Comments on: PowerPoint Revolution: 21st Century Design

By: Katie

Katie — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 12:21:48 +0000

I really wish my teachers had seen this. I could never understand how some people think purple text on an orange background would look good. It pains me to even think about it. If PowerPoints are going to survive, and I’m not saying it won’t, there should be mandatory lessons for anyone who decides they are going to make one.

By: Jen

Jen — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:35:04 +0000

I agree with some of the other comments. I don’t necessarily agree with “black background with white text”. I have seen most presentations with a dark background fail and have always found lighter presentations easier to read. Plus when you put them on something like slide share later and have to shrink them down it always looks better. I can see your points of when black could be better, but I wouldn’t make a blanket statement to say you should always go with this first. I have rarely been in a room where the lights have been turned off for a PPT presentation…

Great article, I hope some people listen and improve their PPTs! Wouldn’t it be great to have less people reading bullet points from the screen? *snore*

By: PowerPoint Revolution: 21st Century Design – WorkAwesome « PPT Converter

PowerPoint Revolution: 21st Century Design – WorkAwesome « PPT Converter — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:14:25 +0000

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By: Rico Smith

Rico Smith — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:39:36 +0000

I have worked with PPT before and has recently switched over to iWork ’09’s Keynote. In Keynote, it is much easier to create slick designs with the templates given and for me personally it’s much easier and simpler to work with when generating your own content.

Thank you for the great article. I will definitely keep these things in mind when I create a portfolio presentation for my next client or potential boss.

By: Joseph Lewis

Joseph Lewis — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:00:42 +0000

In print or other “physical” media, one of the best presentation styles is to place the product/content on a white background, like placing colorful food on a white plate. This creates the effect of a blank canvas on which there is only one focus, one work of art: your content.

But in presentations, you frequently find yourself in a dim or dark room, similar to a movie theater. Now think back to all of your movie experiences: When the opening titles and credits and logos appear, are they usually bright content on a dark background? Yep. This is because you’re in a dark environment, so it helps you to focus on content when it is the only bright thing in the room.

If you do the opposite, then all of the white space on your slide becomes “active” while the dark content essentially becomes a void or a hole in the light.

This brings us back to the issue of knowing your environment. Practice and experiment with different techniques to find the ones that work best for you and your audiences.

By: Detroit Web Design

Detroit Web Design — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:25:10 +0000

“Make your backgrounds black, and make your content bright.”

This has traditionally been a faux pas in design but perhaps it’s different when using a projector and looking at a large presentation.

Nice article.

By: Joseph Lewis

Joseph Lewis — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 04:01:03 +0000

Damien, you raise an interesting point. The physical environment of the meeting can be a barrier to change or to style as much as the corporate environment.

This is one reason that I advised testing some or all of your slide edits in an actual meeting room with a projector. A color or a graphic could look great on your computer monitor, but on a projector it could be washed out, or too dark, or the colors could look completely different.

All the more reason to work on your slides long before you have a presentation deadline looming over you.

By: Joseph Lewis

Joseph Lewis — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 03:57:57 +0000

Thanks, and good luck!

By: Joseph Lewis

Joseph Lewis — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 03:57:35 +0000

Phil, I’ve taken a look at Prezi and it is a neat application, but I believe the reality is that few corporate environments would be receptive to using a tool like that any time soon. PPT is deeply entrenched as a standard, as a way of life. I believe it will be with us for quite some time.

By: Damien

Damien — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:51:03 +0000

Thanks for sharing. Good points with regard to minimalizing “clutter.”

But IMHO, I think it’s important to know your environment, especially in regards to your design rule #3. Not all rooms are designed the same. Sometimes, a light background might be better.

For instance, I was at a presentation where the presenter used a black background, but the room was situated where there were windows to the left of the presenter. Even though the shades were down and the lights were dim, the light from the windows still posed a problem. The environment made it difficult to read portions of the slides. A suggestion from the audience was for the presenter to use a lighter background.

Don’t get me wrong, I like black backgrounds with white text. And not all rooms will be like the one I described. However, I realized when I was there that as a presenter I have a few of options to be prepared:

1) Scope the place out before I present and check the room and equipment (always a good idea).
2) Prepare 2 copies of my slides beforehand. One with a dark background, and the other with a light. If I can’t get in the room beforehand, then at least I can make an on-site decision.

Just some thoughts.