Learning Objectives

  • Plan slides around one message each
  • Apply readable typography and contrast
  • Use the 6×6 guideline without turning slides into essays
  • Avoid common BBA-lab design failures
  • Critique a weak slide and rebuild it

Core Principles

1) Message first

  • One claim or question per slide
  • Supporting bullets or one visual — not both fighting for attention
  • Put detail in speaker notes, not on the slide

2) 6×6 guideline

  • Aim for ≤ 6 lines and short phrases
  • Prefer verbs and nouns over full paragraphs
  • If you need a paragraph, you need Notes or a Word handout

3) Colour and type

  • High contrast (dark text on light, or the reverse — pick one)
  • 1–2 font families; titles larger than body (≥ 20 pt body for rooms)
  • One accent colour for emphasis

4) Hierarchy and alignment

  • Title → bullets → visual → takeaway
  • Align left edges; keep equal gaps; avoid decorative diagonals

Common Mistakes in PRC 110 Decks

Mistake Fix
Wall of text Split into 2 slides or move text to notes
Default blank theme Apply Design theme; brand via Slide Master
Tiny chart labels Enlarge data labels; simplify series
Clip-art chaos Use one offline image style (office_view.svg)
Every object animated Animate only what you will talk about

Before / After Habit

For every crowded slide, rewrite:

  1. Title as the takeaway
  2. 3 bullets max
  3. One visual
  4. One sentence in Notes explaining the “so what”

Practice Task

Redesign five weak slides (your own draft or a classmate’s practice deck):

  • Consistent theme and fonts
  • ≥ 40% less on-slide text
  • One meaningful visual per content slide
  • Takeaway title on each slide

Step-by-Step Lab Exercise: Rebuild a Weak Slide

Before (weak slide):

Title: Digital Payments

Digital payments are becoming very popular in Nepal because people can pay with their mobile phones using wallets and QR codes, and this is convenient and fast and also reduces the need for cash, and many shops now accept them, and the government also supports digital payments, and young people especially like them because they are easy to use.

Problems: a topic title instead of a message, one long paragraph, no visual, and no takeaway.

After (rebuilt slide):

  1. Title as takeaway: “Digital payments are replacing cash in Nepali shops”
  2. Three short bullets:
    • Pay instantly by QR code
    • Less cash to handle and count
    • Popular with young customers
  3. One visual: an icon or photo of a QR stand at a shop counter.
  4. Speaker notes: “Ask the class how many paid by QR this week; use it to show adoption.”

Word count on the slide: about 70 words before, about 25 after — well over the 40% reduction target.

Key Takeaways

  • One message per slide, written as the title.
  • Follow the 6×6 guideline and move detail to speaker notes.
  • Use high contrast, one or two fonts, and one accent colour.
  • Every visual and animation should support the message.

Exam-Style Questions

Viva (short answer)

  1. What is the 6×6 rule?
  2. Why should slide titles state the takeaway?
  3. What is the purpose of speaker notes?
  4. What minimum font size is recommended for body text?
  5. Name three common slide design mistakes.

Lab test tasks

  1. Redesign a given text-heavy slide into a clear slide with a takeaway title, three bullets, and one visual.
  2. Create a five-slide presentation following the 6×6 guideline, using one theme and consistent fonts.
  3. Add speaker notes to three slides explaining what you would say.

📚 Continue to: Slide Layout and Formatting