More than PowerPoint...

The Creepiest PowerPoint Design Trend of 2009

laura@maniactive.com — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:59:50 PDT

architecture.
revolutionary.
relationships.
re-contextualize.

Those were four words on four slides in a 15 minute PowerPoint presentation I witnessed last month. The remaining 700 slides in the presentation each had one word on them, as well.

OK, I'm exaggerating. There couldn't have been 700 slides in that presentation.

But it seemed like it.

In the presentation I saw, random buzzwords that the speaker used in his narrative kept fading in-an-out of the PowerPoint slides projected behind him. Oh-so-slowly.

After a few minutes, I blinked, shook my head, and looked away. I was getting too mesmerized by the slow word parade.

I was looking for meaning in those words. I was looking for context. There wasn't any.

After looking off to the right for a few moments, I focused on merely listening to the speaker while I stared at a blank wall. The presenter was telling a story about a problem his customers had, and how his product helped solve it.

It wasn't a half-bad story, so I turned to look at the speaker.

Then, I saw it.

synergy?

I grimaced. I had to look away again.

Since this presentation, I've seen a few other slow-word-parade style presentations. I suspect presenters create this style as something of a mood board to set the tone for the presentation. It can be easier and cheaper to toss word salad at people than to craft a story and work on polishing the delivery.

Personally, I find this word-mood board style of presentation design distracting and disturbing. It was hard for me to focus on connecting with the speaker or his story. I found myself thinking that he would have been much more effective with absolutely nothing in the background.

I've seen this technique a number of times this year. Let's hope this a trend that will, uh -- fade quickly!

What are better ways to set the mood for your presentation?

Stop! In the Name of Acronyms!

laura@maniactive.com — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 11:45:16 PDT

"Stop! Police!"

That's what I'd yell if I was a police officer chasing a suspect. And apparently, I'd be wrong.

photo credit: stevendepolo

A buddy was watching a crime drama a while ago. I came in late. As I settled on the couch, a police officer was chasing a suspect.

"Stop! NYPD!" shouted the policeman. The bad guy kept running.

"What's NYPD?" I asked my chum.

"This story is set in New York. NYPD is New York Police Department. Everyone knows that."

"Really?" I asked. "If I was visiting New York, and some nut with a gun was chasing me screaming out alphabet soup. I'd run faster."

Of course, screaming out the acronym NYPD is ludicrous. If I was in Chicago, would police officers scream, "Stop! CPD!"? And if the Ontario Provincial Police yelled, "Stop! OPP!" -- suspects would probably break out in laughter.

It doesn't take any longer to say "New York" than it does "NY". Same number of syllables. So it's not a matter of speaking an acronym for speed. And it's not a department that's chasing a bad guy -- it's a solitary officer. Even weirder -- why say the name of the city at all? Isn't that redundant? After all, the suspect probably knows what city he's in!

I asked my crime-show loving friend all of these questions. He seemed annoyed.

"Because it's TV. I'm sure they say, "Stop, Police" in real life. Now can we please watch the show?"

I stopped talking, but I kept thinking about it. In real life, people can get a little acronym happy. The police officer became so accustomed to interdepartmental and collegial jargon -- he forgot that anyone outside his circle wouldn't know what the heck he's yelling about.

It's not just television show detectives that have acronym issues. As a consultant who gets brought into larger organizations, one of my first tasks is usually to crack the acronym and jargon code that insiders use among each other. This can actually be kind of fun -- like a puzzle. Or learning a new tribal language. It also helps keep my wits sharp for when adolescents and young people start talking in Instant Messaging Lingo (IM, for short!) --"OMG! POS - TTYL."

So when it comes to crafting presentations or communication pieces for an external audience, consider hiring a writer or editor -- if for no other reason than to have an outside set of ears and eyes experience the communication piece. You won't believe the alphabet soup I've often encountered in external marketing presentations. It often slips by, unnoticed to ears that have grown tone-deaf to the buzz of interdepartmental acronyms.

It's really that ubiquitous. Don't believe me?

For a fun little exercise, open up any one of your recent corporate or organizational PowerPoint presentations. Do an acronym count -- it's quite likely that you'll find at least one.

And before you think, "Yeah, but everyone knows THAT acronym..." please think about how little work it might take to change it. You can make yourself more clear by actually speaking the words -- instead of chanting the letters that represent the words.

This one simple act may keep your suspects -- er, prospects -- from running away!

Presentation Diet Plan - Or Superstition?

laura@maniactive.com — Wed, 20 May 2009 10:37:34 PDT

I get a little asparagus happy this time of year. Honestly, Michigan asparagus is at its absolute prime between Mother's Day and Father's Day. So for one month, I cannot seem to get enough of this fresh, local, delicious vegetable. I eat it at least once a day.

After Father's Day, I'm pretty much over it. Until next year, that is!

But between the Michigan asparagus seasons, I eat a much more varied diet. Unless it's the day of a major presentation -- then, I rely on a somewhat ritualized food quirk.

The Presentation Diet Plan. You see, I can't just eat ANYTHING on the day of a major presentation. I need to keep my energy up, so protein and carbs need to be on the menu. And I cannot afford a fit of, em, gastronomic distress during a presentation, so greasy, fatty, spicy, and carbonated items are definitely OFF the menu. And as much as I love a glass of wine with a big carby meal, that combo can leave me prone to sleepiness or drunken rambling -- both highly undesirable to audience members.

My presentation diet? An organic, no-sugar peanut butter sandwich. On whole grain bread. And water. That's it. That's my pre-presentation meal: and has been for years. It gives me energy. It sticks to my ribs. No blood sugar crashing -- and no burping. It also packs easily -- put a few peanut butter sandwiches in a zip lock bag, and they can survive a mean day of travel.

Diet...or Superstition? As much as I'd like to tell you that my presentation diet is a sensible solution to keeping my energy high while avoiding discourteous gastronomical fits and unpleasant metabolism side effects, I now have my suspicions. It seems that performers and presenters are a superstitious lot -- we get into habits that have nothing to do with reason.

Many actors say "break a leg" instead of "good luck" before a performance. Whistling behind the stage or uttering the name of a certain Shakespeare play? This is also supposed to bring bad luck. And let's not forget the good side of luck and performance: athletes and actors are famous for carrying good luck talismans or undergoing quirky little rituals before performing.

So...is my peanut butter sandwich + water pre-presentation diet plan practical and sensible -- or have I veered off into the land of the supernatural?

And what's your presentation diet plan? What foods do you avoid -- or are absolute musts on the day of a performance?

Even if it's not food-related -- what's the oddest ritual or habit you've heard of someone routinely undertaking before a performance?

The 4 Most Important Elephants of Presentation

laura@maniactive.com — Fri, 08 May 2009 08:24:48 PDT

In grad school, a marketing professor insisted on an oral report. One student in class did not speak English as her first language.

