Category: PowerPoint

The Science of Effective Storytelling in Presentations

We often talk about the advantages of storytelling as a presentation technique. A presentation that’s filled with facts and figures can easily stray into a monotonous lecture that slowly lulls the audience to sleep. But if you choose to tell a story, you can give your audience something personal, concrete, and relatable to listen to. You can elicit very strong emotions that allow them to participate and engage with what you’re sharing.As Dr. Paul Zak of the Center for Neuroeconomic Studies found, narratives can trigger powerful responses when told the right way.

The science of effective storytelling

In this short film made for the Future of Storytelling Summit, Dr. Zak carefully explains how the human brain responds to effective storytelling:

After observing the neural activity of respondents who viewed the story of a terminally-ill two-year-old boy, Dr. Zak found that effective storytelling can evoke powerful feelings of empathy that come from the release of particular neurochemicals, including oxytocin and cortisol. Furthermore, these powerful responses often turn into concrete and positive action.This, however, doesn’t happen by telling just any other story. In order to be effective, the narrative has to follow the dramatic arc outlined by German playwright Gustav Freytag: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. Otherwise, as Dr. Zak concluded, listeners will have “little if any emotional or chemical response.”

What does this mean for presentations?

To elicit the same powerful emotions from your audience, craft a story that follows the solid structure Gustav Freytag first envisioned 150 years ago:

Exposition

In a literary story, this is where the author lays out some “ground work” by presenting the characters, setting, and basic conflict.For your presentations, this is where you establish some context. Introduce the point of view you’re presenting, and share some background information. If the story  focuses on an experience you had with a client, set the scene and introduce important details.

Rising Action

After presenting the context of your story, it’s time to build tension and increase conflict. This is where you identify obstacles that prevent your character from feeling fully satisfied or happy. If your story is from a target customer’s POV, tell your audience about the challenges they face.

Climax

As the turning point of your story, the climax is the part where your character comes face-to-face with their problem. This is where the conflict becomes fully-realized and a solution is seen on the horizon. For your presentation, the climax marks where you start driving home your core message.

Falling Action

Slowly, as a solution becomes clearer and clearer, your character takes a course of action towards the identified goal. In the traditional sense, this is where the protagonist battles the antagonist. For your presentation, this is where you continue explaining your core message, focusing on how it helps resolve the problems you introduced early on.

Conclusion/Resolution

Finally, describe how your character meets their goals. This is where you explain how you and a difficult client came to an agreement. In another example, the conclusion is the part that details how your target customer finally achieves full satisfaction.–Powerful storytelling can change the outcome of your presentations. Share stories that engage your audience by following an age-old technique that has always been universally effective. Featured Image: Screen shot from Future of StoryTelling: Paul Zak 

Designing PowerPoint Decks for the Smartphone

interactive presentations

mobile-viewing

online presentations

PowerPoint Design

smartphones

Sep 24, 2014

Millions of Americans are glued to their smartphones. According to data gathered by Statista Dossier, there are currently around 163 million smartphone users in the US. The numbers are also expected to rise to 220 million by 2018. This comes as no surprise, considering that industry giants like Apple and Samsung release innovative new designs almost every year. In fact, Apple just released the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.Luckily, it doesn’t take a lot of work to make sure that your PowerPoint decks are compatible for viewing on smartphones. All you have to do is follow these four basic rules:

1. Big and bold text

Matthew Smith / Note&PointEven if the iPhone 6 Plus has a screen size of 5.5 inches, that’s still a lot less room than where you’d commonly show a PowerPoint deck.  Make sure that the font type and size that you use is extremely readable. Go for 30 points or higher. Stylized fonts should always be larger than your usual sans serif text. You don’t want the audience to squint just to read what you’re trying to say.

2. High-contrast colors

Idan Gazit / Note&PointAnother way to increase the readability of your PowerPoint designs is through high-contrast colors. Use either a dark background with light-colored text or vice versa. Similarly, avoid using colors that are too bright. Try for a more muted palette with only a few vibrant pops of color every so often.

3. Powerful images over bullet points and paragraphs

Stephen P. Anderson / Note&PointDon’t overwhelm your target audience with too much text. Visualize your key points with powerful images instead. This will help keep your PowerPoint deck simple and straightforward. Don’t try to discuss too much concepts at one go. Explaining complicated concepts will require more sentences and paragraphs. If you feel like there’s something in your content that needs further explanation, simply link to other resources instead. You can also try to make a flowchart or an infographic using free online tools like Piktochart.

