Working with Crayons – Powerpoint

If I had traveled back in time and told my past self “learn Microsoft PowerPoint it will make you money” I would have never believed myself. But the truth is I have worked for some really great companies doing just that. I have continually worked for the Discovery Channel, National Geo, Randstad, Profiles, and others just because I can make a PowerPoint presentation sit up and bark. I have designed over 30 different PowerPoint templates that can feel like they were built my the most advanced interactive software.

Most designers I know would snear when I mention I design for PowerPoint. It is hard because in comparison to Adobe products working with PowerPoint is like using crayons. But with cleaver use of PNG’s, Gifs, and knowing how to hack the system to embed flash you can make some really great animation effects, backgrounds, and in the end have slides that feel like nothing anyone has ever seen.

One of my favorite PowerPoint Template was for Discovery Channel’s Turbo Broadband Pitch because the client told me to make a template that had the feeling of Spike Channel and Wired Magazine

Turbo Broadband – Discovery Channel

Discovery wanted to have a template that spoke to their new product line that would compete with the Speed Channel and Spike Channel

The presentation was to be used for a business meeting where it was going to be left behind. The Appendix was going to cover more in depth analytic and case studies so Discover Channel wanted it to have a different feel.

This slide had a dynamic build with sliding masks and advanced animation