When she gave her report, she began talking about "The Most Important Elephants of International Marketing". We all thought, of course, that she mispronounced "elements". After the first time, most audience members, including myself, merely smiled.

But after a few minutes, it became clear that she was going to repeat the word "elephants" -- multiple times -- for the remainder of her presentation! So our professor interrupted the speaker.

"Excuse me," he said kindly. "I hate to interrupt you. Your speech content, so far, is very good. But one small thing is unclear."

He explained that an elephant was a huge animal with a trunk, tusks, and floppy ears. The speaker looked bewildered.

So the professor pantomimed the trunk and made a strange elephant noise. The professor suggested that perhaps the word she wanted was "element".

photo credit: Mara 1

The speaker looked embarrassed. She blushed and stammered. Trying to recover, she asked the laughing audience:

"So elephants are very big, powerful animals, yes?"

Of course, we all agreed with her.

"My ideas are big, powerful ideas. Just like elephants. So please continue to think of my elements as elephants."

For the remainder of her report, she would say the word "elephant", then excuse herself and carefully say "element".

It became clear to me that she had rehearsed her report, and used the word "elephant" in rehearsal . For her speech, the wrong word was ingrained in her brain. It wasn't going away any time soon! Nonetheless, she recovered nicely. She delivered a wonderful presentation, elephants and all!

I learned four unintended lessons from her talk:

Practice doesn't make perfect. If you're rehearsing incorrectly, you can count on faulty delivery. Rehearsing alone is fine - but not forever. Get feedback.
Mistakes can be endearing. No one thought the speaker was an idiot for making a mistake. The audience empathized with her, and found her mistake charming.
Preparation pays. Even though the speaker bobbled one word, it was clear she knew her material. She recovered, and delivered a report that likely earned her an "A".
The unexpected can rivet attention. Because of one mispronounced word, I remember a 15 minute speech -- 20 years later. Why not use a homophone -- or other unexpected technique! -- to make your next presentation more memorable?

What's your most important elephant when you deliver a presentation? Or rather, what unexpected technique do you like to employ to make your presentation content stick?

Your PowerPoint Is Not Your Presentation

laura@maniactive.com — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 11:53:04 PDT

"May I have a copy of your PowerPoint presentation?" asks an audience member.

"What for?" I ask.

"So that I can look at it later."

"Is there something I said that isn't clear? Do we need to go back?" I ask.

"No, no. Great presentation. I just want a hard copy."

"Well, no," I answer. "My PowerPoint slides are my props. They're not my presentation."

OK, I don't actually say that last bit.

I often want to, but I don't! Instead, I usually say,

"I'm glad you liked the presentation. But public speaking is a part of my livelihood, and I give this presentation multiple times, in multiple venues. I don't want the presentation floating around the internet. I'm sure you understand. But tell you what, after about six months or so, I'll probably be done giving this presentation, so if you want to leave me your card..."

Seriously. Be a polite audience member. Never, ever ask a presenter for his or her presentation. (Not unless the presenter offers it to the audience as a download or CD or print out first. I sometimes do this after a 6 month run.)

If you like my presentation, I'm flattered. Really.

But my PowerPoint slides are usually props for my speech.

Would you go up to a juggler and ask, "Neat act! May I have your balls?"

photo credit: Ladonite

OK, maybe you would!

But if you've been paying attention and taking notes during a speech or presentation, you won't need the PowerPoint presentation. Really.

So don't ask!

In fact, I often design stand-up presentations so that they are complete gibberish if someone looks at the slides only. Without my narrative and personality, the PowerPoint presentation usually won't make much sense. It won't help the viewer in any possible way.

I suspect that most people ask because they like the presentation. I also suspect they have personal or psychological problems! Like pack rats, they like to collect useless things. Or that they want to get all CSI on how I might have programmed an animation. Or they might be lazy and want to rip off a graph -- or cut, copy, paste a factoid or graphic -- instead of re-create it themselves.

But know this: to a presenter, it's not one bit flattering when an audience member asks for a hard copy of the presentation. It signals they weren't paying attention.

Instead, a thoughtful, polite audience member might ask, "Could you please show us the slide with X on it again? There were a few numbers on it that I'd like to reference..." or something that's slightly less offensive than asking for the entire presentation.

Really, if you're a happy audience member, find another way to show appreciation. Applause is always appreciated.

Also: be a presenter with balls. If someone asks for your presentation, learn to tell them no.

Maybe then, well-intentioned audience members will learn to quit asking!

(PS -- How do you tactfully tell an audience member, "NO!")

Which PowerPoint Presentation Would You Prefer?

laura@maniactive.com — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 17:20:12 PDT

Today's PowerPoint presentation question is inspired by a Molson Canadian Bottle Label.

Answer Honestly
Would You Prefer...

A hum-drum speaker using a scrumptious looking PowerPoint presentation?

- OR -

A scintillating speaker using a visually so-so PowerPoint design?

Well, beer drinkers and others -- what's your answer?

PS -- In case (hah! case!) you have no idea what I'm talking about with regard to beer campaign labels, see the Molson bottle photo below. Or, if you're a logician, you can label (hah! label!) this PowerPoint Presentation Fallacy as "False Dilemma."

Either way:

Cheers!

PowerPoint Pet Peeve: The Passive Voice

laura@maniactive.com — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 11:26:42 PDT

Which sentence do you like better?

A PowerPoint presentation was given by the CEO.
The CEO gave a PowerPoint presentation.

Both sentences relay the same information. So why do you like the second one better?

The first sentence is longer. It uses the passive voice.
The second sentence is shorter. It uses the active voice.

When I listen to speakers who almost exclusively rely upon the passive voice, I go a little bonkers. Why?

photo credit: Jacob Garcia

The passive voice is mushy and weaselly. It signals that the speaker is trying to hide something. When someone says, "Mistakes were made ," I instantly want to spring up and scream, "By whom?"

If one more benefit shakes out of using Twitter, let it be a giant reduction in people using the passive voice. Active voice is shorter, swifter, and more powerful. It takes responsibility. It's the stronger, nobler choice.

I have no idea why so many presenters use the passive voice. Do you?

And what are your grammatical presentation pet peeves?

(Of course, it might be a fun exercise to write your blog comments, exclusively using the passive voice. That might help me exorcise my peevishness!)

How Twitter Can Enhance Your Presentation

laura@maniactive.com — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 15:33:30 PST

Much ado over a Twittering Congress. Last week during the President's address to the joint session of Congress, some members Twittered through the speech. Almost immediately, two basic attitude camps sprang up among pundits:

1. How dare they! Congress should be paying rapt attention, not providing color commentary.
2. Kudos! Now, the public gets to immediately know what's going on in the minds of elected officials.

photo credit: ydhsu

How dare they! The "How dare they" camp comes across as quaint, old-fashioned. Traditional presenters bristled with comments like: "if someone is Twittering during a presentation, it means that the speaker is not keeping their interest and attention. They're failures as presenters!" Another "how dare they" comment reflected the cell phone disruptions from the 1990's - remember the days when presenters reminded everyone to turn off their cell phones and pagers?

