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Guidelines for Presentation Design

Guidelines for Presentation Design

SQA DAYS / 39 · GUIDELINES FOR PRESENTATION DESIGN

The guidelines are grouped by topic so you can quickly find what you need: layout, readability, content, media and final checklist.

Download materials Start self-checking Final checklist

Accepted presentation file types

PPTPPTXPDF

Quick check before submission

The conference logo is on every slide
Slides are in 16:9 format
Text is at least 18 pt.
Screenshots are cropped and have no error underlines
The final slide contains the key conclusions and QR code for questions and discussions

18+recommendations

16:9screen format

18 ptminimum text size

Presentation preparation materials

ZIP / PNG / PDF

Conference logos

An archive with logos for use on slides. PNG with a transparent background or a PDF version is recommended.

Download logos

PPTX / 16:9

Presentation template

The ready-made template helps preserve the visual style, the correct screen format and a place for the conference logo.

Download template

What to check

A short list of the key checkpoints before submitting your presentation.

01Logo and template 02Readability 03Structure 04Code and media 05File format

Detailed recommendations

Branding and layout

Conference logo, template, headings, and screen format.

Logo and template

Every slide must include the conference logo.
Use the logo as a PDF or a PNG with a transparent background.
Use the ready-made presentation template where appropriate.

Headings

Every slide should have a clear heading.
Do not put a full stop at the end of a heading.

Screen format

Create the presentation in 16:9 format so that it displays correctly on screen.

Slide readability

Fonts, contrast, colours, and visibility from the room.

Fonts

Use standard fonts, for example Arial.
The minimum text size is 18 pt.
Non-standard fonts may display incorrectly after conversion.

Contrast and colours

The text must be easy to read from the screen.
Avoid black text on a lilac background and other low-contrast combinations.
Avoid soft pastel colours, such as light pink.

Slide workspace

Make full use of the slide area: images and diagrams should be enlarged to use the available space.
Where possible, place key content in the upper three quarters of the slide, as the lower part of the screen is often less visible from the back rows.

Content and structure

Terms, numbers, units of measurement and the final slide.

English terminology

Do not overuse English terminology: too much of it usually makes the talk harder to follow.

Units of measurement

For m² or m³, use superscript: Format → Font → Superscript.

Number formatting

Where possible, shorten large numbers: for example, write RUB 40k rather than RUB 40,000.

Final slide

Use the final slide for the essentials: key conclusions, the main idea or the practical outcome of the talk.

Code, screenshots, and media

Code snippets, screenshots, video, and animations.

Code formatting

Use the separate recommendations for formatting code in presentations.

Screenshots

Before adding a screenshot, check the text for errors so that red or green underlines are not left in the image.
Crop any unnecessary elements, such as toolbars, menus, and empty background areas. Make sure that the screenshot do not contain personal data. All names and photo on the screenshots must be blurred.

Animations

Do not overload the presentation with animations.
Use the same animation effect for slide transitions.

Video and GIFs

Try to avoid embedded videos: they quickly increase the file size and make the presentation harder to work with.
Use an animated GIF if you need a dynamic example.

Final checks and formats

Spelling, terminology, ethics and accepted file formats.

Text check

Check the spelling of names, authors of methods and specialised terms.
Use the built-in spelling and punctuation checker.

Ethics

Do not use obscene language on slides or in the accompanying talk.

Office suite versions

Presentations may be prepared in any office suite (e.g. MS Office, OpenOffice, LibreOffice), but keep in mind “Accepted file formats”.

File formats

Accepted formats: PPT, PPTX, PDF.
Presentations in Prezi and Keynote are not allowed.

Final checklist

Before submitting the presentation, go through these points one more time.

The conference logo is on every slide
Slides are in 16:9 format
Text is at least 18 pt.
Screenshots are cropped and have no error underlines
The final slide contains the key conclusions
The final slide contains a QR code for questions and discussions (will be sent by organisers)

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