A woman at my Toastmasters club is a self-avowed PowerPoint and presentation novice. So it came as something of a surprise to me that Elisabet recently taught me something about presentation design that I had never considered before. People often complain about suffering "death by PowerPoint." It … [Read more...] about Try ditching your title slides!
Making your PowerPoint files smaller
We all know that (say it with me) "A picture's worth a thousand words." It's so true that images can instantly convey ideas, elicit emotions and communicate complex information visually. The thing is, using a lot of photos in your presentations can make the file sizes quickly balloon out of control. … [Read more...] about Making your PowerPoint files smaller
I got 99 files & my deck ain’t one!
One great thing about my town's Annual Town Meeting is that it demonstrates democracy in action. And one lousy thing about my town's Annual Town Meeting is that it demonstrates democracy in action. In a forum where even the most unprepared have a say in important matters, things can … [Read more...] about I got 99 files & my deck ain’t one!
How to embed custom fonts into your PPT
There's nothing inherently wrong with Calibri, the humanist sans-serif typeface so familiar to users of Microsoft Office. But everybody's using it, so if you are too then your presentations might look the same as everyone else's. Here's how to stand out from the crowd. Calibri, you've overstayed … [Read more...] about How to embed custom fonts into your PPT
Do you show the forest or the trees?
Last night, my husband Mike and I had a wonderful time at a painting party. Although we hadn't received the unwritten memo about BYOB (or in this case BYOW), we managed to have fun following along with the instructor while he re-created a landscape painting of a beach. About halfway through, … [Read more...] about Do you show the forest or the trees?
Top DoD Officials Ban PowerPoint in US Military
WASHINGTON, DC: In an unprecedented move, top Department of Defense officials have declared that effective today, PowerPoint cannot be used in any branch of the US Military. This comes after years of public derision over slides such as the one shown above, which was universally mocked by the design … [Read more...] about Top DoD Officials Ban PowerPoint in US Military
How to make presentations less boring
"There is no such thing as a boring project. There are only boring executions." So said Irene Etzkorn, one of the United States' leading experts on plain English writing and simplifying communications. Many of us will be faced at some point with communicating information on a boring subject. But … [Read more...] about How to make presentations less boring
Body language: Why it’s important
Many times, we presenters practice our speeches by memorizing our scripts. We think that by getting all of the words right, we'll be clearly communicating to our audience. But actually, your words are but one component of your presentation. You also need to be aware of your nonverbal communication. … [Read more...] about Body language: Why it’s important