The kudos camp. People who embrace the Congressional Tweetstream are facing the inevitable: more and more people WILL Tweet during your presentation. People have been making color commentary behind the speaker's back for ages -- with Twitter, it all becomes immediate and public. And it's not going to stop any time soon. In fact, Twitter backchannel behavior only going to grow and thrive. Instead of fighting it, learn to embrace it! Plan on it!

Three Quick Ways to Harness the Power of Twitter to Enhance Your Presentation.

1. Think in terms of one-liners and sound bites. Unlike a cell phone ringing, Tweeting during a speech is not disruptive. It is akin to a laugh line or an applause line. Think of it this way: when a comedian drops a one-liner, he or she waits a beat for the audience to process the joke. After the beat, the audience bursts out in laughter. When you give a presentation to a Twittering audience, you'll want to think in terms of sound bites and one liners, too. Drop a few Twitter liners into your speech, then pause. Wait for the audience to process the thought. Then, resume speaking when the sounds of thumbs clattering away on mobile texting devices die down.

2. Plan for Tweeting audiences. Over at the Speaking About Presenting blog, Olivia Mitchell shares her experiences of presenting live to a Twittering audience. Ms. Mitchell outlines 8 key points she learned while presenting to a Twittering audience. Rather than reiterate them here, go read them! Olivia and other presenters are embracing Twitter, and inventing new methods to connect with a socially savvy audience. The advantages of connecting with your audience's preferred way of communication are clear. The bonus? You can spread your messages farther & faster when you communicate appropriately for a Tweeting audience!

3. Devise hashtags for your presentation. Hopefully, your conference or meeting organizer will assign a hashtag for the conference. If they haven't, make sure you come up with one that's short, memorable, and unique. Encourage your audience to tag their Tweets. When you later search for tagged Tweets , you'll get a stream of your backchannel commentary. You'll know which lines worked, which didn't, and which spread like wildfire. Hashtags let you more effectively spread your presentation to an audience beyond the room. Hashtags also let you critique your presentation, so that you can become a better speaker.

What other ways might you change your presentation style to more positively connect with a Twittering audience?

How Public Speaking Can Make You Richer, Thinner, and Better in Bed

laura@maniactive.com — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 06:45:37 PST

Bill Gates released a container of mosquitoes as part of his presentation schtick at the exclusive TED conference last week. Apparently, his gimmick intended to teach a privileged TED audience that mosquitoes cause malaria.

However, what happens at TED doesn't stay at TED. Gates' stunt earned major media buzz. The worldwide backchannel chatter is that Microsoft unleashes bugs on unsuspecting people.

This gives us two public speaking lessons to think about.

Blowing Smoke: Outrageous acts and claims get attention.
The Larger Audience: The folks in front of you may not be your primary audience.

photo credit: Matthew Crowne

Blowing Smoke. Check your email inbox - especially the junk folder. Flip on a TV or glance at a magazine rack. How many outrageous headlines and claims do you see?

Many of us are bombarded daily with outrageous claims. A pervasive part of our daily landscape, we suck in outrage as if it were oxygen.

Details? Features? Specificity? Facts? Information? Not so much. Those tend to get buried.

Due to overexposure, are many of us becoming just a little immune to this approach? Or at least more weary? A wee bit more skeptical?

Or are we as happy as ever just to know we're going to be richer, thinner, and better in bed -- never mind the nagging details about how all of these benefits are going to come to fruition?

The answer, of course, is apparent. People talked about Gates' outrageous act -- they didn't chat about the facts and figures he presented to support his claims.

Are you with me, camera guy? Outrageous stunts and outrageous claims get attention. People talk about them. So they spread like malaria.

The Larger Audience. The live audience of rich people at TED wasn't Gates' primary audience. Gates got his message out to a much larger worldwide audience.

Similarly, the audience in front of you may not be your real target. How can you effectively combine outrage and social media to make sure people talk about your ideas -- so that you can gain a much larger audience?

Remember the 2006 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. Stephen Colbert was the speaker -- and he gave a satirical presentation that did not, um, resonate comfortably with the live audience in front of him. However, Colbert's performance quickly went viral online. His message reached a much larger audience that seemed to cherish his performance.

By combining outrageous acts with the power of social media channels, your message can go out to a much bigger audience.

You, too, can use social media and public speaking to become richer, thinner, and better in bed.

(If you really want to help someone with malaria become better in bed, consider the Nothing But Nets program)

Presentation V. Working the Room

laura@maniactive.com — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 12:49:52 PST

The marvelous social media sommelier Gary Vaynerchuk gives us an excellent 3 minute video outlining the necessity of "working the room" versus "giving a presentation."

If you're still "giving presentations" -- note the distinction. For years, brands became accustomed to "giving presentations" and "controlling" the message. In the age of social media, with blogs and sites like Twitter, FaceBook, YouTube -- merely giving a presentation is less effective than "working the room".

The video you see above is also a fine example of how an audience can talk back. Note the comments that bubble up from the audience as you watch the video. Mr. Vaynerchuk puts himself out there -- inviting feedback and criticism. He's working the room.

How will social media change the way you present your brand?

And when will you stop "giving presentations?"

The First Social Media President

laura@maniactive.com — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 14:45:42 PST

Barack Obama became the US president today. An estimated 2 million+ people came to Washington DC to witness the historic inauguration.

But those who followed the DC event online are also a part of history. We are among the first to watch an inauguration while following the back channel chatter of millions of other viewers. As I watched video coverage on CNN online, I simultaneously followed the running commentary of friends on FaceBook.

Listening to professional commentators cover the event became less powerful or interesting than noting the comments of friends and family. Similarly, on Twitter, many tagged Tweets with #inaug09 to mark their thoughts as they watched the historical event.

What does all this back channel commenting mean? It means that, like always, people bond over events and interesting content. Major events give people something to talk about with each other. Thoughts that spring to mind leap instantly to screen, where they can be noticed, monitored, and tracked. In a way, this inauguration marks the dawning of the age of our first social media president.

Obama's team appears to have embraced social media. FDR was our first radio president. Truman was likely the first president to tentatively harness the power of TV. Clinton may have been our first internet-ready president. We already know that the nation's new president plans weekly online video addresses. His team launched the Barack Obama YouTube Channel. A Barack Obama FaceBook page. A Twitter presence. Within hours of his presidency, we also saw a blog spring up at WhiteHouse.gov. Old content at WhiteHouse.gov was not archived - it was demolished.

