| In my line of work, I find myself constantly | | | | through to stationary, trade show graphics, |
| producing PowerPoint presentations. Sometimes | | | | packaging, advertising and yes, PowerPoint.The |
| these are just individual slides (like a diagram or | | | | software has become so ubiquitous that I |
| case study), sometimes they are templates, and | | | | consider it part of a greater paradigm shift in |
| sometimes they are whole, individual | | | | mainstream communication. The only problem is |
| presentations. Most of my PowerPoint work is | | | | that this evolution is hindering communication. Like |
| completed at my day job where I am an in-house | | | | text messaging or 200-pixel banner ads, the |
| designer, but my freelancing alter ego occasionally | | | | information is compressed to a set of key |
| comes across a client needing some | | | | buzzwords, crippling the message by stripping the |
| presentational pick-up. Over the years, I have built | | | | skeleton of any meat. Bullet points become |
| and edited hundreds of PowerPoint files.I know a | | | | rapid-fire metadata. I give you the words "purple" |
| lot of people think PowerPoint is the devil | | | | and "fish" -- you figure out what I am trying to |
| incarnate, but in the corporate world, it is an | | | | say.* 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 than | | | | meaningful 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 of | | | | ago those phrases denoted something, but by |
| online demos. Our PowerPoint is often the first | | | | sheer repetition and abuse, the PowerPoint |
| thing a potential customer will see from us, so it is | | | | generation has crushed the meaning like 200,000 |
| critical (and easy) to make a good impression | | | | people at a Stones concert trampling through a |
| before they even receive a brochure.PowerPoint | | | | flower garden.In the same way a good logo |
| is used by nearly sales guy on the planet, with a | | | | supports a successful identity program, good |
| whole industry of accessories built around the | | | | PowerPoint transcends half-assed bullet points and |
| presentation guru / road warrior concept. It is | | | | reinforces 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 your | | | | same, tired messaging over and over. Not only |
| point of view) to pass along copy, concepts and | | | | does it look awesome, good PowerPoint hammers |
| notes between internal team members. With this | | | | home the presenter's message with unique |
| volume of use, PowerPoint slide design becomes | | | | phrasing, interesting design elements and a certain |
| just another facet of a company's identity | | | | disregard for the status quo bullshit buzz-speak.All |
| program.From Chuck's Neighborhood PeeCee | | | | the flashy backgrounds, painstaking animations and |
| Warehouse to Apple Computer, the local cafe | | | | intense 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, a | | | | I "design" PowerPoint, I design for the audience |
| look and feel that separates them from | | | | because I am focused on how they will react to |
| competition. The company logo is only a small | | | | the information.Kevin Potts is a successful |
| part. Corporate colors, type treatments, illustration | | | | freelance designer and is the webmaster of |
| styles and repeated graphic elements are all parts | | | | Blogging Articles and ConsumerFriendly.org. |
| of the greater whole. This identity is carried | | | | |