How to Prepare a PowerPoint Presentation for Map History

A Guide to PowerPoint (etc.) for Graphic-Heavy Presentations in Map (and Art) History

Summary: images of maps (etc.) are integral to any argument in map history, so should be emphasized in slides; use slides to stay focused on the argument

images

• PowerPoint is great for showing images; maximize their use!

• show images as large on the slide as possible, with lots of pixels, but not with so many that the software baulks and breaks (my rule of thumb is each image should be a JPEG at ~1.5–2mb)

• use details as relevant, especially of large images

• give basic information about the imaged work

• keep on screen long enough to be comprehended by viewers

design

• stay simple and consistent

• nothing flashy or different that will distract the audience

• do not use transitions between or complex animations within slides

• design for the medium: slides look different on monitors (in a Zoom meeting) than when projected on screens (in in-person presentations)

text

• PowerPoint is utterly tedious when there is lots of text,

• therefore, limit to short informative titles, captions, bullet-point lists, quotations, indications of presentation progress

• use type consistently: use a sans serif typeface, generally 14pt and larger

Rationale

A few months ago, the digital educator Tessa Davis @TessaRDavis tweeted a thread offering 9 basic rules for PowerPoint (or Apple’s Keynote, LibreOffice’s Impress, Google Slides, etc.) that will preclude problems that might otherwise “destroy your presentation.” I mostly agree with the rules, and they serve as a useful guide, even though they were written for generic, sales-pitch presenters with text-heavy, bullet-point slideshows that are aimed more at emphasizing the presenter than the material itself. Because Twitter is about to implode, I provide all of Davis’s rules as an appendix to this post.

But, from a map historical perspective, I have to reject the ninth slide and the logic underpinning part of the first. So, I thought it might be useful to summarize what I have learned over the years, mostly as tips although with a few fairly hard-and-fast rules, for the benefit of people who do image-heavy academic presentations.

Design is an iterative cycle of learning, reflection, and doing. So, keep on learning and refining informative and effective presentations!

Reminder: this is an approach designed for people presenting an argument in an academic setting that relies on the presentation of graphic images.

Designing Presentations about Graphic Works is a Different Process than Creating Slides to Go with Spoken Words

I should first explain my reaction to Davis’s first and last rules, as doing so will make clear where I come from, aesthetically and pedagogically. Both of her primary rules feature three sub-rules.

For the first rule, I absolutely endorse the first sub-rule, disagree with the second, and reject the third:

Rule #1: Don’t read text out from your slides.

The slides aren’t your script. They aren’t your notes.

When your audience has to process multiple sources of info, learning is more difficult.

no * Instead, allow the audience to focus on YOU.

YES! Do not read your slides; the slides are not your script.

NO! The purpose of an academic presentation is to make an argument that your audience can follow. Your presence—your brand—is only a distraction to that argument. The presentation needs to push and clarify your argument, not you.

ALSO, people can in fact look at a simple image and listen to spoken words at the same time; it is not an either/or situation.

I do not, personally, endorse any part of the ninth rule:

Rule #9: Create your slides as the last step, not the first.

no * It’s tempting to start our presentation planning by designing our slides first.

no * Instead, leave this task till the very end.

no * The slides should be the finishing touch, not the main event.

When talking about maps or works of art, it is essential to have a clear sense of how spoken words pair with the images being shown, and for how long you need to keep an image on the screen if viewers are going to appreciate them properly. A good presentation in map (and art) history must develop the graphic and verbal components of the presentation together. Polishing the slides might wait until the end of the preparation process, but the time to craft PowerPoint slides is at the same time as you are writing/outlining the presentation.

In this respect, I agree somewhat with the first sub-rule of rule nine, in that you shouldn’t design the slides first and then do your presentation, but the slides are never the “finishing touch”: the presentation slides are as much a part of the main event as the spoken words that go with them, and they need to be fully integrated.

The goal of an academic presentation in map history (or art history, etc.) is to create a multi-media event, of spoken words and slides that work together in harmony, and that do not run along separate or even divergent lines.

Making an Effective Presentation

(1) Know Your Technology

Always bear in mind how your slide presentation will be viewed, whether projected in a lecture hall or classroom, or displayed on a computer monitor.

