how to make a good 10 minute powerpoint presentation

10-Minute presentations: How to Write, Design & Deliver (Complete Guide)

Hrideep barot.

• Presentation , Public Speaking

Presentations are an interesting way to introduce a new topic, perspective, or study to your audience. 10-minute presentations serve the same purpose but they come with a specified restriction on time.

When we see the word presentation, we instantly think of PPTs and while PPTs are used in many cases, some presentations are completely oral as well.

The number of speakers is another variable while presenting. It can be done individually like in the case of a job interview presentation or in a group setting like in the case of a college assignment. 

How long should a 10-minute presentation be?

Ideally, for 10-minute presentations, you should focus on adding 5-10 effective, crisp slides. And a speech of about 1000-2000 words should be enough to complete the presentation within 10 minutes.

However, there are no set rules while making a presentation which means that you are free to increase or decrease the number of slides in your presentation depending upon your pace of presenting.

Now when we talk about the pace of presenting, we mean the number of words you can speak in an understandable manner per minute. So, if you can speak 100-120 words per minute (adding the usual pauses), then a 1000–1200-word speech would be enough for your 10-minute presentation.

While we cannot point out an exact word count specifically catered for you in this blog, we can surely suggest you take up any piece of long article and go on reading it out loud while taking necessary pauses and timing it. It might give you an idea of your speed which in turn would help you gauge the perfect word count for your presentation.

Another factor that would define the way you present your topic is whether you are presenting it individually or in a group.

Individual Presentations

In Individual presentations, you are the one to shoulder your entire presentation’s responsibility. You can make use of effective PowerPoint presentation skills or use props to keep the audience engaged and interested in your presentation.

Further, it becomes extremely important for you to have sufficient knowledge about your topic, as in case of any doubts you are the only one to be questioned by the audience members.

Group Presentations

On the other hand, in group presentations, the responsibility to carry out an effective and good presentation falls on all group members. This calls for a lot of coordination which would require a ton of practice.

In groups, you can make use of skits to explain a certain phenomenon. Or maybe the use of coordinated props per speaker can also make your presentations more eye-catchy.

Further, involving your entire group to present rather than just 2 people doing it with beautifully placed content, will easily stand out to the audience.

The placement of your content could be in a para format wherein one person speaks a para followed by another one. Or one person can explain one subtopic followed by another; whatever suits best for your group.

A beautiful example of group presentations is the one by The minimalists .

It is a beautiful presentation because we see that while one person is speaking, the other enacts what is being said, thus making it an interesting presentation involving both speakers.

Tips for your 10-minute presentations

1. avoid information overload.

While it can be very tempting to add all the relevant information in your presentation, limiting it will turn out to be one of the best decisions taken by any presenter.

The reason is very simple, every individual has a very limited attention span and capacity to take in new information . 10-minute presentations exceed the average duration of attention span among humans which is 7 minutes.

If you bombard them with tons of information, chances are that they might feel exhausted and detached from your topic and presentation altogether.

2. Avoid reading from your slides

We know you might have heard this a gazillion times but here we are to say it again because it is very important. Avoid reading from your slides. As it might indicate your lack of understanding of the topic . It can also end up being a little boring for the audience to listen to something present in front of them that they can easily read themselves.

3. Give your audience an incentive to listen to you

It is always better to assume that your audience is not innately motivated to listen to your presentation and hence to give them a reason why listening to your presentation would be worth it.

Are you planning on discussing a new perspective on a widely-spoken topic? Are you trying to introduce new findings? Is your presentation trying to motivate the audience?

Whatever goal you wish to achieve through your presentation, make it known to the audience.

4. Try to offer something new

The very essence of presentations is to offer some new idea, perspective, or study to your audience. This holds especially true when your presentation is on a generic or widely-spoken topic like climate change.

5. Avoid exceeding the time limit

This goes without saying, avoid exceeding your time limit. If you know you have been given 10 minutes, either finish it by the time it hits the limit or better yet, finish it before time.

Everyone would appreciate you for finishing your presentation before time for sure.

6. Make it easy to understand

Another point that goes without saying is to make your content very easy for everyone in the audience to understand.

Try to tweak your presentation in a manner that is convenient for the youngest and the least experienced member to understand easily.  For if your presentation doesn’t reach your audience, it might not fulfill its very purpose.

Structuring 10-minute presentations

Just like we structure any speech, with a beginning, a middle, and an end, structuring your presentation follows a similar pattern.

In the initial few minutes or even seconds of your presentation, the audience might have decided whether they should listen to your presentation or will it be more fruitful to dive deep into their thoughts.

This is the reason why starting 10-minute presentations on a strong foot is emphasized so much. But again, there is no need to stress out about it.

Here are a few tips on how you can start your presentation:

1. Provocative statements

Provocative statements are the ones that try to shake some strongly held views of the audience. Reggie Rivers make use of a provocative statement in his TED talk that might help you understand its use better.

He begins by saying

If you want to achieve your goals, don’t focus on them.

The statement clearly goes against a belief we have grown up with; the idea that we should chase and focus on our goals in order to achieve them.

2. Hypothetical scenario

Starting with a hypothetical scenario includes the use of words like “Imagine” or “what if.” It gives your audience a chance to put themselves in a situation that you are about to address in your presentation.

An example of the same is given below.