4. Simplicity

Stephen P. Anderson / Note&PointDespite the need for visuals, it’s also important that you don’t complicate your PowerPoint designs. Remember, you don’t have much space to work with. Always be mindful of white space and maintain balance in your design. You can still add some animations and transitions, but keep them to a minimum. Aim for a seamless viewing experience. Having too many elements will cause your presentation to lag.

The Takeaway

Smartphone users love the flexibility and convenience it offers. From your phone, you have access to a host of information. If you want to settle a silly argument, you can simply ask Siri for the answer. If you want to keep your work on track, there are plenty of apps that help you organize your ideas and to-do-list.Among the other things you can do on a smartphone is deliver and view a presentation. You can share your PowerPoint deck through SlideShare or Brainshark.In the boardroom, you won’t have to set-up a laptop and projector. With interactive apps like SlideShark and SlideKlowd, you can share your presentation directly to your audience’s devices.

Reference

“Smartphone Users in the US 2010-2019.” Statista. Accessed September 24, 2014.

The Case for Videos in Presentations

Powerpoint

videos in presentations

Aug 20, 2014

Incorporating videos in presentations can significantly enhance audience engagement, retention, and understanding. Here’s the case for why videos are a powerful tool for presentations:

1. Increased Engagement and Attention

  • Why it matters: Videos have the ability to capture and hold the audience’s attention more effectively than static text or slides alone. The combination of visuals, sound, and motion stimulates multiple senses, making it easier for the audience to stay engaged throughout the presentation.
  • Supporting evidence: According to research, people are 55% more likely to pay attention to presentations that include visual and auditory stimuli like video, compared to text-based content alone .

2. Simplifying Complex Concepts

  • Why it matters: Videos can explain complicated ideas or processes more clearly than words or static images. This is especially useful in technical presentations, product demonstrations, or educational settings where seeing a process in action is more effective than reading about it.
  • Example: In a product demo, instead of explaining how a product works with bullet points, a short video can show the product in action, highlighting its features and benefits in a more engaging and understandable way.

3. Enhanced Emotional Impact

  • Why it matters: Videos have the power to evoke emotions, making your message more compelling. When used effectively, they can create an emotional connection with the audience, which can be crucial for persuasive presentations like sales pitches, fundraising efforts, or motivational talks.
  • Supporting evidence: Studies suggest that people are more likely to remember information when it’s tied to an emotional experience. A well-crafted video can evoke emotion and help make your message more memorable .

4. Improved Retention of Information

  • Why it matters: People tend to remember more of what they see and hear. Videos can help reinforce the key points of your presentation, increasing retention and recall after the presentation has ended.
  • Supporting evidence: The visual storytelling aspect of video content taps into how the human brain processes information, with research showing that 80% of people can recall a video they watched up to 30 days later, compared to only 20% retention from reading text .

5. Breaking Up Monotony

  • Why it matters: A long presentation filled with text-heavy slides can lose the audience’s attention. Incorporating video clips provides a break from the monotony, re-engaging the audience and providing variety in the way information is delivered.
  • Example: In a 30-minute presentation, a brief, relevant video clip halfway through can reset audience attention and refresh focus, making the overall presentation more engaging.

6. Showcase Real-Life Examples or Case Studies

  • Why it matters: Videos are an excellent medium for showcasing testimonials, case studies, or real-world applications of your product or service. By showing real people or scenarios, you can build trust and add credibility to your presentation.
  • Example: In a business presentation, sharing a video testimonial from a satisfied client can be far more convincing than simply reading their testimonial.

Conclusion

Using videos in presentations can greatly enhance the audience’s experience by making complex information more digestible, emotionally engaging, and memorable. Videos help break up dense content, provide variety, and ultimately make your presentation more dynamic and impactful. To maximize their effectiveness, ensure that videos are relevant, concise, and high-quality.

