PowerPoint Blog
Labels: design, powerpoint, shapes
Continuing my discussion on circles (see Circles I and Circles II), this time I look at creating circles in an application outside PowerPoint.
Specifically, my office team was helping me with a review of Artlandia's new SymmetryWorks plug-in for Adobe Illustrator that lets me create organic looking patterns from all shapes. Since we are biased towards circles at this point of time, we decided to create a repeating circular pattern using SymmetryWorks. These patterns were intended as a starting point for PowerPoint backgrounds.
Look at these patterns here -- they are all uploaded to my Flickr account so feel free to click on these thumbnails to see larger previews:
Since this was a fun project, we also made a presentation-full-of-circles with the first pattern -- we uploaded this to SlideBoom so that we could embed it within this post:
So what do I do with circles next? Wait and watch -- or send me your thoughts and feedback...
Categories: design, powerpoint, shapes
Labels: design, photoshop, powerpoint, shapes
I shared a few "circle" thoughts with you in the first post in this series: Design Shapes: The Circle, Part I -- and now it's time to look at some more circles. What could be better than an entire book on circles, and my favorite is a book that's entirely filled with color pictures of any sort of circular pattern that you might have seen!
The book is called Circles and Dots: Communicating with Pattern, and it contains 250 pages worth of circular inspirations for you to feast on.
This is a book that will inspire every individual in a way that's different for each reader. Some people may get ideas about doing crafts and hobbies, others may launch their PowerPoint or Photoshop, and start creating circles -- and others might just start doodling. But each of them will have their own circle of inspiration.
So how does it inspire me? I love to see how color and texture can make so much of a difference between one circle and the other -- how light alters a circular concept in a photograph, and how many circles we have around us all the time that we are not even aware of!
Categories: design, photoshop, powerpoint, shapes
Labels: design, powerpoint, shapes
In this new Design Shape series of posts, I'll look at concepts that are not limited to PowerPoint alone, although you can expect me to relate them to PowerPoint in some way or the other because as you must have guessed it, I am in a circle that revolves around PowerPoint!
Talking about circles, that's also the shape that I talk about in this post. There are many reasons why I like circles:
Of course, there's so much more that I can tell about them -- but for now, let's just leave them here as far their virtues are concerned.
I searched a few visuals depicting circles, and here's what I found on Shutterstock, a well known stock photo site:
Picture Courtesy: Shutterstock
So will the visuals of circular concepts shown above work in PowerPoint? Will you have to adapt or edit them? And would you do those edits in PowerPoint, or another program? That's a lot of questions, even if I am prone to thinking aloud! But that's also a direction for future posts in this series -- watch this space!
Categories: design, powerpoint, shapes
Labels: design, opinion, powerpoint
A prospective customer has invited you to showcase your company's products and services, and the stakes are high. This contract could be huge. Your marketing department and executives have been fretting over the necessary PowerPoint slides for weeks. Every word has to be perfect. Every slide must be in exactly the right order. Your mission is to lay down a faultlessly planned and executed sales strategy that persuades this customer to buy exclusively from you ... but you are worried!
This article by Robert Lane and Andre Vlcek explains how you can sell better using PowerPoint.
Read this now...
Categories: design, opinion, powerpoint
Labels: design, opinion, powerpoint
This article by Robert Lane and Andre Vlcek explains why including pictures in presentations is a simple and powerful way of expanding your expressive potential as a speaker. Pictures communicate at levels beyond the descriptive possibilities of words and bathe the brain in much desired visual stimulation. At the same time, not all pictures are created equally.
Choosing the right images, and using them in the right ways, can greatly impact your effectiveness.
Read this now...
Categories: design, opinion, powerpoint
Labels: design, interviews, powerpoint 
Scott Schwertly is from Ethos3 Communications, an internationally renowned and award-winning presentation design and training company located in Nashville, TN. He is also the Editor-in-Chief of SlideMagnet.com - an online portal for the presentation space. Scott works with a wide spectrum of clients that includes Fortune 100 companies, Silicon Valley start-ups, and various other organizations throughout the world. He may live in Nashville, TN with his wife and three dogs, but he calls San Diego home - the place of his beloved San Diego Chargers. Scott has a B.A. and M.B.A. from Harding University. In this conversation, Scott discusses his new SlideMagnet site.