Open and accessible communication. It's one thing to have a blog, a YouTube Channel, a FaceBook Page, a Twitter presence. It's quite another to keep it thriving with fresh content. And it's yet another to listen to the many diverse voices that will be springing up with comments and criticism. How well will the new president and his team listen and respond to millions of voices that cry out on these new social media channels?

Perhaps the answer lies in the inaugural address. "What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them..." President Obama seems to have captured the imagination of his public with his ever-present theme of change. He acknowledges change. And it's not just the economic and political landscape that is experiencing radical change. Technology and communication styles are changing rapidly, as well.

How well will the new US president continue to embrace an open and accessible communication style? In what ways will the new administration use social media to listen and communicate with various constituencies throughout the world?

And how do you like following major events online? Were the FaceBook-powered updates on CNN helpful -- or distracting?

How to Take PowerPoint Personally

laura@maniactive.com — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 14:33:41 PST

The Passion of the PowerPoint. I'm stunned by the passion that PowerPoint (yes, humble PowerPoint!) can arouse! My previous Propaganda, PowerPoint and You inspired Olivia Mitchell to launch a group blogging project. She asked other bloggers to write about what they'd like to see in PowerPoint design in 2009.

To date, Olivia has received over 40 passionate responses from bloggers all over the world! Most are amazing, well-reasoned, and thoughtful. Some are funny, witty, silly. But almost all are passionate!

photo credit: Arbron

Had to grin at Seth Godin's response about my "Propaganda" post. He wrote:

“Simple: she’s wrong. As the first person to speak up and out about single ideas/images and death to bullets, I take this one personally. Resist temptation. Do not backslide!”

This response reminds me of a line from the 1968 Television Mockumentary, How to Irritate People. In this pre-Monty Python sketch comedy assortment, John Cleese says (something like),

"If you go to a party and announce, 'The trouble with women is that they take everything personally!', about 4 women will jump up and say, 'Well, I don't!'"

How to take things personally. You can take things personally if someone:

actually names you.
refers to you as a pronoun.
judges you morally!

I didn't mention Mr. Godin in my post, so why would he take it personally? Godin is hardly the first person to recognize that propaganda techniques can be effective at persuading! As for my being "wrong" -- about what? Noticing that people seem as irritated with propaganda-heavy presentations as they are with deeply analytical presentations? Posing a few benign "what do you think" and "how about" questions in a blog post?

That brand of "wrong" was pervasive in Amerika for the past 8 years. Hopefully, it's on the way out.

photo credit: istopcrappics

I'll repeat: many people seem bored. In 2008, I was often an audience member where presentation content and design relied almost exclusively on propaganda techniques. It was merely tedious in sales and marketing presentations, but wildly inappropriate for technical training and scientific demonstrations.

The backlash against this approach is palpable. As an audience member, I feel it. I also witness others fidgeting uncomfortably. I hear whispers. I see people shout stuff like -- "Where's the beef? Hasty Generalization! Dicto Simplicter! Ad Nauseum!" and the like -- when they're watching a webinar littered with information-light, carefully-crafted, simple-image PowerPoint slides.

Or irritated. And yes, I read the snarky Tweets in the back channels. And hear the gossip in the hallways and break rooms at conferences. (You can, too.)

I've witnessed the backlash first hand in 2008. A lot more than I have room for in one blog post!

So I noted the backlash. And I asked questions about it. I wondered if another approach would rise up and become popular in 2009. I suggested that a "middle road" might occur with a swing of the pendulum.

In my world, it's not wrong to note trends or ask questions!

That's so 2001. In 2009, you can listen to your audience talk back on social media channels. You can also choose to engage or ignore the rise of an increasingly media-savvy audience. Hopefully, a more dynamic public will start recognizing heavy-handed propaganda techniques -- and start talking about them. People are already pushing back on Twitter, on blogs, at Bar Camps -- how long will it take for the backlash to happen in person at industry conferences, classrooms, and corporate meetings?

Social Media Inspired PowerPoint Design for 2009

laura@maniactive.com — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 14:42:37 PST

"What would you like to see in PowerPoint design in 2009?"

That's what Olivia Mitchell, who writes the fantastic Speaking About Presenting blog, asked me last month. Now, Olivia didn't ask just me: she also acted as community organizer, posing the question to a plethora of presentation bloggers. She asked us to write one post on this topic.

Many have already posted replies at their blogs. (Olivia promises to organize these posts at her blog later this month, for your finding & reading enjoyment. When you visit her blog, subscribe, and you'll be alerted! Lots of great ideas!)

My PowerPoint design wishes for 2009?

The look and feel of social media techniques will transition into PowerPoint design.
Presentations will be designed with audience participation -- and push back -- in mind.

Yeah, I want design that stimulates thoughtful discussion. I prefer design that inspires action and meaningful audience participation. So what might this kind of PowerPoint design look like?

Twittery Design. I'm a big fan of Twitter. And many of my blogging colleagues are on Twitter, as well. Read this amazing Tweet from design virtuoso Tony Ramos:

Short, Simple, Tweet. The brevity of Twitter can make you a better designer. A better headline writer. A better presenter. Using and studying Twitter can be a powerful exercise in how to get your point across swiftly and succinctly. Twitter is enjoying phenomenal growth. The more people use Twitter, the more your audience will come to expect powerful brevity in all communication media. Start using this "short and sweet" writing technique in your 2009 PowerPoint design. (You can follow me at Twitter: I'll be honored!)

Meet Your Audience. Yes, you can often use various social media outlets -- Twitter, FaceBook, LinkedIn, your own blog, YouTube, et. al. -- to meet your audience pre-presentation, to get a better feel for who they are and what some of their questions and concerns may be about your topic. Such a wonderful technique, to get to know a few audience members before you give a talk -- to tailor your speech, to use their names, to personalize the presentation!

More Heckling! Over five years ago, the engaging Joi Ito wrote of the heckle bot. Brilliant! While you're speaking, your audience can give you feedback on your performance. Today, the Twitter back channel is the new heckle bot, giving a speaker instant performance feedback. Of course, it's awfully hard to read Tweets while you're performing -- but you can review your back channel comments afterwards to continually improve your performance and design.

Grassroots, D-I-Y Design. I'm quite encouraged that people are using social media channels to talk back. I'm thrilled to see people challenge corporate, political, and thought leaders on these online, public platforms. So naturally, I'm pleased to see that, like social media, PowerPoint design still takes a (mostly) grassroots, bootstrapping, D-I-Y approach to design. They may not always be pretty, polished, or professional -- but I've seen many presenters persuade with their passion.

Less Propaganda. I use propaganda techniques in presentations. It can be effective for persuading. But persuading isn't the only purpose in giving a presentation. Sometimes, you'll want to spark an honest, intelligent, and interactive discussion. As a presenter, there are times when you'll want to learn from your audience. Social media can be an effective channel for encouraging lively dialog -- and so can a PowerPoint presentation that isn't overly focused on manipulating the audience into taking your side.