Webinar PowerPoint Tips: Creating a Presentation that Speaks through the Screen

webinar powerpoint

webinars

Jun 30, 2014

In today’s world, distance is no longer an issue when it comes to effective communication. With web conferences or webinars, you no longer have to hop on a plane to sit in meetings with those in another time zone.But there’s more to webinars than just talking in front of a webcam, especially if you want to share crucial information or leave a lasting impression. It’s important that you enhance your audience’s experience with a webinar PowerPoint deck.When you’re presenting in front a live audience, you’re physically available to command their attention. Your PowerPoint slides serve a secondary purpose. However, when you’re presenting online, your webinar PowerPoint deck is the main attraction.With that in mind, consider these specific tips to make sure that your webinar PowerPoint speaks through the computer screen.

Sequence: What your webinar PowerPoint should contain

It’s important that your webinar PowerPoint follows a structure with a logical flow. Begin with a quick introduction, delve in the main body of your topic, and end with a concise conclusion.

  • Introduction – Include slides introducing yourself and other presenters in the webinar. Include a picture and relevant credentials so your audience can feel like they’re not just talking to a computer screen. It’s also useful if you can include a slide that explains the logistics of your webinar.
  • Body – The body of your webinar PowerPoint deck will depend on the topic you’re discussing. Whatever it is, keep your discussion clear but brief. Stick to discussing only one point at a time. There are plenty of ways to arrange the body of your webinar PowerPoint, just make sure that each point is structured into main segments.
  • Conclusion – The conclusion of your webinar PowerPoint should be short and sweet. Don’t drag it out by repeating everything you said before. Instead, create a slide that summarizes your main points. To encourage your audience to participate in a discussion, include an action plan or a call-to-action question.

Design: What your webinar PowerPoint should look like

Your webinar PowerPoint should be efficiently designed for online sharing. Lags on your presentation look unprofessional and can be frustrating for your audience.Opt for a simpler, sleeker design. As always, avoid using too much text and bullet points. Most importantly, avoid using huge picture files, videos, and animations which might cause problems for connectivity. This doesn’t mean you should go completely without graphics. Just make sure the file sizes aren’t too large or are compressed before sharing. Consider the following when designing your webinar PowerPoint deck:

  • When explaining something that requires several steps, consider making use of “build” slides. This is a type of animation that allows you to reveal a slide bit by bit as you talk.
  • Make use of PowerPoint’s SmartArt graphics to illustrate key points without having to use complicated images.
  • For your the background of your slides, opt for a solid color or gradient effect. Lower quality images might not be big enough to fill the entire background. And if you resize them, your background will look distorted and pixelated.

 

Reference

“Reduce the File Size of a Picture.” Office Support. Accessed June 30, 2014. 

Featured Image: Ministerio TIC Colombia via Flickr

What Marketing PowerPoint Presentations Can Do For Your Business

marketing powerpoint

marketing presentations

Jun 25, 2014

A well-crafted marketing PowerPoint presentation can be a powerful tool for driving business success. Whether you’re presenting to potential clients, investors, or your internal team, a strong presentation can communicate your brand message, highlight your services, and ultimately close deals. Here’s how a marketing PowerPoint presentation can make a difference for your business.

1. Communicate Your Brand Story

One of the most critical roles of a marketing presentation is to tell your brand’s story. A compelling narrative helps audiences connect with your company on an emotional level and understand your mission, values, and goals.Why It’s Important:

  • Builds Emotional Connections: Storytelling engages your audience and makes your brand more relatable.
  • Enhances Brand Loyalty: When your audience understands your brand’s story, they are more likely to become loyal customers or supporters.

How to Do It:

  • Start your presentation with a brief overview of your company’s history, mission, and key values.
  • Use visuals, customer testimonials, and success stories to illustrate your journey and impact.

2. Showcase Products or Services

A marketing presentation is an excellent opportunity to highlight your products or services in a visually compelling way. Instead of just listing features, focus on the benefits and how your offerings solve specific customer pain points.Why It’s Important:

  • Highlights Solutions: By focusing on how your products or services solve problems, you show the value your business brings to the table.
  • Drives Conversions: A clear, visually appealing presentation of your offerings can help persuade potential clients to choose your business.

How to Do It:

  • Include high-quality images, videos, or demos of your products in action.
  • Highlight the key benefits of each product or service, and explain how they address customer needs.

3. Support Sales and Business Development

A well-prepared marketing presentation can serve as a powerful tool for your sales and business development teams. It provides them with a structured way to present your company’s value proposition to prospective clients or partners.Why It’s Important:

  • Provides Structure: A well-organized presentation ensures that key points are delivered consistently across different sales meetings.
  • Facilitates Conversations: The presentation can act as a conversation starter, allowing sales teams to dive deeper into specific client needs.

