Presentation Software

An eleven year-old article called Scoring Power Points by Jamie McKenzie talks about how presentation tools such as PowerPoint actually encourage all kinds of practices that keep people from communicating their ideas well. Ironically, though McKenzie talks about the necessity of good design, the online journal that hosts the article is, to put it nicely, a design disaster. Notwithstanding, the point of the article is made well. Lest they fall into the abyss of powerpointlessness, presenters must start with a convincing argument composed of fresh, thoughtful, well-researched ideas that fit together so that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Conversely, a speaker who neglects solid content in order to focus on the visual aspects alone is like a chef who asks you to ignore any gastronomic shortcomings by focusing on the beautiful sprig of parsley adorning an otherwise insipid entrée. Still, even a solid argument must be augmented by well-designed presentation materials that complement, not parrot, the content of the talk. And just as important as content, the delivery must be lively and passionate. I've heard speakers deliver good content that I have benefitted from but wondered what a miracle it was given the speaker's apparent disinterest in his own thoughts. But more often than not, a presentation without sufficient dramatics is crowded out by all my other competing thoughts.