PowerPoint Templates are Boring

This week we began studying presentation design.  I had no idea that the PowerPoint templates were considered to be boring.  I always try to find a pretty template and use it for my presentation.  The idea of making my own slides never crossed my mind.
Another thing I learned is that an effective presentation doesn't have a lot of text on the slides.  The more text a slide has, the less attention the audience will give the presenter because they'll be too busy trying to copy it all down.  This is something I need to keep in mind because I tend to make my slides on the heavy side with text.  I also need to remember not to put every single thing I want to say, word for word, in the PowerPoint.  Only important points should be included.  There's no point for the presenter to read the slides word for word because the audience can do that themselves.  Instead the presenter should use the PowerPoint to highlight important parts of the presentation.
Images are much more interesting than text.  They can really enhance a presentation.  I learned that its best for the presenter to use their own pictures or ones they find online.  Clipart, which I often use, doesn't do the trick for an effective, professional looking presentation.
These are just some of the many things I learned by watching these presentations.  I think these tips will help me to create better and more effective PowerPoint presentations.