How to avoid death by PowerPoint

PowerPoint presentations are a great way to drain the energy from a room. We’ve all been there—you’re in a meeting, and someone starts a PowerPoint presentation. And that’s when you lose the will to live.

In this TED Talk from 2012, David Phillips addresses the common issue of ineffective and boring PowerPoint presentations, which he refers to as "death by PowerPoint." He argues that most slide designs are cognitively taxing and contradict how the human brain actually processes information, leading audiences to forget up to 90% of a presentation's content within 30 seconds.

Phillips highlights several ways to improve your next PowerPoint presentation, including:

One Message per Slide. Reduce cognitive load by presenting only one core message at a time; multiple messages divide the audience's attention and lead to confusion.

The Redundancy Effect. Avoid placing full sentences of text on slides while speaking simultaneously. The brain cannot process both inputs effectively, leading to zero retention. Instead, use slides for short, sweet visuals that support your speech.

Size. The human eye is naturally drawn to the largest object on a screen. Phillips advises making your most important information the biggest element, which is the opposite of the typical "large headline/small content" template.

Contrast. Use contrast to steer the audience's focus. He suggests moving away from standard white backgrounds, which often have higher contrast than the speaker, and instead recommends darker backgrounds to keep the focus on the presenter.

Objects. The "magic number" is six. Counting more than six to seven objects on a slide requires 500% more cognitive energy compared to simply seeing them. Reducing what’s on each slide will help keep your audience engaged rather than overwhelmed.