Tag: audience

I Can Drive a Car, But That Doesn’t Mean I’m Ready for NASCAR: Why Professional Presentation Design Matters

audience

Custom Designed Presentations

NASCAR

NSA

PowerPoint Agency

PowerPoint Design

PowerPoint design experts

PowerPoint specialist

presentation

Presentation Agency

Presentation Company

Presentation Consultation

presentation design

Presentation Designers

presentation experts

Presentation Firm

professional design

professional presentation

Slate Magazine

Jul 11, 2013

Creating a basic PowerPoint presentation is something almost anyone can do. A few clicks to add a text box, a couple of images, and maybe a graphic or two—it’s all within reach for any mildly tech-savvy pre-teen. But when it comes to your business, the question isn’t, “can you create a presentation?” Instead, you should be asking, “is my presentation effective at convincing my audience?” This is the true measure of a successful corporate presentation. It’s not just about putting slides together; it’s about delivering a message that inspires, persuades, and motivates action.Corporate presentations are much more than simple slide shows—they are strategic communication tools. They are crafted to sway stakeholders, win over potential investors, close deals, and drive business decisions. And like any other critical aspect of your business, you want your presentations to be the best they can be. Knowing how to drive a car doesn’t make you qualified to compete in NASCAR, right? Similarly, creating a PowerPoint presentation doesn’t automatically make you a presentation expert. Some things are best left in the hands of professionals, and high-stakes corporate presentations are certainly among them.Take the case of the NSA’s now-infamous leaked PowerPoint presentation. At a time when the organization was under scrutiny for its surveillance practices, their presentation skills fell flat, becoming a viral example of what not to do. Amateurish design choices and cluttered slides left a poor impression, prompting several professional designers to take matters into their own hands.One of the most notable overhauls came from Parisian presentation designer Emiland de Cubber. He took the NSA’s presentation and transformed it with clean graphics, a simplified layout, and a more digestible flow of information. The redesigned version was not only more visually appealing but also more effective at communicating the message. It was a clear demonstration of how professional design can elevate a presentation’s impact. Soon after, other designers, and even Slate Magazine, jumped on board to highlight the flaws in the original and showcase how it could be improved.The lesson here isn’t that the NSA is lacking in intelligence or technical know-how. Far from it—they deal with some of the most complex data in the world. But even the most sophisticated organizations can struggle to communicate their message effectively without the right design expertise. This is why it’s crucial to recognize when to bring in professionals. A high-quality presentation requires more than just technical ability; it demands a keen understanding of visual storytelling, audience engagement, and design principles that make the message resonate.A professionally designed presentation is more than just a polished set of slides. It combines compelling visuals with clear, concise messaging that keeps your audience engaged. Good design helps distill complex ideas into digestible chunks, guiding your viewers through the content seamlessly. This ensures that your audience remains focused and receptive to your message, rather than getting lost in a sea of text-heavy slides and confusing graphics.When your goal is to make a powerful impression—whether it’s for a pitch to potential investors, a critical board meeting, or a keynote at an industry conference—leaving your presentation design to chance simply isn’t an option. Partnering with a presentation design expert can make the difference between a forgettable slideshow and a presentation that captivates your audience and drives them to action.So, we can’t necessarily blame the NSA for producing a lackluster presentation—after all, they did the best they could with the resources at hand. But this example serves as a reminder that in the world of high-stakes communication, there’s no substitute for professional expertise. When it comes to crafting a presentation that not only informs but inspires, choosing to work with a seasoned presentation designer is a decision that pays off in dividends.Don’t settle for “just good enough” when your message is too important to be lost in translation. Invest in professional presentation design and ensure that every slide leaves a lasting impression.

What is the Pecha Kucha 20×20 Presentation Technique?

audience

presentation

presentation technique

Rick Enrico

Salt Lake City

San Jose

SlideGenius

Feb 13, 2012

Founded by Tokyo-based architects Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham in 2003 and stylized as PechaKucha 20×20, this simple presentation technique lets you show 20 images for 20 seconds each, for a running time of about 7 minutes in total.Pecha Kucha lasts longer than an elevator pitch, which is supposed to be delivered for as long as an elevator ride, and runs shorter than the time Guy Kawasaki suggests in his 10/20/30 rule.This presentation technique is recommended for more informal gatherings.The official Pecha Kucha events held around the globe are meant to serve as a social gathering of creative minds and talents. In these gatherings, anyone can pitch their ideas at the event about any topic.But we’re not suggesting that you talk about random topics during your pitch. Rather, you can utilize the presentation’s unique format to benefit your deck.

