Design Better PowerPoint

In my line of work, I find myself constantlythrough to stationary, trade show graphics,
producing PowerPoint presentations. Sometimespackaging, advertising and yes, PowerPoint.The
these are just individual slides (like a diagram orsoftware has become so ubiquitous that I
case study), sometimes they are templates, andconsider it part of a greater paradigm shift in
sometimes they are whole, individualmainstream communication. The only problem is
presentations. Most of my PowerPoint work isthat this evolution is hindering communication. Like
completed at my day job where I am an in-housetext messaging or 200-pixel banner ads, the
designer, but my freelancing alter ego occasionallyinformation is compressed to a set of key
comes across a client needing somebuzzwords, crippling the message by stripping the
presentational pick-up. Over the years, I have builtskeleton of any meat. Bullet points become
and edited hundreds of PowerPoint files.I know arapid-fire metadata. I give you the words "purple"
lot of people think PowerPoint is the deviland "fish" -- you figure out what I am trying to
incarnate, but in the corporate world, it is ansay.* Leverage your existing technology
ubiquitous evil. To shake some of the negative* Realize rapid ROI
stereotypes, I apply traditional design principals to* Streamlined implementationIs about as
make my company and clients look better thanmeaningful as:* Parsed cabbage flux capacitor
the competition.We go to 120 trade shows a* Disco glitter manifestation
year, and we present at every single one. We* Expressive giraffe BLTMaybe a hundred years
also use Macromedia's Breeze for hundreds ofago those phrases denoted something, but by
online demos. Our PowerPoint is often the firstsheer repetition and abuse, the PowerPoint
thing a potential customer will see from us, so it isgeneration has crushed the meaning like 200,000
critical (and easy) to make a good impressionpeople at a Stones concert trampling through a
before they even receive a brochure.PowerPointflower garden.In the same way a good logo
is used by nearly sales guy on the planet, with asupports a successful identity program, good
whole industry of accessories built around thePowerPoint transcends half-assed bullet points and
presentation guru / road warrior concept. It isreinforces the speaker -- their personality,
employed for downloadable or live web demos,message and purpose. It doesn't recycle the
and it is even used (or abused, depending on yoursame, tired messaging over and over. Not only
point of view) to pass along copy, concepts anddoes it look awesome, good PowerPoint hammers
notes between internal team members. With thishome the presenter's message with unique
volume of use, PowerPoint slide design becomesphrasing, interesting design elements and a certain
just another facet of a company's identitydisregard for the status quo bullshit buzz-speak.All
program.From Chuck's Neighborhood PeeCeethe flashy backgrounds, painstaking animations and
Warehouse to Apple Computer, the local cafeintense clipart research are for nothing if the
with the amazing bagels to Starbucks Coffee,message has been gutted from the shell. So while
every business benefits from a unique identity, aI "design" PowerPoint, I design for the audience
look and feel that separates them frombecause I am focused on how they will react to
competition. The company logo is only a smallthe information.Kevin Potts is a successful
part. Corporate colors, type treatments, illustrationfreelance designer and is the webmaster of
styles and repeated graphic elements are all partsBlogging Articles and ConsumerFriendly.org.
of the greater whole. This identity is carried