Willingness to be wrong or unpopular is a virtue. After all, how many of us are tired of the "If you're not with me, you're against me!" bandwagon approach? And how many people have been a little too frightened to do nothing but fawn and spray positive comments over popular presenters, speakers, bloggers, and leaders -- to disastrous global effect?

We need fewer "You're wrong / I'm right / Think my way / Because I'm popular, rich, and powerful" approaches. We need more intelligent dissenters.

PowerPoint to the People. Right On. OK. One more old-fashioned, light-hearted wish: if you're a PowerPoint Do-It-Yourselfer without a power base or budget, how will you ever get your message noticed if you look and sound exactly like everyone else? How appropriate is it for you to be overly stylized and design-conscious? Why not spurn design fashion altogether... and create your own passionate and persuasive storytelling style? Or why not steal the techniques of timeless publicity and propaganda hounds?

And as always, you're welcome to disagree with me or continue the discussion in the comments below!

What would YOU like to see in PowerPoint design in 2009?

Jing Pro is a Winner!

laura@maniactive.com — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:11:01 PST

TechSmith released Jing Pro this week.

It's a winner. A wow.

Like many, I used the free Jing project to quickly create visual voicemails and disposable learning objects. So when I read about the new Jing Pro, I simply wanted it.

Impulse Purchase! Even though I had a 3:00 meeting yesterday, I whipped out my credit card at 2:50pm to impulse purchase Jing Pro online. By 2:54, I bought, downloaded, installed, recorded, and uploaded a 38 second test video to the Screencast server. (I even had time to Tweet about my Jing Pro experience at 2:57pm. And yeah, I made it to my meeting in time!)

Phenomenal Features. So why did I yearn for Jing Pro, when I currently enjoy using the free version?

Social Media Ready. One button lets you pump your Jing Pro video straight to your YouTube Channel. Or you can "save as" MP4 to your hard drive -- so that you can upload your video to your FaceBook page. You can also use Jing to capture an on-screen image, which you can upload directly to a Flickr set (or save on your hard drive.)

Logo Free. With Jing Free, you see the Jing logo at the beginning and end of each video. Not so with Jing Pro! The new Jing logo has been stripped for a 100% clean video. (Although when I previously sent Jing videos to clients, the logo was often a conversation starter! "What's this thing called Jing? It's neat: can I get it, too?")

Blazing Fast. All too frequently, I can record & post an online Jing video in less time than it takes for me to leave a voicemail for a client. By avoiding the "voicemail + return phone call maze", everyone saves time. I post the video, email a link, and ask clients to watch a video response. This improves productivity, while creating a better "Show & Tell" presentation experience.

Better for you than candy. You can get Jing Pro with a one year subscription. And get this -- it's currently only $14.95 for 12 months. The low price made it a better-than-candy impulse purchase -- but I rather expect this is a non-fattening purchase I will enjoy throughout 2009!

How will you use Jing Pro or Jing Free in 2009?

The Top 5 Reasons Why You Love Bullet Points

laura@maniactive.com — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 13:31:53 PST

So nobody likes bullet point presentations anymore.

Really?

Horse hockey.

Then why do some of the most popular headlines today read:

"25 ways to..."
"Ten Reasons Why..."
"Three Secrets of..."
"The Top 100..."
and so forth?

And then, after reading these headlines that promise us some hot bullet point action, what happens?

Why, we read the bullet point articles!

photo credit: dno1967

We are seduced by this type of headline. We click on 'em. We pick up magazines with "magic number" headlines on the cover, knowing full well they will lead us to an article filled with bullet points or a numbered list!

Bullet points and numbered list presentations are particularly popular this time of year. End-of-the-year countdowns and top predictions are usually cheap and easy to produce.

And people seem hypnotized by the magnetic "magic number" headline.

Many blog readers cannot help but click on these "Top 10" type headlines when they see them on Digg or on Twitter or in their favorite blog reader. TV viewers cannot seem to resist watching cheaply produced countdown shows on cable channels that begin "The Top 100 Name-Something-Here."

After reading the article or watching the TV show with a headline that promises a bullet point presentation of information, you might feel content or vaguely satisfied. The bullet-point article didn't make you think too much. It was fun & easy to digest. Maybe it confirmed something you already knew. Or maybe you learned some concept, so that you can share your new found knowledge with others.

So why do we love bullet point articles and clip TV shows --
while claiming to hate PowerPoint bullet points?

In a 2006 Copyblogger post titled Little Known Ways to Write Fascinating Bullet Points, Brian Clark writes, "Bullet points are maligned because most people don’t know how to write them."

So why not learn the techniques behind writing compelling headlines? And why not learn to write scrumptious bullet points that are every bit as addictive as a Letterman Top 10 list?

Done well, bullet points can be effective, persuasive, and even entertaining!

Happy 2009! It's the beginning of a new year! Audit yourself: how many "Bullet Point" shows and articles will you read this year? (How many have you already consumed?)

And how will you use the beloved PowerPoint bullet point to better engage and persuade your audience?

Using Old Presentation Technology in the New Year

laura@maniactive.com — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 09:58:22 PST

When was the last time you used an overhead projector and transparencies?

photo credit: Cappellmeister

When I posed this question at Twitter yesterday, I half expected scorn. Overheads and transparencies? Such old presentation technologies! I haven't seen an overhead projector since the 1900's.

Turns out, I was only half right in expecting half scorn! It seems that overhead projectors are still in use today. Here are the replies from my Twitter pals:

Note: when I post to Twitter, it automatically updates my status and publishes at FaceBook. Friends who follow at FaceBook had this to say:

Audience Reality Check. Back in the late 1900's, I'd see an overhead projector in just about every board, class, and meeting room. The overhead projector was so ubiquitous, I used transparencies to back up PowerPoint presentations. If something went wrong with the computer or display unit, why, there was always an overhead.

I don't back up on transparencies anymore. I just plain haven't seen an overhead in ages. (A quick Google Trends search shows a dramatic decline in the number of searches for overhead projectors.)

Don't believe everything you believe. Just because I haven't seen an overhead doesn't mean that they're not being used creatively -- by very creative people! Old technologies are still hanging around -- why, just a few months ago, someone sent me a presentation on a zip disk.

A zip disk! Luckily, I had an old zip drive in the basement. This saved me the hassle of explaining FTP. Or thumb drives. Or CDR. Or anything remotely new-fangled.

As we enter the new year, which old technologies will finally fade away -- and which are here to stay?

And when was the last time you used an overhead projector and a set of transparencies? :)

Link Love. (Thanks much to all who responded on Twitter and FaceBook: Microsoft MVP Bill Dillworth , Expression Engine MVP Michael Boyink , Emmy nominated writer Charlotte Risch , Public Relations Professor Barbara Nixon , PhD Hal Richman , Public Relations Bird Sandy C. Evans , William Powell fan OMGFree , Murphy's Law Breaker Lee Potts , MotorSport enthusiast DR1665 , and Spartan Telecom Manager Nick Kwiatkowski.)

