Creating Powerful PowerPoint (r)

Introduction:				shown on a
After working with hundreds of executives on				standard NTSC video monitor. LCDs, LEDs and
every rung of				VGAs all do
the corporate ladder, I've been a witness to some				a better job compared to traditional video but it
of the best				never hurts to
and worst presentations ever created with				fatten up those borders and edges a little.A second
Microsoft				case for sticking with basic fonts has to do with
PowerPoint. The program is so evolved these days				the "font load." Every PC comes with certain
that				universal fonts.
there are tools, effects, transitions and settings				As time passes, most PC users add fonts they find
available				around
that will either help or hinder your effectiveness as a				the Web, or fonts are added automatically from
				programs
presenter. Everyone wants to have a powerful				they install.Unless you will be presenting from your
presentation,				own PC, be very
and there are some very simple ways to accomplish				wary of using any fonts outside that standard font
this.First of all, keep in mind that the audience is not				load.
assembled				Microsoft PowerPoint automatically replaces any
to watch a slide show. There is nothing more sleep				fonts,
-inducing than a dimly lit room and dull,				which do not exist on the "show" PC with something
content-cluttered				simple.
slides after a hot lunch. Take it from a frequent				Your material won't disappear, but it may not look
napper in Art				the same
History 101!With great tools it is all too easy to				as it did when you created your slides.There are
forget that the message				many times a font switch can go unnoticed -
you are delivering is coming from Y-O-U. You know				going from Helvetica to Arial is practically an even
the				swap to
material inside and out! See yourself as the focus of				the untrained eye. Other times, it can wreak havoc
the				with your
show, and use support tools like Microsoft				word wrapping; throwing previously "safe" text off
PowerPoint to				the bottom
reinforce the key elements of your presentation --				of the screen in older versions of PPT, or making it
to be your				size
backup singer while you stand front and center.Now				down in the newer versions. It's always a good idea
doesn't that make you feel a little special? It should!				to
For whatever reason it may be, you have been				punch through your slides before presenting on the
asked to				"show"
speak as an expert; to weigh in with your opinion;				computer.This is a good place to talk about size. I
to share				mentioned earlier
your discoveries; this is your time in the spotlight so				why creating slides nobody can read is a
let the				presentation
software and laser pens support your performance				disaster. With fonts, bigger is better. There is
and not				undoubtedly a
overpower it.Keep It Simple, Superstar:				fine line between large, and "horsey," or too large.
A good place to start is by looking at the amount				One old
and				trick to check for readability is to pull up your
complexity of the material you need to present. An				presentation in
easy way				the Slide Show mode, then lean back from your
to keep your presentation from becoming an				monitor and
uncontrollable				squint. This simple exercise will show you what your
monster is to remember the six-by-six guideline. Six				projected image will look like to someone in the
bullets				back row of
to a slide, six words per bullet. This is a simply brilliant				your audience. Screen sizes on location are chosen
way				based
to avoid the dreaded "Presentation Karaoke"				on the size of the room so this works whether
syndrome -- a				you're
speech where either the presenter reads directly				presenting in a boardroom, or a ballroom. The
from the				dynamics of
slide or the audience reads along with the presenter				screen distance to screen area are relative from a
-- or				32" video
both! Six-by-six works so well, it is taught as a				monitor to a 9' by 12' screen.In general, I find
presentation				headlines between 34 and 40 points, and
model in many communications seminars throughout				body text of 28 to 34 points usually show quite well.
corporate America. Can you go five-by-five or				For title
seven-by-seven? Of course you can. Any individual				slides, I head to the 60-point range for names and
slide				40 to 50
may need adjustments as you go along but by				points for title, division and company.Table Times:
keeping the				Call me a neat-freak, but I'm a big fan of tables.
six-by-six guideline in mind you're guaranteed to				Whenever
keep the fat				you have information which needs to line up in
trimmed from your presentation.Let's add sub-bullets				columns --
to the mix. I try to avoid subs, but				use a table! Spacing out your columns within a text
sometimes that is impossible. When subs are				box
involved, I				might get it "close enough" but is that really "good
keep them the same size or just slightly smaller as				enough?"
the				Dropping a table onto your slide will ensure your
regular first-line bullet text, and let the indentation tell				decimal
				points line up, and using right justify on a left side
viewers the next line is a sub. The default templates				column
often				and left justify on a right side column will make
reduce subs into the unreadable zone.If you find				comparisons or "versus" lists a cinch to read.Using
yourself going to a second or (yikes!) third				tables will also help you avoid the formatting mess I
sub-bullet, you need to re-work your material.				mentioned earlier when dealing with missing fonts.
