How to make a presentation: best tools and tips

What tools to use

1. microsoft PowerPoint

platforms: Windows, macOS, web, Android and iOS.
cost: free trial or subscription of 269 rubles a month.

The most popular program for presentations is fairly simple interface and is maintained on different devices. Multiplatform, perhaps, the main advantage of the program from Microsoft. As for the visual component, the templates do not always meet the trends in design.

PowerPoint allows you to edit the slide backgrounds and templates, and use different fonts (many of them Russian-speaking) and insert media.

Save your finished presentation can be in different formats, such as PPTX, PPT and PDF.

Microsoft PowerPoint →

2. google Slides

• platforms: web, Chrome, Android and iOS.
• cost: is free.

The service is suitable if you need to quickly collect a standard type of presentation with a modern design, but without much creativity. The designs are divided into three groups: the "Private", "Education", "Business". Total available approximately 20 different patterns - optimally, to choose a suitable and not hang up, fingering options. For those who prefer their own design, there is the option of creating a slide from scratch.

You can add charts, graphs and video (only tried Google Drive, and YouTube). Conveniently, you can edit the presentation, both online and offline, when the Internet to connect, content is automatically synchronized. Finished presentation can be downloaded in popular formats: PDF, PPT, JPG and others.

Google Slides →

3. Canva

• platforms: web, iOS.
• cost: Free or 12.95 dollars per month.

One of the most popular online services to create presentations, offers a variety of slide templates. There are both free and paid (do not know why, because it is almost always possible to pick up a free analogue). Conveniently, each of them is easy to adjust by itself, has changed beyond recognition. You can customize everything: to add or remove objects, choose colors, fonts and icons. Change slide size can be in the paid version by subscription.

Canva support Russian fonts, but they are not so much. Finished presentation can be downloaded in PDF, PNG, or JPG.

canva →

4. Crello

• platforms: Web.
• cost: is free.

Canva analogue with an even more user friendly interface and full support for Russian font.

Available many design multi-page templates, each of which can be configured in its own way: change colors, add or delete items, descriptions, images. Gallery is constantly updated, so you can always find something new.

Images can be searched directly in Crello: there is a search for free and paid a photo and the ability to upload your own.

By default, the service supports many Russian fonts. It is also possible to add your own. You just need to download it once, and the font will appear in the drop-down list.

Finished presentation can be saved in JPG, PNG or PDF.

Crello →

5. Tilda

• platforms: Web.
• cost: free, or 500 rubles a month.

Initially, the service is designed for quick and easy layout and Landing sites, but it can also be used for presentations.

The main feature - intuitive measuring interface and the ability to work without code knowledge. All actions are performed visually by adding new blocks. All templates are designed by professionals, taking into account trends in the field of design.

Tilda supports beautiful Russian fonts, so the problems with it will not.

When presented in the form of a single-site is ready, it should be save to PDF page by page and make changes at any PDF-Editor on your computer (if necessary).

tilda →

6. Visme

• platforms: Web.
• cost: free or $ 12 per month.

Pleasant English interface still needs a little time to get into it to understand. However, after this presentation will be collected quickly.

The service is suitable for creating presentations with a beautiful infographics - it can be done here. At your disposal - more than 100 free fonts (Russian is not very much), lots of free images and icons. You can also add video and audio.

The free version does not have as many templates for slides, but this is quite sufficient for ordinary tasks.

Feature Visme - the possibility of animated content. Finished presentation can be saved in JPG, PNG, PDF or HTML5.

Visme →

7. Prezi

• platforms: Windows, macOS, Android and iOS.
• cost: 5 dollars a month.

This service eliminates the standard slide format and make a presentation in the form of a large map. You can simply switch between themes, rather than turning the pages.

Map created in high resolution, so that the approach is easy to perceive the content. Available patterns from designers, you can download and use their multimedia content (audio, video, animations, slides from PowerPoint). Conveniently, the presentation can edit several people. It is also possible offline editing.

Russian fonts a bit, but there are basic.

Prezi - fee-based program, but it can be tested for free. Finished presentation can be stored in the cloud, or save to your computer in the right format.

prezi →

8. Keynote

• platforms: web, macOS, iOS.
• cost: is free.

One of the most popular services among the owners of "apple" devices. When there is a full-time tool, you can not look for anything else. Many users agree that the interface in Keynote easier than the legendary PowerPoint.

Web version of Keynote is available to owners of any device (need to enter or register Apple ID, open a website in the browser).

In the library there are many beautiful and concise templates that can be optimized for the content and objectives. Synchronization with iCloud allows multiple users to edit a presentation simultaneously in real time.

