This is an overview of steps required to plan a Prezi presentation rather than PowerPoint. This is a handout for a progression topic at the Technical Communication Summit (#stc14)

1. WowingYour Audience with Prezi Presentations • 1
Technical communicators are often called upon to develop presentations for
managers and executives. Increasingly, technical communicators are called on
themselves to give presentations within the workplace, to external clients, and at
conferences.
Presentations can be an effective way to deliver complex information or tell a
persuasive story. For example, you may find yourself in the position of convincing
an executive to purchase an expensive content management system or reminding
your boss how many different ways you add value to the company during your
annual review.
Telling your audience a convincing story is difficult enough without the handi-
cap of static, text-filled slides, and audiences have long suffered through endless
PowerPoint slide decks. Once you discover Prezi’s ability to add meaning through
proximity and visualize relationships through movement, you will never deliver
another PowerPoint.
GETTING A PREZI ACCOUNT
Unlike PowerPoint or Keynote, Prezi is a subscription, cloud-based service. Prezi
offers several account levels to help you balance features and price:
• Free. Allows you to create presentations for free, but they’re visible to the
public and they include the Prezi watermark in the corner. The feature set is
limited.
• Enjoy. For $60 per year, you can manage privacy and sharing, remove the
Prezi watermark or replace it with your own.
• Pro. For $160 per year, you can edit presentations offline using the Prezi
desktop application and use advanced image editing features.
• Teams. The cost depends upon the number of users and gives you access to
custom-branded themes and training.
If you give a lot of presentations, go for the Pro account. Pro gives you access to
the Prezi desktop application, which includes a presenter mode that allows you
to view the presenter tools on your monitor rather than the projector, upcoming
slides, and a timer. You can try the Pro account free for 30 days.
If you are a teacher or a student, you can get an Enjoy account for free. Simply
register using your .edu email address.
You can find more information online at www.prezi.com.
WOWING YOUR AUDIENCE
WITH PREZI PRESENTATIONS
MICHAEL R. OPSTEEGH
@STUBBORNLYWRITE
2014 TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION SUMMIT
PHOENIX, ARIZONA

2. 2 • WowingYour Audience with Prezi Presentations
UNDERSTANDING PREZI IS
NOT POWERPOINT
Old habits die hard, and PowerPoint
has conditioned you to accept lousy
presentation designs. Don’t fall into
the rut of displaying text and bullet
points in a Prezi.
Prezi differs from PowerPoint in a
number of ways:
• Zooms and pans across a canvas
rather than flipping through
individual slides
• Uses proximity to add mean-
ing and demonstrate tangential
relationships
• Lends itself to progressive disclo-
sure.
• Combines text and graphics in an
intuitive and entertaining way
• Runs within your web browser
and is Flash based
• Allows you to collaborate with
other contributors in real time
DEVELOPING A SUCCESSFUL
PREZI
Developing a Prezi follows some the
same general guidelines as develop-
ing any presentation. Before designing
your Prezi, you should complete these
steps:
• Script your story. You can always
reorganize it, but develop the
details of your narrative.
• Decide on what metaphors and
analogies you want to use to tell
your story.
• Use those metaphors to influence
the theme of your design. Deter-
mine how your background and
foreground images will support
your theme.
• Sketch out your canvas on a piece
of paper. Include the background
and foreground elements and
the direction you want to pan.
Sketch out several unique ver-
sions; your first idea isn’t always
your best. Use the space on your
canvas set apart new ideas, keep
related ideas near each other, and
lead your audience to the destina-
tion.
• Think creatively.
CREATING AND SOURCING
GRAPHICS
You don’t have to be a design wiz to
develop great Prezi’s. Follow the prin-
ciples in Robin Williams’ The Non-De-
signer’s Design Book. You have options
when it comes to graphics:
• Design your own. Use your Illus-
trator skills to design an awesome
background for your canvas and
unique foreground illustrations.
• Find royalty-free or paid photos
and illustrations. Flickr is a great
tool for finding photos licensed
under Creative Commons.
• Use Prezi’s built in templates,
symbols, and shapes. This is the
best option for new Prezi users
and users who don’t have time or
strong design skills.
ZOOMING AND PANNING
You have the power and flexibility
guide your audience across the canvas
and tell your story.
• Use small pans for related ideas.
• Use large pans for new ideas.
• Zoom in gradually to reveal ad-
ditional details.
• Zoom out gradually to reveal
relationships and context.
• Pace your zooms and pans so you
don’t make your audience sea sick.