PowerPoint, Propaganda, and You

laura@maniactive.com — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 10:29:46 PST

This is Your Brain on PowerPoint. Our brains have 2 lobes. Loosely speaking, the left handles data, facts, and analysis. The right handles emotions, art, and intuition.

When it comes to experiencing a PowerPoint presentation, there's only so much your brain can process. You can either listen to a presenter speak, or you can try to read what you seen on the screen.

If you try to do both at the same time, you absorb less. And you become irritated with the presenter.

That's why we’re experiencing something of a fashion backlash against overly complicated, bullet-laden slides. They aren't effective. And they annoy people.

The 2008 vogue. We're seeing more PowerPoint slides with simple images and minimal words. In a way, these slides remind you of a child's book.

Simple graphics. Big words. Few words.

Refreshing, yes?

Sure. But there's a problem.

You are not a child. Your brain demands more!

photo credit: Spigoo

The 2009 backlash. Let the backlash against the backlash begin! The current PowerPoint design fashion vogue is overly simplistic, and panders almost completely to the right side of the brain. Since one of our chief presentation objectives is to persuade, why is this a problem?

Using only right brain techniques to persuade is emotionally manipulative. Oh, it's highly effective, all right, but it's propaganda, nonetheless! Appealing only to the right side of the brain is less than truthful -- it lies by omission of key facts.

Audiences are getting more savvy. We're getting more suspicious. We're asking harder questions. We're tired of lying, half-truths, and crass emotional manipulation by corporate leaders, politicians, and news media outlets.

Those of us who are sentient realize that the simple and compelling imagery we see in corporate PowerPoint presentations, on TV ads, and elsewhere in the media aren't rational. Many people are beginning to resent the oversimplification. Tired of being treated like children, we're lashing back against these heavy handed attempts at brainwashing.

"Propaganda Bingo" is long overdue. It's time we started screaming out "Glittering Generality" or "False dilemma" and so forth when our leaders start blatantly using propaganda techniques in meetings, PowerPoint presentations, and press conferences. After all, we played Buzzword Bingo in the 1990's: why not upgrade to "Propaganda Bingo" in 2009?

The PowerPoint Propaganda Backlash is just one important reason to mix it up a little in your next PowerPoint presentation. Compelling imagery can help you make an emotional and persuasive case: but intelligent people will also require data and analysis for their decision making process. You’ll want to use persuade with right-brain techniques -- and also give the left brain something deeper to analyze.

Social media has also made "talking back" popular. People are becoming accustomed to criticizing presentation techniques and content on Twitter backchannels. They're creating and commenting on blogs, and voting on Digg or StumbleUpon. Today's audience isn't quietly and politely absorbing canned corporate and political propaganda: they're getting accustomed to talking back and creating their own content.

You can feel, see, and hear the pendulum swinging all around you!

1987? Lotsa words. Lotsa bullet points.
2007? Few words. Simple pictures.

How about making 2009 the year of the middle way between these two approaches?

Or do you believe that audiences will be content to consume PowerPoint propaganda techniques for a while longer? How fast will the pendulum swing? Is 2009 the year of increased PowerPoint Propaganda Awareness?

Death by PowerPoint Watch: 2008

laura@maniactive.com — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:17:20 PST

For three years straight, I have been Googling and tracking the term "Death by PowerPoint". I want to see how many pages the big G will deliver for this tired cliche.

In 2006, Google delivered 55,000 pages that mentioned this oft-used phrase. In 2007, we saw "Death by PowerPoint" pages increase by almost 50% to 82,400.

In 2008, we see the biggest increase: from 82,400 to 366,000. This is over 4 times as many mentions!

Clearly, "Death by PowerPoint" (searched without quotes) is on the increase. In spite of a new and improved version of PowerPoint (2007) and the popularity of countless books and blogs on the topic of presentation design and delivery -- PowerPoint casualties continue to climb throughout 2008.

What will bring an end to the carnage? And what kind of numbers do you predict for 2009?

:)

Open Source Webconferencing : Digging the DimDim Experience

laura@maniactive.com — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 15:29:05 PST

Author Ellen Finkelstein and I were collaborating on a PowerPoint presentation design and script the other day. Ellen was in Iowa. I was in Michigan. We needed to show each other our work as we talked through our concepts. What to do?

We decided to give Dimdim a whirl. Dimdim is an open source webconferencing service that promises to host web meetings for up to 20 people -- for free. A number of other compelling features touted at the site convinced us to try Dimdim: we can share a desktop, show slides, collaborate, chat, talk, and even record our session. The site also promises that the service is easy to use -- and no downloads.

All that and free, too? Where do we sign up? :)

So Ellen and I both started accounts at Dimdim -- although I really didn't need to do so. Ellen started the meeting as the leader. As an audience member, I didn't need a Dimdim account -- just an invitation from the meeting leader. I love that Dimdim doesn't force audience members to become Dimdim members -- that's certainly a very courteous and confident feature.

Once in Dimdim, Ellen was presented with three options: Share Desktop Screen, Share Whiteboard, and Share Presentation.

Because we're both a little feature-geeky, Ellen and I got off to a slow start with Dimdim. We horsed around with features for a bit before we got down to business. I suppose that's only natural when you're testing out a new service a few days before a holiday. The first thing Ellen noticed was that she was frequently prompted to record the session -- a terrific feature, but we didn't need to record our meeting. (I'm itching to try that feature for another time, though.)

Attempts to "share the desktop" proved unsatisfying. At first, we experienced about a 19 second lag time -- which seemed to get longer after every passing moment. Frustrated, Ellen selected "Share Presentation" and uploaded her PowerPoint Presentation. This is where the service gets high marks -- we had no trouble viewing the presentation while chatting on a phone bridge. Dimdim will allow you to upload .ppt , .pptx, or .pdf files -- limited but lovely for a moderator-led web presentation.

Ellen also gave me tools to mark up the presentation as she talked -- completely unnecessary for our purposes, but I enjoyed stamping stars and circles and writing rude remarks on certain slides. This kind of activity is more appropriate for "Sharing a Whiteboard", but Ellen and I didn't have the opportunity to check this feature out.

The next day, I led my own meeting. I uploaded a PowerPoint presentation and called a less than tech-savvy friend. Sure, I thought Dimdim was divinely easy -- but what about someone who is relatively new to internet conferencing? My friend Kimberly Lewellyn was game. I sent her an invitation, she dialed the number, entered a unique code, and voila! Within minutes, we were talking on the phone bridge while viewing my PowerPoint presentation.

