How many bullet points should you be using?

• Bullets are meant to help outline concepts or list ideas.
• They are meant to be short and sweet, but tend to lean on the lengthier side of the slide.
• They are also purely text-based taking away from the visual possibilities. 
• Are you still reading this?
• Bullets can be boring.
• Did you read the first three and then jump to this one?

The answer to the title question is none.

Wherever possible, avoid using bullets. Everything you put on the screen is a graphic. Visually the eye perceives every letter, every period as a graphic. Try to limit the amount of information being put on the slide as it can take away from the oral presentation. If you want to keep your information concise, avoid putting too much information on the screen so that the slides won't look so cluttered. For example look at the following slides:

A. With bullet points

B. Without bullet points

Do you see how the subtopics are still listed in the exact same format for both slides? All the bullet points in Slide A did was just add an extra visual for the audience to look at and it doesn't enhance the slide in any way. Slide B looks less cluttered from Slide A, giving it a cleaner look. Try to avoid bullets if at all possible!

Vibrant backgrounds for presentations

Remember when we talked about colors a little while ago? Here are a few examples of awesome backgrounds vibrant with color:

Be cautious of bright colors that may burn the eyes of your audience and dark shades that make the test difficult to read. Go out and find what fits you and your message best! It might take you a few extra minutes, but it'll be worth it. Just remember, it's the little things that add up to the bigger picture.

The Psychology of Colors

Here's an amazing infographic (too tiny? do click!) that describes the different meanings of colors in different settings.

Thank you Painters of Louisville for this awesome infographic!

The bottom left and top right of this infographic will be the most helpful for you concerning presentations. 

Think of your idea and the colors that are associated with it. For example, the history of royalty would couple well with purple. Maybe you're talking about finances; green would be complementary. Be cautious of yellow since it most likely strains eyes or causes eye fatigue. Red may make your audience more hungry than attentive to your message. In that case, use blue to curb that appetite and provide a calmer ambiance. Orange will raise that awareness, possibly resulting in excitement or caution. Carefully plan out how colors can help you and your presentation!