How many times have you heard somebody say, "Oh, everybody knows that!" If you happen to belong to the lucky group that "knows that," you may smile and nod sagely. But if you're out of the loop it can make you feel foolish to hear these words. Something happened to me recently that clearly … [Read more...] about “Oh, you didn’t know that?”
The Principals of Copyright
You may have noticed a potential misuse of the word "principal" in the headline of this blog. But it was no accident: the subject of this blog is the new principal of my sons' school. She gave a PowerPoint presentation that violated one of the main principles of the use of copyrighted images: you … [Read more...] about The Principals of Copyright
Free Photo Resources for PowerPoint
We all know by now that pictures can often help you to communicate better than words. And that people hate, hate, HATE text-heavy PowerPoint slides. So armed with that knowledge, you set out to transform your boring deck into a beautiful gallery of effective photography. But where do you go for … [Read more...] about Free Photo Resources for PowerPoint
Get Your Facts Straight
I'll admit it, I was glued to the television for the premiere of Falling Skies, the latest series to tackle life in a post-apocalyptic world. I loved just about everything about it: the premise, the plot, the special effects. But one thing really bothered me, and that was the geographical … [Read more...] about Get Your Facts Straight
You Can’t Taste PowerPoint
Some people are so hung up on PowerPoint for giving presentations that they forget that in the olden days before thumb drives, projectors, and laptops there was such a thing as an engaging public speaker. I often reference the PowerPoint Gettysburg Address as a shining example of how PowerPoint can … [Read more...] about You Can’t Taste PowerPoint
Some Social Media Tips
Social Media. This is the latest in a series of sure-fire marketing tools that every business person Has To Do. Social media's great, because a lot of it doesn't cost a thing or is dirt cheap, so it seems like a wonderful way to market one's business. On the other hand, it can be a huge time sink … [Read more...] about Some Social Media Tips
PowerPoint for Print? Sometimes!
Last week, I did some work for a client who wanted me to create an image library in PowerPoint. The person I was working with was appalled and would have preferred doing the job using InDesign. While it's true that InDesign would have yielded professional results, this time it wasn't the right tool … [Read more...] about PowerPoint for Print? Sometimes!
How do you communicate?
About a month ago, I submitted a proposal for a fairly small job to a new potential client. A couple of weeks went by, then he emailed me requesting a meeting. Believing that I had outlined my role in the project very specifically in the proposal, I wasn't keen on attending a second, unpaid project … [Read more...] about How do you communicate?