Powerpoint can be confusing.

Presentations can be boring. And when you put the two together, PowerPoint & Presentations…

the results can be downright smelly.

But believe it or not, they don’t have to. PowerPoint presentations don’t have to stink. (click for flyswatter) Before we get into how to make your next powerpoint presentation a little sweeter smelling for your audience, let’s talk about the three main things most people utilize powerpoint for… (Show slide:ology)

Now I hate to keep comparing apples to oranges CLICK FOR ANIMATION but these two gentlemen make it kind of easy. On the left is Steve Jobs, at a product launch presentation for…apple computers. On the right, Mr. Gates has returned and is still talking about all the things Windows Live should be able to do. It’s really uncanny how different their two approaches are – ASK: What are the major differences you see? ANSWERS MAY INCLUDE: Jobs’ is simpler, more direct; Gates’ is full to the brim, almost chaotic and overloaded. You can see that Gates’ presentation is definitely busier than Jobs’, perhaps overwhelming the audience with visual and auditory information, whereas Jobs’ presentation is much simpler, cleaner, and direct. Gates’ clip art might be relevant, but it’s overused. The trend now is to stick with one major idea per slide, with one major graphic to help support it – less is more.

…less is more. We’re constantly bombarded with information and noise, our minds are constantly active, and our attention spans are becoming shorter and shorter – meaning we retain less and less overall. So, the last thing you need when you’re presenting is any more distraction than necessary. When you’re using PowerPoint to make your point, keep it simple. One idea per slide is typically enough to make your point, and to help make sure it sticks –because there are less distractions, your audience will retain more of what you’re telling them. Has anyone heard of K.I.S.S.?

It’s not hunting season, so leave the bullet points at home. Bullet points kill presentations. Why? Let’s take a look at some examples.

Be consistent in your formatting. Note here what matches: colors ( red and black), fonts sizes (60 for large and 44 for smaller text), font type (Calibri), text ( full sentence of fewer than six words.) and punctuation (period used at the end of sentences), and basic layout ( centered in white space) all match.

http://www.useit.com/alertbox/percent-text-read.html

http://nielsen.com/us/en/measurement/online-measurement.html

http://www.useit.com/alertbox/percent-text-read.html

You want your presentation to be memorable and interesting. Big text blocks are neither. CLICK FOR “NO” TEXT. Save text for headline assertions, quotes, and other very information that can not be conveyed textually.

A good rule of thumb is to use six words only on each slide. Some say a good powerpoint should also be done in no more than six slides. That seems a bit difficult. Ideally short declarative sentences work best.

…don’t be afraid of blue space.

…and like the rest of your slides, to help you tell your story. Animations can create continuity, combine several ideas together to form one cohesive thought, but…

…don’t over do it. Remember, unless you’re talking about chocolate, more is not always better, less is more, and Keep it Short & Simple - the same rule applies for animations and sound effects.

Clipart is Cliché. Let’s play a game. I’ll flash a word on the screen, and you tell me what image everybody uses for it (including you and me, because we’re all guilty of it) – I want the most common, clichéd metaphor for the word. Ready?

Visit Mindtools .Com for the six kinds of stories that work best for different situations in the workplace. But the one thing they have in common is that they: “Create an experience - Remember that when you tell a story, you're creating an experience for your listeners. Don't just use sound (words), but the other senses as well. Show your listeners the picture you're painting, don't just tell them. For example, it's easy to tell people that it's snowing outside. But if you want your listeners to really experience the snow, then describe how cold it is and the way the wind blows snow into your eyes. Tell them how you dream of a hot cup of cocoa after you're done shoveling snow in your driveway, and how your toes freeze because your boots aren't warm enough. Try to engage the five senses in every story: taste, touch, sight, hearing, and smell. They'll make your story come alive.” Make your presentations, and your PowerPoints, include sensation, story, and the emotional hook for better retention. Your audience’s brains will thank you for it …

…well, most of their brains.

A word on copyright…

10 ways to keep your next powerpoint presentation…

From stinking. Q & A

And this was powerpoint.

websites can be confusing!

websites can be boring!

Websites can stink!

this is web 101. (your website doesn’t have to stink.)

Image via Flickr user mathoov Image via Flickr user niallkennedy Adapted from: “Gates, Jobs & the Zen aesthetic” by Garr Reynolds

Microsoft.com 1994

Microsoft.com “Collage”1995

2012

http://wayback.archive.org/web/*/http://www.apple.com ( 1996)

1998

2012

What can we learn?

Don’t clutter your space.

Be consistent. font layout punctuation

but some Contrast is good.

Know your user.

He visits 1,268 pages per month; That is 26 hours per month.

He reads only 20% of your text and most of that is usually for less than 4 seconds. ( 4.4 seconds per 100 words)

The fact is that he is just not going to read a whole lot of text no matter how important it is.

.

balance text and visuals.

…or blue space.

animations can create motion & continue ideas.

but don’t overdo it.

ditto for music.

Clip Art is cliché .

make ‘em pucker. Adapted from: “Management Training: Why Does Most Training Not Work” byScott Warrick

create an experience. Adapted from: “Business Story-telling: Using Stories to Inspire” from MindTools.Com

it usually works.

Respect opyright

Don’t let this

turn into this.

Thank you.