Powerpoint design has something of a bad reputation: ‘Death by Powerpoint’ is by now a well-known phrase among office workers who have had to withstand countless meetings and presentations in which someone more senior than them takes it upon him or herself to deliver a stream of information that does little more than raise a yawn. Indeed, when that phrase was coined by Angela R. Garber it communicated with a wide audience who had simply had enough of being treated in this disempowering way. In Switzerland last year, the Anti PowerPoint Party formed, promising to decrease the use of Powerpoint amid claims that it decreased the quality of presentations in 95% of cases. This party advocated the revival of the flipchart as a way of getting us more engaged with information again. This would perhaps signal a reactionary move too far the other way, however; the Swiss party might instead look at teaching people how to use powerpoint presentations more effectively. After all, sales presentations delivered on a flip chart would most probably be deemed deficient in images in this day and age.
In 2012 it has been suggested that some of us look at between 5-7000 images per day, most of them on computer screens. A figure like this suggests that it would simply be anachronistic to return to drawing diagrams and messages with pen and paper. What’s more, you cannot make smooth transitions to audiovisual clips when you’re using a flip chart, while you absolutely can, seamlessly, With Powerpoint. It is time to focus on how we use Powerpoint, then, not whether we use it or not. Perhaps the most important thing to recall is that this piece of corporate software is simply a tool, not a thing with a fixed usage. Granted, it is not easy to remember this, given that we’ve been conditioned to experience Powerpoint used unimaginatively. But it is possible to adapt our ways for the better.
We might start improving our powerpoint presentations by considering how we ingest information on our screens. Just take a moment, next time you are reading an article online or watching a YouTube clip, to assess whether you are taking in what you are seeing, whether you are impressed by the content, and whether you could improve on your habits in any way. All of these considerations will feed fruitfully into your plans for improved Powerpoint design and sales presentations.
Please visit http://www.eyefulpresentations.co.uk/