Graphic Intensive Pitch

The key difference between Pecha Kucha, an elevator pitch, and the 10/20/30 rule are its limitations.It’s a time-bound format where you let your presentation play automatically, with each slide running for 20 seconds each.This means that you can’t go back or skip to the next slide. Compared to an elevator pitch and the 10/20/30 rule, it’s restricted to a self-presenting deck or a time limit per slide.While the 10/20/30 rule also advocates a limit of 10 slides in 30 minutes, Pecha Kucha runs 20 slide images in 7 minutes.This means that the latter goes through more slides in a fraction of the time, making Pecha Kucha an image-intensive presentation.Pecha Kucha 20×20 has been described as a business meeting meets poetic poetry slam, which aren’t far from each other in a way. Both utilize imagery, structure, and analogies to convey their message.

Find the Middle Ground

Pecha Kucha or PechaKucha is perfect if you find elevator pitches too short, and Guy Kawasaki’s 20-minute recommended running time too long.It’s a completely different challenge to deliver a 20-slide deck for 20 seconds each. You need to rehearse your speech per slide to last exactly for 20 seconds.Any more and you’ll rush your delivery, any less and you’ll have dead air in your already barebones 7-minute presentation.Some previous experience in giving presentations and a lot of rehearsals may be required to pull off this style without a hitch.In addition, using a conversational tone is necessary in order to foster the relaxed atmosphere that this movement started.A conversational tone lets your audience follow a jargon-free pitch much faster and easier.

Passion is Key to Success

The word pecha–kucha comes from the Japanese word for “chatter”.The early stages of the gatherings were coined after the conversational atmosphere this type of presentation attracted. The laid back and social aspect of Pecha Kucha events has been the key to its success.You can translate this to your pitch by showing your enthusiasm through your presentation. Tell your audience that you’re about to do something different today and introduce the Pecha Kucha technique.Choose powerful images that support the message of your pitch while still remembering to stay within your time limit. Master your topic and engage your audience using a relaxed, conversational tone.This presentation style develops your ability to be concise with your speech so that you can get straight to the point and improves your rapport with the audience because of its informality.

A Pitch That’s Just Right

Change up your presentation habits and incorporate PechaKucha 20×20 into your pitch. Informal gatherings can benefit from this fun presentation style.Challenge yourself and entertain your audience by showing them what you can do with 20 slides for 20 seconds each.Since this is an image-intensive pitch, make sure to pick visuals that stand out. Support your message with your image by providing the right amount of words to say.Rehearse your words carefully so that you don’t exceed the time limit.But most of all, have fun while you’re at it. People’s attention gravitate towards speakers who are clearly passionate in what they have to say. 

References

“Frequently Asked Questions.” PechaKucha 20×20. Accessed December 22, 2015. www.pechakucha.org/faq”Guy Kawasaki – The 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint.” Guy Kawasaki. December 30, 2005. Accessed December 22, 2015. http://guykawasaki.com/the_102030_rulePink, Daniel H. “Pecha Kucha: Get to the PowerPoint in 20 Slides Then Sit the Hell Down.” Wired.com. August 21, 2007. Accessed December 22, 2015. www.wired.com/2007/08/st-pechakucha Featured Image: by Ryan McGuire on gratisography.com

5 Best Practices from Web Design for a PowerPoint Designer

audience

Best Design Practices

presentation

slide design

Feb 11, 2012

If you design PowerPoint, here are 5 best practices of web design you can use to enhance your PowerPoint slide design.

Best Design Practices for PowerPoint Designers

As those who frequently design PowerPoint slides, we keep a constant watch on the best design practices from various fields to enhance our slide design.We covered the 7 essential differences in Print design and PowerPoint slide design in a previous article. In this article, we will show you some useful practices you can adopt from the field of web designing.1.Build a wire frame before you fill the contentA good web designer would never build the site content before fully visualizing the end result. Every element of the site structure is carefully sketched on paper as ‘wire frames’ before their fingers reach for a keyboard. This practice serves well when you design your PowerPoint presentations too. Never touch your computer till you finalize your presentation outline. Or you may run the risk of creating content that lacks a compelling story and a seamless flow.2. Make a professional first impression with a headerWeb designers spend a lot of time and effort to make a professional impression with the header on the homepage. They realize that the impression made in the first few seconds determines whether a visitor continues browsing the site or ditches it for good. If the header is dull and boring, the visitor tends to assume that the site is boring too. For example, take a look at the Home page of Buyapresentation.com,  a site that sells PowerPoint templates for business presenters.In the first few seconds the site needs to make an impression on the visitor about the quality of its offering and the wide range of templates. The site uses an interesting header to achieve the objective.In your PowerPoint presentations, the title slide is like the header of the site. If the first slide that you project on the screen looks lifeless, the audience tends to lose interest in the rest of the content.So, spend some time and effort to ensure that your opening slide reflects your thinking, your brand and the quality you represent.

