What Do You Need From Your Presentation Software?
What is the best presentation software for you? This is in some respects a difficult question. It means you have to consider how confident you are with computer programs. It also means considering who your presentation is aimed at and what is appropriate for that particular audience.
There are a number of options available. You can choose free programs or buy a software package. The best thing to do is consider the kind of features you want and see what is right for your individual needs. In some cases this may even change according to the audience you are talking to.
As well as how to physically use the program you need to bear in mind who you are talking to. A meeting with the board will require very different images to a talk at a school assembly. Both will work better with images but one will be more effective with graphs and figures while the other would be more entertaining with animations and funny cartoons.
The key to a good presentation is to keep it simple. Your slides should feature only the essential information the audience needs to know, whether this is keywords or essential facts and figures. Ideally these should be displayed graphically in the form of charts or graphs in order to clearly illustrate this.
Important information and titles should be at the top of the slides. This is simply because when a slide is projected it is likely that people at the back will find it difficult to see. This is also why you should use clear, simple fonts such as arial or Times New Roman and preferably in bold so that people who are taking notes can clearly see them. 24 to 30 points is the ideal font size for people to read.
While adding videos and animation can be fun, be careful not to use them to excess. This can distract people, especially if the transition is too fast and people have not been able to take in the information. Ideally you should practise the presentation in front of someone to get feedback on its effectiveness. If they feel distracted by anything included in there or do not understand then you should consider removing that particular transition or animation.
You should also limit the amount of slides. Look carefully at the slides you have produced and ask how many of them are necessary to your point and how many are needless filler. A good presentation should be a balance between the slides and your speech. It is also a good idea to have less and to display them for longer for anyone taking notes.
When choosing presentation software online it is a good idea to look at product reviews. However be wary of excessively positive or negative reviews, especially if they have odd grammar or consist entirely of capital letters. Some programs may come with free demonstrations and it may be worth trying it before you are due to give a talk. Choosing carefully and using it well will help get the most out of your hard work.
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