So, I'm back on my soapbox of using PowerPoint effectively, or at least giving it a shot. But, this time I'm armed with some sage advice and examples of what might be. Maybe it really is time to get back to basics and remember what we learned long ago (well, long ago for me, for others, not so long ago). Just because we can jazz our content up a bit, does not give us license to forget the basic rules of creating a good presentation. Alexandru Comin reminds us of these in his recent blog, Simplicity in Presentations and Why It Matters. Here are a few of his points that I will be sharing with the leadership I work with on Friday in hopes to spare some of their audience from what I fear is an over utilization of a very effective tool.
1. Design is everything, not design in the color scheme you want to use, but design of your presentation which should be completed before you sit down at the computer. Then add in the bells and whistles.
2. Take the complex and make it simple. Don't dumb it down for your audience, use your creativity to make your topic simple to understand.
3. Remember the rule of three - focus on three main topics or pieces of the puzzle.
4. Remember the visual sense. It is the most powerful. Be creative with pictures, font and color! But, remember, this is the polish of your presentation, not the meat of it.
5. De-clutter your presentation and each slide. Only incorporate what really supports the message, if it doesn't, get rid of it.
6. Remember your audience. Truth is, we are not hard wired to learn a lot in a short period of time. So, the reality is, no matter how good your PowerPoint is, the chances of them actually learning something are pretty low. Now, the chances of you exciting them to spend more time and learn something are pretty good. Focus on that, get them excited to pick up your topic after the meeting and dive in!
It's that time of year again, I'm hopeful that we can implement some of these suggestions into our planning meetings. They really do help to develop a great backdrop for the presentation and support both the presenter and audience in creating a road map to effectively communicating and understanding a point and maybe even enjoying themselves a bit.
Simple goes SUCH a long way with Powerpoint. I always get a little frustrated when someone pops up this HUGE Powerpoint presentation with blocks of text. Do I need to read it or will they talk to me about it? It's a major distraction either way. I also agree you should have you PP idea's laid out before you make your PP. It helps keeps things flowing and focused.
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