If projected, then also know the kind of projector that will be used. Two kinds of projector are widely in use, and they throw projections with different aspect ratios. (Aspect ratio is the ratio of height to width) One should use the appropriate slide shape to make best use of the projector:

a) older, VGA-connected projectors have a 4:3 aspect ratio (the horizontal base of the slide is 4/3 longer than the vertical side), reflecting the almost-square computer monitors of the period; slides should be designed with a 4:3 aspect ratio to maximize the projected image;

b) newer, HDMI-connected projectors have a 16:9 aspect ratio, in line with the wider computer monitors now almost universally used; slides need to be 16:9 in shape to maximize the projected image.

Therefore, before working on the presentation, use file|page setup (in PowerPoint) to set the correct aspect ratio for the slides.

Note that a few institutions have custom technology, such as arrays of high-resolution monitors, that possess different aspect ratios; they will likely require the use of image files with many more pixels than a regular classroom projector. If so, the institution should inform speakers of basic shape and other requirements ahead of time.

By contrast, if the presentation will be viewed over Zoom or another system in which the presenter is also shown in a small window, then it is important to take into account the reduced screen size. The presentation is automatically scaled to fit the usable portion of the screen (i.e., monitor screen less the side area for presenter). Maximal use of the available space, without unprojected bands above and below the slide, suggests slides with a seemingly old-fashioned 4:3 aspect ratio:

Projection versus on-monitor display also affects colors, etc. For example, a bright red on a black background is very visible on monitors, but not when projected onto a screen. (I learned this the hard way!)

(2) Good Design is Transparent

This is a fundamental principle of much modern design: the viewer should not be distracted by elements of the design. Instead, good design focuses the viewer’s attention on the content and the argument. The best design is invisible and the viewer should be unaware that there ever was a design process. Yet it is surprising how often people forget this basic principle and instead call attention to the medium being used. Forget the medium: focus on the message!

Some of my students have told me that other teachers, including university faculty, have encouraged them to use all the bells and whistles that I reject in the following, so that those features should be permitted. The key here is to remember that K–12 teachers seek to increase their students’ comfort level with computers by accustoming them to exploring apps and to playing with their functions and features.

Implications include:

• keep the background simple

Use a simple and neutral background, especially one that does not get in the way, visually, with the images you use, but rather makes them stand out. Therefore, use solid black or grey, perhaps even white (but see below); color in a background can clash with colors in the images.

I use a solid black background for slides. A further benefit is that the black background merges with the projection surface, so the edge of the projected image is not seen. With bright backgrounds, the slide edge is visible and can be distracting.

Do not use an ornamental template provided by PowerPoint; they are all distracting and all limit usable space on the slides.

Alas, some institutions require their employees to use an institutional background, with logos and names, often in bright colors and bold shapes. The usable space on the slides is reduced, and the branding is distracting. If such requirements apply to you, sorry!

I recently went to a conference in which the slides were incorporated within a larger image for streaming via the Internet. The problem was that the outer frame was an animation of several old maps passing in sequence behind the actual presentation, and it was very distracting!

• keep the design elements stable and consistent from slide to slide

Use the same background and other design elements (type, line styles, etc.; below) on all slides. A new background, typeface, type size, etc. sets off a visual flare: the viewer’s brain has to deal with that, not the presentation’s argument.

In general, use styles and templates to ensure consistency. (Just do not use PowerPoint’s supplied templates, make your own!)

• avoid complex transitions between slides

Do not use transitions unless they visually support the argument. All are distracting. Just don’t use them.

Do not use presentation applications that arrange slides in some fun design, which is then panned over in great swooping swoops to the next slide, in the process grabbing the viewer’s attention. Such apps make all presentations about the speaker’s hipness: look at me, I’m transitioning between slides in a cool and exciting way; I’m not fuddy-duddy PowerPoint!

• avoid complex animations within slides

Do not use any animations other than “appear” and “disappear” – making graphics spin or fade slowly is distracting.

It is often useful to have graphic and text elements appear or disappear in order to emphasize certain points. For example, a rectangle can be added to a map on the slide to introduce the detail being shown on the next slide; or, a series of circles or other signs identifying kinds of features (here are the French forts, and here are the British ones). If working through a series of bullet points providing key information, then each new bullet point might appear in turn. New elements should appear, and at times disappear, with the simplest of animation effects, without any motion or instability to distract the viewer.

• align elements between slides

The human system of vision is very good at noticing small changes and differences, so that if similar elements on successive slides are not precisely aligned, their apparent displacement as slides advance is readily discerned and is distracting. To avoid jarring the viewer between slides, elements should be properly and consistently aligned. This can be achieved by copying the element to be repeated and simply pasting it onto the following slide(s).

