With great anticipation, I previously mentioned that Mike, a graphic designer from the USA, would have the floor in today’s blog post. If Charlotte and I had not attended his presentation in 2015, we probably never would have written our book – Powerful Presentations. He has been our greatest inspiration.

If you are curious to know why we will share his genius with you. At the same time, you will learn how to make your own WOW slides and use them effectively in your presentation.

 

Red from Embarrassment

While in Washington DC, immersed in Mike’s fantastic presentation, I heard a fair bit of mumbling around me. One participant loudly expressed his opinion. He said: “I have been a PowerPoint trainer, but I never realized that it is possible to use slides this creatively. I’m sitting here quite ashamed.

 

Creative Slides in PowerPoint? Is it Possible?

During an interview with Mike in preparation for our book, my most important question was, “Is it possible to create creative slides in PowerPoint?” As a graphic designer, Mike is an avid Mac user. However, after many requests from PowerPoint users, he decided to explore this presentation program’s possibilities step by step. He discovered that it certainly had great potential. According to him, many people think that PowerPoint slides are boring and outdated. They are not – it is the ideas that are boring.

Mike has developed his own style of making professional slides. He found that it is possible to use animations in text and images to reinforce your message. His favorites are “fly-in” and “fade away.” Although these animations are standard and simple, by experimenting with the timing and duration, you can create surprising slides with a considerable impact, stimulating an audience’s imagination.

 

What is the Effect of a WOW Slide?

A good PowerPoint slide emphasizes your professionalism. Mike’s does – he even manages to make the audience gasp or applaud when he shows a slide. In Mike’s opinion, if you really try, you can definitely create amazing slides your audience will never forget. This is his aim – to create a WOW effect so that a message’s essence is never forgotten. He recommends limiting WOW slides to 2-3 per presentation. That way, you can ensure the core of your presentation is remembered.

 

How Can You Make a WOW Slide As Well?

To create your own fantastic presentation, consider ways to make your message attractive with each slide.

According to Mike, the biggest mistake is taking the easiest route while designing a slide.

Stop using standard templates, calibrated fonts, and amateur clipart. He starts with an empty black slide by default. He dislikes it when PowerPoint determines where text and illustrations should be placed. From there, he starts looking for the right font, and he thinks about the background texture. By doing this, he illustrates to his audience that this is not going to be another standard boring presentation.

Because of the possibilities PowerPoint offers, you can support your presentation with a powerful PowerPoint. At times you may have to supplement it with an editing program such as Photoshop. Be creative in thinking of ways to reinforce your message with every slide, and surprise your audience!

For inspiration and in-depth instructions on creating WOW slides can be found in our book, Powerful Presentations.

This photo shows Mike and me with our Dutch version of our book Powerful Presentations.

In my next blog post, I will continue with the following exciting topics:

  • Text in Video
  • Magic with your design
  • Movement attracts attention
  • Activate your audience

 

Until next time!

Frowa Schuitemaker from Powerful Presentations is an educationalist by heart. She and her daughter, Charlotte, wrote the book “Powerful Presentations – How to Easily Create and Use Impactful, Brain-Friendly Slide Presentations with the P-IQ Method.” She is the immediate president of the Dutch Speakers’ Association PSA NL. She is co-founder of VSAI, the Virtual Speakers Association International.

More information about their book can be found here:

https://castlemountmedia.mykajabi.com/powerfulpresentations

powerfulpresentations.nl/english | frowa@powerfulpresentations.nl