Imagine you are going out for a drive with your friends. It is a little late and the roads are wet from the heavy shower that had surrendered only a few minutes ago. You are all singing and laughing. But then you look to your left only to realize two giant lights come close to you at lightning speed and you know at that moment you are going to die. That you are going to die in that crash. Then you hear a screech and *pause* the truck halts 5 cm from your car. That is exactly what someone with anxiety feels but unlike you, it doesn’t end within a few minutes; it persists for hours or even days.

3. Hard-hitting questions

While questions are one of the most widely used ways to open any speech or presentation, the task here is to open with a hard-hitting question.

A question that your audience probably doesn’t have an answer to, which you plan on providing them through your presentation.

Some examples of these would be:

• Is there anyone here who can give me the exact amount of microplastics they consumed during this week?
• Did you know that with the advancement in technology, there is a possibility that the organ transplanted to you in 20 years would not be from another human but from an animal?

Starting your presentation with props is the easiest and most creative way to start a presentation. The reason why it is creative is that you can use absolutely anything as a prop. Be it a plastic bottle, a jar full of waste, or even some hula hoops.

Once you have introduced yourself and your topic, you can go on to the next step: the main content of your presentation.

However, it isn’t just about presenting your points but how you present them that we will take a look into.  Presenting your topic in a more structured manner makes it easier for your audience to stay in tune with your presentation.

One of the formatting ways is the 3-pointer format . The idea behind using a 3-pointer structure is to divide your main content into 3 huge chunks or points. And while you are free to add more points, having 3 points makes it a tad bit easier to recall the information and to maintain a flow among the listeners.  

An example of using a three-pointer structure is this 5 slide presentation by Ashley Stahl where she talks about 3 key questions to unlock your authentic careers.

• What are you good at?
• What do people tell me I am good at?
• What is holding you back?

The closing remarks like the opening lines are quite important.

There are several ways in which you can close your presentation. But it takes more than a mere thank you to make it an effective closing remark for your presentation.

A few ways in which you can close 10-minute presentations are:

1. Fitting remark

A fitting remark or in simple terms a summary is where you revise what you just spoke in a couple of lines. It is better to keep it as short as possible as 10-minute presentations don’t give you enough tie to elaborate.

2. Calling for action

You can end your speech by instilling a sense of action and purpose among the audience members to make a difference. An amazing example of this is the speech by Leonardo DiCaprio. While it is a speech, you can observe his way of delivering the last couple of lines and inculcate the same in your presentation.

For more ways in which you can close your presentation check out our video on 5 Powerful Speech Closing Remarks for your next Presentation.

Designing 10-minute presentations

Designing your PowerPoint is as important as presenting your topic confidently and effectively.

A few dos and don’ts of designing your PPTs are:

Some amazing websites that will help you in making effective and aesthetically pleasing presentations are canva , Prezi , and more.

Best PowerPoint presentations on TED 

Some of the most innovative PowerPoint presentations we came across on Ted were the ones given by Tim Burton and Adam Grant.

1. Tim Burton

I can not emphasize how absolutely wonderful the Presentation by Tim is. A mix of information with tons of humor coupled with very entertaining visuals.

His confidence makes the presentation quite engaging and interesting to watch.

2. Adam Grant

Adam Grant like Tim Burton has made use of animated cartoons to make the statistical data quite entertaining. However, the way he presents his topic is a little different.

His presentation is filled with images and cartoons . When he states quantitative data, the font size and color are something that must be taken a look into. Further, the language that he includes in his PPT is very candid and informal.

Delivering 10-minute presentations

While you are trying to make your content crisp, 10 minutes may seem way too little; But when it comes to presenting it and speaking, 10 minutes is not that short of a time.

There are a few things that you can do so as to deliver your presentation in its most effective way.

1. Practice your presentation in chunks.

Chunks are the division of your main content into small parts. 5-to-9 chunks are easy to remember.

We are not encouraging you to memorize or rote learn your presentation. However, it is important to remember the flow in which you are supposed to be presenting. And for this dividing, your presentation into chunks to practice can help navigate you through your entire presentation.

This also raises the question that,

How Long Should You Practice for a Presentation?

It is advisable to practice your presentation at least 3 times and a maximum of 10-12 times . But as the old saying goes “Practice makes a man perfect,” you can practice as long as you feel you have perfected your presentation.

If you are looking for a specific time duration for which you should practice then, for a 10-minute presentation, 30 minutes to about An hour and a half should suffice.

For some amazing tips on how you can rehearse your presentations, check out 13 Tips For Rehearsing A Presentation .

2. Add a story or share a personal experience

Stories are a very binding way to let your point across. It adds a personal touch, especially if you are sharing your personal experience. It also gives the audience a chance to understand where you come from and maybe even relate to you.

The TED by Jarret J. Krosoczka is a wonderful presentation where he illustrates his story while talking about it to the audience.

The creative bend makes it a presentation worth remembering, don’t you think?

3. Engage the audience.

While it isn’t mandatory for you to add elements that would ensure that the audience stays engaged, adding it will only help in enhancing your and your audience’s experience (if time permits).

You can add a quiz , or a small game like spot a difference between the two pictures. you can also ask a question and take a poll by asking the audience members who agree to raise their hands.

4. Add humor to your presentations

Humor can be your friend or your enemy while presenting a topic. If you get it right, it can make your presentation an unforgettable one. At the same time, if you end up making jokes that the audience might not find funny or worst even derogatory, It may land you in some trouble.