Perhaps by				Your
changing the headline to a shortened version of your				sizing and style may change, but to borrow from
first full				Led
bullet, or losing the first actual "bullet" to create a				Zeppelin... The table remains the same.Background
sub-head.				Check:
I find that presenters often create a headline and				There are many presenters who use customized
hold it				backgrounds and templates these days from
through an entire section. A full page "chapter" slide				royalty-free
at the				websites around the world. While I
beginning of a new portion of material will allow you				whole-heartedly support this idea, it should be said
to then				that a
change each subsequent slide headline and make it				colorful photographic background might not be your
more				best
custom to the material in the bullets below. In a fluid				friend without some minor tweaking.Make sure your
				presentation text has high-contrast when
presentation your audience won't forget your				using a custom background, template, or even a
subject."But, but, but... If you have the space, why				basic
not use it?" The				background color. If you have a dark color like
answer is simple. Your slides are there to drive home				corporate
or				blue, maroon or purple, go with a light font like white
re-state important points, to help with keywords a				or
note-taking audience member should jot down, and				mustard yellow. A light background would call for
to				darker
preface or summarize your presentation or				lettering. A background color in the middle range
"chapters"				(with a
within. There's nothing worse than having so much				luminosity comparable to "middle gray" for you
on a				photographers out there) can often set off either a
slide that you either cannot get through the material,				light or
or the				dark font. Contrast is the key!If you have your
audience cannot read everything because the font is				heart set on a busy photographic
too				background, try creating a large semi-transparent
small.In an average presentation, a speaker will hit				text area
two to three				in the center by using the drawing and fill tools. This
slides a minute. That alone will guide you into				is
choosing				called "screening back" in the world of print, and it
your words carefully to cover everything you put				will allow
on the				a "taste" of the pattern or photo to come through
screen. If you don't plan on speaking about				without
something, or				muddling your words. If you have access to a paint
assume you will skip through certain segments,				program
remove				like Adobe PhotoShop, you can create some
that material from your slides. Bullet points remaining				stunning
untouched will leave your audience asking mental				backgrounds using blurs, overlays and tints with the
questions instead of listening to you!Charting a				simplest of tools and filters. I like to have a clear
Course to Success:				image for
Here is a pet peeve of mine I see far too often. A				the MTL, then a blurred, screened or otherwise
chart with				affected
so much information on it that nobody in the				complimentary image for the text slides.Fear of
audience would				Flying:
be able to take it all in during the short time it is				I saved this subject for last because I think it's
onscreen.				where most
Not to name names, but financial analysts and				people go awfully wrong! Think about all the
engineers				television
with timelines tend to be the biggest offenders				programs, commercials, movies and sporting events
when it				you
comes to charts! Granted, there is value to showing				watch. Now try to recall the last time you saw a
a				clock wipe,
trend-line over a period of time -- any stockbroker				mosaic blocks, or barn doors to transition from
will tell				one scene to another -- or to bring text on and
you				offscreen. If
that. Obfuscation typically occurs when too many				you're like me, it has been a while! In the same way
ticks are				a
labeled. This can leave a junkyard of 10 point, aliased				person who is new to videography tends to lie on
text				the zoom
that does nothing but look horrible.The fixes are				in / zoom out button, people who want to add
easy. If your trend is over twenty years, just give				"pizzazz" to
us five year labels. We realize the spaces between				their presentation tend to heap on the wacky
are				transitions!For the record, here's an opinion of mine. If
non-labeled years. If you have a particular peak or				you have ever
valley, call				used 'Random Transition" within a presentation you
it out in the chart area rather than on the axis. Put a				should
star at				have your mouse and keyboard crushed into
the peak or use a different colored line for				unusable