Geetesh: Tell us more about SlideMagnet, and what is its raison d’être?
Scott: SlideMagnet.com is an online portal/magazine for both novice and professional presenters. It provides presentation tips and advice as well as the latest presentation technology news. The site features articles to help maximize the effectiveness of presentations through improved design, content and delivery methods and includes an ask-the-expert section. There’s also a community forum that encourages discussion on related topics.
When I first started Ethos3 close to 3 years ago, I found very limited online resources to build presentation knowledge. Thus, I found myself taking lessons from classics like the works of Dale Carnegie. The unfortunate reality is that I had to rely on books written from the 1930's since I couldn't find anything on the web. Today, the resources remain limited -- there are, without doubt, some fantastic blogs and tools, but the overall resources are still lacking. My hope is that SlideMagnet will help fill that gap. With sites out there like SlideShare, SlideRocket, Presentation Zen, Slideology, and now SlideMagnet -- 2009 will surely be the year of presentations!
My dream is that SlideMagnet will empower presenters. It's a shame when people inquire with presentation design firms, but due to budget cuts or limited capital, they can't afford solid presentation design services. Hopefully, SlideMagnet will serve as an alternative by providing tips, tricks, hacks, etc for the entrepreneur with a shoestring budget or the Marketing Director who is unable to receive corporate buy-in regarding presentation services.
Geetesh: What sort of content do you plan to make available on SlideMagnet, and whom is this targeted towards?
Scott: SlideMagnet.com has lots of great features including items such as:
SlideMagnet.com is for everyone. Most importantly, it's for presenters. It is my hope that SlideMagnet will be the catalyst for everyone's next great presentation.
Categories: design, interviews, powerpoint
Labels: design, interviews, opinion, powerpoint 
Olivia Mitchell has been a Toastmaster, a management development trainer for a major bank, and a political candidate. Now she teaches others how to become more confident and effective presenters - through face-to-face training courses in New Zealand (Effective Speaking) and her blog Speaking about Presenting.
Geetesh: Can you tell more about what got you interested in design changes for PowerPoint slides? And how did the idea of a group blog come about?
Olivia: Most of my course participants, and visitors to my blog, already know that bullet-points are awful but they don't know what to do about it. I want to make it easy for people to transition from bullet-point slides to visual slides.
Many presentation design bloggers have a particular design style and that comes through on their blogs. So I see my role as digesting all the great design and styles that are out there and showing people how they can adopt those styles. For an example see my post The Top 7 PowerPoint slide designs.
The group blog came about because of post by Laura Bergells from the Maniactive blog. Laura argued that in some cases we need a return to more detailed slides. I started composing a blog post to respond to what Laura had written but realized that initiating a wide-ranging debate would be more interesting. I broadened the debate by suggesting that the theme of their posts should be "What you'd like to see in PowerPoint slide design in 2009."
I invited presentation bloggers and selected experts to contribute. There's now a total of 40 contributions. It seems to be an issue that people wanted to write about.
Geetesh: What's your opinion about changes in design?
Olivia:I totally support the move away from bullet-point slides.
But I think there is an issue with integrating new design approaches into everyday business culture. It's all very well to say that businesses should put as many resources into their PowerPoint slides as their brochures or annual reports, but that's not going to happen. The reality is that everyday business people will continue to put together the majority of PowerPoint slideshows. They are not going to read design books or read the archives of Presentation Zen. They need quick and simple ways of putting together slides that don't suck.
Geetesh: Can you quote some opinions from the numerous blog posts that have been put up as part of this group blog initiative.
Olivia:Here are some of the themes that have come through.