One of the funniest and most energy-filled presentations I have come across was the one by Alexis Nikole Nelson and her take on Veganism. The way in which she makes use of the prop is another thing you must take a look into.

Add elements of credibility

Elements of credibility include stating facts and figures . You can also quote some renowned personalities . All these things would build the confidence of the audience in your presentation. It also works best to give a reality check. How do you ask?

Simple, when you state figures, you give them a clear picture of the situation.

An example of this is the use of statistics used by Randy Palisoc in his Ted talk “Math isn’t hard, it’s a language.”

26%..Thats is the percentage of US 12 graders who are proficient in math

Find the full video of the same below.

Famous 10-Minute Presentations

1. bill gates.

We might have all heard about Bill Gates and his talks or speeches on Climate Change. But this presentation was a little different.

Here, Bill Gates goes on to explain how teachers have not been receiving sufficient feedback which could’ve led to drastic changes in their teaching patterns.

He explains the wide disparity in feedback given to teachers through charts , thus providing a way to easily compare and evaluate one’s country’s performance to that of others.

His bidding statement ends on a positive note as it is filled with optimism. He says,

I am excited about the opportunity to give all our teachers the support they want and deserve. I hope you are too.

2. Vishaan Chakrabarti

Renowned Architect Vishaan Chakrabarti gives an insight into the need for sustainable housing to provide a roof over the head of additional 3 billion people who are expected to be born by 2100.

The presentation is particularly interesting for the way in which he has used the visuals and animations . The language is kept simple which makes it easy to understand even if you have no degree in architecture.

Topics for 10-minute presentations

Presentation topics for college students.

• Population explosion
• The increasing gap between Rich and Poor
• Virtual money as the next evolution in monetary exchange
• Diversification and blending of cultures
• Change in seeking entertainment post-pandemic
• Data is the new oil
• Are we prepared for the next pandemic?
• Electric Vehicles: Future of Transportation
• E-learning and the shift in the education system
• Veganism and sustainability
• Evolution of the fashion industry in the metaverse
• Legalization of cryptocurrencies
• Need for immediate action toward climate change
• Do your degrees define your success in life?
• Evolution in careers across the years

Presentation Topics for Interviews

• Overcoming fears can lead to success
• Diversification in the workplace and its impact on better decision making
• Right to work is a fundamental right
• Can a few jobs permanently start working from home?
• Women as leaders
• The rise in startup culture
• The increasing threat of data breach
• Influencer marketing and its advantages
• Employee motivation and its relation to monetary rewards
• Should employees be paid for working overtime
• Paternal leave and its benefits
• Building skills is more important than degrees
• The efficiency of a 4 day work week
• Benefits of going paperless to the organizations

Funny 10-minute presentation topics

• 11 ways to order a pizza
• Why you don’t need success
• Why be excellent when you can be mediocre?
• World’s worst Disaster: Crocs Heels
• Evolution of Dance: from Bellydance to TikTok dance
• Being an Adult: The Most challenging task
• Struggles of Being a Planned Child
• Alcohol fixes relationships
• How autocorrect ruins your life
• LOL: Only Socially Acceptable way to Avoid laughing
• If only I had the life I do on My Instagram
• 5 easy ways to make it out of the friendzone
• 3 Totally useless professions
• 6 ways to do absolutely nothing
• The Rise of Family Whatsapp Groups

You can also find more speech topics depending on the type of your speech. Check out Demonstrative Speech Topics , Informative Speech Topics , and Persuasive Speech Topics on our website to get some inspiration for your speech.

10-Minute presentation sample

Presentation on Sustainable Fashion

I want you to imagine the amount of water you drink in a day. Now imagine and tell me if you can do the math, how much water would you have consumed in 3 years?

Let me help you.

2720 liters of water.

Now how would you feel if I tell you that this also equal to the amount of water that went into making the t-shirt you quite stunningly adorn right now?

*Imitates mind being blown*

With a 4-fold increase in the production of clothes over the last 20 years, we cannot even imagine the extent to which it has penetrated the pollution index across the world. Every year, fast fashion brands release several micro collections against the ideal 2. So if you ever wondered how the store has a very different collection every time you step into H&M or Zara, you know now. In fact, In the US per person, approximately 35 kgs of textile waste are generated every year.

If this wasn’t enough, the extent of water pollution caused by Fast fashion is beyond imaginable. 22,000 toxic waste is released into rivers by tanneries in Bangladesh,

Every. Single. Day.

So, what is the most immediate action that you can take to switch to more sustainable styling?

I am going to introduce a mantra that has worked wonders for me when I felt overwhelmed about switching to sustainable fashion. The 4 Rs and No it isn’t Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

The 4 Rs for sustainable fashion are

Reduce your consumption of clothes. Has it ever happened that you end up buying a shirt only to realize you don’t a perfect pair of pants to wear with it? Or bought something that you found super cute but never touched once you got home? It’s okay! Don’t feel guilty, I have done that too.

But that can be avoided. A simple method is to ask yourself “Do I need this Now?” and “Will I be able to use it in the long run?” The answer to the second question will immediately direct you away from fast fashion brands that offer cheap quality clothing at a very affordable rate.

If the clothes you own can be repaired in any way, it is better to do that than jump on to buy a new one. There were many times when I repaired or redesigned my outfits. For example. this one time when I slipped in my yard and tore my jeans a little from the knee area. Guess the ground was desperate for me to own another pair of ripped jeans and so I did exactly that. The other time a friend of mine, an amazing artist got some splashes of paint on her pants, Any guess what we did with those pants?

