Slide Design for Academic Presentations

Slides are a visual aid — not a script. Good slide design helps your audience:

• Follow your key points easily.
• Focus on what you are saying — not trying to read a wall of text.
• Understand data, diagrams, and key visuals clearly.
• Stay engaged without being overwhelmed.

Poor slide design can:

• Make your presentation harder to follow.
• Cause accessibility problems — for example, text too small to read.
• Look unprofessional — damaging the clarity of your work.

• Too much text. Filling slides with full sentences or paragraphs makes them hard to read — and encourages you to read from the slide instead of presenting.
• Tiny text. If your audience can’t read it, it’s not useful. Body text should usually be at least 24pt, and headings even larger.
• Poor contrast. Using pale text on a pale background (or dark on dark) makes content hard to read — especially for visually impaired audiences.
• No slide titles. Slides without clear titles make it harder for your audience to follow — and harder for you to stay organised.
• Inconsistent formatting. Changing fonts, sizes, or colours between slides makes your presentation look messy and unprofessional.
• Cluttered slides. Overloading with too many images, diagrams, or blocks of text can overwhelm the audience.
• Low-quality images. Blurry or pixelated images look unprofessional and distract from your message.
• Distracting animations or transitions. Overusing flashy effects can confuse or distract the audience from your key points.

• Keep text minimal — aim for short bullet points, not full sentences or paragraphs.
• Use large, readable fonts — minimum 24pt for body text and 32pt+ for headings.
• Check colour contrast — dark text on a light background or light text on a dark background.
• Structure your slides — use clear headings and logical order (one key idea per slide).
• Use high-quality visuals — diagrams, charts, or images that support your message.
• Use white space — don’t overcrowd your slide. Empty space helps focus attention.

• Apply a slide layout
• Use the Slide Master to create consistent formatting
• Change the slide size (widescreen or standard)
• Add and format text boxes
• Finding and using images – Library Services guide
• Add and format pictures in PowerPoint
• Use the Accessibility Checker

• Keep it simple. Aim for clean layouts with plenty of space. Avoid cluttering slides with too much text or too many graphics.
• Use slide titles. Every slide should have a clear, descriptive title — this helps with navigation, accessibility, and audience understanding.
• Limit text. Slides are not scripts. Use bullet points, key phrases, or single sentences — not full paragraphs.
• Choose readable fonts. Use clear, sans-serif fonts like Arial or Calibri. Avoid decorative fonts. Make sure text is large enough to be readable from a distance (usually minimum 24pt for body text, larger for headings).
• Check contrast. Use dark text on a light background or light text on a dark background. Poor colour contrast makes slides hard to read and harms accessibility.
• Use consistent layouts. Apply the same font sizes, colours, and alignments throughout. Use PowerPoint’s slide layouts or Slide Master to help with consistency.
• Use images carefully. Images should support your point — not just decorate. Make sure they are high quality, not pixelated. If you are not sure where to find copyright-free images, see our guide to Finding and Using Images
• Avoid distracting transitions or animations. Keep focus on your content, not flashy effects.