Articles by: Cynthia Giles
Easy Keys to Great Graphics in PowerPoint
April 15, 2009 by Cynthia Giles
PowerPoint is all about making information interesting — and visuals have to do a lot of the heavy lifting. So incorporating graphics is one of the most important aspects of presentation development. Creating a great graphic is the result of two obvious steps, plus one that people often forget . . . 1. Make it or find it 2. Insert it AND 3. Polish it! Step 1 is outside the scope of this tutorial. But choosing the right images is crucial to success, so here are a few reminders: [Continue... [Continue reading this tutorial]
Get Motion-Vated! Animate PowerPoint Charts
April 12, 2009 by Cynthia Giles
So, you’ve worked hard to create an interesting, informative PowerPoint show. It looks good! Your presentation is well-organized, visually effective, and nicely paced. But on presentation day, some people in the audience are still looking at their watches, staring out the window, or sneaking in some email responses. What’s missing? Maybe it’s motion. Humans are actually programmed to pay attention when something moves, in case it might be something fierce. So take advantage of that fact... [Continue reading this tutorial]
Three Ways to Spark PowerPoint Creativity
April 10, 2009 by Cynthia Giles
It’s really easy to get in a rut with PowerPoint, especially if you have to make presentations often. And if you don’t work with PowerPoint very much, it may be equally challenging to find a creative approach, instead of just getting some slides made as best you can. Either way, it helps to be prepared! Don’t wait until deadline pressure is on top of you — keep some inspirations stashed away for the moment of need. And practice some techniques that can produce quick breakthroughs when... [Continue reading this tutorial]
Working with Background Graphics in PowerPoint
April 2, 2009 by Cynthia Giles
Why does one PowerPoint presentation grab attention while another one puts viewers to sleep? Content counts, of course—but really, the whole reason for developing a Powerpoint presentation rather than writing a plain Word document is (usually) to incorporate visual interest. If there’s nothing interesting to look at, the audience is likely to wonder why they should bother watching! Fortunately, there are several easy ways to create visual variety in PowerPoint. One way is to tweak the theme... [Continue reading this tutorial]
Eight Great Ways to Share Slides Online
April 1, 2009 by Cynthia Giles
The slideshow has become an indispensable tool for sharing information in a compelling way—and fortunately, there are lots of ways to get your excellent work in front of viewers! Here are eight top choices, divided into two groups: one group of sites where you can upload and share existing PowerPoint presentations, and another group featuring sites that combine presentation development with sharing functionality. All are free, except as noted. These apps vary widely in focus–some stressing... [Continue reading this tutorial]
Three Steps to Building a BIG PowerPoint Presentation
March 31, 2009 by Cynthia Giles
Need to create a large presentation—say, more than 60 slides? PowerPoints for live presentation can run past 100 slides, and in some instances you may need to connect multiple presentations for longer workshops. Training manuals and sales presentations can also require a lot of slides. It may be tempting to fire up the slide machine and just get started, especially if a deadline is looming. But time spent on planning and preparation is the key to success with a big presentation. So make the... [Continue reading this tutorial]