Exactly! Splashed more paint over it. Now I know it may sound bizarre but that was a time when that was in trend.

The third option is to Resell your stuff or give it to someone else.

This is where our popular thrift stores come into the picture. You’ve got a piece of clothing that you are never going to wear? Why let it take up the space in your closet when you can easily make money out of it and get rid of it at the same time. But if you are more altruistic, you can even consider donating your not-so-frequently used clothes to those who need them. And I know for a fact that every brown person sitting here is a pro at both lending and receiving hand-me-downs.

Lastly and the most important of all is, to rethink your consumption of fashion. It is 2022. Some brands have dedicated their entire efforts to providing you with sustainable alternatives. You can choose to buy consciously.

For instance, Adidas’s future craft loop edition shoes are one such example of big brands trying to do their part in this battle of saving our planet from our species. Further, there are brands like Baggit that use vegan leather for all their products.

Then there are completely sustainable brands like Eco India that use the clothes thrown into landfills to make fashion statements that are both iconic as well as sustainable.

While I can talk about this for as long as my voice doesn’t give in, I guess I should cut it short.

Reduce, Repair, Resell and Rethink what you can do to make the change towards a healthier fashion choice. After all the industry thrives upon you and your impulsiveness, try not to give in to it.

So the idea is simple. Maintain your style but not at the cost of the planet.

Final Thoughts

Presentations are an effective mode of presenting your topic with creativity.

10-minute presentations however come with a restriction on time which makes it important to focus on crunching the information you plan to add and thus keeping it short.

The use of visuals can be effective in carrying out successful presentations, be it PPTs or props.

Sharing personal experiences, humor, or any other element that makes your presentation stand out would enhance your presentation and make it easier for the audience to recall the information shared by you.

Lastly, there is no right or wrong way of presenting.

The only way we know is to enjoy your presentation just as much as you would want the audience to enjoy listening to it.

If you feel like you need more personalized guidance on carrying out your presentation in a more effective and confident manner, Check out Frantically Speaking .

We will be more than happy to help you!

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• Interactive Presentation

10-Minute Presentation Topics | 50 Unique Ideas in 2024

Lawrence Haywood • 04 October, 2024 • 14 min read

For 10 minutes, what can you really do? A shower? A power nap? An entire presentation?

You might already be sweating at the idea of that last one. Cramming an entire presentation into 10 minutes is tough, but doing it without even knowing what to talk about is even tougher.

No matter where you've been challenged to give a 10-minute presentation, we've got your back. Check out the ideal presentation structure below and over fifty 10-minute presentation topics , you can use for your big (actually, pretty small) speech.

Table of Contents

• The 10-Minute Presentation Structure
• Topics for College Students
• Topics for Interviews
• Relatable Topics
• Interesting Topics
• Controversial Topics

Frequently Asked Questions

Start in seconds.

Get free 10-minute presentation topics and templates. Sign up for free and take what you want from the template library!

Tips from AhaSlides - 10-minute presentation topics

• Types of Presentation
• Product presentation
• Business presentation

The 10-Minute Presentation Topics Structure

As you might imagine, the hardest part of a 10-minute presentation is actually sticking to 10 minutes. None of your audience, organisers or fellow speakers will be pleased if your speech starts running over, but it's hard to know how not to.

You might be tempted to cram as much information as possible, but doing so is just going to make for an overbearing presentation. Especially for this type of presentation , knowing what to leave out is as much of a skill as knowing what to put in, so try and follow the sample below for a perfectly structured presentation.

• Introduction (1 slide) - Start your presentation with a quick question, fact or story relayed in a maximum of 2 minutes.
• Body (3 slides) - Get into the nitty gritty of your talk with 3 slides. Audiences struggle to take home more than three ideas, so spacing all three out over the course of 6 or 7 minutes can be very effective.
• Conclusion (1 slide) - End it all with a quick sum up of your 3 main points. You should be able to do this in 1 minute.

This 10-minute presentation example format contains a fairly conservative 5 slides, based on the famous 10-20-30 rule of presentations. In that rule, an ideal presentation is 10 slides in 20 minutes, meaning a 10-minute presentation would only require 5 slides.

Use various features with AhaSlides to gain better engagement in any type of presentation! You can spin the fun to the presentation, by gathering crowd ideas with an idea board and word cloud , or surveying them by top free survey tool , online polling , and also test their knowledge with an online quiz creator !

10 Topics for Presentation for College Students

A 10-minute presentation is all you need as a college student to show your knowledge and forward-thinking values. They're also great practice for presentations you might be making in the future. If you feel comfortable within 10 minutes, chances are that you'll be alright in the future, too.

