2008 Woodie Awards
PowerPoint pontificating
Russell Howe
Issue date: 3/2/07 Section: Opinion
We are supposed to be a generation of technology-savvy students. We are supposed to be hip to the computer scene, quick to learn every new product from email to iPods, able to dish out lingo like "OMG," "LOL" and "WWJDIHWABMS" (What Would Jesus Do If He Were Attacked By Mutant Sharks). So why, with all of our supposed gifts, are some of us so damn bad at giving PowerPoint presentations?
I concede the fact that presentations are much more than just creating a PowerPoint. Public speaking is feared by many, and for all those who stutter, stumble, lose their place, wring their hands, refuse to make eye contact, blush, projectile vomit or rip their voicebox out of their throat when giving a presentation, I absolve you from any blame over how bad your presentation is. There is no help for you, PowerPoint or no.
However, the quality of a presentation's visual aids is another matter altogether. PowerPoints do not get stage fright, nor do they suddenly turn ugly when faced with a human audience. The colors do not change when using an overhead projector and the font does not shrink just because it feels like it. In short, PowerPoints are just as good or bad as they were made, and for some reason, plenty of students (and some teachers) really like making bad ones.
I'm not a style Nazi who demands that every PowerPoint page be a work of art, bordered with intricate and unique depictions of nature reminiscent of 12 century manuscripts. I do not require a fancy flash animation every three seconds. All I want is to be able to read what is projected on the screen. If I can do that, congratulations. If I can't, then why did you make the thing in the first place?
From what I can tell, the number one obstacle to the legibility of PowerPoints is a fascination with dark backgrounds. I don't know why people make their background black or dark blue or dark red. Perhaps they think it's unique, or that it entices the eye, or perhaps dark colors have the bad-boy appeal of the PowerPoint color palette, more of a rebel than boring old virginal white. Whatever the reason, people like their dark backgrounds, and the rest of the world pays for it.
I concede the fact that presentations are much more than just creating a PowerPoint. Public speaking is feared by many, and for all those who stutter, stumble, lose their place, wring their hands, refuse to make eye contact, blush, projectile vomit or rip their voicebox out of their throat when giving a presentation, I absolve you from any blame over how bad your presentation is. There is no help for you, PowerPoint or no.
However, the quality of a presentation's visual aids is another matter altogether. PowerPoints do not get stage fright, nor do they suddenly turn ugly when faced with a human audience. The colors do not change when using an overhead projector and the font does not shrink just because it feels like it. In short, PowerPoints are just as good or bad as they were made, and for some reason, plenty of students (and some teachers) really like making bad ones.
I'm not a style Nazi who demands that every PowerPoint page be a work of art, bordered with intricate and unique depictions of nature reminiscent of 12 century manuscripts. I do not require a fancy flash animation every three seconds. All I want is to be able to read what is projected on the screen. If I can do that, congratulations. If I can't, then why did you make the thing in the first place?
From what I can tell, the number one obstacle to the legibility of PowerPoints is a fascination with dark backgrounds. I don't know why people make their background black or dark blue or dark red. Perhaps they think it's unique, or that it entices the eye, or perhaps dark colors have the bad-boy appeal of the PowerPoint color palette, more of a rebel than boring old virginal white. Whatever the reason, people like their dark backgrounds, and the rest of the world pays for it.
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