(3) Good Design is Visible and Readable

PowerPoint and similar software programs can show large amounts of text, but it is never a good idea to do so (see Edward R. Tufte, The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint [Cheshire, Conn.: Graphics Press, 2003]). Too much text is stultifying and takes away from the purpose of the lecture, which is to show off maps (and art)!

• typeface

Use a typeface designed to enhance the reading of display text rather than book text. That is, use a sans-serif typeface. Also, pragmatically, use a typeface that is standard across different operating systems, in case a presentation is driven by a computer that does not support a cute font desired by the presenter. I use Ariel. Boring, yes, but effective.

As ever, be consistent: choose one typeface and stick to it. A second typeface can be effective for headings. But, if a separate heading type face is used, do not then mix the two and use the heading typeface for non-heading text, and vice versa.

• type size

Do not use letters that are smaller than 14 points in size. Smaller letters will generally be too small to be easily read when projected, regardless of how large they look on a computer monitor.

I generally use 14pt for text passages, 18pt for headings. As ever, be consistent. Although sometimes one must use smaller type sizes on certain slides, to allow images to be shown as large as possible, but try and avoid doing so. In my experience, 11pt is the lower limit of legibility; when in doubt about the character and capacities of the projector to be used for a presentation, go larger!

In addition to being legible to the viewer, use of larger type sizes reduces the temptation to cram words onto a slide.

• type style

The italics and bold styles of sans-serif type faces are generally indistinct, so use a different color (just the one) for emphasis.

• type color

Color must be varied rarely, and must be clearly seen against the slide background. Only white and yellow are bright and visible against a black background on projected slides; I therefore use white for the majority of text, and yellow for highlights (instead of italic or bold styles).

Test your desired colors against your preferred background on a projector, before you use them extensively on slides.

(4) Images

The whole purpose of map (art) historical presentations is to show off the images that are under discussion. With the modern provision of high-resolution imagery, it is easy to show informative details. (Back in the day, one had to acquire slides of specific details well before a presentation could be prepared; with high-resolution images, one can carefully choose precise details, as needed.) It is also necessary to give information about the imaged works.

Different libraries and archives use different color backgrounds when shooting digital images of works. Some use white, others a dark gray, others black. It is often necessary to change that color to match the slide’s background color.

Note: one should learn to use a graphics editing program—Photoshop if one has access, Graphic Converter (a cheap and highly functional alternative), or GIMP (highly functional and free!)—to resize and crop images, to change the color of their margins, etc. It is always better to use such a program to edit images rather than rely on PowerPoint’s built-in functions.

• image size

Maximize images on the slide; use as much of the area of the slide to show images; if the image looks pixelated and unclear when enlarged on the slide, then get a new image!

Libraries and archives supply high-resolution TIFF or JPEG files of images, in the 10s or 100s of megabytes. Inserting such files directly into a slide is the quickest way to break the presentation: the software bogs down and images and words get out of order! Always bad.

Use image-editing software to resize an image so that it can be saved as a JPEG somewhere in the 1.5–2mb range. Doing so will ensure a clear, detailed image that will not break the presentation. Some projection systems, driven by high-capacity computers, require high resolution images; if so, the hosts will warn speakers about the need for very high-resolution images.

Using file size as a measure of image quality is only ever an easy approximation for the correct process of matching the resolution of one’s computer monitor, with PowerPoint’s default slide size, with the resolution of the projector. This process is complex, almost a three-body problem.

• use details

If it is important to talk about specific elements of a work, then show the relevant detail in enlargement. To do so, simply crop and size the detail you wish from a high-resolution image using the graphic software of your choice. If the detail is to be shown by itself, use a mask set to your slide’s aspect ratio, so that the cropped detail fills the slide. Use a tighter crop if the detail is to be shown alongside or superimposed on an image.

PowerPoint allows the addition of an edge or neat line to an image; generally, none are needed. But when images are overlapped on a slide, then an edge should be used to help keep each overlapping image distinct.

• images should fill as much of the slide as possible, yet key information needs also to be specified:

Basic bibliographical information:

Give basic information about authorities, titles, imprints, etc. in a consistent style.