Here is an example of a powerful title slide that makes a professional impression.

  3.Show them what to expect through your menuIf you visit a well-designed website, you will know what to expect from the site by looking at the navigation buttons. Web designers organize their site’s content into meaningful clusters and title them appropriately to help you get an understanding of the site content. In a PowerPoint presentation, your agenda slide serves as the navigation bar. Organize your presentation content into logical clusters and give a quick overview of your presentation through well thought out agenda points.A good agenda slide quickly orients your audience to your point of view. 4.Show them where they are – using simple sign postsA good site design ensures that a visitor is always aware of where he is in the site. This gives a sense of assurance and control to the visitor. The principle applies to PowerPoint presentations too.  Let you audience know the topic they are in at any point of time.In the following example, the webs-style bars shows that the slide belongs to the fourth point in the agenda. The numbering of slides tells the audience where they stand. 

Source: PowerPoint Design Elements.

5.Let your title summarize the content of the pageTake a look at the web page in this example. When you read the title, you know that the page is about showing you how to create a glossy ball. There is no clever play of words like you see in the titles of magazine articles. This applies to your PowerPoint slides too. Your title should make a clear assertion and the body of the slide should show the evidence that supports the assertion. The following example shows you how. The title quickly guides the audience attention to the relevant portion of the table. Your point gets made without any confusion.

Conclusion:

The 5 points we discussed are meant to start you off on an exploration of best practices as a PowerPoint Designer.Take a little time to visit a number of good websites with an intention of learning the principles of effective slide design. You will be amazed at the extent of learning you will get. There are a number of articles in this site that help you fine tune your slide design skills.One way to create professional presentations quickly and effectively is to use good quality diagram templates. We recommend that you take a look at the 301 Mega PowerPoint diagram templates pack. The article showcased some of the diagrams from the pack.The Pack has 301 high quality PowerPoint diagrams that you can copy paste to your slides to convey your message effectively. The pack is a must have collection if you are a serious PowerPoint designer.

Avoiding “Death by PowerPoint”

audience

PPT

presentation

Uncover Right

Feb 11, 2012

©2002 Corbin Ball AssociatesI was interviewed in the November 2002 issue of PCWorld Magazine regarding the use of technology, and specifically PowerPoint, in presentations. Here is the interview in its unabridged form.Q.  How do you avoid “death by PowerPoint?”A.  We have all been there — sitting through computer presentations with endless screens of boring text. As we struggle to keep our eyes open, the phrase “Death by PowerPoint” comes readily to mind. Of course, it is not the program that is the problem but the *poor use* of the program that causes the trouble.As a professional speaker who speaks more than sixty groups each year, I use computerized presentation programs in nearly every presentation I give. I have given much thought and have learned by trial and error what works and what doesn’t. So, if you ever have to make a presentation or deal with non-professional speakers who use computer presentation programs, here are my tips for good PowerPoint use:

  1. Limit the number of words on each slide:Fifteen words should be the maximum on any slide! The presentation should not be a reading report! Only a few words or a phrase to emphasize or reinforce an idea are all that is needed.
  1. Use a bold, simple and large font:Veranda and Arial (emboldened) are my favorites due to high screen legibility. Minimum font size should be 18pt but my average font size is 40pt to allow for easy reading in the back of the room. Also, keep the fonts consistent throughout the presentation and use no more than two different font types.
  1. Use transitions wisely:You can always tell a new PowerPoint user who has just discovered slide transitions: words are flying in from every direction often with more sound effects than a StarWars movie.  Speakers must keep in mind that they are the show – not what is on the screen. Transitions often distract from the message. I typically use dissolves (the least jarring transition there is). When I change to a major new topic, I will use Uncover Right-up to subtly indicate that it is a new topic. Slide build transitions should be used when indicating direction (i.e. flow chat, graphs, etc.) For example, I will use a wipe right when using a line graph, subtly reinforcing the direction of time helping the audience to read the graph. Judicious use of transitions can help an audience know where you are going, rather than distract them.
  1. Avoid stock templates:Stay away from the standard background templates that come with the program. Instead, use a custom template to make your presentation look different right from the start. Many are downloadable for free from the Internet (go towww.google.com and search on the phrase: “free PowerPoint templates” without the quotation marks).
  1. Choose a design template where the words are easily distinguished from the background:Avoid busy backgrounds, or ones with hard-to-read fonts, or fonts with equal color density to the background (i.e. the worst case would be bright green letters on bright red field).
  1. Let the audience know where you are going:PowerPoint is great to help audiences know where you are in a program. List the agenda (what will be covered), key points, use topic headers at the top of your slides, use thematic clipart for each subject area, use full screen titles to announce major presentation transitions, include a conclusions slide (what was covered). The more you help an audience know where you are going, the more they will stay with you and learn.
  1. Use a wireless advance mechanism:Do not be tethered to your computer. I use a very small radio frequency device from L3Sys.com (www.l3sys.com) that has just two buttons (forward and reverse), requires no special software (it can be used with any computer), and has more than a 100’ range. I never have to think about walking over to the computer or have someone else advance the slides – my full concentration is where it should be – on the audience! People often ask me how I advance my slides as the unit is so small and it is attached to my palm with a light rubber band so that I can use both hands for gesturing — they don’t see it at all.
  2. Use pictures and graphs:The old adage that a picture is worth a thousand words has never been truer than with computer presentations. Pictures add interest, they can reinforce themes, they can add humor, and they can show in a few seconds what it would take minutes to explain.  I use pictures, screenshots or thematic clipart on nearly every frame.