• How to work alongside AI - Artificial intelligence is making huge steps forward daily. We'll soon be in a different world, so how are you, the worker of the future, going to deal with it? This is a super interesting topic and one that's very relevant for your classmates.
• Fighting the climate catastrophe - The issue of our age. What is it doing to us and how do we solve it?
• Portable homes - The portable home movement is on the way to revolutionising the way we live. What's good and bad about having a house you can move around and what does your ideal one look like?
• The thrift life - How to save money on clothes, along with the pros and cons of throwaway fashion for youngsters.
• The future of streaming platforms - Why is TV on demand so great and why is it not universal? Or is it stealing too much of our free time?
• What happened to newspapers? - Newspapers are probably ancient technology to college students like you. A deep dive into history will reveal what they were and why they're on their way out of print.
• The evolution of the mobile phone - Has any device in history advanced as quickly as mobile phones have? There's so much to talk about in this 10-minute presentation topic.
• The life and times of your hero - A great chance to show your love for someone who inspires you the most. This can be within or outside of your college subject.
• My permaculture future - If you're looking for a greener existence in your future, try explaining to your classmates the advantages and logistics of having a permaculture garden.
• E-waste - We dump out so much electrical waste these days. Where does it all go and what happens to it?

10 Interview Presentation Ideas - 10-Minute Presentation Topics

More and more nowadays, recruiters are turning to quick-fire presentations as a means of testing a candidate's skill and confidence in presenting something.

But, it's more than that. Recruiters also want to learn about you as a person. They want to know what interests you, what makes you tick and what has changed your life in a profound way.

If you can nail any of these presentation topics in your interview, you'll be starting next Monday!

• Someone who inspires you - Pick a hero and talk about their background, their achievements, what you've learned from them and how it's shaped you as a person.
• The most eye-opening place you've ever been - A travelling experience or holiday that blew your mind. This might not necessarily be your favourite ever abroad experience, but it was one that made you realise something you had not thought about before.
• An imagined problem - Set out a hypothetical problem at the company you're applying for. Show the recruiters the steps you would take to eradicate that problem for good.
• Something you're proud of - We've all got achievements we're proud of, and they do not necessarily work achievements. A quick 10-minute presentation on something you've done or made that has made you proud can reveal a lot of good stuff about you as a person.
• The future of your field - Make some interesting, bold predictions about where you think the industry is heading in the upcoming years. Do research, get stats to back up your claims, and avoid being condescending.
• A workflow you've fixed - Untidy workflows are rampant in many workplaces. If you've had a hand in turning something inefficient into a well-oiled machine, make a presentation about it!
• A book you'd love to write - Assuming you were a top-class wordsmith, what's the one topic you'd love to write a book about? Would it be fiction or non-fiction? What would the plot be? Who are the characters?
• Your favourite work culture - Choose the job with the best work culture in terms of office atmosphere, rules, after-work activities and trips away. Explain what was so great about it; it might give your potential new boss a few ideas!
• Pet peeves in the workplace - If you fancy yourself as a bit of a comedian, listing out the things that grind your gears in the office could be a good laugh and a nice bit of observational comedy for your recruiters. Make sure it's actually funny though, as listening to a candidate moan for 10 minutes is not normally something that leads to recruitment.
• The good and bad of remote working - Surely every office worker in the world has experience of remote working. Pry open your own experiences and discuss whether or not they've been for the better or for, the worse.

10 Relatable 10-Minute Presentation Topics

People love stuff they can relate to their own experiences. It's the reason why your presentation on the problems of the post office was a hit, but your one on the use of thermoplongeurs and suspension compression on modern fatigue carousels was an absolute travesty.

Keeping topics nicely open and accessible for everyone is a great way to get a good reaction. Do you need some topics for the presentation that participants can get involved in quickly? Check out these fun presentation topic ideas below...

• The best Disney princess - The best interesting presentation topics! Everyone's got their favourite; who's the one that gives you the most hope for generations of strong, independent girls?
• The greatest language ever - Maybe it's the language that sounds the sexiest, looks the sexiest or the one that just works the best.
• Coffee vs tea - Most people have a preference, but very few have the numbers to back it up. Do some scientific research into what's better between coffee and tea and why.
• Stand-up - You may not initially think it, but a stand-up comedy performance is definitely a presentation of sorts. 10 minutes is a great time window for some witty observations that make everyone laugh.
• Reasons for procrastination - List out all the things that keep you from doing what you're supposed to be doing. Remember to tell some stories in this - chances are that almost all of your audience will be able to relate.
• Is social distancing for life? Introverts, assemble. Or actually, don't. Should we keep social distancing an opt-in, opt-out kind of thing?
• Paper books vs ebooks - This one is all about physical touch and nostalgia against modern convenience. It's a fight for our age.
• Identity of the decades - We all know the distinction between the 70s, 80s and 90s, but what were the unique cultural points of the 2000s and 2010s? Will we see them later or will they just never get their own identities?
• Pluto's a planet - Believe it or not, there are a surprising number of Pluto aficionados out there. Talking about how Pluto's a planet could really get them on your side, and they're a powerful bunch.
• Observational comedy - A dive into the most relatable of short presentation topics. What makes observational comedy so relatable?

Fear of boring your audience? Check out these interactive multimedia presentation examples to incorporate engaging components into your next talks.

10 Interesting 10-Minute Presentation Topics

This one is the exact opposite of 'relatable topics'. These short presentation topics are all about super interesting scientific phenomena that a lot of people don't know about.

You don't have to be relatable when you can be fascinating!