Source of the image:

A full “courtesy of …” statement is not necessary, but at the very least an indication of the library or archive that holds the work that has been imaged; it might just be an initialism that is meaningful to the audience (OML, LC, etc.). Preferably, include the source’s reference number.

I recently saw a presentation about an early geographical work, included in an exhibition in a given library, in which the speaker showed a version of the work in which an initial had been completed in manuscript with a picture of an early modern writer at his desk; the speaker said that this illuminated initial was not in the impression of the work at the library in question, but then gave no information about where the imaged work actually is!

Size of the original work:

The problem with slides is that they make all images the same size for the viewer, regardless of how actually large or small the original works might be. I strongly recommend offering an indication of size on the slide. A standard-size figure added to all sides is possible. Personally, I have come to like using a little graphic to do so:

note the use of perpendicular lines and text to show the size of the original work

(5) General Structure

Prepare the presentation as you write or outline the presentation, balancing what is being said with what is on the screen. People are able to look and listen at the same time, so images can carry some—but not all—of the load of the presentation. Each slide image must actively support the topic and not refer to some tangential or distracting thought.

Always be aware of what slide is on the screen at any moment within the presentation. This is especially important if a slide is not changed for some time: what will the viewers be staring at, and getting bored by, while the presenter talks?

Each image needs to be shown for at least one minute. If viewers need, or are being asked, to study an image for its content, then the image should be visible for two minutes or more.

Keep everything local to the presentation and to the computer that drives it. Technology rarely behaves itself whenever presenters seek to switch to an Internet site, for example. Do include URLs in a slide, to inform viewers, especially if the presentation is going to be shared.

Bring the Reader Along:

Tell the reader what the portions of the presentation are, and inform them as the presentation completes each stage. I do this with an outline slide, which I repeat as I begin each section:

The vertical ruler is just two rectangles: a long rectangle (here yellow), with reduced opacity so it appears washed out; and a rectangle set to 100% opacity that one extends with each section.

(6) Breaking the Rules

One good aspect of adhering closely to basic rules, is that you can easily emphasize an important point in an argument by breaking the rules. This is the graphic equivalent of shouting in a lecture. If all the lecture is shouted out, then listeners are overblown and distracted; but a sudden shout!! demands attention.

Breaking the rules, which all good designers do on occasion, must be rare and must be done with intention and care.

Acknowledgments

My thanks to my brother, Philip, for commenting on an earlier draft of this.

Appendix: Tessa Davis’s Original Twitter Thread, included here only because of the imminent collapse of Twitter.

Poorly designed slides can destroy your presentation.

Here are 9 must follow rules to create slides that pop and keep your audience engaged:

Rule #1: Don't read text out from your slides.

The slides aren't your script. They aren't your notes.

When your audience has to process multiple sources of info, learning is more difficult.

Instead, allow the audience to focus on YOU.

Rule #2: Use a decent font size.

Tiny fonts lead to unreadable text and a confused audience.

Always use a font size that can be seen from the back of the room (usually at least 30px)

And use sans serif fonts as they are clearer to read.

Rule #3: Show the audience exactly what you want them to see.

Highlighting words helps your audience learn:

• Change the colour of one word

• Make an image larger

• Place emphasis on a particular word

We learn best when shown what we need to pay attention to.

Rule #4: Keep words and pictures near each other.

Most people space out information on their slide.

But then your audience has to scan the screen and put all the items together.

Keep items close together for more effective learning.

Rule #5: Use high quality images.

The worst slides have:

• Images that are pixelated & blurry

• Clip art with a giant watermark

Use images that are crisp & clear even on a large screen.

Rule #6: White space is your friend.

How can you design beautiful slides if you're not a designer?

• Use @canva for templates

• Embrace white space

• Ruthlessly edit

Extra content competes for space in our brains & we don't remember it as well.

Less is more.

Rule #7: Create a consistent look & feel.

When we first start out, we create slides with no common theme.

It’s not until we watch brilliant presentations that we start to realise how important consistency is:

• Colors

• Fonts

• Alignment

You message will be more powerful.

Rule #8: Avoid animations.

It's tempting to add special effects everywhere.

• Transitions between slides

• Fancy animations

Eventually though, we realise that neither of these accomplishes our goal.

Instead, remove animations & transitions.

Focus on your core message.

Rule #9: Create your slides as the last step, not the first.

It's tempting to start our presentation planning by designing our slides first.

Instead, leave this task till the very end.

The slides should be the finishing touch, not the main event.