When giving a presentation there are several key choices you have to make beforehand: what key information to present, what you should wear, or even what funny joke you should open up with. Deciding on which presentation software is one of them. Before you begin making your dazzling media masterpiece, it’s time to decide which software is for you. And to do that you have to ask: are you a PowerPoint or Prezi person?
You might be a PowerPoint person if…
1. You want it straightforward. Where some might want creativity and color, you just want something that is going to put across your information with a simple background and no distractions. PowerPoint, while giving some options for customization, is great at providing a simple presentation template for those who just want to give the information without all the frills.
2. You want a simple theme. Some presentations are best when the star of the show is the information. If you’re looking for a simple theme, PowerPoint comes with several clean pre-made themes that users can choose from.
3. You want fewer design options. Sure, you want to change the background design and the font, but you don’t want to create the next Michaelangelo. PowerPoint has a lot fewer design options than Prezi and makes customization a breeze for those who just want a few custom changes.
4. You want to fill in a basic template. While moving text around a screen is good for some, you just want to put your information in a template made by someone else. PowerPoint comes with lots of text templates that you can just type in. No moving around required.
5. You are not computer-savvy. You don’t have to be able to crack the NSA to use PowerPoint effectively. It’s built for beginner users and is easy to follow with their pre-made templates. If you’re a beginner or just new to presentation software, PowerPoint will be a good beginning spot due to it’s fill-in interface.
You might be a Prezi person if…
1. You want it to be visually capturing. Let’s say your information isn’t that interesting. Make it interesting by taking the moving magic that is Prezi with animations, vibrant colors, and unique text boxes.
2. You want to be more creative. Sure PowerPoint lets you move stuff around, but you want complete creative control. You want to put your text where you want, decide on every font color, and add some fun shapes around your text. You’re can accomplish that on Prezi.
3. You want everything custom. While some might like pre-made templates, you like to make everything yourself. Prezi allows you to make your entire presentation from scratch. You can even take their pre-made templates and customize them exactly to your liking.
4. You don’t want to fill in a basic template. If you’re sick of sticking to the mold, Prezi’s unique interface is for you. While the program has templates, Prezi allows you to make your own design completely. They don’t even assign slide numbers; they let you decide what order they go in.
5. You are a little computer-savvy. While you don’t need a computer science degree to use Prezi, you most likely know what you’re doing with your mouse. While anyone Prezi, you will be more comfortable with the software if you know some computer tips and tricks. If that’s you, then Prezi might be a good fit for you.
Tell us, are you a PowerPoint or a Prezi person?
Featured photo credit: morgueFile via mrg.bz
