According to Kurt DelBene, president of the Microsoft Office Division, as of July 2012 1 billion people worldwide use Microsoft Office (which, of course, includes PowerPoint). With such market penetration, it is no wonder that PowerPoint has become the lingua franca of business communication. But … [Read more...] about What is a PowerPoint presentation?
Do you need header and footer blocks on PowerPoint slides? No.
We see it all the time—a slide that has a large, colored bar along the top for the title and another one along the bottom for a logo, page number, and various other footer items. Why has this become the norm? It's true that many of the templates that come standard with PowerPoint use this … [Read more...] about Do you need header and footer blocks on PowerPoint slides? No.
How to royally screw up a PowerPoint presentation
Here is a transcript from a horrible presentation made by rookie presenter, Joe Fumbler. In August 2012, I conducted a contest exclusively for Design Dispatch readers to find all the flubs made by Joe Fumbler during his presentation, and reader Robbie Kularski came up with eighteen mistakes! … [Read more...] about How to royally screw up a PowerPoint presentation
Where can I get free photos for PowerPoint?
Boring PowerPoint’s for chumps, and by now we all know that photographs can really elevate a presentation. What they can also elevate are your expenses, because royalty-free photographs can run into some money depending on how many you include. Some people think that images they find online are … [Read more...] about Where can I get free photos for PowerPoint?
You are not the focus of your PowerPoint presentation
The other day, a friend of mine wanted my advice on pricing the redesign of her client’s pitch deck, the initial presentation shown to a prospect to get hired. When I opened the presentation, my jaw literally dropped because it was an 11-page résumé in 16-point type sandwiched between a title slide … [Read more...] about You are not the focus of your PowerPoint presentation
Audiences expect and deserve great PowerPoint design
For the past several years, I have been working with people who share my conviction that the same design principles that are used to create award-winning websites, compelling logos, and stunning point-of-purchase displays can and should be used in PowerPoint presentations. This viewpoint isn't … [Read more...] about Audiences expect and deserve great PowerPoint design
Good presentations start with good scripts
A gentleman once asked me to provide a quote on redoing a PowerPoint presentation. He provided a link to the presentation, which included a voiceover narration. I had to explain to him that he'd be unhappy with the results if I just did the cosmetic fixes he'd asked for. Sure, the presentation … [Read more...] about Good presentations start with good scripts
Easily convert PDF to PowerPoint
I was on the Twitters today and came across a question from a person who wanted to know if it was easy to convert a PDF file into a PowerPoint. Actually, she wanted to know if it was possible to convert an "Adobe" into a PowerPoint. Don't get me started... Turns out there's a website that's free … [Read more...] about Easily convert PDF to PowerPoint