Presentation Design Basics

Year Levels
Years 5 and 6

Duration
45 minutes

Unit
Tech Networks and Presentations - Lesson 5 of 8

Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Identify and explain key principles of effective presentation design including layout, colour schemes, and font choices.
• Understand how design elements affect audience engagement and communication effectiveness.
• Apply basic design principles to create visually appealing presentation slides.
• Critique simple presentation designs for effectiveness and suggest improvements.
• Use digital tools to start designing a presentation slide integrating these principles.

These learning objectives align explicitly with:

• Australian Curriculum Technologies: AC9TDI6P07 (Select and use appropriate digital tools effectively to create, locate and communicate content)
• Australian Curriculum Technologies: AC9TDE6K01 (Explain how people in design and technologies occupations consider competing factors including sustainability in the design of products, services and environments)
• Australian Curriculum Technologies: AC9TDE6P05 (Develop project plans including resources to make designed solutions)

Curriculum References

• AC9TDI6P07: Selecting and using digital tools for creating content.
• AC9TDE6K01: Considering aesthetics and function in design solutions.
• AC9TDE6P05: Developing plans and using resources for designing solutions.

Lesson Overview
This 45-minute lesson introduces students to the foundational principles of presentation design, focusing on layout, colour schemes, and font choices. Students will explore how these elements influence the clarity and engagement of a presentation, enabling them to begin applying these principles using digital tools. The lesson includes an interactive discussion, hands-on creation, and a peer review activity to reinforce learning and encourage critical evaluation.

Materials Required

• Computers or tablets with presentation software (e.g., PowerPoint, Google Slides)
• Projector for demonstrations
• Colour wheel printouts or digital equivalents for exploring colour schemes
• Examples of well-designed and poorly designed presentation slides (printed or digital)
• Worksheets for note-taking and peer review

Lesson Breakdown

1. Introduction to Presentation Design Principles (10 minutes)

• Begin with an engaging discussion: What makes a presentation interesting or easy to follow?
• Introduce the three key design principles: layout, colour schemes, and font choices. Explain each with simple examples.
• Show slides illustrating good and poor design focusing on these elements.

2. Exploring Layout, Colours, and Fonts (10 minutes)

• Layout: Discuss balance, alignment, and the use of space. Show examples highlighting clutter vs clean design.
• Colour Schemes: Using the colour wheel, explain complementary, analogous, and triadic colour schemes and their emotional impact.
• Fonts: Talk about readability, font types (serif vs sans-serif), and consistent use throughout a presentation.
• Students take brief notes on a worksheet.

3. Hands-on Design Activity (15 minutes)

• Students open presentation software and create a single slide on a simple topic of their choice (e.g., favourite animal, hobby) applying layout, colour, and font principles demonstrated.
• Encourage use of complementary colour schemes and easy-to-read fonts.
• Teacher circulates to provide individual support and prompt deeper thinking on design choices.

4. Peer Review and Reflection (8 minutes)

• Students pair up to share their slides. Using a guided peer review worksheet, they give constructive feedback on each other's layout, colour, and font use, focusing on audience engagement.
• Brief class share-out of interesting design ideas or challenges faced.

Assessment

Formative:

• Observation of student participation during discussions and activities.
• Review of students’ slides and peer feedback worksheets to assess understanding and application of design principles.

Summative (if applicable):

• A portfolio entry of their designed slide with a short written reflection explaining their design choices and intended audience impact.

Differentiation & Inclusion

• Provide colour-blind friendly colour palette options or tools for students with colour vision deficiency.
• Offer template slides with basic layout structures for those needing additional support.
• Extensions for early finishers: challenge them to create additional slides or explore presentation transitions and animations thoughtfully.
• Collaborative peer pairing to support diverse learners through verbal and written feedback.

Teacher Tips

• Arrange classroom seating to facilitate easy sharing and peer discussions.
• Prepare examples beforehand to show clear contrasts in design effectiveness.
• Use simple, relatable topics for the design activity to keep focus on design rather than content difficulty.
• Encourage a positive, supportive atmosphere during peer review to build confidence.
• Highlight real-world examples where presentation design impacts understanding, e.g. advertisements, school announcements.

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This approach ensures the lesson is engaging and age-appropriate for Years 5 and 6, strongly tied to the Australian Curriculum Technologies v9 standards, specifically targeting students' ability to use digital tools and basic design concepts effectively. The lesson leverages hands-on application and peer interaction which supports deep learning and skill development in presentation design.

If needed, I can also help provide specific example templates or sample worksheets for the activities.