The process would have been even easier if I had known to let Kimberly into the meeting instantly instead of keeping her in a "waiting room". I changed this setting instantly within Dimdim. In a "gotta have it now" web world, why keep people waiting? (Thanks for being such a good sport, Kimberly!)

If you need to hold web meetings online, you'll like Dimdim. Very eary to use and you cannot beat the price. Skip the Desktop sharing for now, though -- it needs a little work. But if you're hanging out away from home this holiday season -- does Dimdim really need to be a business or training application? Why not get 20 of your globe-scattered friends on the phone at once -- to view slides of your family or other holiday shenanigans?

How will you use services like Dimdim?

(Ellen is the author of 101 Tips Every PowerPoint User Should Know and the new video PowerPoint 2007: Make the Upgrade Easy!) Ellen and I will be co-presenting at next week's web conference: Stop Boring Your Audience! Create Presentations for the Post-Template Visual Era. Use the coupon code 20OFFDEC and get $20 off your admission. See you on December 3!)

Presentation, Conversation, and Improv

laura@maniactive.com — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:32:46 PST

"You don't rehearse a conversation, do you?"

Yes, indeed, that was an objection I heard when I posted earlier about the importance of rehearsing a presentation.

Here's another bit of (edited) push back:

"What about improv comics? Everything they do on stage is spontaneous. Fresh. Unrehearsed."

Both objections are laughable. Laughable!

To answer:

Do I rehearse conversations?

No. No, I don't.

You? Go out with a list of questions and topics on an index card when socializing, do you? ;)

If you have honed social skills, you probably don't rehearse conversations. You probably are filled with great ideas you'd like to share. And you're open to listening to the ideas of others.

photo credit: JoshMcConnell

My preferred presentation style is largely conversational. This means I come prepared to lead a conversation. And it means that I'm open to hearing ideas from the audience.

Out of respect for my audience, I rehearse my presentations. I rehearse because the content of my presentation is often meant to be thought or action provoking. A conversation starter, if you will.

Rehearse answers. Further, I think through questions the audience might ask, so that I am better prepared to answer them. I have rehearsed answers that I was never asked. And I have bumbled through answers that clever audience members were able to ask that I didn't have the imagination to rehearse!

photo credit: JoshMcConnell

As for those improv comics? Everyone can stand to become a much better presenter and conversationalist if they practice like an improv comic. (Yes, improv masters practice relentlessly. They make their performances look effortless after countless hours of practice.)

To experience the fun and work of improv, why not check out the comprehensive Encyclopedia of Improv Games? This is an extraordinary list of warm-ups, icebreakers, and improv exercises. It is a must-bookmark for anyone who presents -- or for parents who want to find new & amusing ways to discipline their children. (Instead of boring time-outs, why not make squabbling siblings play a rousing game of Three Noses? What other improv game can you inflict on whining, misbehaving children? ;)

Good conversations -- and good improv -- are filled with verve and fire. Ideas erupt from skilled people with great thoughts. Ideas themselves are nothing much -- until they are publicly unleashed, bettered and battered by conversational discourse.

Rehearse your conversations? Maybe not.

But consistently practice the art of conversation and improv -- so that you're prepared to test and grow ideas on any stage - social or formal?

Definitely!

Go Get Open Office 3.0

laura@maniactive.com — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 14:04:40 PDT

Open Office 3.0 is ready for you to download. For free, of course.

When I first read about the availability of Open Office 3.0 earlier this month, I was enthusiastic. So were many others! When I went to download the new and improved version, I was turned away. Too many other people were trying to download all at once, as well!

But now, the download situation seems under control. I was able to download and install Open Office 3.0 in less than a half hour. If you need a basic word processor, spreadsheet program, slideware, database, and drawing application -- take a look at the latest version of OO.

The main reason I downloaded the new version is that it can open Microsoft Office 2007 files like pptx and docx -- older versions of Open Office cannot. However, I noticed that even though Open Office 3.0 can open 2007 "x" files -- you can't "save as" a Microsoft 2007 file with OO 3.0. Further, Smart Art does not translate into Open Office 3.0 -- at all.

So, my main reason for wanting the new version wasn't nearly as satisfying as I thought it would be.

However, I'm glad I downloaded Open Office 3.0. I'm now able to access other dazzling features:

New background templates that I'll probably never use
Enhanced support for exporting to PDF, including password protection. (That's actually pretty cool!)
And oddly enough, the new splash screen makes Open Office more pleasant to use.

(Here's a slightly more comprehensive list of new OO 3.0 features.)

I first started my Open Office experiment in June 2005. My main reason for loving Open Office in 2005 was that it could export to PDF -- something Microsoft products could not do at the time. While I still use Open Office to some extent today, there are too many other lean and mean cloud programs that let me accomplishy many of the same tasks -- without using much of my computer's resources. And of course, you simply cannot beat the price of Open Office 3.0.

Start your own experiment! Open Office 3.0 is still a fine option -- but take a look at cloud apps (like Google Docs), too. You might find that you can still be lean, mean and productive -- without using Microsoft's suite of pricey "productivity" products.

Presenting to the Twitter Backchannel

laura@maniactive.com — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 15:01:09 PDT

“Content isn't king. If I sent you to a desert island and gave you the choice of taking your friends or your movies, you'd choose your friends - if you chose the movies, we'd call you a sociopath. Conversation is king. Content is just something to talk about.” - Cory Doctorow | Boing Boing

photo credit: Oquendo

The best part of attending conferences is the people you meet. And often, the most exciting content you experience at conferences is not delivered by the keynote speaker. And it's not presented by subject matter experts in the workshops.

The most exciting content is in the conference backchannels. Conference backchannels include conversations in the hallways. Chitchat over coffee in the morning or cocktails in the evenings. Backchannels also include gossip over lunch and deal-making on the golf courses.

In other words, you didn't really come to the conference to hear me deliver an exciting, information-packed keynote! You really came to meet and socialize with other people.

The conference content -- speeches and workshops -- give people something to talk about. And in the old days, people would talk with each other or go back to the office to spread the ideas generated at conferences. To a large extent, that still happens.

Presenting to the Social Media backchannel. But today, many conferences also use a Twitter backchannel to spread ideas and enhance relationships. I have to admit: there are quite a few conferences that I have NOT attended -- but I've followed the Twitter backchannel. It felt like I was there. I was able to glean enough nuance from the real-time conversations in the Twitter backchannel during a webcast presentation -- that I didn't need to actually watch the presenter! To double-check my intuitive abilities, only later did I watch the archived video presentation. No surprise --the presenter gave the speech I thought he did.

