THE SCRAP METHOD: A GUIDE TO CREATING
ELECTRONIC PRESENTATION SUCH AS
POWERPOINT AND PREZI
Most of us are familiar with the technology used to create PowerPoint and Prezi electronic
presentations, but does that mean we know how to effectively create these presentations ourselves
using this technology? The SCRAP method focuses on basic design principles and applies them to
the creation of visual aids. The SCRAP method is easy to use and understand and will help you
create more professional and engaging
visual aids.
S
-
SIMPLICITY
This letter of the SCRAP acronym tells us to keep things simple. Slides that are overloaded with
text, clip art, colors, sounds, and/or movement are a distraction to the audience and can
decrease the overall effectiveness of the presentation. Here are some basic principles to guide
you in simplifying your PowerPoint/Prezi slides:
• Limit the amount of text you include on a single slide. The more words a speaker puts on
a slide, the more the audience’s attention is directed to reading the text instead of
listening to the speaker. If the speaker must include bullet points, they should use
keywords
instead of full sentences.
• A picture is worth a thousand words. Where possible, use images instead of text.
Photos and graphs may be a better way of communicating specific information than
bullet points. Images provide concrete references for your audience and keep them
engaged in the presentation.
• Avoid using animations, colors, and sound unless they serve a specific purpose
during the presentation. Again, these distract the
audience from the presentation.
• Less is more. Whether it’s images, graphs, or text, less is better. Too much of anything
can be overwhelming to an audience.
C-
CONTRAST
Contrast refers to “the differences that affect what viewers notice and what gives a design more
energy” (Morreale & Thorpe, 2013). Contrast can refer to any design element, such as color or text
font. Incorporating contrast into your slides can help an audience more quickly identify what
information is most important and where they should be directing their attention. Some basic
principles for contrast are:
• When selecting background colors and designs for slides, follow this simple rule: for a light
background, use dark text color. For a dark
background, use lighter text color.
• Avoid monochromatic colors (colors that are similar to each other) in images and text when