Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine // Education // Faculty Resources // Developing a Memorable Presentation

Developing a Memorable Presentation

Be Engaging. Include content that grabs your audience’s attention early. Interesting facts or images, a reflective question, or a short video clip can work well to hold your audience’s focus. Memorable moments within a presentation can help learners recall your talk above others.
- Incorporating knowledge check-in multiple choice questions or survey questions is a great way to keep your audience engaged.
Plan Your Time. Plan no more than 1 slide per minute (excluding intro slides, slides that are strictly photographs, and slides that can be covered quickly).
Ensure Readability. Use large enough font (24 to 32 pt.).
- Be inclusive with your PowerPoint. Color choices, color contrast, and clarifying terms will help ensure that individuals with visual challenges understand the points you are trying to emphasize. Due to color blindness, however, green and red may not be the best colors for emphasizing points.
  Learn more here: https://www.brightcarbon.com/blog/optimising-presentations-for-people-with-colour-blindness/
Simplify. Slides should be as simple and uncluttered as possible. Do not feel compelled to fill all the white space. Make sure the text on the slide is used to highlight the main point of the slide. Additional guidelines include:
- Single point per line
- < 6 words per line
- < 6 lines per slide
- < 30 words per slide
- Tables: max 6 rows, 6 columns
- Avoid busy graphics or tables
- Build ideas and transitions
- Include summary/take-home points per concept
Use Visuals. To enhance learning, use images or diagrams instead of text whenever possible. Infographics and high-quality images are best. Avoid clip art. Ensure you have attained appropriate copyright permissions.
Limit Transitions and Animations. Allow your words to keep the audience engaged.
Define all abbreviations.
Include both U.S. and Standard International (SI) units for test values/measurements.
Cite references for figures, charts, or graphs obtained from literature or websites.
Close with a slide on the “Key Take-Aways.” What are the main ideas that you want attendees to remember from your presentation? These should be different from the learning objectives.