Professional Slide Presentations for Regular People

 I read Garr Reynold’s Presentation Zen (see his blog, http://www.presentationzen.com/) [2]  while getting a workshop ready for last spring’s NTC (http://www.nten.org/ntc [3]).  Read Presentation Zen when you need inspiration in focusing, simplifying and designing your slide presentation so your ideas shine through.

Microsoft Office Powerpoint has become the pervasive means for organizing group presentations. Not just the software, but also the method of speaking and organizing. Yes, I also use Open Office (http://openoffice.org "Impress") and Google Docs Presentations. For preparing a  set of slides quickly, those will do quite well (or Apple Keynote). I especially want to say that all of Open Office 3 now have a solid finish to them, whether on a PC, Mac or Linux computer. Yet like other Microsoft Office products, Powerpoint shines partly based on features, and partly based on high quality fonts, graphics, style sheets and full bore templates. The online MS Office library has good, usable graphics, templates (color, layout and font schemes) and presentation outlines to start from or at least use for comparison.  

Yet this packing of Powerpoint with tons of design aids has put way too powerful of tools in the hands of too many speakers with too few clear ideas and too little graphic design sense.  See http://www.slideshare.net/thecroaker/death-by-powerpoint [4] for a reaction to this trend. And here is the classic 2003 Wired article from Edward Tufte: [5]http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.09/ppt2.html [5]

Presentation Zen seemingly arose as an antidote to letting slide show form dominate over speaker message.
At first glance, you wouldn't suspect this of the book, which is rife with full color photos and illustrations. Not quite coffee table-level, but heading in that direction. How can such a book teach anyone simplicity?

If you just want the quick fix, head instead to the sample slide shows on office.microsoft.com [6] afterall. And I still find amusing Guy Kawasaki’s five year old blog post offering the 10/20/30 rule of Powerpoint, http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2005/12/the_102030_rule.html#axzz0tYdu3KcW [7]

Garr Reynolds offers something more substantial. This short book aims to teach you how to think your ideas in ways that have strong aesthetics yet let the message shine through. The visual and multimedia elements complement and call attention to what is important--enabling you to speak in a direct, unencumbered, and authentic voice. If you know that insane animations just drive everyone crazy while slide after slide of tiny bullets put people to sleep, the book will help you find your own ground.

For those maybe used to word processing or spreadsheets, he has three framework chapters about how to organize your thoughts specifically for a presentation. Many of us probably start by writing a short essay or lengthy email to presentation collaborators or to one's self. Then try to turn that into presentation slides. Planning and outlining can and should be different to fit the goal (a presentation to a group) and a tool (slide software).  Using presentation software effectively can help turn just reading a speech into a lively, engaging, participatory presentation. This is Reynolds' perspective.

He then walks the reader through practical design lessons and techniques. He has both organizing ideas at the grand scale and also discussions on nitty gritty details. Right down to topics such as whether you need your logo on every slide. He gives practical idea on how to present data in graphs, including when and how to keep audiences awake with complementary images.

Speaking of images, while top draw advertising firms may commission their own photos and such, Reynolds stresses the ability to include high quality yet inexpensive graphics from places such as istockphoto. (I would also mention searching on flickr for creative commons licensed images).  Personally, I have been trying to use more of my own photos in presentations. Not that I’m a great photographer. It has become part of the sifting and reflection process--and putting the message first-- to find or take my own photos.

A third section of the book takes on bringing your slides to life in the actual presentation. Slides are not meant to be emailed and read like a report. They are meant to be delivered, whether in person or via on-line workshop. His suggestions here also blend the overall technique with practical suggestions about length, logistics and lighting.

Overall, the book has lots of good stuff, whether painfully learned reminders or new to you, and I recommend it. Here's to not turning powerpoint into a verb while keeping alive what is useful in this tool.