Q. What about using Web technologies as an alternative to a slide show? Have you done that? How do you use Web sites and Web technologies in your presentations?A.  I use a wide range of products demonstrating the technologies I am speaking about.  Palm emulators, flash animation, streaming video, avatars, and many others – anything that I can load on my hard drive rather than pull down live from the web. These offer a change of pace and add interest. I almost never go online during my presentations. Instead I use screen shots of the web sites. Aside from significant reliability issues, with screen shot captures one can frame the image, enlarge the text, focus on just one part of the page, use circles or other annotation devices.A principal challenge of showing Web pages in front of a group is that a monitor and a projection screen are not the same. Most of the time, the font on a web site is way too small and the information too densely packed for group viewing on a screen By pasting screen captures from web sites into the PowerPoint program, carefully cropped and sized, the presenter can make a point about a web page much more strongly, more reliably and much easier than trying to navigate online.  There is nothing worse when doing presentations on technology for the technology not to work. Capturing screenshots of the web sites and pasting into the PowerPoint program usually completely eliminates these issues.The exception to the above is when I do a presentation on Virtual Meetings where I go online connecting to a remote location to not only talk about, but truly demonstrate this technology.Q.  What are some of the biggest technological snags presenters encounter at customer sites? How do you overcome them? Have you got any “emergency tools” that you carry?A. The biggest snag I see, as mentioned above, is trying to go online in front of the audience. It is the kiss of death, especially for technology speakers, to be screwed up by technology. I you must demonstrate a web site and can’t simply use screenshots, save it to your hard disk instead of going online. Also, change your screen properties setting to large fonts, which will enlarging the navigation buttons and image by 20%.The other snag is not having multiple backups. For every presentation I give, I always carry the PPT presentation (and the other demo programs) on a CD that is *not* in my PC case. I also post the program to a password-protected portion of my web site just in case. I have used both of these options in the past two years avoiding what would have been disaster.  I also carry backup advance mechanisms and laser pointer batteries for the same reason.Q.  What kinds of images or other digital media “sell” a product or an argument these days?A.  Streaming video, flash demos, and other multimedia images can be quite powerful if used judiciously – remember, the speaker is the show, not the program.  The real sale comes from your passion in your topic and your ability to convey it.

What is good PowerPoint design?