How to Do It:

  • Include key statistics, case studies, and testimonials that demonstrate your success.
  • Customize the presentation for different audiences, adjusting slides to meet the unique needs of each prospect.

4. Simplify Complex Information

Marketing presentations can help you explain complex concepts, processes, or data in a simple and digestible way. This is especially useful for businesses that offer technical or data-driven products and services.Why It’s Important:

  • Improves Understanding: Breaking down complex information into clear visuals and concise language makes it easier for your audience to understand.
  • Builds Trust: When your audience can grasp the details of your offerings, they’re more likely to trust you as a knowledgeable and transparent company.

How to Do It:

  • Use infographics, charts, and graphs to visually represent data and trends.
  • Break down technical processes step-by-step, using diagrams or animations to guide the audience.

5. Boost Internal Team Alignment

Marketing presentations are not just for external audiences—they can also play a key role in aligning your internal teams. Whether you’re rolling out a new campaign, launching a product, or sharing performance updates, PowerPoint presentations can help ensure that everyone is on the same page.Why It’s Important:

  • Fosters Collaboration: Clear communication of marketing goals and strategies keeps teams aligned and working toward the same objectives.
  • Increases Productivity: A well-structured presentation helps avoid confusion and clarifies next steps, making it easier for teams to execute plans efficiently.

How to Do It:

  • Use a presentation to communicate the goals, target audience, and key messages of upcoming marketing campaigns.
  • Include progress reports or performance metrics to keep teams informed about the impact of ongoing efforts.

6. Engage Investors and Stakeholders

For businesses seeking investment or stakeholder buy-in, marketing presentations offer a way to clearly articulate your value proposition, growth strategy, and market potential. A strong presentation can inspire confidence and secure the support you need to grow.Why It’s Important:

  • Secures Funding: A well-prepared pitch that highlights the company’s strengths, potential, and market opportunities can attract investors.
  • Builds Credibility: Providing data, market analysis, and growth projections in a clear, professional format boosts your credibility with stakeholders.

How to Do It:

  • Include key market insights, competitive analysis, and financial projections to demonstrate your company’s growth potential.
  • Use charts and data to back up your claims and show the market opportunity.

7. Improve Audience Engagement

PowerPoint’s multimedia capabilities allow you to create interactive and visually engaging presentations that capture your audience’s attention. By incorporating elements like animations, videos, and interactive charts, you can create a memorable experience that keeps your audience engaged throughout the presentation.Why It’s Important:

  • Keeps Audience Attention: A dynamic presentation with multimedia elements is more likely to hold the audience’s attention compared to static slides.
  • Reinforces Key Messages: Interactive elements and visual aids help emphasize important points and ensure they stick with the audience.

How to Do It:

  • Use animations and transitions to reveal information gradually and maintain a sense of flow.
  • Incorporate videos, product demos, or customer testimonials to break up text-heavy slides and add variety.

Final Thoughts

A well-designed marketing PowerPoint presentation can help your business communicate its value, simplify complex information, and engage audiences, whether they are clients, investors, or internal teams. By telling your brand story, showcasing your offerings, and using clear, engaging visuals, you can create a presentation that leaves a lasting impression and drives business success.

Get Free PowerPoint Templates to Jump Start Your Presentation Design

free powerpoint templates

technology powerpoint

Jun 23, 2014

In the past, we wrote about several ways you can enhance your technology PowerPoint design. But if you’re still grappling to get started, you can try some of the free PowerPoint templates available at Microsoft.com.

There are experts who will tell you to avoid using free PowerPoint templates at all cost. They say most templates are cliched and overused. While it’s definitely great to have a unique design for your slides, beginners might feel overwhelmed starting out with just a blank slide. Starting with a PowerPoint template can help you visualize where you want to take your design. You have plenty of choices, especially if you take the time to find a template that suits the theme of your presentation.

Just like this one, all free PowerPoint templates from Microsoft are customizable. Use this template as a starting point, and from there, edit the slides as you wish. You can add your own images, fonts, or backgrounds. You can change color schemes. You can change animation styles and slide transitions.

Still need inspiration? Check out our technology PowerPoint portfolio. It’ll give you some great ideas on how you can enhance your free PowerPoint templates.

