Creating Content

Be Visual!

  It is said we remember 70% of what we see but only 20% of what we hear or read.  Another well-worn phrase is "a picture is worth a thousand words".  Bullet points are a poor way of getting your message across.  It makes huge sense to make your presentation more visual than textual.  This is an area where I can help.

Let's be practical about this.  You can't always avoid bullet points, and almost every presentation ends up with a few somewhere.  Spotting the places where 'what you're saying' can be converted into 'what you're seeing' is a skill.  Deciding on the best way to visualise a concept, then designing and implementing it are complimentary skills.  Sometimes, you can be too close to the content and so fixated on the words, a visual representation does not come to mind.  Send me your content and let me 'see' what I can do!

Animation

Custom animations and the right kind of slide transitions can be used to very positive effect.  Having said that, I never suggest flying bullet points or slides that "push" each other off the screen just for the sake of it.  Animations should be used to enhance and explain the message rather than show how clever the technology is.  Essentially, movement on the screen should never be noticed unless that movement is the whole point of the exercise.

Animation can illustrate direction and logic.  It can aid in the understanding of complex subjects, but only if used when necessary and wisely.  My career background was in television production and direction, so I'm used to telling stories in visual, moving terms.  Just as in film and television, there is a set of common principles everyone understands.  Keeping to these and using them when necessary can enhance your message greatly.  The opposite is also true however.  Using the wrong animation or transition can at best be non-productive and at worst, (unfortunately) laughable.  The cardinal sin anyone using PowerPoint can commit is to select "Random Transitions".

Animated Sequences

If a picture is worth a thousand words, a multimedia series of pictures in an animated sequence combined with suitable music and sound effects must be worth far more.  This is not to say you should replace all your slides with a movie; that's neither practical nor flexible enough, but a moving sequence to open a presentation or mid-way through to rejuvenate your audience and get their imagination working, is a sure fire winner!  You will create a long-lasting impression in the mind of your prospect and differentiate yourself for your competition very effectively.