• Crown shyness - A presentation that explores the phenomenon of the crowns of trees that grow in such a way as not to touch each other.
• Sailing stones - There are rocks that can sail across the floor of Death Valley, but what causes it?
• Bioluminescence - Dive into what makes certain animals and plants light up the night using just their bodies. Include heaps of pictures in this one, it's a glorious sight!
• What happened to Venus? - Venus and Earth came into existence at the same time, made of the same stuff. Yet, Venus is a real hellscape of a planet - so what happened?
• Music therapy in Alzheimer's treatment - Music is very effective in treating Alzheimer's disease. Take a dive into the interesting reason why that is.
• What the hell is slime mould? - An exploration of the mould made up of single cells that can solve mazes when those cells combine forces.
• All about Havana Syndrome - The mysterious illness that struck the US embassy in Cuba - where did it come from and what did it do?
• The origins of Stonehenge - How did people 5000 years ago drag boulders from the Welsh highlands to lowland England? Also, why did they even decide to build Stonehenge?
• Intuition - Gut feeling, sixth sense; whatever you want to call it, scientists don't really know what it is.
• Deja vu - We all know the feeling, but how does it work? Why do we feel deja vu?

10 Controversial 10-Minute Presentation Topics

Check out some controversial

• Cryptocurrency: good or bad? - It resurfaces in the news every few months, so everyone's got an opinion, but we often only hear one side of the cryptocoin and not the other. In this 10-minute presentation, you can introduce the good and bad of crypto.
• Should we ban Black Friday? - Mass consumerism and mass tramplings at store entrances - has Black Friday gone too far? Some will say it's not gone far enough.
• Minimalism - A new way to live that's the opposite of everything Black Friday represents. How does it work and why should you try it?
• The best stuff for your health - Another one about which everyone's got something to say. Do the research and give the facts.
• Disney whitewashing - This one's definitely a controversial topic. It could be a quick exploration of how Disney seemingly chooses and alters skin tones depending on the story being told.
• Time to eat some bugs - As the world will soon have to move away from meat, what are we going to replace it with? Hope your audience likes cricket sundaes!
• Free speech - Is free speech something we still have? Are you having it right now while you give this presentation? That's a pretty easy one to answer.
• Gun laws around the world - See how the world's most gunned-up country compares to other countries in terms of weapons available and its ramifications.
• 1 million vs 1 billion - The difference between $1,000,000 and $1,000,000,000 is much bigger than you think. There are so many ways to highlight the enormous wealth gap in a 10-minute presentation.
• Military spending - We could solve all world issues in a flash if every country dissolved its military and used its funds for good. Is it feasible?

Bonus Topics: Vox

Looking for unique topics for presentation? Being your great idea source, Vox is an American online magazine with a real knack for making insightful video essays on interesting topics you may never have thought about. They were the guys behind the ' Explained ' series on Netflix, and they've also got their own YouTube channel full of topics.

The videos vary in length, but you can choose any of these to present if you feel like it's interesting enough for your crowd. They are not only the best topics for presentation in college but also unique topics for presentation in the office. Contract or expand the information in the video to 10 minutes and make sure you can present it comfortably.

Some of Vox's videos include trendy topics for presentation...

• How music on TikTok goes viral.
• London's super basements.
• The AI behind creating art on demand.
• The end of oil.
• The rise of K-pop.
• Why diets fail.
• Many, many more...

Wrapping Up

10 minutes is, categorically, not a long time , so yes,

Above is your choice of

Nailing yours starts with the right topic. Any of the 50 unique ones above would be a great way to kick off a 10-minute presentation (or even a 5-minute presentation ).

Once you have your topic, you'll want to craft the structure of your 10-minute talk and the content. Check out our presentation tips to keep your presentation fun and watertight.

3 magic ingredients of Amazing Presentations?

The Audience, Speaker and Transformation in between.

How do you present for 15 minutes?

20-25 slides are perfect, as 1-2 slides should be spoken in 1 minute.

Is a 10-minute presentation long?

a 20-minute presentation should be 9 - 10 pages long, while a 15-minute presentation should be 7-8 pages long. Therefore, the 10-minute presentation should be around 3-4 pages long

Lawrence Haywood

Former ESL teacher and quiz master converted to the wild slide. Now a content creator, traveller, musician and big time slider preaching the good word of interactivity.

Tips to Engage with Polls & Trivia

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Creating a 10-15 Minute Scientific Presentation

In the course of your career as a scientist, you will be asked to give brief presentations -- to colleagues, lab groups, and in other venues. We have put together a series of short videos to help you organize and deliver a crisp 10-15 minute scientific presentation.

First is a two part set of videos that walks you through organizing a presentation.

Part 1 - Creating an Introduction for a 10-15 Minute Scientfic Presentation

Part 2 - Creating the Body of a 10-15 Minute Presentation: Design/Methods; Data Results, Conclusions

Two additional videos should prove useful:

Designing PowerPoint Slides for a Scientific Presentation walks you through the key principles in designing powerful, easy to read slides.

Delivering a Presentation provides tips and approaches to help you put your best foot forward when you stand up in front of a group.

Other resources include:

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• Biomedical Engineering (BME)
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• Driskill Graduate Program in the Life Sciences (DGP)
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Mastering 10-Minute Presentations: Slides for Maximum Impact

How many slides for a 10-minute presentation do you need to get your message across in a limited amount of time?

Here’s a short answer: anywhere from five to 15 slides .

The long answer? Well, the ideal number of slides may vary depending on several factors , including the complexity of the topic discussed, your speaking phase, time allowance for audience interaction, and more.

This article will dive deep into the secrets of short and sweet but impactful presentations. We’ll also review a few methods from experts about determining the number of slides you need for your presentation, whether it’s a pitch deck, webinar slides, or anything else in between.

