(Visual) Thoughts on Powerpoint

Powerpoint – powerful tool poorly used or poor tool overly used? Some (visual) thoughts

Remember the good old days?

Powerpoint is a powerful tool because, unlike other presentation devices…
It is cost and time effective
Requires little to none specific training to use it
Possiblites to use different media
Ideal for presenting data visually with ready-made solutions for graphically-challenged users (graphs, clipart, images, etc.)
Endless possibilities to share/document your presentation (email, web, printed handouts).

However, as any good tool, Powerpoint can be misused.

Use and abuse of powerpoint presentations
Powerpoint has become such a standard that virtually no speaker nowadays can imagine to give a presentation without a Powerpoint.
On the other hand, audiences can’t attend a lecture, presentation, speech without dreading another bad Powerpoint presentation.

Powerpoint has become a two-edged sword
Powerpoint’s ease of use has the potential for use and abuse of:
Meaningless, irrelevant clip-art
Distracting effects
Bulletpoints and text in general

Use and abuse of clip-art
Clip art made it possible for graphically-changelled people to use visuals to better explain their message.
The problem comes when the clip art you’re using doesn’t help you convey the message you want.

Use and abuse of bulletpoints (and text in general)
Some people have problems summarizing their ideas in a few key words
Some people just want to use Powerpoint as a teleprompter…

Which brings us to the real problem of Powerpoint presentations… The actual presentation

Powerpoint presentations can’t or shouldn’t
Substitute the input of the speaker
Be used as a shield or security blanket
Be a collection of material designed for other media
Distract the audience from the real message of the presentation

Possible solutions
Work on the content of the presentation
Work on presentation skills

Possible solutions
Think of ways of illustrating the message instead of decorating slides
Keep it simple

Now go and have some fun with Powerpoint…

(Visual) Thoughts on Powerpoint

by laumerritt

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