Featured Image: Paul Inkles via Flickr

Adding Visuals to Your Technology PowerPoint

diagrams

technology powerpoint

visual aids

Jun 18, 2014

Incorporating visuals into your PowerPoint presentations is essential, especially when dealing with technical subjects. Technology presentations can easily overwhelm audiences with data, jargon, and complex ideas. The right visuals can help break down complicated information and make your message more engaging and digestible. Here’s how to enhance your technology PowerPoint with powerful visuals.

1. Use Diagrams to Simplify Complex Processes

Technology presentations often involve explaining complex systems or processes. Using diagrams can help simplify these concepts and make them easier for your audience to follow.Why It’s Important:

  • Clarifies Information: Diagrams help break down complex processes into manageable, understandable parts.
  • Engages Visual Learners: Visual learners can grasp the information more easily when it’s presented in a clear, diagrammatic form.

How to Do It:

  • Create flowcharts, network diagrams, or process maps to explain systems like IT infrastructure or software development workflows.
  • Use arrows and shapes to visually guide your audience through the steps or components of a system.

2. Incorporate Infographics to Visualize Data

Technology presentations often include data-heavy content, such as usage statistics, performance metrics, or market trends. Infographics can help you present data in a more engaging and accessible format.Why It’s Important:

  • Makes Data Easier to Understand: Infographics condense data into a visual format that’s easier for your audience to absorb at a glance.
  • Enhances Engagement: Visual data is more engaging than spreadsheets or bullet points, keeping your audience focused and interested.

How to Do It:

  • Use tools like Canva or PowerPoint’s built-in features to create custom infographics that visualize key data points.
  • Incorporate charts, icons, and color coding to make the data easy to interpret.

3. Use High-Quality Images to Reinforce Key Points

Including relevant, high-quality images can reinforce your message and help illustrate key points. For example, images of hardware, software interfaces, or screenshots of code can provide visual context in technology presentations.Why It’s Important:

  • Provides Context: Images help contextualize abstract concepts, making them more relatable to your audience.
  • Improves Retention: Audiences are more likely to remember information when it’s paired with a relevant visual.

How to Do It:

  • Add images of technology products, prototypes, or real-life use cases to visually support your explanations.
  • Ensure all images are high resolution and professional to maintain credibility.

4. Use Icons and Symbols for Better Visual Flow

Icons and symbols can help guide your audience’s attention and visually organize information. These simple, yet effective visuals can highlight key points, break up text, and direct the audience’s focus.Why It’s Important:

  • Enhances Readability: Icons break up dense text and make slides more visually appealing.
  • Adds Visual Hierarchy: Use symbols to create visual distinctions between main points and supporting details.

How to Do It:

  • Use technology-related icons (e.g., computers, gears, cloud symbols) to represent different sections of your presentation or key concepts.
  • Place icons next to bullet points or titles to make the slides more scannable.

5. Animate Visuals for More Dynamic Presentations

Adding animations to your visuals can make your presentation more dynamic and engaging. Animations can also help emphasize important points or guide your audience through a complex diagram step by step.Why It’s Important:

  • Keeps the Audience Engaged: Movement grabs attention and keeps your audience focused on the presentation.
  • Emphasizes Key Information: Animating visuals draws attention to specific points and helps pace your delivery.

How to Do It:

  • Use PowerPoint’s animation features to reveal diagrams or charts in stages as you explain each part.
  • Apply subtle animations like Fade In or Wipe to introduce new visuals smoothly without overwhelming your audience.

6. Use Consistent Visual Themes

A consistent visual theme throughout your presentation helps create a cohesive and professional look. Whether you’re using diagrams, infographics, or images, ensure that the style, color scheme, and fonts remain consistent across all your slides.Why It’s Important:

  • Creates Visual Harmony: Consistency in visuals prevents your presentation from looking disjointed and maintains a polished appearance.
  • Strengthens Branding: Using consistent visuals that align with your company’s brand colors and fonts reinforces your identity.

How to Do It:

  • Choose a visual theme and color scheme before you start designing your slides.
  • Stick to the same style of icons, fonts, and colors to maintain uniformity throughout the presentation.

Final Thoughts

Adding visuals to your technology PowerPoint presentations can enhance clarity, improve engagement, and make complex information more accessible. Whether you’re using diagrams, infographics, or animations, the key is to ensure that your visuals support your message and help your audience understand the technical content more effectively. Keep visuals consistent, relevant, and high-quality to create a polished, professional presentation.

