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A nice set of bar charts showing Dan Meth’s excitement about episodes of movie trilogies.
Many, many, similar small data charts on one slide can create a powerful visual effect. It is possible to create Zen charts that contain lots of detail.
Via Randy Krum
An interesting find by the Google Operating System blog: using Google image search to find pictures with a certain color. It is not an official search option (yet), you need to adjust the Google URL manually:
Finding red birds:
Still, watch out for possible copy right violations or poor image quality when using pictures taken from Google in your PowerPoint presentations.
Thank you Ashish for pointing this out to me.
I came across this diagram in a print advertorial for Toyota hybrid cars (scanned it, could not find it online). Click on the image for a larger picture.
The diagram supports all the points in the text. Still:
In short, the image is probably good enough for an internal management presentation, but does not meet the bar for external advertising. It is hard to find that perfect image or illustration…
I added this presentation from Dave McClure to my list of useful links for pitching to VCs. It is an example of an unusual combination: poor graphics / great presentation. Usually poor graphics are made up for by a charismatic “live” presenter. In this case the presentation is great on its own as well.
How to Pitch a VC (aka Startup Viagra: How to Give a VC a Hard-On)
For those who haven’t seen my earlier posts about the topic, a repeat here:
I often need to produce a chart that needs to say one’s inability to see the forest for the trees. This ad by Orange warning people against SMS-ing while driving makes the point nicely. Very labor-intensive to replicate in PowerPoint.
Via Ads of the World.
I have been following the developments in the market for pocket projectors. If they work, they have the potential to create a whole new setting in which to give presentations (conference auditorium, small meeting room, and now the white wall in the local coffee shop).
The (obvious) problem with the early devices was that they lacked power. Here is a new device that is a bit bigger/heavier, but promises to deliver more performance: the Beambox Evolution R-1.
Via engadget.
Putting your audience in the patient seat can be a powerful presentation technique. While upgrading my own introduction presentation, I started playing around with “eyeballs” that create an audience staring back at you.
Click on the images for a larger picture.
I encounter this situation often when designing fund raising presentations for new startups pitching to VCs. “Oops, what about our logo?”. My answer is usually don’t bother, instead invest time to find a suitable color scheme.
Getting a good logo designed is expensive
It takes time for logos to become brand icons. First you need a brand story/experience, only then can customers connect it with your symbol. Read Seth Godin’s post (great quote “the iPod didn’t need a logo”).
Logos are not important for the look and feel of a presentation, colors are. If a client insist, I will put them in 8pt at the right bottom of the page. Think about what drove logo design in the last century: they needed to fit on a building, a letter head, a form, a black and white fax. Because the user could not manipulate colors, fonts, images like we can today, it was the only “interesting” graphic on an otherwise boring piece of paper without an identity. These times are over.
Forget about logos if you are short of time, or short of cash. Pick some nice colors instead. Worry about your logo later.
I am revamping my own introduction presentation and needed to align text according to a circle. Untill now, I used to improvise to fit text in a circle. There is a clean and simple way to do this. Click on the image for a bigger picture.
Graphics design has always been ahead of mainstream PowerPoint in terms of graphical abilities (colors, images, drop shadows, etc.). On the front page of Digg Design today an interesting collection of 3D typography put in one place by Naldz Graphics .
A taste of things to come! Wouldn’t it be interesting to navigate around in a 3D city of buildings made of words to support your presentation?
(Image by Serial Cut, advertising for the Zune marketplace)