While working with organizations I realized that most people struggle to create visually appealing PowerPoint presentation. There are many reasons for this, mostly it is because of lack of time when other business issues takes priority, out of which, some of them could be critical. Obviously, in such cases, enhancing the quality of presentation takes a back seat, until its just about time to present. A last minute dash on the keyboard to upgrade presentation quality often results in messing up the slides with irrelevant clip arts inconsistently inserted to create a collage of confusion. In some cases poor presentation quality occurs because of the lack of adequate PowerPoint skills and creativity. Let me address these three issues one by one:
Photo credit: Robert Couse-Baker
1. Time -
I tried to address this issue and created a website (www.pptinspiration.com). The website helps PowerPoint users create high quality presentations with minimum effort and the best part is, its absolutely free. Users can choose from a wide range of business ppt templates and download the relevant ones. These slides/templates are fully editable, so users can easily customize the slide according to their need.
2. PowerPoint Skill -
This needs some practice but I will share some quick tricks which can make your slides visually appealing:
Do not think in terms of "words", think in terms of "pictures". For example, if you are trying to showcase your achievements, one way is to put a bar graph crowned with numbers. The other way is to imagine each bar as a hill you have climbed , now you can create a story around the hills and weave it with strategies you have used to climb each of them. Give a name to each "peak", create a landscape of success and finally create a "WOW"
1. Time -
I tried to address this issue and created a website (www.pptinspiration.com). The website helps PowerPoint users create high quality presentations with minimum effort and the best part is, its absolutely free. Users can choose from a wide range of business ppt templates and download the relevant ones. These slides/templates are fully editable, so users can easily customize the slide according to their need.
2. PowerPoint Skill -
This needs some practice but I will share some quick tricks which can make your slides visually appealing:
- Use 3D shapes - There are two ways to use 3D, first option is to choose one of the already available 3D shapes from the menu bar at the top. The second option is to transform any shape into a 3D shape. To do this right click on the shape, go to "3D-Rotation" option and rotate it slightly, then go to "3D-Format" and create a depth. Your 3D image is ready.
- Use gradient - This is one of the least used functions. Right click on the shape. Go to "Fill", then choose "Gradient fill". In "preset colors" you will find a range of gradients, I found the grey and white gradient useful - it gives a metallic look to the 3D shapes.
- Use "Word Art" and "Text Effects" options present on the Menu bar to highlight key words or phrases
- Do not use Clip art unless it is absolutely necessary
Do not think in terms of "words", think in terms of "pictures". For example, if you are trying to showcase your achievements, one way is to put a bar graph crowned with numbers. The other way is to imagine each bar as a hill you have climbed , now you can create a story around the hills and weave it with strategies you have used to climb each of them. Give a name to each "peak", create a landscape of success and finally create a "WOW"
