Training Course
PowerPoint Design

Millions of Microsoft PowerPoint presentations are created every day, the vast majority of them poorly designed. Now it's time to fight back.

In this 6-lesson hands-on course, you'll learn PowerPoint techniques for designing effective presentations: ones that are clean, clear, visually appealing, and engaging in their delivery of content. You'll learn how professional presentation designers develop custom slideshows with impact and edge and (if you're a non-designer) how to avoid common design pitfalls.

The course provides a thorough grounding in PowerPoint's most important tools and features and explores approaches to layout, typography, imagery, color, animation, navigation schemes, and data representation. The course provides instruction in Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 as well as PowerPoint 2003.

Course projects require students to build well-designed PowerPoint presentations for a range of professional client scenarios.

Important: Some experience is in digital imaging software is useful, but not required. The course is ideal for non-designers who simply want to create better-looking, more effective PowerPoint presentations, as well as designers who want to add presentation design to their list of services. It's Microsoft PowerPoint training, with flair.

Christopher Schmitt is an award-winning Web designer and developer ... get bio

Utilize the standard Microsoft PowerPoint tools for selecting templates, developing a layout, adding slides, and navigating through a presentation.

Discuss and apply the principles of effective PowerPoint presentation, with a focus on approaching the task like a designer.

Create layouts with consistent slide design and typography, working from slide and title master pages.

Develop original slide layouts using sketches, Photoshop wireframes, or PowerPoint's grids and guides tools.

Choose color schemes, transitions, and animations for client presentations that aid in communicating the content.

Source, prepare, and import images into your presentations, integrating them effectively into an overall design.

Apply basic approaches to the visual representation of numerical data, choosing the appropriate graphical form and integrating graphs into the design of the presentation.

Perform basic publishing task such as managing external files and fonts, putting a presentation on a CD, proofing and printing it, and preparing it for the Web as an HTML file.

Learn tips for delivering an effective PowerPoint presentation.

Outline:

LESSON 1 Getting to Know PowerPoint Lesson One focuses on how a presentation designer approaches building an effective Microsoft PowerPoint presentation. You'll get thorough PowerPoint training, learning how to pick templates, develop a basic layout, add slides, and navigate around. Then you'll explore the principles of presentation design, examining how to set your work apart from generic presentations. You'll learn what questions to ask at the outset of a PowerPoint design project and explore a case study in excellent slide design. In the project, you'll develop a presentation for a medical services company.

LESSON 2 Layout and Typography PowerPoint makes layout easy, but consistent layout and typography is what makes a presentation stand out and communicate effectively . Lesson Two explores how to control layout in PowerPoint. You'll learn how to use the slide master to apply a consistent page template throughout your presentation and discover different approaches to developing your own slide design: by sketching on and using PowerPoint's grids and guides feature. Easy to grasp design concepts such as negative space, contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity are discussed to help you develop professional-looking slides. In the project, you'll develop a consistent, readable layout for a presentation on professionalism in the office.

LESSON 3 Color and Imagery In PowerPoint, color fulfils two important tasks: reinforcing a client or employer's brand identity, and helping to convey the appropriate mood. Lesson Three kicks off with an exploration of how color choices can have a big impact on your audience . Then you'll explore how to apply different client color schemes, working from given materials or specific values sometimes used for corporate identities . In the second half of the lesson, you'll explore how to source, prepare, and import images into your presentations, integrating them effectively and avoiding common pitfalls. Finally, you'll examine different ways to create lines and shapes using PowerPoint's drawing tools. In the project, you'll explore how to work with color and imagery to build your own "fire and ice" presentation.

LESSON 4 Animation and Transitions In PowerPoint, a little bit of sizzle (animations and transitions) can go a long way. Lesson Four explores how to apply preset animations and transitions (features such as fades, wipes, and animated bullets) and customize your own. An additional focus is how to add linear and non-linear navigation schemes to your presentations for kiosk displays or simply better usability. In the project, you'll apply these techniques, avoiding animation overload.

LESSON 5 Data Representation What's a PowerPoint presentation without an earnings forecast? One key skill for any presentation designer is the visual representation of numerical data, through line graphs, bar graphs, pie charts, and so on. Lesson Five focuses on this task, showing you how to create graphs from scratch or work from existing Excel files. You'll examine how to choose the most appropriate graph for the data, and also how to use transparent backgrounds and color tools to make sure your graph integrates well with your presentation. In the project, a number-crunching client puts your skills to the test.

LESSON 6 Publishing and Presenting Once your PowerPoint presentation is designed and developed, you're all set, right? Not necessarily, as you may need to publish and present your slideshow. Lesson Six covers important tips and techniques for road warriors. You'll explore ways to manage external files and fonts, put your presentation on a CD, proof and print it, and prepare it for the Web. Your Microsoft PowerPoint training will wrap up with some presentation tips for the tongue-tied, and you'll apply everything you've learned in the course to an extended final project.