Yes, Powerpoint presentations are a disaster. And in this article in today's NY Times, The Level of Discourse Continues to Slide, Dan Leach, who's responsible for PowerPoint at Microsoft, and should know better, says, "I feel like the guy who makes canvas and the No. 2 green viridian paint. I'm being asked to comment on the art show."
In fact, the main reason Powerpoint is so bad is that the program tries to force you to be bad. All of the autofill and template features encourage slide shows that are filled with bullets. The fact that you can't have a tiny teleprompter on your screen while your slides on the big screen encourages you to read every word on the page.
Both problems are easy to solve, but Microsoft appears to be too lazy to push upstream. As a result, we're doomed to yet another really bad powerpoint.
The answer?
1. Ban the software. Make people talk from the heart and then allow them to hand out their slides or a memo.
2. Ban bullets*. Let your people feature images or charts on the slides, but, c'mon, bullets are for the NRA.
*(he says as he types in numbered bullets!)
Related Stories: | Topics:Innovation, conferences, Software, Computer Technology, Science and Technology, Technology, Presentation Software |
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Recent Comments | 7 Total
September 29, 2003 at 6:19pm by Michael Neely
Sorry, Seth. I like Power Point because it allows you to create professional presentations with little effort. Now keep in mind, that I also write my verbal presentations first, have the basics memorized and then design the Power Point around the sales points that I'm trying to make. I also do not use the templates and design the pages to my needs, not to what's easiest in the program. It helps me to have built a web site using a very limited program template, just text boxes, picture boxes and being able to move them around (which you can also do in Power Point).
However, I was looking for new ideas in Power Point last night using their templates and I remember thinking that if I didn't know what I know, my presentation would be as a dung heap. I also see your point and empathize with those who aren't graphic artists and web designers.
If Power Point restricted you to use only their templates, then I would be going to "My Computer" and "Add/Remove Programs."
Now, if I can just figure out how to write the code that makes the banners blink...
September 29, 2003 at 6:28pm by Alex
It's just a tool. If you have an idea of how the presentation should look like, you can always start with a blank slide and express your idea.
The problem really is that most of the people have poor presentation skills, and are thus driven by the PowerPoint wizards into creating a
- pointless
- boring
- meaningless
- hard to follow
- bullets-infested
presentation.
September 30, 2003 at 2:00pm by Rayne
Ditto, what Alex said. It's just a tool. A person who's simply armed with a screwdriver or a hammer and no comprehension as to its appropriate application can do an incredible amount of damage.
I'm a firm believer in Information Mapping; the process requires users to think clearly about objectives and outcome during preparation. Properly mapped presentations, whether PowerPoint or other format, are highly effective. Short and sweet, too.
October 1, 2003 at 4:54pm by Debbie A.
As I sit and ponder how to make our next powerpoint show better, I come across this blog and realize that I am not alone in my challenge. The real problem that I foresee with my ideas (moving images, colors and single words, NO BULLETS or TEMPLATES) is that the majority of people sitting in the presentation next week are going to wonder where the crutch has gone and why they now have to sit up and really listen to this brilliant presenter. We have all been lulled into a state of expecting this monotony of information to slap us in the face. No more here! Next week, they better sit up and put on their ears as well as their glasses because more than one sense will have to engage for this show!
October 1, 2003 at 4:59pm by Bob
Edward Tufte just released a short missive on this very topic, "The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint." Inside, Mr. Tufte discusses how PowerPoint is "dumbing down" corporations. One of many examples provided is the Gettysburg Address in PowerPoint, which actually dates back a bit but is quite amusing if only for how it could actually have happened in a board room at a large company. PowerPoint does not equal messages; it requires using the tool way beyond its basic templated capabilities to make it a useful tool for more than bulleted outlines.
David Burne just released a book and CD of artistic PowerPoint presentations, by the way. He also feels that it requires really learning the tool to make it useful.
How many people in the corporate world really go beyond the basics? I'm afraid the number is small, and that is disappointing.
October 1, 2003 at 6:26pm by Heath Row
FC Now readers can access the resources Bob mentions -- and more -- via this FC Now entry.
October 2, 2003 at 9:10am by Stuart Hinkley
I too have recently abandoned PowerPoint for all of the same reasons. As a Graphic Designer, it's visual appeal is archaic and clumsy. Embedding or placing specific type/text/Graphics often made the source file massive and difficult to edit or manage on-the-fly.
My solution was Apple Keynote. Out of the box I was a pro in a day. Professional looking graphics, anti-aliased type with super simple drag-n-drop simplicity. Even non-native graphics seem to auto convert for easy copy-paste placement. You can export an editable PP file, QuickTime movies, Editable PDF documents SWF files .... really cool.