The words “presentation” and “PowerPoint” have become inextricably linked and interchangeable. One automatically follows the other. Need a presentation? Open PowerPoint and get on with it.
It is understandable. PowerPoint is good at what it does. But reliance on the software has lead to the phrase “death by PowerPoint” becoming one of the great business clichés.
Prezi was launched in 2009 to offer something different for presenters and their audiences. It is a Flash-based online presentation tool that enables users to create zooming presentations upon a seemingly endless canvas.
That’s the first difference that can be off-putting for PowerPoint devotees. There’s no “slide” structure - just a huge and empty white screen. This can be daunting but, providing there’s an outline of the presentation on paper, it is easy to overcome.
You begin by typing your key points, words and phrases onto the canvas. You don’t so much need to worry about where you type them; more ensure that thoughts are grouped together in a logical manner. The theory is that you to see the big picture before zooming in to all of the detail.
You can then further organise your points using font size to establish a hierarchy. Once the ideas are on screen, you create a path to navigate around the space. This provides the order in which your ideas will be zoomed to and from.
Previewing the presentation is when the frustration/fun begins. You fly about the space, hurtling from one idea to the next. (Some Prezi’s should include motion sickness warnings.) Just as PowerPoint transitions and animations need to be handled with care, Prezi’s trademark zoom needs to be kept in check.
Preview also provides a chance to see how the words display in full screen mode. Nearby ideas can appear at the edge of the screen – this either provides a teaser of what is to come or frustrating visual clutter. Thankfully, you can return to the edit mode to move elements around.
There are a few pre-set visual themes but the real fun comes with customising fonts, colours and backgrounds. You can also add frames, shapes, videos and images.
From an audience perspective, Prezi is fresh and different. The motion is polished and the whole effect is friendly and fun. Yet the motion can also overshadow the information on screen.
For users, making a first Prezi is about discovery. There are no set rules and the process feels far more ideas orientated than when creating a PowerPoint. It requires a different mind-set and can take some time to adapt to.
The free public license means that Prezi’s can be created, stored and shared online. Completed presentations can be downloaded to show offline. The option to keep work private is only available with a yearly subscription of $59.00.
Prezi for iPad is also available but the whole Apple iOS and Flash ego war prevents it from reaching its full potential. Presentations can only be viewed not edited.
Whatever software or applications you use, you still need to be creative, prepared and confident. Prezi and PowerPoint can’t replace body language or knowledge. Used properly they can both be powerful presentation tools. Just don’t forget that the presentation is only as good as the presenter.
Image via DBarefoot's flickr