emphasis. If your				shards of plastic. Just. Say. No. The last train to
budget goes from zero to $1,000, just give us $0,				Effortville
$500, and				just left and you were not on it.A simple dissolve, or
$1k. Label your bars with "Show Value" instead.				even a Wipe Right / Wipe Left is a
Trust me				communications convention we are all so familiar
when I say anyone with particular questions about a				with that it
chart				happens without bringing attention unto itself. Why
will seek you out after the program, bring it up in				would
Q&A, or				you add a transition that shocks the audience out of
e-mail you about it later.If you're the type to put a				"show
chart into your presentation then				mode" where they were concentrating on your
say onstage, "I know you can't read this, but..." Do				material, and
something about it before hitting the podium. By				into "what the heck was that" mode? It's the
admitting to				equivalent of
the audience that your chart is useless, you're also				hearing a cell phone ring at the theater -- it takes
saying				you out of
you don't value their time. Dropping off some data				the story and back to reality; and that's certainly no
and				way to
increasing the size of the remaining font should do				drive home your point at the end of a slide!Similarly,
the trick,				animating text should be done with much
and it doesn't take much work. For particularly				forethought. PowerPoint is slick enough at this stage
complex				that
charts and graphs, create two versions! With a				you can produce some very clever, professional
simple on				text effects. I
screen version and a complex, fully labeled handout				personally like an occasional fly from any given side
version				to
you have the best of both worlds.Another				create a little "wow" when called for, but my old
suggestion for charts and graphs is to remain flat.				standard will
The 3-D options can look good in bar charts and				always be the Wipe Right. With a television
pies, but in				production
my opinion nothing beats a clean, flat 2-D chart with				background, that's how we always read on bullet
high-contrast labels.Fontastic Results:				points
Fonts are a tricky beast. A creative font style you				from the character generators on location or in the
might find				studios. It
clever or "cutting edge" while polishing your				is still probably the most-used convention for bringing
presentation on				text
the plane is likely to come off as silly when it hits				onto a program. Take a look at tonight's television
the screen.				news and
Creative fonts are also hard to read when used as				see which transitions they use repeatedly.The
body or				bottom line with motion is that it should always
even smaller headline text. An exception to using				enhance your material; not detract from your
standard,				presentation.That's a Wrap:
clean typefaces like Arial, Palatino, or Trebuchet				Each presentation by every presenter will be
would be				different. We
for large title slides or for Meeting Theme Logos				create guidelines like these knowing they have
(MTLs)				latitude to be
which sit onscreen as your audience comes in to,				ignored when the need arises. Understanding why
and				powerful
leaves the room. Other than those two situations,				presentations work, and why others fail is like
it's safer				peeking
to stick with simplicity.How about using Times or				behind the curtain at a magic show. In the end, the
New York for a typeface? Fonts				goal is to
with a serif (the little hooks and slants on the ends				create a shared experience between presenter and
of the				audience. Microsoft PowerPoint can do wonders in
letters) are fine to use in larger sizes -- let's say 32				the right
points				hands. But just as a chef must learn his kitchen
and higher. The problem with using smaller serif				tools,
fonts is				successful presenters must learn the tips and tricks
that the thinner points in the ascenders and				of
descenders				using today's presentation tools.And never forget...
(the lowercase j or top of the f for example) can				You are the star of the show.I hope this column
basically				helps you to stay on-point, next time you
disappear on-screen depending on the chosen face.				PowerPoint.Gary Lewis is a graphic designer with
Obviously, losing your type is not a best case				over twenty years of
scenario. Any				experience in television production, post production
font (or graphic device like an arrow shaft or the				and
outline of a				presentation design.For creative, Royalty-Free
shape) which is thinner than 2 points, is very likely to				backgrounds and stock photos
				(and plenty of free samples!) visit Pro Background
disappear when projected, or to vibrate when				Art today!

Mezza Matta

Creating Powerful PowerPoint (r)