As a modern presenter, I learned two important lessons from listening to the backchannel:

You will be heckled. By listening to the backchannel, I knew when the presenter would overuse a cliche that didn't resonate with his audience. About 10 minutes into his speech, the conference attendees used Twitter to make fun of the speaker's poor word choice. As I watched the archived video, sure enough -- the presenter repeated a cliched phrase ad nauseum. By following the backchannel, I knew the exact phrase -- and how many times he would overstate it.
Your ideas will be praised. Conversely, the speaker provided many new ideas and action items for the audience. I knew exactly when he would talk about his great ideas, too -- because those in the Twitter backchannel had been taking notes, and prefacing them with words like "cool" and "great idea".

Twitter isn't the only conference backchannel. Audience members have been known to blog about conferences they're attending. But the Twitter conference backchannel use is exploding -- chiefly because it's incredibly easy to use. Audience members don't need to write a fully-formed blog post. They don't even need computer access. They can use their phones to simply post a 140 character or less missive on what they are thinking or experiencing -- and tag their Tweet with a predetermined "conference hashtag".

Conferences planners must take the lead on Twitter use. If conference organizers don't lead -- someone else will! A conference planner "best backchannel practice" is to define and promote a short, unique, and memorable conference hashtag for the conference attendees.

Short - Twitter only has 140 characters. You don't want the hashtag taking up too much of the commenting space allowed.
Unique - People will be using Twitter Search to enter in the conference hashtag. If it's not unique, the search is going to generate an irrelevant stream of comments.
Memorable - I went to 2 conferences where splinter groups broke out over which Twitter hashtags to use. Nerdy, yes -- but the official conference hashtag wasn't memorable, and it splintered the backchannel spread of ideas.

Three Hashtag How-tos. So, let's say the conference planner is encouraging attendees to use the hashtag #NAR_midyear as the hashtag for the conference. It's a little long, but it is unique and memorable. What's next?

Use the pound sign. Conference hashtags are always preceded by a pound sign.
Promote the hashtag. Encourage conference attendees to use the hashtag in their conference-related Tweets.
Follow the backchannel at Twitter Search. To find out what others are saying at the conference, visit Twitter Search. Enter the hashtag -- in this example #NAR_midyear -- and see what those at the conference are Twittering.

By following the backchannel, you don't need to follow all the people at the conference -- you only need to scan their hashtagged posts at Twitter Search. These posts can be extremely helpful -- covering logistics like "where's the breakout room?" and "Snacks on 3rd floor now" to more meaningful comments about content and ideas.

As a presenter, I'm acutely interested in reviewing the Twitter backchannel. Yes, Twitter commenters can be snarky -- but what a great way to review what's NOT working in a presentation, as well as what IS. And what a great way to spread ideas!

Andy Warhol said "In the future everyone will be famous for 15 minutes." Today, I'm saying that in the future, every presenter will be heckled for at least 15 minutes!

How do you feel about being heckled on Twitter? And how will you use the Twitter backchannel commentary to improve your presentations and spread your ideas?

Designing Presentations in the Cloud

laura@maniactive.com — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:01:43 PDT

Yes, you can design a PowerPoint presentation without using PowerPoint. And you don't need Keynote or OpenOffice, either. With speedy internet access, you can design a presentation "in the cloud".

What are Presentation Design Cloud Apps? Think Google Docs Presentations. Or 280slides. Or SlideRocket. When you access any of these three (currently free) online apps, you can design a presentation "in the cloud". (That's what the kids are calling it these days!) Loosely speaking, designing in "the cloud" means you can produce your presentation content online, without downloading any presentation software to your computer.

Enjoying the Cloud Slideware Experience. Earlier this week, I tried each of the three cloud slideware applications I mentioned above -- Google Docs, 280slides, and SlideRocket. Before I discuss their differences, let me comment on four similarities and user advantages you get with cloud slideware:

1) They're all feature light. At this stage, cloud presentation design apps are light on features. Well, much lighter than the gazillions of options PowerPoint and Keynote and Open Office pack into their software, anyway! But why do I tout less features as "an advantage"? Face it: we've all noted an alarming tendency of PowerPoint producers to over-use many features. Feature abuse often detracts from the story line. By streamlining features, the tendency to overwhelm with special effects is mercifully reduced. Further, less features mean that learning how to use cloud applications is usually a breeze. Basically, if you know how to use PowerPoint -- you already know how to useSlideRocket, 280Slides, or the Google Docs Presentation application. Seriously: expect a learning curve of about a minute or three.

2) Cloud presentation apps allow collaboration and sharing. With a few clicks, 280slides lets you post your presentation to SlideShare, the popular presentation sharing site. The "Share" button at Google Docs Presentation lets you invite collaborators to edit your presentation, or viewers to experience your results. SlideRocket lets you publish your presentation publicly -- or to invite select people to view it. SlideRocket also integrates statistics, so you know how many people have experienced your content. Google Docs lets you see who has been editing your presentation -- and when. For those of us who build content in teams located all over the globe, the ability to share, collaborate, and review revisions provides a phenomenal project management advantage.

3) Cloud apps play nicely with many other popular online content venues. Want to insert a YouTube video into PowerPoint? You've got quite a few gyrations to make that happen! But with two of the presentation design cloudware options, it's a coupla clicks, tops. Want to use a FlickR image into your presentation? Each of the cloudware apps I used let you search and add unique FlickR images with the same ease you'd have inserting a stale piece of clipart to a PowerPoint presentation. Easy access to fresh videos and pictures can make your presentation more visually unique and compelling than sticking to the over-used, cliched, packaged stock images and clip art built into standard software.

4) They all cater to the offline popularity of PowerPoint. Each cloudware service lets you download and save your presentation as a PowerPoint file. And each service also lets you upload a presentation that you originally created in PowerPoint. Many folks need the security blanket of backing up a presentation on a hard drive -- and in a familiar format. With cloudware, you don't really have to leave your PowerPoint comfort zone. You have the option to "go old school" with PowerPoint -- but you also get enhanced sharing and easier access to online content.

So, what about the differences in each cloudware program? When I used each of these programs to create a presentation from scratch, I noted a few feature differences in each application.

SlideRocket	280 Slides	Google Docs Presentations
5 background options	9 background options	15 background options
6 Flash backgrounds	no Flash backgrounds	no Flash backgrounds
9 slide transition options	0 transition options	0 transition options
FlickR integration	FlickR +Google Images integration	No FlickR integration
Opaque image slider	Opaque image slider	No opaque image option
20 font styles	30 font styles	6 font styles
No YouTube Integration	Easy YouTube integration	Easy YouTube integration
Image manipulation: 9 build options & 9 effect options. Resizing, but no rotating images.	Image manipulation: resizing and rotating. No builds, no effects.	Image Manipulation: Resizing only.

The above chart is not a comprehensive comparison of features. And I fully expect that feature sets at each service will change and grow. By the time I hit the "publish" button on this blog post, who knows? Another feature can be added at any time. That's what happens in the cloud -- new features can be added and changed more rapidly than they can in the boxed software world.

How are you using cloud presentation applications in your work or school? And how likely are you to design and present "in the cloud" over the next year?