Opinion
Date Created:
Last Updated: February 6th 2010
10/06/2011 10:08 PM
Annoying PowerPoint Survey Results: Conversation with Dave Paradi
Dave Paradi helps presenters communicate more effectively by using persuasive PowerPoint presentations. He has published over 240 issues of his bi-weekly newsletter, produced more than 70 slide makeover video podcasts and appears in media regularly. Dave recently held his biennial survey on what annoys people about PowerPoint presentations.
09/21/2011 12:20 AM
Don't Raise the Bridge, Lower the Water -- Better Box Thinking: Guest Post by Jerry Weissman
The aphorism, “Don’t raise the bridge, lower the water,” has applications from the soaring heights of architectural design to the quotidian task of presentation graphics; the common denominator in both being the importance of thinking outside the box
09/12/2011 01:38 PM
Letting Go of the PowerPoint Template: Guest Post by Nolan Haims
Tell me if this situation sounds familiar... You’ve engaged a presentation designer for an important pitch (or you’re that designer being engaged.) You’ve got a lot of content and strategy to create in a short amount of time—so much so that you know you’ll be writing up until the very last minute. So, you ask your designer to “create a template” that you can “drop” your content into. It sounds reasonable, as does downloading or purchasing a stock PowerPoint template that seems to fit the subject matter of your presentation. But here’s why the insistence on creating and using a “PowerPoint template” is often a waste of time and resources, and often entirely counter-productive to effective presentation.
08/23/2011 10:30 PM
PowerPoint Alternatives: Guest Post by Dean Laffan
Recently on the Indezine's PowerPoint and Presenting Stuff Linkedin community someone started a thread with the question "What are some alternates to using Microsoft PowerPoint?" Various people chipped in with suggestions. But the question got me thinking ... and what follows is a short article stimulated by that discussion.
08/11/2011 09:58 PM
Pause Power -- A Verbal Tool Like No Other: Guest Post by Kevin Lerner
The Pause is a verbal tool like no other. Suspense. Drama. Intrigue. Power. All promoted by the Pause. Discover how these small segments of silence can translate to large admiration and appreciation of audiences. As Mark Twain said, "The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause." Read more in this guest column by Kevin Lerner.
08/09/2011 10:01 PM
The Anti-PowerPoint Party -- Another Precinct Heard From: Guest Post by Jerry Weissman
Last month, a Swiss group calling themselves the Anti-PowerPoint Party launched their efforts-complete with a bright red octagonal STOP sign logo-and took their place in a long line of detractors that stretches back to 2003. The formal start of the criticism was the publication in Wired magazine of an article called "PowerPoint Is Evil: Power Corrupts, PowerPoint Corrupts Absolutely" written by Edward R. Tufte, the noted graphics guru and professor emeritus of graphic design at Yale University.
07/26/2011 11:52 PM
Go in the Right Direction -- A Presentation Lesson from Akiro Kurosawa: Guest Post by Jerry Weissman
During his long and distinguished career, the great Japanese filmmaker Akiro Kurosawa pioneered many innovative cinematic techniques that are applicable to today’s presentation graphics. One is Mr. Kurosawa’s creative use of the Wipe, a filmic transition between scenes in which a new image slides across an existing image and replaces it—like a curtain being drawn across the screen.
05/30/2011 09:36 PM
On Speaking Like A Pro: Guest Post by Sandra Schrift
Successful speakers do not do all the right things all the time. They often take risks and risk bombing. But all top speakers take daily action, to move towards their goals with many adjustments.
05/03/2011 09:21 AM
Recover Corrupt PowerPoint Presentations: Conversation with Paul Pruitt
Paul Pruitt graduated with a degree in science before he got interested in computers. He has served professionally in the IT sphere since 1996, and works extensively trying to recover data from corrupt files. Since 2002, his S2 Services Data site has evolved into a comprehensive information source on free resources and freeware links that help users recover data lost to file corruptions, file deletions, failing disks and lost passwords. In this conversation, Paul discusses how he ventured into file recovery services, and what PowerPoint users can do to keep their presentation files secure and uncorrupted.
04/13/2011 03:57 AM
Public Words: Conversation with Nick Morgan
Dr. Nick Morgan is one of America’s top communication theorists and coaches. A passionate teacher, he is committed to helping people find clarity in their thinking and ideas – and then delivering them with panache. He has been commissioned by Fortune 50 companies to write for many CEOs and presidents. He has coached people to give Congressional testimony, to appear on the Today Show, and to take on the investment community. He has worked widely with political and educational leaders. And he has himself spoken, led conferences, and moderated panels at venues around the world. He founded his own communications consulting organization, Public Words, in 1997.