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PowerPoint ® in the Real World

PowerPoint ® in the Real World. How to Apply Top-Notch Skills to Challenging Presentations. Carol Youngclaus Anemone Graphics. PowerPoint is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. YOU CAN TRANSFORM YOUR NEXT PRESENTATION FROM A YAWNER …. To a Real Dazzler!.

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PowerPoint ® in the Real World

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  1. PowerPoint® in the Real World How to Apply Top-Notch Skills to Challenging Presentations Carol Youngclaus Anemone Graphics PPTinRealWorld_Slides.ppt PowerPoint is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation

  2. YOU CAN TRANSFORM YOUR NEXT PRESENTATION FROM A YAWNER …

  3. To a Real Dazzler! … With Just a Few Simple Guidelines and Some Slick Tricks PPTinRealWorld_Slides.ppt

  4. Lesson Plan • Introduction • Design 101 • Presentation Planning • Locating and Choosing Images • Program Skills • The Business Side of PowerPoint • Communication • What to Do When You Get Stuck PPTinRealWorld_Slides.ppt

  5. 1. Introduction PPTinRealWorld_Slides.ppt

  6. The Four Key Elements to Successful Presentations PPTinRealWorld_Slides.ppt

  7. The Four Key Elements to Successful Presentations • Design SenseTo organize data into an attractive, logical and understandable layout • Program SkillsTo enhance your productivity and to take full advantage of PowerPoint’s rich set of features • Business SenseTo understand the content at a high level, to choose appropriate colors and images, and to ensure that the presentation complements and enhances, rather than competes with, the presenter • CommunicationTo foster collaborative interaction with the author and prevent errors due to misunderstanding PPTinRealWorld_Slides.ppt

  8. esign is not just about “pretty” • Good PowerPoint design is as essential to your presentation as good personal grooming • Good design organizes information in a way that: • Attracts and holds audience attention and interest • Enhances comprehension • Presents a positive impression of both the speaker and the material being presented • Remains memorable long after the presentation ends • Good design can be achieved with any page PPTinRealWorld_Slides.ppt

  9. What the Experts Recommend Simplicity • Really huge bulleted text • Really succinct text • Really high-level concepts • Uh, really out of touch with reality PPTinRealWorld_Slides.ppt

  10. Complexity What You Will Really Be Working With • Complex ideas distilled onto a single page: “War and Peace on the head of a pin”™ • Disorganized charts • Faxed copies of penciled sketches • Illegible handwriting • Seemingly unmeetable deadlines • A migraine PPTinRealWorld_Slides.ppt

  11. What You Will Need to Succeed • Design principles to help you tame complex and/or disorganized slides • Sufficient knowledge of the topic to decode illegible writing and understand intent • PowerPoint expertise to make it faster, easier, better • Communication skills to work with the author on areas of ambiguity • Aspirin CopingSkills PPTinRealWorld_Slides.ppt

  12. The Experts Are Not WrongBut … • The concept of “no more than five bullets per page” is ideal but rarely realistic • Not every PowerPoint document is intended to be a presentation • Often speakers plan to “talk to the slide,” using it as a high-level visual and distributing paper copies that the audience can refer to during or after the presentation • Even when a slide’s content cannot be read from the back of the room, good design will help the speaker illuminate the concept • A complicated page is not an excuse for a messy page • Careful visual planning can overcome clutter • Understanding content improves design ability • If you don’t know what something means, ask • Your input has value—know when to speak up (with tact) and when to stand down (with grace) PPTinRealWorld_Slides.ppt

  13. 2. Design 101 PPTinRealWorld_Slides.ppt

  14. The Four Basic Principles of Design* • Alignment • The first Clutter-Buster—organizes information and guides the viewer through the page • Contrast • The second Clutter-Buster—creates visual drama and interest to capture and hold viewer attention • Proximity • Grouping related elements establishes the hierarchy of information—the most important points are most prominent • Repetition • Repeated themes (font, color, image style) establish a look and feel to “unify” a document *1994, Robin Williams, The Non-Designer’s Design Book PPTinRealWorld_Slides.ppt

  15. Before After • Title is centered and too high • Callout boxes are ragged and inconsistent; text placed in boxes over autoshapes rather than typed into them • Callout boxes replaced with high-contrast titles over a more easily readable three-column format • Note the increased white space • Also note contrast, proximity, repetition Some Basic Examples:Alignment PPTinRealWorld_Slides.ppt

  16. Before After • Font differences are so slight that they look like errors • No focal point on the page • Wide rows of small text are difficult to read • Overall impression: dull • Strong title in upper-lower case with plenty of white space leaves no doubt where to begin reading • The same font as the lead-in paragraph, but in grey, organizes the sub-points • Also note alignment, proximity, repetition Some Basic Examples:Contrast PPTinRealWorld_Slides.ppt

  17. Before After • Inconsistently placed grey boxes do not help the reader sort through the information • Parallel placement of the columns and separated summary box helps step the reader through the information • Note: only summary text is centered and unnecessary elements have been removed for a cleaner appearance • Also note alignment, contrast, repetition Some Basic Examples:Proximity PPTinRealWorld_Slides.ppt

  18. Before After • Every column has a different fill, creating chaos on the page • Charts are slightly different in size and inconsistent in placement • Boxed chart titles increase clutter • The same fill is used for all columns • Axis labels are sufficient to differentiate the categories • Contrasting chart titles minimize clutter • Also note alignment, contrast, proximity Some Basic Examples:Repetition PPTinRealWorld_Slides.ppt

  19. Okay, But What Can Be Done About This? Typical matrix in a typical mess PPTinRealWorld_Slides.ppt

  20. What a Difference! Same matrix, same type size, better layout PPTinRealWorld_Slides.ppt

  21. Before After • Centered titles in CAPS (hard to read, take up too much real estate, appear amateurish under most circumstances) • Sloppy lines, messy highlighting boxes • Unnecessary vertical lines create clutter • Upper/lower case titles, strong contrast • Inserted table for precise lines and fills • Carefully aligned text makes vertical lines unnecessary • Better organized white space Compare Them Side-by-Side PPTinRealWorld_Slides.ppt

  22. White Space Is Powerful • White space (which refers to unused background, not a specific color) is not dead space—it is a dramatic and dynamic visual tool • Carefully arranged white space is an essential component of contrast • If your page is very dense with text, try adjusting paragraph spacing and/or line spacing to give it more “air” (be sure to change the layout to avoid defaulting to the master when page is copied) Resist the urge to fill the page! PPTinRealWorld_Slides.ppt

  23. To Learn More … • Contact Anemone Graphics • Email: info@anemonegraphics.com • Phone: 781-933-9755 • Write to: Carol Youngclaus Anemone Graphics 2 Park Drive Woburn, MA 01801 PPTinRealWorld_Slides.ppt

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