How can different

techniques make a

presentation really pop?

By Dawn Bartz

Pictures are really important...as well as carefully selecting your words.

If you have a really great image, make it large. Use less words on your slides but try to tell a story.

If my book presentation is about surfing, for instance, what type of photos will draw the audience’s attention?

How can pictures show the mood you want to convey?

Was this book “exciting,” “jarring,” “shocking,” “futuristic,” ...

How do images help tell a story and evoke emotion?

This newspaper image captured the emotions of young people at an event.

Make sure the slide background enhances the picture and is not too distracting, unless this is the point!

Drawings are also great to useThere are all sorts of shapes you can use to create your own image as well.

How can pictures, or other images, help with setting?

What is the mood that I want to set in my presentation and how can I show it?

Don’t be afraid of being creative with where you place images. They can be at the top, bottom, either side, or the entire slide. Does the font match the idea? (This is Roboto). Of course it is a really good idea to keep the same “font family” throughout. Make sure it is easy to read!

I want to use a photo to draw the audience into the shot.

I want to avoid people standing around.

How can I show action?

The design of the slide (color, placement of objects and texts, and pictures) help to tell a story and can really engage your audience.

Using the right font and borders is helpful in drawing the reader into the presentation.

This book really was a key for me to understand more about the world.

Words are fun. How can you choose the right ones?

Go to “insert” on the top of the toolbar. Then go to “image.” If your image is on your desktop, you can go to “upload” and drag the photo or picture into the slide. Or you can go to “search” and find something on the web.

The image can be cropped using the cropping tool within the “format” section in the toolbar.

There are also image “options” to change the brightness, contrast and transparency of the photo.

I can insert a picture and then have the picture “speak” or “think” about the presentation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RatKhtboq2E

I can use “shapes” found under the “insert” icon.

This picture was taken from Google sites.

You can also use your computer to “take a picture” of an image or yourself, for instance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJy1ajvMU1k

Inserting a short video is pretty easy. Be sure to “copy the link.” If it is from YouTube or another source with a URL, you can go to “insert,” create a text box and then go to “link” and paste it in. When you click on the link, the video should pop up.

You can also record yourself speaking and insert it into the presentation as you would with a picture and create a podcast.