Advanced Module – Presentations

Lesson 1 – Presentation Planning

Effective presentations begin with good planning. This lesson covers how to understand your audience, consider the environment and technical setup, structure content, plan timing, and apply design and accessibility principles for clear, professional slides.

1. Understanding purpose, audience and environment

Before creating slides, identify:

• Purpose – informing, persuading, training, reporting, motivating.
• Audience – age, background, role, knowledge of the subject, cultural considerations, expectations.
• Context – meeting, briefing, conference, online session, training course.
• Venue – room size, layout, seating arrangement, lighting, distance from the screen.
• Technical setup – projector or display, speakers, microphone, clicker, laptop connections, internet access, backup copy of the presentation.

2. Planning content, structure and timing

Well-structured presentations are easier to follow and must fit within the available time.

• Start with an introduction that states the purpose and agenda.
• Organise content into clear sections or topics.
• Ensure each slide focuses on one main idea.
• Plan how long you will spend on each section and each slide.
• Reduce content if there is too much material for the time available.
• Use slides to support what you say, not to replace your spoken explanation.
• Limit the level of detail in text and diagrams so the audience can understand key points quickly.

3. Applying design principles

Use consistent, simple design so the audience can focus on the message.

• Apply consistent colours, fonts and layouts across all slides.
• Use high contrast between text and background for readability.
• Keep text minimal—use short bullet points instead of long paragraphs.
• Use clear headings and meaningful slide titles.
• Use whitespace to avoid clutter and make important items stand out.
• Choose diagrams and images that directly support the point you are explaining.

4. Choosing a theme or template

Themes and templates help maintain a professional and consistent look.

• Select a template that suits the audience, subject and purpose.
• Use corporate or branded templates when required by your organisation.
• Avoid templates with busy or distracting backgrounds.

5. Accessibility considerations

Good planning includes making the presentation accessible to as many people as possible.

• Use readable fonts (minimum 18–24 pt for main text).
• Ensure high colour contrast between text and background.
• Avoid using colour alone to indicate meaning (for example, not just “items in red are urgent”).
• Add alternative text (alt text) to important images, charts and diagrams.
• Avoid overly complex diagrams and dense text that may be difficult to read.
• Limit animations and transitions, especially fast or flashing effects that can distract or cause discomfort.

6. Planning visual elements

Visual elements should reinforce your message, not overwhelm it.

• Use images, charts and diagrams to support key ideas and explain data.
• Ensure visuals are clear, high quality and directly relevant to the topic.
• Avoid overcrowding slides with too many images or objects.
• Plan where visuals will appear in the presentation to match your spoken explanation.

7. Planning timing and delivery

Planning how you will deliver the presentation is as important as planning the slides.

• Estimate how much time each section will take and adjust content if needed.
• Avoid using too many slides—keep pacing steady and allow time for questions if appropriate.
• Prepare speaker notes or prompts for key points instead of reading slides word-for-word.
• Rehearse using the actual equipment where possible to check timings and transitions.

8. Practical Activity

• Identify the purpose, audience and environment for a sample presentation (venue and technical setup).
• Create a three-part structure: introduction, main content, closing summary.
• Choose a suitable theme or template that fits the audience and subject.
• Draft a slide plan listing each slide, its key message, visuals to be used, and approximate timing.