But the fact that it’s so damned HARD to do the remaining 95% makes it a poorely designed piece of software. What’s more, the defaults are shocking. For example, what’s the default font? Something useful for presenting, like Helvetica? No. Times New Roman – complete with serifs, for goodness’ sake!

I struggled with PowerPoint even before I knew there was a better alternative. Now, having used those (much more intuitively usable) there’s no way I’d go back to it.

PowerPoint isn’t the ONLY problem, I agree, but it’s PART of the problem.

S

I was struck by your comment “it fulfils so many psychological and emotional needs FOR THE SPEAKER.”

I hear a lot of people complain about how many bad PowerPoint presentations they’ve been subjected to, but I hear very few people admit that they’ve subjected people to bad ones themselves.

That leads me to a conclusion similar to your observation: PowerPoint is more for presenters (their insecurities or ignorance about preparing and giving presentations) than for the audience their need to understand and care about the presenter’s ideas).

Chris

As always, your fluently expressed thoughts have made me think. Hard.

I’m beginning to think I need a more sophisticated approach to visual aids, especially for technical people.

I’m thinkin’, and makin’ notes, and googlin’, and readin’ and askin’…

More next week.

I’m edging towards some sort of paranoid anti-capitalist sentiment here, which feels a little 1980s. But I do think that there is a lot of fluff and bunk around that doesn’t really have a significant need upon which it can justify its existence. Powerpoint presentations are often fluffy and full of bunk – as are many key note speakers!

It’s all been said before but we’re definitely in an era of authenticity. BS and hype stopped working some time ago.

My question would be about aesthetics. Powerpoint, or SlideRocket, slides can provide a beautiful visual background for your stage. I do think that the environment you present in effects what the audience understand and remember of what you communicate. Visuals that don’t distract but bring in a sort of background emotional context for your message are enjoyable.

I’m concerned that if you totally stuck to the ‘only use it if you’d need to draw something in a conversation’ rule we risk developing a rather brutalist approach to presentations. We don’t want to take out all the fun and the beauty.

Thanks for the shout out.

It is time that we embrace the “popular” PowerPoint design trend. We will be assimilated. There is no need to fight it.

You’re totally right when you say that the first steps of presentation design look like day dreaming.

My friend Michael Breen (http://www.MBNLP) said in reference to firing up the PowerPoint, ‘Feels like thinking, doesn’t it?’

Stuck in my mind.

People – check out Jeff’s blog – it’s laugh-out-loud funny. To presentation nerdy me, anyway.