Read on and get ready to transform those fleeting ten minutes into a memorable experience that leaves a lasting impression on your audience.

The 10/20/30 PowerPoint Rule

How many PowerPoint slides is a 10-minute presentation?

When it comes to pitching and presentations, marketing specialist and author Guy Kawasaki may just be one of the best people to consult. After all, as a Silicon Valley venture capitalist, he’s heard thousands of pitches, and he knows what kind of presentations can hook the audience.

So, how many slides for a 10-minute presentation does one need, according to Kawasaki?

The Art of the Start author has discussed the 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint , and it has become a well-known guideline for creating effective slide presentations, particularly in the context of business and entrepreneurship.

Here are the components of the concept:

• 10 Slides . Kawasaki says the presentation should only have ten slides as it’s the best number to cover all the critical points of a presentation without overwhelming the audience. With limited slides, the presenter allows the audience to focus on the essential aspects of their message.
• 20 Minutes . The venture capitalist believes that a presenter should aim to complete the presentation within 20 minutes. This time frame is enough to cover key points and not too long to bore the audience. It also leaves room for discussion, questions, and unforeseen delays.
• 30-Point Font . Kawasaki recommends a minimum font size of 30 points so that the text is readable and the slides are not overcrowded with too much information. A larger font size also forces you to use more visuals and less text.

If we were to apply Kawasaki’s 10/20/30 rule to a 10-minute presentation, we would look at five slides – more or less two minutes per slide. This would be enough to get all the major points across while being concise and not overwhelming the audience.

The 3-2-1 Presentation Rule

Here’s another perspective on how many slides for a 10-minute presentation: the 3-2-1 rule discussed by Plus Cofounder and CEO Daniel Li.

This concept has three main components:

• 3 Key Takeaways . Li suggests presenters identify three main points they want the audience to remember and focus on.
• 2 Minutes per Slide . The CEO recommends spending two minutes to discuss each slide in the presentation.
• 1 Idea per Slide . Just as Kawasaki suggests overwhelming the audience with only a few pieces of information at a time, Li encourages presenters to focus on one central idea per slide for clarity.

If we use the 3-2-1 rule concept when determining how many slides for a 10-minute presentation we need, the answer is more or less the same if we used Kiwasaki’s proposal – we come up with five slides, give or take one or two slides .

In addition to the general concept of the 3-2-1 Rule, Li recommends the following approaches depending on the context of the presentation:

• Work Context . Focus on two or three central slides to convey your main ideas, supplemented by 2 to 3 slides with additional data or illustrative examples.
• Sales Context . Develop three core slides that showcase the advantages of your product or service, with two extra slides for customer testimonials or detailed data to enrich the discussion.
• Academic Context . Prepare two or three primary slides outlining main discoveries, and include 2 to 4 slides for supporting evidence or expanded explanations.
• Storytelling Context . Create three principal slides to create a story arc (beginning, middle, end), along with two slides for powerful quotes or imagery.

Other Recommendations for Number of Slides

Aside from Kawasaki and Li’s concepts of slide quantity, there are other approaches you can use:

• In an article for Cath Lab Digest, University of California, Irvine Professor Dr. Morton J Kern and VA Long Beach Cardiac Imaging Director Dr. Jeannie Yu discussed best practices to present and communicate  ideas to physicians, nurses, technologists. They said the rule of thumb is 10 slides for 10 minutes, with speakers spending around 30 seconds or a minute per slide. They recommend preparing 10 to 12 slides for a 10-minute presentation.

• Cloud-based AI-powered presentation maker Wonderslide, meanwhile, also says speakers typically use 10-12 slides for a 10-minute presentation. However, a speaker might use more slides to show examples or photos . Let’s presume that you stuck with 12 slides, but you had to show three examples, then the final slide count would be 15.

Tips to Nail Your 10-Minute Presentation 

Now that you know the main approaches to how many slides for a 10-minute presentation, here are a few tips to drive your points home:

• Rehearse and Time Your Delivery . Practice to ensure you stay within the 10-minute limit.
• Clarity in Content . Ensure your message is clear and concise; every word counts.
• Effective Storytelling . Weave a narrative that connects with your audience emotionally.
• Concise Slides . Limit text and focus on key points to avoid overwhelming your audience.
• Visuals and Graphics . Use high-quality images and graphics to illustrate points.
• Professional Template . Use a PowerPoint presentation design template that looks professional and aligns with your presentation’s tone. For presentation design , pay attention to layout, color schemes, and typography for a cohesive look.

If you need professional slide designs crafted by professional designers, Penji can help. We have the top 2% of designers who are well-versed in the power of visual storytelling.

Sign up today and power up your 10-minute presentation for maximum impact.

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8 tips to make the best powerpoint presentations.

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Slideshows are an intuitive way to share complex ideas with an audience, although they're dull and frustrating when poorly executed. Here are some tips to make your Microsoft PowerPoint presentations sing while avoiding common pitfalls.

Table of Contents

Start with a goal, less is more, consider your typeface, make bullet points count, limit the use of transitions, skip text where possible, think in color, take a look from the top down, bonus: start with templates.

It all starts with identifying what we're trying to achieve with the presentation. Is it informative, a showcase of data in an easy-to-understand medium? Or is it more of a pitch, something meant to persuade and convince an audience and lead them to a particular outcome?

