1 - Introduction ~5 mins
Welcome
Your {{code:07_project_pitch}} deck already has a title slide and content slides. Today is about whether someone at the back of a room, or scrolling on a phone, can actually read them. A pitch fails fast when the text is tiny, the contrast is weak, or the slide is packed with paragraphs the presenter then reads aloud.
If you cannot find {{code:07_project_pitch}} in your Project Portfolio, tell your teacher before the warm-up so you can recover or copy a starter deck.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Apply font size, contrast and less-is-more rules for audience readability
- Avoid slide-reading habits that lose an audience
- Self-check a deck against a written readability rubric
- Revise {{code:07_project_pitch}} based on the readability check
Warm-up
Think of the last presentation you sat through (school, Work Experience, or online). What made one slide easy to take in at a glance, and what made another slide feel like homework on a wall?
2 - Key Concepts ~6 mins
Readable slides serve the audience first. Use these three rules when you judge and revise your pitch deck.
| Concept | Why it matters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Font size for the room — body text about 24 pt or bigger when projected; titles larger still | If people cannot read the words, they stop listening | Work Experience pitch: three short 28 pt bullets stay clear on a classroom projector |
| Contrast — dark text on a light background, or light text on a dark one | Pale grey on white washes out on cheap projectors | Black body text on plain white for a Centra stocktake pitch |
| Less is more — few words per line (about six as a guide), one main idea per slide | Crowded slides make the audience read instead of listen | Long supplier sentence becomes "Supplier + delivery: opening week" |
On a phone, prioritise contrast and short lines over chasing point size so people do not need to pinch-zoom.
Same pitch facts, only the design changed: left is a long pale paragraph over a busy photo; right is a clear dark title, three short bullets, and one clean image on a plain background.
Readability checklist (keep this open for Portfolio build)
Score each point yes or no. Aim for yes on every line on the slides you revise today.
- Title is clearly larger than body text
- Body text would still be readable from the back of a classroom
- Text and background have strong contrast (no pale-on-pale)
- Each content slide has one main idea
- Most lines stay short (about six words or fewer as a guide)
- No full paragraphs the presenter would need to read aloud
- Images support the point and do not fight the text for space
3 - Is This Slide Readable from the Back? ~12 mins
Place your marker for each statement. There is no single scored answer. Be ready to say why you stood where you did, and listen when others disagree. Changing your mind after the discussion is part of the point.
Interactive activity
4 - Common Issues ~4 mins
Common Issues
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| My text still looks tiny when I project or zoom out | Raise body text toward 24 pt or larger, enlarge the title further, and cut words so the bigger type still fits |
| The slide looks fine on my laptop but pale on the classroom screen | Switch to strong contrast (dark on light or light on dark) and remove busy photo backgrounds behind text |
| I am not sure what to delete without losing the message | Keep the claim on the slide; move the explanation into what you will say. One short line plus your voice beats a paragraph |
| Menus do not match the wording I expect | Use the Where to click strip below. The idea is the same even when the button label differs |
Where to click
Select the text or slide first, then use these toolbar controls. Your teacher will also model one full fix next.
- PowerPoint for the web (PowerPoint Online): Font size box on the Home ribbon; Font Colour (A with a colour bar); Design or right-click slide → Format Background for a plain fill
- Google Slides: Toolbar Font size → try 28; toolbar Text colour → black; Slide → Change background → white or a plain dark fill
- Canva (if your room uses it): Same readability rules using the Text size, Text colour, and Background controls. Labels differ; match size, contrast and plain backgrounds rather than hunting identical menus
5 - Model Revise: One Weak Slide ~4 mins
Watch your teacher fix one weak sample slide before you touch your own deck. Follow the same order on {{code:07_project_pitch}} in a moment.
- Start with a crowded slide like "About my project": long pale paragraph over a busy photo.
- Raise body text to about 24–28 pt and make the title clearly larger.
- Switch to dark text on a plain light background (or light text on a plain dark one). Remove the busy photo from behind the words.
- Cut the paragraph to three short bullets that hold the claim only. The explanation stays in what the presenter says.
- Check the slide against the readability checklist: one main idea, short lines, strong contrast, big enough type.
That is the full pass. You will repeat it on your real pitch slides next.
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