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