First, from the presentation bloggers who are in the trenches working with business people, there comes the theme that most presentations still suck. Here's Bert Decker:I would estimate 90% of all types of presentations are created by people who go to their computers and start the process by using the PP outliner or going right to writing text and bullets on the slides themselves. So the end result is totally PP driven, and we have information without influence and data without emotion.
Many other bloggers echoed this.
There are two main controversies that came through. The first one is "Does Design Matter?". On the one hand you have Joey Asher saying:But ultimately my position on PowerPoint is this: it’s largely irrelevant to whether you accomplish your goals. That’s because PowerPoint and other visuals, now matter how graphically pleasing, don’t inspire audiences, sell ideas, or win business.
and on the other, Ellen Finkelstein:I’d like presenters in 2009 to know that design is important. Good design provides a professional, custom look that says that the presenter cared enough about the audience to do more than slap on a default background. Companies hire professionals to design their web sites and printed brochures; why not their presentations, which are just as important?
The second controversy is "Simplicity versus Detail". This is the issue that Laura Bergells discussed in the post that sparked the project. The majority suggested that there should be one idea per slide and that should be supported by a visual.
But there was also a significant minority who suggested that it should depend - this from Brent Dykes:I am concerned that rather than adding the simple, visual approach to presenters' "toolboxes", presenters will use it as a hammer for all presentation situations. .. Just because bullet points may be perceived as the duct tape of PowerPoint design (inelegant and ugly), it doesn’t mean bullet points aren’t effective in certain situations.
Many bloggers used this opportunity to reiterate key design principles - there's a lot of unanimity around these -- which will provide clear guidance to presenters. For example:
Finally, many bloggers also looked at what might be ahead. The most interesting theme here was the influence of social media techniques on PowerPoint and presenting. Laura Bergells suggested that:The brevity of Twitter can make you a better designer. A better headline writer. A better presenter. Using and studying Twitter can be a powerful exercise in how to get your point across swiftly and succinctly.
I'll be publishing four round-up posts to highlight these themes. The first one is already published: PowerPoint Slide Design in 2009: Does Design Matter?
See Also: Slide Design in 2009: Changes -- by Geetesh Bajaj | PowerPoint Design in 2009 -- by Olivia Mitchell
Categories: design, interviews, opinion, powerpoint
Labels: design, opinion, powerpoint
This article by Robert Lane and Dr. C. June Maker explores how the human brain handles visual input and the implications for PowerPoint presentations. We recommend eliminating most of those carefully thought-out words on slides and replacing them with certain kinds of rich imagery. 
Doing so efficiently feeds the brain what it likes to see, and allows you to communicate messages in ways not possible with words alone.
Read this now...
Categories: design, opinion, powerpoint
Labels: design, opinion, powerpoint
This article by Robert Lane and Dr. Stephen Kosslyn explores how the human brain handles visual input and the implications for PowerPoint presentations. We recommend eliminating most of those carefully thought-out words on slides and replacing them with certain kinds of rich imagery. Doing so efficiently feeds the brain what it likes to see, and allows you to communicate messages in ways not possible with words alone.
Read the article here...
Categories: design, opinion, powerpoint
Labels: accessibility, color, design, powerpoint
Color blindness is some sort of color vision deficiency which results in differences in the way that an affected person sees and distinguishes various colors. It is mostly inherited, but can also be caused due to damage in the eye, nerve, or brain. There is no proven way to change these vision deficiencies.
When a color blind user looks at a PowerPoint slide, he or she might view it differently than other people. Even different color blind users may not see the same slide with the same vision -- there are three known varieties of color blind visions.
Learn more here...
Categories: accessibility, color, design, powerpoint
Labels: design, opinion, powerpoint
I came across this interesting blog post by Andrew Dlugan that's actually an open letter to the PowerPoint programming (development) team. It talks about making some changes to the program, and I do agree with several of them. About those I don't agree with, those are mainly wishes to curtail how the program operates by providing users with less options for transitions, words, and color. That's like debating the intelligence of users, and putting a road block to creativity.