audience

Japan

presentation

visuals

Feb 11, 2012

Occasionally, I’m asked by colleagues or clients to send samples of “great slides” or “good PowerPoint.” I usually hesitate to send examples of slides since my answer to the question, “what does a great PowerPoint slide look like?” is “…it depends.” In a world which often thinks in terms of absolutes — “this is good, that is bad” — “it depends” is not the most popular answer.Context mattersHowever, as far as design is concerned, it is useful not to think (judge) in terms of “right or wrong,” but rather in terms of what is “appropriate or inappropriate.” That is, is it appropriate or inappropriate for a particular context? “Good” and “bad” are indeed terms we use when talking about design — including  PowerPoint slides — but I’m personally cautious of this dualistic thinking, especially when judging a design without its full context available. So much depends on how the visual is placed within the context of the presentation, and the content and objectives of that particular presentation are of paramount concern. Without a good knowledge of the place and circumstance, and the content and context of a presentation, it is impossible to say this is “appropriate” and that is “inappropriate.”Simple but not simplisticIf there is one important precept worth following, it is the idea of simplicity. The best visuals are often ones designed with an eye toward simplicity. Yet, this says nothing about the specifics of a visual presentation. That will depend on the content and context. For example, even the best visuals used in support of a presentation for one audience on, say, quantum mechanics, may appear complicated and confusing to a different audience.Simplicity is often used as a means to greater clarity. However, simplicity can also be viewed as a consequence. A consequence, that is, of our careful efforts to craft a story and create supporting visuals that focus on our audience’s needs in a clear and meaningful way. Ok, simplicity is great you say, but how simple? What is the formula for simplicity? If you can’t give me concrete examples, you might say, at least give me a formula for making powerful, simple visuals. But do static formulas for achieving simplicity exist?In Living Zen, author Robert Linsen (in speaking on the simplification of needs in everyday life) says that a “simplification of existence” is a consequence of an “effective experience of Zen.” In other words, as one discovers their true nature, “needs” such as possessions or status are reduced or seen for what they are: superfluous. This begs the question then: “What are the minimum or maximum needs for an individual?” To this the author responds“No one can define them or draw up a system around them. That is where we should exercise our judgment….Use depends for each one of us on the place and circumstances. If we were to codify the laws concerning it they might soon become a great bondage for us.”Here the author is not necessarily speaking of design and presentation visuals, of course, but we can see how we can apply Zen principles to everyday life including design, even the design of slides and other visuals. Simplicity is an important design principle. But simplicity in design is as much art (small “a”) as science. It is, therefore, quite difficult to offer up prescriptions or “rules” for appropriate design. Without full knowledge of the context and circumstances, such rules could become “a great bondage,” so to speak, leading to inappropriate design choices or recommendations.Visual makeoverHaving said all of that, below are a few slides demonstrating different visual treatments in support of a single message. The context is a presentation on gender and labor issues in Japan. The purpose of the slide is to visually support the claim that “72% of the part-time workers in Japan are women.” This statistic is from the Japanese Ministry of Labor. The figure “72%” is something the presenter said she wanted the audience to remember as it is discussed again as the presentation progresses. So how to design a slide that is subtle, simple, memorable, and fits into a theme that is appealing and attractive?BEFORE. Above (left) is the original slide. The problem with the slide on the left is that the clip-art used does not reinforce the statistic, nor does it even fit the theme of women in the Japanese labor market. The background is a tired, overused PowerPoint template. The text is difficult to read. And as one trainee commented: “it’s ugly.”The slide on the right (above) was an effort to display the same information in a pie chart. Besides using an overused template, the visual displays the pie chart in a distorted and inelegant fashion. For the sake of clarity, it is usually best to avoid 3-D effects. Also, rather than giving the slide a title, a declarative sentence that states the point directly may be more appropriate.AFTER: All the slides were redesigned to match the theme above. The slide on the left was the one used for the presentations. But the one on the right could also be used effectively. Notice that either slide (especially the slide without any text) would be virtually meaningless without the presenter’s narration. The handout that followed the presentation expanded on the relevance of the statistic and gave it context. The five-page handout proved to be a good reference for those who attended the presentation and for those who did not.Using a pie chart is also a good way to represent this simple statistic. Here (left) the large text at the top can be easily seen. The text reads more like a headline — a declarative sentence — rather than just a title or category. The slide on the right is another possible way to support the message. In this case a completely different template was used.Should you design your slides to look like this?The design choices are many. The examples above are just a few attempts at improving the look & feel, impact, and effectiveness of the original slides. Should you design your slides to look like this? That’s your call and depends on your specific circumstance. Also, this particular example does not deal with a technical presentation. If your presentation is on a less technical topic such as leadership, HRM, marketing, etc. then simple slides like these may be very effective. If you are giving a very technical presentation to a technical audience hungry for data, then your slides may look quite different. But even for a very technical presentation, embracing simplicity of design and striving for the greatest clarity possible should still be the objective. How you do that will depend on a great many things.

PowerPoint Design Tips

audience

Custom Designed Presentations

Georgia

PowerPoint Agency

PowerPoint Design

PowerPoint design experts

PowerPoint specialist

presentation

Presentation Agency

Presentation Company

Presentation Consultation

Presentation Designers

Presentation Firm

Jan 28, 2012

PowerPoint and other presentation packages offer all sorts of ways to add visual “flash” to your slides: fades, swipes, flashing text, and other annoyances are all too easy to insert with a few mouse clicks.Avoid the temptation to dress up your pages with cheesy effects and focus instead on simple design basics:

  • Use a sans serif font for body text. Sans serifs like Arial, Helvetica, or Calibri tend to be the easiest to read on screens.
  • Use decorative fonts only for slide headers, and then only if they’re easy to read. Decorative fonts –calligraphy, German blackface, futuristic, psychotic handwriting, flowers, art nouveau, etc. – are hard to read and should be reserved only for large headlines at the top of the page. Better yet, stick to a classy serif font like Georgia or Baskerville.
  • Put dark text on a light background. Again, this is easiest to read. If you must use a dark background – for instance, if your company uses a standard template with a dark background – make sure your text is quite light (white, cream, light grey, or pastels) and maybe bump the font size up two or three notches.
  • Align text left or right. Centered text is harder to read and looks amateurish. Line up all your text to a right-hand or left-hand baseline – it will look better and be easier to follow.
  • Avoid clutter. A headline, a few bullet points, maybe an image – anything more than that and you risk losing your audience as they sort it all out.

