One of the most prevalent visual trends these days is flat design. This is characterized by bold color blocks, thick lines and the virtual elimination of 3D effects such as bevels and shading. You've seen it a million times; here is an example of flat icons: Flat design is very clean and … [Read more...] about Scribbles can sometimes make the best PowerPoint illustrations!
How to eliminate distracting gestures and movements
When you're speaking in front of an audience, your actions can speak louder than your words. Swaying, hand clasping, pacing, and other unconscious movements can distract people from your main message and communicate quite a different one, such as "I'm unprepared," "I'm nervous," or "I'd rather be … [Read more...] about How to eliminate distracting gestures and movements
Simplicity is hard!
What's the toughest presentation in the world? A short, simple one. It’s easy to talk for a long time about things that interest you. The difficult thing is conveying important information in a limited amount of time. How is it done? You’ve got 5 minutes I’ve been working with a group of … [Read more...] about Simplicity is hard!
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
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
One of the best PowerPoint add-ins on the market
For people who constantly work with PowerPoint, add-ins help to streamline the workflow and enable users to do more in less time. Add-ins are supplemental programs that add custom commands or features to PowerPoint. Strangely, although I've been using PowerPoint since 19*cough-cough*, I've never … [Read more...] about One of the best PowerPoint add-ins on the market
The easiest way to animate PowerPoint slides
Having too much stuff on a slide all at once can be frustrating for the audience. They have to divide their attention between the slide and the presenter, a needless distraction. If you're guilty of putting too much on a slide, maybe it's because you think animation is difficult or too time … [Read more...] about The easiest way to animate PowerPoint slides