Conveniently, you can download the presentation in Microsoft PowerPoint format (PPTX, and PPT), make changes, and then save in the desired format, which is read not only on Apple gadgets (PDF).

Keynote →

What to include in your presentation

1. Tell a story

Listen to the story is much more interesting than the dry listing of facts, excerpts from books and statistics. Turn your presentation into a fascinating imaginative story. Since the required information will be remembered for the audience.

2. Think structure

To understand what will be your presentation and how you will communicate information to the audience, you need even before you start to collect the document in one of the services. Whatever may have been attractive design if lame structure and facts submitted chaotic, it is unlikely to work.

A simple way to keep the logic of public speaking →

3. Prefer images

Today read like not all. If the text can be replaced with pictures, do it. Use icons, beautiful pictures, high-quality charts and diagrams. Looking at them more interesting than reading a large amount of text.

10 errors that spoil any presentation →

4. Remove all unnecessary

If from something can be waived without prejudice to sense, feel free to do it. Cutting off all unnecessary, reducing the text by removing distracting effects you more precisely formulate their thoughts. The clearer your message, the easier it is to take its audience.

How to make great slides for a presentation, if you are not a designer →

How to make a presentation

1. Forget obsolete PowerPoint templates

If earlier PowerPoint presentation looked normal, with the advent of the winning template, it looks outdated. If you plan to use and edit the presentation in the future, it is better one time to assemble a "skeleton" of the templates in one of the above services or create your own. Then they will only need to change the content - it does not take much time, but will allow beautifully to submit material.

Where free download Presentation Templates →

What is the ideal presentation →

2. Use 3-5 colors

This rule, which prevents too motley decoration, distracting from the presentation content.

There are three basic colors and two additional (shades of the primary colors are used, if necessary). The first color is assigned to the background, the second and third - for text. The colors used for the text should contrast: so the content will be easy to read.

Typically, among the basic colors there are the corporate colors of your company. If there are none, you can use one of the sites on the selection of colors.

3. Add linear and flat icons

Volumetric substandard icons seem to say: "The man who made the presentation, is stuck in the 2000s."

Flat minimalistic icons will make your presentation more modern and concise, allowing to visualize the information. On this website thousands of varieties of stylish icons that you can download for free.

4. Use sans serif fonts

If you are not a professional designer, it is best to choose a simple and readable sans serif fonts. It is a versatile option that is suitable for any presentation. Here are a few examples that should be adopted:

• arial;
• Arial Narrow;
• Arial Black (for titles);
• calibri;
• Bebas (for titles);
• Roboto;
• helvetica;
• Open Sans.

In one presentation is better to use one group of fonts, and change only the mark.

Which fonts should be used to create presentations →

5. Choose only high-quality images

Judging by the images that you have selected for the presentation, people will judge your taste. Today, with so many open source, you can not always properly dispose of them. Here it is better to avoid:

• pictures from the search engines;
• Image with strained smiles people and white background with water;
• low resolution images (less than 1000 pixels long side).

Look for photos on free photo stock. A lot of them, where you can find the picture in most cases.

Bloggers, designers, and all-all-all: 30+ Free photostocks →

AllTheFreeStock - best free photostocks one service →

Rules of good design: how to correctly use the images and videos with photostocks →

6. Insert the beautiful tables and charts

All the rules described above apply to this point. Making a chart, choose the right colors, get rid of unnecessary content, and stores the results in high definition. Any table or chart in your presentation should be simple, clear and concise. Background best left white.

How to make a presentation

1. Rehearse

Rehearsal - a good way to cope with the excitement and once again organize information for themselves. Speaking in front of a mirror or colleagues - it will help keep confident. If possible, use the speaker mode (for example, this is, Keynote). In this mode, during a speech on your computer screen will display a note to a slide, the timing, the next slide, and other useful information.

Where to start performance: 7 successful strategies →

2. Talk with the audience

Successful presentation - it is a dialogue, not a monologue. Ask students what they think about this or that, if they agree with you, or have a different opinion. Interactive presentations made not only more memorable, but also more productive - for both the speaker and the audience.

20 tips on how to improve the quality of public appearances →

3. Remember the time

Typically, the time required for presentation is calculated from the ratio of 1 minute = 1 slide. So, if you have 20 slides, the performance will take at least 20 minutes. Keep track of time, because too quick feed material will not be effective, and tightened performance not like audiences.

5 secrets successful presentation from Guy Kawasaki →

see also

• How to make a table of contents in Word for a few seconds →
• 5 services and programs to create comparison tables →
• 15 extensions for the browser, which will solve your problems bunch →
• How to register a domain: a detailed instruction →