Ten Secrets For Using PowerPoint Effectively

audience

outline

presentation

visuals

Jan 21, 2012

By Dave Paradi, MBA, author of “The Visual Slide Revolution” and”102 Tips to Communicate More Effectively Using PowerPoint”You can take many courses on how to use PowerPoint from a technical standpoint, but when it is used effectively, it can add tremendously to our presentations. Here are ten secrets based on years of experience in developing and using presentation slides that will help you move from being technically proficient to using PowerPoint effectively.Start by creating an outlineThe most important part of any presentation is the content, not the graphical appeal. That is why you should develop your presentation with the content first, before deciding on the look (colours, graphics, etc.) Create a good structure for your presentation by reflecting on the goal of the presentation, what your audience is thinking right now, and what points you need to make in order to move the audience from where they are to where you want them to be. Write an outline on paper or use sticky notes so you can move ideas around. By creating an outline first, you ensure that the content of your presentation is solid before you concern yourself with the visual elements.Use Contrasting ColoursIf you want your audience to be able to see what you have on the slide, there needs to be a lot of contrast between the text colour and the background colour. I suggest a dark background with light text – I usually use a medium to dark blue background and white or yellow letters. Some prefer a light background and dark letters, which will also work well – which you choose will depend on personal preference. Don’t think that just because the text looks fine on your computer screen that it will look fine when projected. Most projectors make colours duller than they appear on a screen, and you should check how your colours look when projected to make sure there is still enough contrast. To check that your colors have enough contrast, use the Color Contrast Calculator.Use a big enough fontWhen deciding what font size to use in your presentation, make sure it is big enough so that the audience can read it. I usually find that any font size less than 24 point is too small to be reasonably read in most presentation situations. I would prefer to see most text at a 28 or 32 point size, with titles being 36 to 44 point size. The only reason I would use a font less than 24 point is when adding explanatory text to a graph or diagram, where you could use a 20 point font size. If you are given a small screen in a big room, your font will look smaller because the image will not be as big as it should be. In this case, see if you can get a larger screen, use a wall instead of a screen to project on, move the chairs closer to the screen or remove the last few rows of chairs. I’ve put together a chart that lists how far away the last row of your audience should be based on the size of screen, font size and visual acuity testing – use the Font Size chart here.Get your copy of “102 Tips to Communicate More Effectively Using PowerPoint”The review in The Globe and Mail, Canada’s leading national newspaper, concluded that, “If presentations are part of your life, this book is probably mandatory for you – it’s that rich.” It was the second most popular business book on Amazon Canada and spent over three weeks on their top 100 Business Books list. It has appeared twice in the Top 10 Bestselling Business Books weekly list in The Globe and Mail.Conferences and organizations are buying the book in bulk to make sure everyone has a copy. Why? Because it is packed with practical tips that you can apply immediately to improve the effectiveness of your presentation. Don’t wait. Get your copy today at www.102PPtTips.com.Stop the moving textWhen text comes on the screen, we want the audience to read the text, then focus back on the presenter to hear the message. If the text moves onto the screen in any way – such as flying in, spiral or zooming – it makes it harder for the audience members to read since they have to wait until the text has stopped before they can read it. This makes the presenter wait longer between each point and makes the audience members focus more on the movement than on what is being said. I suggest the use of the “Appear” effect, which just makes the text appear and is the easiest for the audience to read.Turn the pointer offDuring a presentation, it is very annoying to have the pointer (the little arrow) come on the screen while the presenter is speaking. It causes movement on the screen and draws the audience attention from the presenter to the screen. The pointer comes on when the mouse is moved during the presentation. To prevent this from happening, after the Slide Show view has started, press the Ctrl-H key combination. This prevents mouse movement from showing the pointer. If you need to bring the pointer on screen after this, press the A key. If the pointer does appear during your presentation, resist the urge to press the Escape key – if you do, it will stop the presentation and drop you back into the program. Press the A key or Ctrl-H to make the pointer disappear.Use visuals instead of text slidesEvery two years I ask audiences what annoys them about bad PowerPoint presentations. The latest survey confirms that audiences are more fed up than ever with the overload of text on slides (see the latest survey results here). Instead of using slides that only contain text, use visuals such as graphs, diagrams, photos and media clips to engage the audience. I’ve developed a five-step method for creating persuasive visuals in my book The Visual Slide Revolution. Read the free chapter to see a summary of the process you can use to create your own persuasive visuals.Have Slides at the End of Your PresentationThe last slide you speak to should not be the last slide in your presentation file. You should have three identical copies of your last speaking slide so that if you accidentally advance one too many times at the end of your presentation, your audience never knows because you don’t drop into the program, the slide looks like it has not changed. After these slides, you should include some slides that answer questions that you expect to be asked. These slides will be useful during Q&A sessions after the presentation. The final slide should be a blank slide so that if you go through all the other slides, you have a final backup from dropping into the program.Focused one-hour webinars to make your PowerPoint presentations more effectiveWould you like to add video clips to your presentations? How about finding and using photographs that make an impact? Or creating graphs that clearly communicate numerical information? These topics and more are covered in my one hour webinars. If you can’t attend the live sessions, you can purchase the recording and get all the same great information.Check out all the topics and the live webinar schedule at www.EffectivePresentationWebinars.comBe able to Jump to Any SlidePowerPoint has a feature that allows you to be able to move quickly and seamlessly to any slide in your presentation. To do so, you need to know the slide numbers. The easiest way to print a list of the slide numbers and associated slide titles is to go to the Outline View and collapse the details for each slide (there is a button on the left side of the screen in this view that will do this). Then print the view. To jump to any slide, just enter the slide number on the keyboard and press the Enter key. This will move you directly to that slide. This technique is very useful for moving to a prepared Q&A slide or for skipping parts of your presentation if time becomes an issue.Blank the screenSometimes we want the image on the screen to disappear so that the audience is focused solely on the presenter. There are two ways to do this. The first is if you want to blank the screen with a black image, similar to shutting the projector off (we used to do this all the time with overhead projectors by just shutting the projector off). Just press the B key on the keyboard and the image is replaced with a black image. Press the B key again and the image is restored. If you want to use a white image instead of a black image, press the W key each time.Draw on the screen during a presentationSometimes it can be valuable to be able to draw on the screen during your presentation to illustrate a particular point or item. This can be done in the following way. Press the Ctrl-P key combination to display a pen on the screen. Then, using the left mouse button, draw on the slide as you wish. To erase what you have drawn, press the E key. To hide the pen, press the A key or the Ctrl-H key combination.When you employ these secrets to use PowerPoint effectively, you will greatly enhance your audience’s understanding of your message and help to make your presentation the best it can be. If you want more tips on improving your PowerPoint presentation, check out my book “102 Tips to Communicate More Effectively Using PowerPoint”.One of the most common requests from presenters looking to deliver more effective presentations is how to stop creating text heavy slides and use more visual slides. My book “The Visual Slide Revolution” shows you a five-step method for creating persuasive visuals. Learn more and get your copy of The Visual Slide Revolution.Are you looking for a customized workshop where your staff can learn the exact techniques to communicate more effectively using persuasive PowerPoint presentations? Here’s what Vic Klassen, a Sales executive said about the sessions I’ve done for his team, “Dave helped give my sales team a new perspective on how to deliver effective business presentations. He is a true expert in the field and is a very strong communicator.” Click here to learn more about my workshops.

