When you make a presentation, whether it be for a big client at work or your final grade in your most important course, it has to be perfect. Let's be completely honest – no matter how much time and energy you put into the text and information of your PowerPoint presentation, if it is not visually appealing then your viewers will find that they have a hard time paying attention. If you want to keep your viewers' attention, you are going to need to add some razzle dazzle to the presentation.
Of course that is easier said than done. You have to choose the right method that will keep the attention of your audience without distracting them from your presentation. We do want your viewers to get the needed information, and the wrong additions will actually make things less understandable to your audience. After all, an endless loop of Midi music playing “I will survive” may be cute the first time your audience hears it, but by the third or fourth time, you will be likely facing a mutiny or at least a room full of people who are silently plotting your demise.
People are visually oriented, and a great way for you to get your audience's attention is with a photo. The adage that a picture is worth a thousand words can be even more true. A picture of your new corporate headquarters to show perspective investors, a pie chart to show your profiles, or just the image of a pristine grove of trees can help to make your case.
Of course, even a still photo can be a bit of a dull thing. The TV-generation likes to see a little bit of movement so we are going to have to layer on the flash and make that image spin.
To set that up just follow these instructions:
1. Open PowerPoint, and your presentation.
2. Insert your desired image onto a slide.
3. Click on the word "Slide Show" in the menu bar.
4. Click on "Custom Animations".
5. On the left, be sure that you select the name of the image then click on the "Add Effect" button.
6. Select either the "Spinner" or the "Pinwheel" option. You should get a brief demo of the motions on the lower left hand corner of the window to help you choose between them.
7. If this is the only animation on the slide, leave the start option as "On Click". If it is not, then you should select another option from the pulldown menu.
8. If you want the spin to happen once, then you can stop here. If you want it to keep spinning, then you can select the "Effect Options" button and make your choice from the pulldown menu next to the word "Repeat".
Now that you know how to make your pictures spin, enjoy the modifications but use them very wisely. If you make all of the images on your presentation or even multiple images on a screen spin, then your presentation will look like a bad infomercial – you know, the kind that is on at 3 am on one of the seedy channels with the commercials for hair in a can.
Additional Resources: For more tips and tricks, be sure to take a look at the other Microsoft PowerPoint user guides and tutorials found here on Bright Hub's Windows Channel. New and updated articles are being added all the time, so bookmark us and check back often.