I like the requests that pertain to including Nancy Duarte's book with every copy of PowerPoint. But asking everyone to pay for visuals and give Microsoft a cut -- well, that's a no-no. Lots of PowerPoint users are students, teachers, and churches that cannot afford to pay for every graphic that they use on a slide.
Andrew's opinions form a great starting point -- and the comments on the page prove that!
Categories: design, opinion, powerpoint
Labels: design, opinion, powerpoint
Life changes every day, and the world goes around. And even if we did nothing, said nothing, or put ourselves in the deep depths of contentment, change will still happen. Change is akin to growth -- and that growth might be a sapling sprouting from its seed or a conglomerate increasing its reach in world markets.
Both the sapling and the conglomerate can use PowerPoint slides in different ways -- and that's the ironical twist in the tale that brings me to the subject of this blog post. Before I tell you where PowerPoint slides come in the picture, let me share some info about the inspiration for this post.
Olivia Mitchell of the Speaking about Presenting blog sent me a note about this new group blog initiative that she was spearheading to collect opinions about PowerPoint design changes in 2009. I had just got back from vacation, was writing my next book, and had a full inbox! But Olivia was persistent -- and she even responded to my request to view posts by others.
Ellen Finkelstein, a dear friend says "design" rhymes with "2009". And half a dozen posts later, I knew I had different (but not opposing) opinions than the rest -- so I got started with this post.
So now about PowerPoint slide design, and what I am hoping will change in 2009. I kept my list very simple with ideas you can use straightaway -- if this helps, do come back and read this post again because most of my thoughts seem to indicate that "repeat" is a great word! Of course, feel free to comment on that as well.
Something, Nothing, and Everything: First of all, as I mentioned earlier change happens if you do something -- or if you do nothing. However, that statement is not an incentive to do nothing, but it certainly does indicate that don't do too much. I think at some time or the other, we all fall in the trap of doing too much, getting loads of info on our slides, and drowning the actual message of the presentation with gobbledygook. Not doing too much is probably the easiest thing we can do to make better slides, and it might also be the most effective part. By all means though, keep all that extra info, and try to make this supporting info available as handouts or downloads. Since you end up with less content, you can spend more time on the design of your slides.
Think Ahead of Time: If you don't spend enough time creating the message and flow of your presentation, it shows in the design as well. I know there may be occasions when you are hard-pressed for time -- in that case, make concept slides you have to use often even before you know you have to design or deliver a presentation.
Start with Paper: Always start your presentation on paper -- draw your ideas, link relationships between concepts, and create a storyboard. Take another sheet of paper, redo the entire thing -- this time, remove all unwanted info, and fine-tune further. Repeat as often as required -- show this to a trusted colleague or friend, and use their opinions where relevant. Think of the entire presentation from the audience point of view, and make more changes. This process will create an effective slide design in your mind -- subconsciously. It just works!
Next, the Computer: Now move the concept to the computer -- and don't start with PowerPoint yet. Use a mind mapping application if you are comfortable with it, or just use Notepad or Microsoft Word -- create a sequence and flow between successive concepts. Rethink, reorder, and reorient as required -- repeat as often as you want. This keeps your design clean.
Read more books in 2009: Get to read more books in 2009, but don't think they are the end-all. Consider them as inspiration to learn more, think about presenting concepts, and experiment with your design. I'll recommend these books:
Categories: design, opinion, powerpoint
It can often take hours to create the perfect collage using tools in programs like Adobe Photoshop -- and even those may not work all the time. And when you want a quick collage, and don't really have the time to create it -- then you'll really want to look at this new tool called AutoCollage 2008.
AutoCollage 2008 is a standalone application which allows users to compile a set of photographs into one seamless collage. The output can be printed, used in e-postcards, web pages or desktop backgrounds, or e-mailed to family and friends.
Read the review here...
Categories: design, graphics
Labels: animation, design, interviews, powerpoint 
Shawn Toh (pictured to the left) is based out of Singapore and loves to do advanced animation tricks using PowerPoint. He is a Microsoft PowerPoint MVP (Most Valuable Professional) and runs the PPT Heaven site.