Custom Designers are Key to Success!

audience

pitch deck

PowerPoint Design

presentation

SlideGenius

Dec 13, 2011

PowerPoint presentations and business conferences will be successful only if the presenters or the host can convey their messages effectively. Powerful “PowerPoint Design Templates” will make your presentation effective even before you start talking. When you design the right way, your audience which includes your business partners and clients, will never let their thoughts fly to other things. Sometimes your clients would have attended several PowerPoint presentations prior to coming to see yours. In such cases, though your presentation’s content is impressive, the clients and the business partners will not be interested in listening to you because the PowerPoint Design has made the environment less interesting for your audience. Now, you should have a clear idea as to how important the design and message of your PowerPoint presentation is.The experts at SlideGenius.com will use powerful designs for your pitch deck. The design will be custom designed to suit your company’s needs. Therefore, you can now breathe easy and concentrate on how you will speak in your presentation by leaving the design issues to us.The PowerPoint design of your presentation should represent the content and purpose of this presentation. For example, if you are giving a PowerPoint presentation relating to the medical profession, then you have to choose a design with a calming and professional theme, probably utilizing proper white space. This will attract the attention of the audience even before you say a word. You also have to consider how your design will look at the place of the seminar. If you give a presentation that is packed with useful details and a good design then you can be rest assured that your message will be clearly understood by the audience in the most effective manner.You can let the experts at SlideGenius.com handle this for you and you can concentrate on getting the useful information which you would like to deliver at the seminar or presentation. Our experts will also take care of the legal issues related to using the PowerPoint design templates. You should be aware that most good designs are not available for free. Therefore, you will save yourself a lot of time and money sorting out these issues.To make an effective design some points or rules should be kept in mind.The slides must not be cluttered with bullet points.Use graphic colors and text which are contrasting with the background.Make sure that the text is big enough so that people sitting in the last row can also read it.Don’t overuse animations.The transitions between slides should be logical.The design should be balanced, uncluttered with enough white space for aesthetic composition.Use graphics instead of bullet points to transmit information clearly.The slides should be designed in a pleasing manner.The text on each slide should be readable by all.Well designed presentations prove the fact that you respect your audience.The experts at SlideGenius.com will ensure all the points given above while designing a PowerPoint Pitch Deck Presentation for you.

