PowerPoint and Presenting Stuff

Making Your PowerPoint Memorable: Q&A with Nelson Cowan

How can you make your PowerPoint presentation more memorable? Align it with the way the mind forms memories, according to Nelson Cowan, Ph.D., who works in the working-memory laboratory of the Department of Psychological Sciences at the University of Missouri. An expert in the field of short-term memory, Nelson is a fellow of the American Psychological Association, associate editor of the Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, and author of Attention and Memory: An Integrated Framework. Although Nelson’s research deals with basic aspects of human information processing rather than with bulleted lists in PowerPoint, he suggests relevant points that should be considered in any presentation.

Although Nelson’s research deals with basic aspects of human information processing rather than with bulleted lists in PowerPoint, he suggests relevant points that should be considered in any presentation. Read more in this feature, where Nelson Cowan is interviewed by Cliff Atkinson.

Filed Under: Interviews
Tagged as: Cliff Atkinson, Interviews, Nelson Cowan

A Story that Hunts: Q&A with John Seely Brown

As former chief scientist of Xerox Corporation, and director of Xerox Palo Alto Research Center for 12 years, John Seely Brown, Ph.D., is one of the world’s most innovative thinkers at the interesting intersection where technology and people meet.

The co-author of The Social Life of Information and the author of countless articles and papers, John brings an impressive background to bear on the critique of a social technology called PowerPoint.

Read more in this interview feature. Cliff Atkinson talks to John Seely Brown.

Filed Under: Interviews
Tagged as: Cliff Atkinson, Interviews, John Seely Brown

An Interview with Tony Dunckel

Tony Dunckel is a Product Marketing Manager at TechSmith Corporation, a multimedia software company based in Michigan. TechSmith, founded in 1987, focuses on enabling users to capture images and activity from Windows desktops, including animation, graphics, text and video, and enhance the captured material with special effects, narration and a variety of multimedia features. The company’s flagship products are SnagIt, Camtasia Studio and EnSharpen. Their software products increase business productivity and enrich personal computing by helping users to communicate, teach and demonstrate complex ideas and subtle points visually, rather than through words alone.

In this interview, Tony talks about Snagit.

Filed Under: Interviews
Tagged as: Interviews, Snagit, Techsmith, Tony Dunckel

Xara X¹ PNG and Alpha Channel Export for PowerPoint

The new Xara X¹ has tons of new features. You can also export graphics to Microsoft Office apps like PowerPoint and Word with just one step.

In this tutorial, see how Xara X¹ works in concert with PowerPoint.

Filed Under: Companion Programs
Tagged as: Alpha Channel, PowerPoint, Transparency, Xara

Face-off: PowerPoint vs. PowerPoint

Just as a PowerPoint presentation poorly executed can make you want to poke your eyes out, a good one can make you stand up and shout for joy. In this feature, editors Paul Gillin and Margaret Rouse talk about PowerPoint from opposite ends.

PowerPoint has become the enemy of clarity. In the right hands, it is an exquisite tool for organizing thoughts. But too often, PowerPoint has become the message. Its multimedia effects, over-engineered slide transitions, and unfathomable charts can actually obscure the points the user wants to deliver while wasting time in both preparation and delivery.

When a PowerPoint slide is restricted to a few brief bulleted comments, it not only helps members of the audience to clearly recognize the speaker’s main points, it also helps the speaker to stay on topic during the presentation. This allows a confident speaker to feel comfortable about encouraging interaction with the audience.

Explore more in this feature on the TechTarget Network site.

Filed Under: Thoughts
Tagged as: Opinion, PowerPoint