In this discussion, Shawn discusses the PowerPoint Heaven eConvention 2008.
Geetesh: Tell us more about how you evolved PPTH eCon, and what it is?
Shawn: PowerPoint Heaven eConvention 2008 is an annual online convention, which will be held this year on 27 September, a month after the PowerPoint Heaven anniversary date.
The eConvention starts off with the voting of the eCon Awards 2008: Animation / Artwork / Game / Broadcast of the Year, which involves works submitted on the PowerPoint Heaven site in the year 2008. The voting process is a pre-eCon event starting from September 1st to 26th. Winners will then be reflected on 27 September, along with Contributor of the Year, who will be interviewed with a list of questions given by the board members.
Any new PowerPoint works, demos, or trailers can also be submitted during the eCon period by anyone. Also, expect to see screenshots, demo and trailer of a upcoming RPG game in PowerPoint and a sophisticated 3D animations by Han Byul Jang (Zzangdol).
The eConvention was inspired by several of our existing board members, who suggested we have an event where all members on PPTH board can participate.
Geetesh: What is the motivation and objective of PPTH eCon, and who can participate?
Shawn: PowerPoint Heaven eConvention 2008 is a day where PowerPointers get together to discuss, review and submit their latest PowerPoint works on PowerPoint Heaven. The purpose of this eConvention is to recognize our contributors for their hard work and efforts for the year and enable them to get together to discuss and keep each other updated on what they have been doing.
For the viewers, this is also a day where you can get to see wide variety of PowerPoint works created by the contributors.
Throughout the eConvention, participation and involvements from the Guests and PPTH board members are welcomed, where the discussion board will be the communication channel for discussions, feedback, suggestions, submissions and more.
Categories: animation, design, interviews, powerpoint
Labels: books, design, interviews, powerpoint 
Nancy Duarte has been a Principal of Duarte Design since 1990. Her firm is in the heart of the Silicon Valley and the client list is loaded with Fortune 500 companies. 
Her passion for business communications that are clear, meaningful and attractive has opened doors for her in a business world full of cluttered and complex visual communications.
In this interview, Nancy discusses her much awaited book slide:ology that was released this month. Nancy discusses how the book evolved, how she decided what makes it to the book, and more. She also discusses herself and the importance of stories in slides. And then talks about a scraped book cover!
Read the interview here...
Categories: books, design, interviews, powerpoint
Labels: design, interviews, powerpoint, storyboarding Scott Schwertly is an epic storyteller. Today, he owns and operates Ethos3 Communications, an internationally renown and award-winning presentation design and training company located in Nashville, TN. Scott works with a wide spectrum of clients that includes Fortune 100 companies, Silicon Valley start-ups, and various other organizations throughout the world. Scott has a B.A. in Communications and an M.B.A. from Harding University. .
Geetesh: What's StoryBored? Is it a blog? Or an e-book -- or both? Also what is the raison d'être for StoryBored?
Scott: StoryBored is an e-book that was sparked by my desire to help others tell better stories through their presentations. During the past few years, I have done a lot of research on Gen X and Y in my quest to understand myself better and why certain messages/stories resonate or don't resonate with me. What I found through this research and my own self-discovery is that alternative methods work best with me and people who are in my same age demographic. We want sarcasm. We want pop-culture. We want something fun. It's those three things that I tried to deliver in my writing. With that said, StoryBored is really an e-book for everyone but just told through the eyes of a twenty-something.
Geetesh: This one is not really a question -- it's probably just an invitation to think aloud. Nowadays, it's the "in" thing to have a story rather than those bullet points, complex slides, and animated charts. But we all know that the real world is different -- people still need to make those slides. So how do they weave a story in their existing content -- also, does a middle path exist?
Scott: I firmly believe that there is a story in everything. You have stories. Your parents have stories. Your grandparents have stories. Your company even has a story. No one should miss an opportunity to tell a story when giving a presentation. After all, stories create emotions. Emotions create motivation. Motivation creates action. Action creates results. On that note, storytelling equals results.