Professional Presentations in PowerPoint

audience

Design Experts

Powerpoint

presentation

professional presentation

SlideGenius

Sep 20, 2009

One of the most important things for businesses is a professional presentation. It can be a very effective tool for your business, partners and clients about your business plans or your ability to do business. However, there are several factors which should be considered when you are making a business presentation. The most important factor is: how well the presentation is designed to convince the clients to accept your business proposal. The other determining factor is the content of the presentation. Other factors include a good atmosphere and how understandable the presentation is.Our experts at SlideGenius.com look in to every aspect and make your presentation very convincing and to the point. We make sure that you leave the right impression with the client so that you can get the deal.One thing that can make your presentation more interesting is “Background Pictures”. By including pictures to represent the content of your presentation, you will make a better and stronger impression. Though the right picture at the right place will create a better impression, the wrong picture will be devastating. Your potential client will get confused and therefore your presentation will not get you the business deal. You need to carefully consider the size and type of your pictures and the color of the fonts used for text. The background color is extremely important to attract the attention of the audience. The font size and color should be readable when used with the background image. Don’t use colors which make it difficult for your audiences to read because your audience will not put in any extra effort to read your presentation.We at SlideGenius.com will take care of all these aspects when our experts create the presentation for you. The images provided by you will be strategically set in the right places using the right colors.One way to make your presentation look and feel better is by using a template. It will set a good atmosphere for the people reading your presentation. Our experts will use the right template to make the environment right for you to give the PowerPoint presentation. If you are not happy will the preset templates, then our experts will custom design a template that is suitable for your business. By choosing the right type of template you will be able to create a good first impression which will give you a step forward in the business deal.Given below are some points to create an effective PowerPoint presentation which is followed by our experts.

Keeping it Simple

A simple PowerPoint design which explains the important points, well is a better presentation than one that contains a whole lot of graphics. In fact, your audience will get bored if you make your PowerPoint presentation complex.

“Sea of Text” Syndrome

Pictures speak louder than words. Therefore, including pictures at the right places will make your PowerPoint presentation effective.

Easy to Read Captions and Titles

When text is used, you should use it correctly. Use simple titles and captions so that your audiences don’t get startled.Take a look at our portfolio of recent projects. Contact SlideGenius today for a quote.

Transform Your Presentations with Expert Design – SlideGenius PowerPoint Pros

audience

Design Experts

Powerpoint

PowerPoint Design

presentation

SlideGenius

Sep 18, 2009

PowerPoint presentations and business conferences are successful only when presenters or hosts convey their messages effectively. Powerful PowerPoint Design Templates will make your presentation impactful even before you start talking. With the right design, your audience, including business partners and clients, will stay engaged and focused.Often, clients attend multiple presentations in a day. Even if your content is impressive, a lackluster design can make them lose interest. A well-designed PowerPoint is essential for capturing and maintaining audience attention.

Why Design Matters

The experts at SlideGenius create custom designs tailored to your company’s needs, allowing you to focus on delivering your message. The design should complement the content and purpose of your presentation. For instance, a medical presentation benefits from a calming, professional theme with ample white space, which can capture audience attention from the outset.Consider the seminar setting when designing your presentation. A detailed, well-designed slide deck ensures your message is understood clearly and effectively. Leave the design to the professionals at SlideGenius, so you can concentrate on delivering valuable content.

Benefits of Professional Design

Professional designers ensure that your presentation:

  • Is free from cluttered bullet points.
  • Uses contrasting colors and text that stand out against the background.
  • Features large, readable text for all audience members, even those in the back row.
  • Avoids overuse of animations.
  • Maintains logical transitions between slides.
  • Has a balanced, aesthetically pleasing design with adequate white space.
  • Utilizes graphics instead of bullet points to clearly convey information.

Why Choose SlideGenius?

At SlideGenius, our experts handle all aspects of PowerPoint design, including legal issues related to design templates, saving you time and money. We ensure your presentation is designed to respect and engage your audience, proving your professionalism and dedication.Let SlideGenius create your next presentation. Focus on your content, while we ensure your design captures and holds your audience’s attention.