Map Out Your Presentation With Mind Mapping

ConceptDraw

iMindMap

mind mapping

Rick Enrico

Jun 13, 2014

Mind mapping is a powerful tool for organizing ideas visually, making it easier to structure presentations and communicate complex information. By creating a mind map, you can break down topics into manageable parts, find connections between concepts, and create a logical flow for your presentation. Here’s how you can use mind mapping to enhance your presentations.

1. Organize Your Thoughts Visually

Mind maps allow you to organize your ideas in a visual format, with a central theme or topic branching out into subtopics. This structure helps you see the big picture while also breaking down specific details.Why It’s Important:

  • Simplifies Complex Topics: Mind maps help you break down large, complex topics into smaller, more digestible parts.
  • Provides Clarity: The visual format allows you to clearly see the relationships between ideas and ensures nothing important is overlooked.

How to Do It:

  • Start with the main topic of your presentation in the center of the map, then branch out to key points and subpoints.
  • Use colors, images, or symbols to differentiate ideas and make the mind map easier to read.

2. Create a Logical Flow

A well-structured mind map helps you organize your presentation in a logical sequence. By seeing how your ideas connect, you can create a clear and cohesive flow that guides your audience through the presentation.Why It’s Important:

  • Improves Flow: Mind mapping ensures that each section of your presentation flows logically into the next, creating a cohesive narrative.
  • Engages the Audience: A clear, well-organized presentation is easier for your audience to follow and understand.

How to Do It:

  • Use the mind map to outline the order of your presentation, ensuring that each point builds upon the last.
  • Identify the natural transitions between sections and use these to guide the flow of your presentation.

3. Identify Gaps and Connections

Mind mapping allows you to identify any gaps in your content or areas where additional information might be needed. It also helps you see connections between ideas that you may not have considered initially.Why It’s Important:

  • Ensures Comprehensive Coverage: Mind maps help you identify any areas that need more detail or explanation.
  • Strengthens Arguments: Finding connections between ideas can help you build stronger, more cohesive arguments.

How to Do It:

  • As you create your mind map, look for any gaps in your branches where additional points or explanations are needed.
  • Draw connections between related ideas to strengthen the overall argument or narrative of your presentation.

4. Use Mind Maps for Audience Interaction

Mind maps can also be used as an interactive tool during your presentation. By displaying a mind map on a slide, you can show the audience the structure of your presentation and walk them through each section in a clear, visual format.Why It’s Important:

  • Engages the Audience: Visual aids like mind maps keep your audience engaged by providing a clear overview of your content.
  • Helps the Audience Follow Along: Showing the overall structure of your presentation helps the audience understand where each section fits within the bigger picture.

How to Do It:

  • Display a simplified version of your mind map at the beginning of your presentation to provide an overview.
  • Refer back to the mind map as you move through each section to remind the audience of the overall structure.

5. Adapt Your Mind Map into Slides

Once your mind map is complete, you can easily adapt it into individual PowerPoint slides. Each branch of the mind map can become a new slide or section of your presentation, providing a ready-made outline to guide your slide creation.Why It’s Important:

  • Streamlines Slide Creation: Mind maps provide a clear structure that makes it easier to translate ideas into individual slides.
  • Maintains Cohesiveness: Following the structure of the mind map ensures that your slides flow logically and consistently.

How to Do It:

  • Take each main branch of your mind map and create a slide or section for it in your presentation.
  • Use the subtopics from each branch to guide the content of each slide, ensuring that the presentation follows a logical sequence.

Final Thoughts

Mind mapping is an invaluable tool for organizing your ideas, structuring your presentation, and ensuring a clear, logical flow of information. By visually breaking down complex topics and identifying connections between ideas, you can create a presentation that’s easy for both you and your audience to follow. Whether you’re brainstorming new content or refining an existing presentation, mind mapping can help you build a more cohesive and engaging presentation.

Adventure Time Lessons for Preparing Your Presentation

adventure time

Jun 04, 2014

Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time is one of those kid shows that have crossed generational boundaries and become a hit among adult viewers. Sure, animated shows for older viewers have been produced before (Beavis and Butthead comes to mind. And then there’s The Simpsons). Adventure Time, however, is a charming, honest-to-goodness children’s cartoon that just happens to appeal to adults.