It's here where the majority of these presentations go wrong with the inability to identify the talking points that best support our goal. Always start with a goal in mind: to entertain, to inform, or to share data in a way that's easy to understand. Use facts, figures, and images to support your conclusion while keeping structure in mind (Where are we now and where are we going?).

I've found that it's helpful to start with the ending. Once I know how to end a presentation, I know how best to get to that point. I start by identifying the takeaway---that one nugget that I want to implant before thanking everyone for their time---and I work in reverse to figure out how best to get there.

Your mileage, of course, may vary. But it's always going to be a good idea to put in the time in the beginning stages so that you aren't reworking large portions of the presentation later. And that starts with a defined goal.

A slideshow isn't supposed to include everything. It's an introduction to a topic, one that we can elaborate on with speech. Anything unnecessary is a distraction. It makes the presentation less visually appealing and less interesting, and it makes you look bad as a presenter.

This goes for text as well as images. There's nothing worse, in fact, than a series of slides where the presenter just reads them as they appear. Your audience is capable of reading, and chances are they'll be done with the slide, and browsing Reddit, long before you finish. Avoid putting the literal text on the screen, and your audience will thank you.

Related: How to Burn Your PowerPoint to DVD

Right off the bat, we're just going to come out and say that Papyrus and Comic Sans should be banned from all PowerPoint presentations, permanently. Beyond that, it's worth considering the typeface you're using and what it's saying about you, the presenter, and the presentation itself.

Consider choosing readability over aesthetics, and avoid fancy fonts that could prove to be more of a distraction than anything else. A good presentation needs two fonts: a serif and sans-serif. Use one for the headlines and one for body text, lists, and the like. Keep it simple. Veranda, Helvetica, Arial, and even Times New Roman are safe choices. Stick with the classics and it's hard to botch this one too badly.

There reaches a point where bullet points become less of a visual aid and more of a visual examination.

Bullet points should support the speaker, not overwhelm his audience. The best slides have little or no text at all, in fact. As a presenter, it's our job to talk through complex issues, but that doesn't mean that we need to highlight every talking point.

Instead, think about how you can break up large lists into three or four bullet points. Carefully consider whether you need to use more bullet points, or if you can combine multiple topics into a single point instead. And if you can't, remember that there's no one limiting the number of slides you can have in a presentation. It's always possible to break a list of 12 points down into three pages of four points each.

Animation, when used correctly, is a good idea. It breaks up slow-moving parts of a presentation and adds action to elements that require it. But it should be used judiciously.

Adding a transition that wipes left to right between every slide or that animates each bullet point in a list, for example, starts to grow taxing on those forced to endure the presentation. Viewers get bored quickly, and animations that are meant to highlight specific elements quickly become taxing.

That's not to say that you can't use animations and transitions, just that you need to pick your spots. Aim for no more than a handful of these transitions for each presentation. And use them in spots where they'll add to the demonstration, not detract from it.

Sometimes images tell a better story than text can. And as a presenter, your goal is to describe points in detail without making users do a lot of reading. In these cases, a well-designed visual, like a chart, might better convey the information you're trying to share.

The right image adds visual appeal and serves to break up longer, text-heavy sections of the presentation---but only if you're using the right images. A single high-quality image can make all the difference between a success and a dud when you're driving a specific point home.

When considering text, don't think solely in terms of bullet points and paragraphs. Tables, for example, are often unnecessary. Ask yourself whether you could present the same data in a bar or line chart instead.

Color is interesting. It evokes certain feelings and adds visual appeal to your presentation as a whole. Studies show that color also improves interest, comprehension, and retention. It should be a careful consideration, not an afterthought.

You don't have to be a graphic designer to use color well in a presentation. What I do is look for palettes I like, and then find ways to use them in the presentation. There are a number of tools for this, like Adobe Color , Coolors , and ColorHunt , just to name a few. After finding a palette you enjoy, consider how it works with the presentation you're about to give. Pastels, for example, evoke feelings of freedom and light, so they probably aren't the best choice when you're presenting quarterly earnings that missed the mark.

It's also worth mentioning that you don't need to use every color in the palette. Often, you can get by with just two or three, though you should really think through how they all work together and how readable they'll be when layered. A simple rule of thumb here is that contrast is your friend. Dark colors work well on light backgrounds, and light colors work best on dark backgrounds.

Spend some time in the Slide Sorter before you finish your presentation. By clicking the four squares at the bottom left of the presentation, you can take a look at multiple slides at once and consider how each works together. Alternatively, you can click "View" on the ribbon and select "Slide Sorter."

Are you presenting too much text at once? Move an image in. Could a series of slides benefit from a chart or summary before you move on to another point?

It's here that we have the opportunity to view the presentation from beyond the single-slide viewpoint and think in terms of how each slide fits, or if it fits at all. From this view, you can rearrange slides, add additional ones, or delete them entirely if you find that they don't advance the presentation.

The difference between a good presentation and a bad one is really all about preparation and execution. Those that respect the process and plan carefully---not only the presentation as a whole, but each slide within it---are the ones who will succeed.

This brings me to my last (half) point: When in doubt, just buy a template and use it. You can find these all over the web, though Creative Market and GraphicRiver are probably the two most popular marketplaces for this kind of thing. Not all of us are blessed with the skills needed to design and deliver an effective presentation. And while a pre-made PowerPoint template isn't going to make you a better presenter, it will ease the anxiety of creating a visually appealing slide deck.

• Microsoft Office