Many trainers use PowerPoint (or whatever their presentation software is) as a crutch. They load it up with bullets, filling every conceivable bit of white-space with content.

Often, they read off the screen, but not always. Most of the time, they use the bullets as a guide and “fill in the blanks” between the bullets as they speak. But rarely do trainers and presenters use their presentation as a tool to engage the audience – more often than not, it comes between the trainer and his or her audience.

Garr Reynolds at Presentation Zen ran a post called 10 rules for making good design that highlights some great ways you can start increasing the visual impact of your presentations.

Want to draw the audience in rather than putting up a wall between you and them? Check out Garr’s article. Here are a few teasers to lure you over there:

1. Communicate – don’t decorate.
4. Pick colors on purpose.
5. If you can do it with less, then do it.
6. Negative space is magical – create it, don’t just fill it up!

To read all ten, head over to Presentation Zen.