So what is it about the show that pulls the grownups? Maybe it’s nostalgia (the old-school RPG Dungeons and Dragons was an inspiration) or the characters’ dark and witty sense of humor. Whatever it is, Adventure Time has made many of us look beyond the cartoon’s candy-colored fairy-tale exterior and appreciate the lessons in each episode. BuzzFeed has even created a post, “lessons for living a better life,” in reaction to the shows’ positive appeal.

In response, we are also creating our own list of things that we have learned from the show and how they apply to PowerPoint design.

Focus on what matters

The show follows Finn, a young boy, and his dog friend Jake, who possesses super stretching powers, as they fight candy zombies and foul gnomes in the Land of Ooo. In one episode, Finn overanlyzes a conversation he had with his ex-girlfriend, Flame Princess. The princess didn’t laugh at Finn’s joke. This prompted our hero to overthink their relationship and jump to conclusions. Thankfully, Jake the dog knocked some sense into him.

What he told the boy can also be applied to presenters who are too absorbed in unnecessary PowerPoint details. Stop being hung up on imaginary problems but rather, focus on what’s real.

In designing PowerPoint slides, many of us tend to be anxious about what elements to include in hopes of creating an impact. We forget that the message is more important than any flashy graphics or fancy animation and sound effects.

Never underestimate people  

Many characters in the show appear unassuming yet capable of surprising you in the end. Cinnamon Bun is one of them. A typical lovable oaf, this guy was always underestimated by everyone. Nobody expected him to do anything extraordinary. Until in one episode, wherein he saved the day and got the girl. Finn’s reaction was priceless. “Did I just get shown up by Cinnamon Bun?”

One of the mistakes that you can make in delivering a presentation is underestimating your audience. This may show in the poor quality of your slides and lack of interest in making proper preparation. “They are just there to listen. Why should I even prepare?” You’ll get your answer after the presentation, when the audience starts throwing questions at you.

It’s okay not get it right the first time

Novice presenters can learn so much from this line from Jake:

adventure time lesson

You can apply this to any situation but if you’re being hard on yourself because of an initial presentation failure, take heart and remember this advice.

Stay optimistic – even if you don’t have enough sleep

And after several sleepless nights of designing your slides and practicing your speech, you may feel worried that you won’t be able to pull it off. Don’t worry. Princess Bubblegum (the ruler of the Candy Kingdom and friend of Finn and Jake) has something to say about that.

Jake: Princess Bubblegum, are you okay?

Princess Bubblegum: Yeah, I’m fine. I’m good. Haven’t slept for a solid 83 hours, but… yeah, I’m good.

‘Nuff said.

Case Study: Creating Professional PowerPoint for Email Professionals

case study

Email Professionals

powerpoint presentation

May 23, 2014

Email Professionals is an email marketing company.  Their services include developing winning email campaigns for clients by creating a unique email strategy, writing winning copy, and performing quality assurance on every email. Part of their strategy is to track results in order to know how to improve their campaign, if necessary.What they essentially do is match their email marketing services according to their client’s situation. As every client has different needs, they propose different strategies. Incidentally, when we were tasked to create a PowerPoint presentation for their company, it was the same thing that we had in mind. Well, because naturally, that’s our principle as well.We at SlideGenius strive to meet our clients’ expectations by creating presentations that are tailored exactly to their needs. We don’t just create slide decks from ready-made templates. Our goal is to create unique presentations, whether we are building from an existing one or creating from scratch.

The Challenge

Our task is to create a PowerPoint presentation that highlights the benefits of doing business with Email Professionals and at the same time, encourage an emotional response from the target audience. The audience members, by the way, are most likely other business entities. So the “challenge” that we have here is to make the slides look professional yet keep them from looking dull and boring. Since we’re going to talk about emails, we don’t want to simply spam the audience, so to speak.

The Solution

Even with our years of experience creating unique PowerPoint presentations, our team handled this project with utmost care. We don’t want to rest on our laurels. We just want to do an excellent job. With that in mind, we started by looking into the qualities of Email Professionals, what makes them unique and then put those thing front and center..Basically, we made sure that the colors and font styling were consistent in order for the slides to convey a level of professionalism. We also managed to make the entire presentation interesting by adding snappy, copy. In the end, we were able to achieve what we had set out to do. To give the slides a professional look and feel without making it too dull and boring.