear and professional for distribution or reference during presentations. Together, these topics equip learners with the skills to design, deliver, and manage presentations effectively in professional settings.