I have found that the best place to tell a story is in your introduction. There really is no better way to engage your audience than early on. There is this great quote out there: "If you tell me a fact, I'll remember it. If you tell me the truth, I'll believe it. If you tell me a story, I'll put it in my heart forever". That's powerful stuff.
Regarding a middle ground, I do think it exists. When Ethos3 works with clients, we often suggest that they use a compelling metaphor or center their content around a powerful theme - a one-word brand that captures the essence of their message. These are great alternatives to telling a story without feeling like you are huddled around a campfire singing Kumbaya. Honestly, many still get uncomfortable around the concept of "story" even with it being such a big buzz word these days. In short, centering your message around a metaphor or theme is a great middle ground.
Categories: design, interviews, powerpoint, storyboarding
Labels: delivery, design, interviews, powerpoint 
It is not everyday that an Indezine reader suggests a conversation with a presentation expert -- shares some thoughts with her, and then she comes back with such a well explained, balanced response -– when you see something of this quality in an email, you know it should reach a larger audience.
This thread was started by T. L. Sanders -- and the presentation expert here is Julie Terberg. As owner and principle designer at Terberg Design, Julie develops custom presentation solutions — unique for every client and purpose. Julie also conducts training sessions for those who want to expand their skills. To find out more about Terberg Design, visit her site...
T. L. Sanders: I’m curious about your thoughts as an MVP on a possible design shift in PowerPoint presentations. I’ve watched over the last few years as people like Cliff Atkinson, Guy Kawasaki, Masayoshi Takahashi, and Steve Jobs, to name just a few advocated that the speaker is the storyteller, not PowerPoint. After this de-emphasis of bullet points, complex slides, and animations, did you have to change your business model or skill set to compensate?
I believe there is still a need for well-designed (emphasis on the word designed not built) presentations (Flash or PowerPoint) for demos, kiosks, etc. However, I believe the current emphasis on solid visual design skills and crafting a story makes preparing presentations less about PowerPoint and more about content.
I work in an organization that unfortunately bought into the Microsoft model of preparing presentations. Presenters typically try to cram as much information on the slide as possible, use a single corporate template, and read from the actual text of the slide as a script. Absolutely horrible and boring.
Julie: The “shift” you write about has been happening for longer than a few years and is MOST welcome. Instead of “giving” presentations, deliver a presentation that the audience “gets”. The focus becomes the audience – not the presentation (what do you want the audience to understand, remember, and take-away from the talk?). An effective presentation takes all of this into consideration. It’s not enough to clean up poor content and make it look better.
My business model has not changed much over the last 10 years, as I’ve always specialized in custom developed presentations. I receive scripts, notes, images, etc. from clients on the presentation content and flow – and then I storyboard a presentation from there. I’ve always emphasized simplicity over complexity. Design is my passion (Industrial Design education and 23+ years of experience in computer graphics). I worked backstage in business theater, observing and learning all about the relationship between a powerful presenter, great visuals, and a grateful, receptive audience.
The key to change at your organization is education and awareness. If you’re responsible for cleaning up or formatting others presentations – you could be a catalyst for change. Share the knowledge you’ve learned from experts like Cliff Atkinson and Garr Reynolds (Presentation Zen). Get the book: Slide:ology by Nancy Duarte. The folks at your organization are simply unaware of what they’re doing wrong, and keeping things status quo because they don’t realize this method of presenting is ineffective.
Tip: Take one presentation and redesign a few key visuals for better audience communication. Strip out the text on the slide and move it to the speaker notes, design visual concepts to convey ideas. Share this with the presenter and show them how to use Presenter View so they have their notes visible while speaking. Yes this method requires more preparation and rehearsal for the presenter – the time is well spent and the results worthwhile.
Another idea: get an expert to speak at your company about this topic.
And another: Attend PowerPoint Live this September in San Diego.
I understand and appreciate your frustration. Best wishes to you!
Categories: delivery, design, interviews, powerpoint
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