I need help answering powerpoint questions?

Question

How important is the look and feel of your presentation? Does it really matter that much as long as your message or content is strong?

And, on the flip side, do you think that a poor graphics and layout negatively affect a presentation with a strong message?

Answer 1

Plumbdumplings is right on. I would also add that, if you're doing a presentation before the legislature, it would look entirely different than a presentation given to your son's kindergarten class. The kiddies have short attention spans and more fun stuff keeps them interested. Whereas, in a legislative setting, bells and whistles may distract from the importance of the topic and they may cut your budget if they think you have way too much time on your hands if you create something too elaborate (can you tell I used to work for a public entity????). And, one more thing, you should always think about WHERE you are giving the presentation - the environment - what will the lighting be like, how far away will your audience be? The ideal scenario would be that you get to try out your presentation in the real setting rather than getting there and finding that your slide backgrounds are too dark or light for the environment and you have to make quick changes to save the day.

And I don't care what the slides look like or how much "wow" factor the presentation has - if the speaker sucks, that's what will determine the success (failure) of the presentation.

Hey, Plumbdumplings, how can I make a living doing this??? I taught Powerpoint/Excel/Word/Access for many years in state government and am now retired. Would love to get some extra income - ha!

Answer 2

I like your questions! My inclination is to say that the message is much more important than the powerpoint and that poor graphics will not impact the message. But in my opinion, neither the message nor the powerpoint will impact the audience if the speaker isn't good. I do this stuff for a living and I've seen gorgeous graphics that become meaningless and very important messages that pretty much fall on deaf ears because the speaker can't speak. Or they get nervous - it's hard to pay attention to the message when a presenter is shaking and sweating and stuttering or whispering - yikes.

And now I'm rambling. But this is how I'd rank the elements of a good presentation:

1) speaking skills

2) message

3) graphics

Answer 3

when it comes to Powerpoint, appearance is EVERYTHING! Cool graphics, movies, interesting font (that isn't obnoxious), and cool effects are mandatory for a good powerpoint presentation that will keep people interested! And yes, if your layout is crappy, then it will be an immediate turn-off for the viewer.  

Answer 4

I hate to answer a question with a question, but have you considered your audience? Who is on the receiving end of your presentation? Most included clipart in MS Office is sufficient in many instances, but Microsoft has an extensive library for you to peruse and download from. Does your end result look like something to which you want your name afixed? Good luck.