PowerPoint Presentation vs. PowerPoint Show

We are all familiar with the PowerPoint platform.  PowerPoint has been a staple of education for a generation at this point, but every now and then you discover a secret feature or functionality.  If you don't know the difference between a PowerPoint presentation and show, then today might be one of those days for you.  

PowerPoint Presentation

When you save your PowerPoint slides, by default it will save as a presentation file.  The file extension is .pptx.  So if you save your PowerPoint with the name Module 3 Overview, that file becomes Module 3 Overview.pptx.  If you share your pptx file with a colleague or student, then when they open the file they will be able to access the platform editor.  They can modify, add, and delete content - such as slides, notes, text, or images.  

PowerPoint editor mode

The pptx files are editable formats, and good for sharing with people who need to collaborate on a project.  The downside is that when it is time to present the presentation, opening the file pulls up the editor for all to view (see above).  Since you don't present from the editor view, an additional step is required to actually begin the slideshow - you press F5 or click on the slideshow icon.  

PowerPoint Show

When a PowerPoint is saved as a Show instead of a Presentation, then the file opens in slideshow mode.  This completely bypasses the editor view and allows you to jump right into the presentation.  This adds a touch of professionalism when presenting in a class, at a conference, in a department meeting, or to a board of directors.  When you open a PowerPoint Show file, it automatically loads the title slide so that you can rock and roll without wasting time and without your audience seeing the cluttered editor.  

To save a PowerPoint file as a show, you click Save As and identify the location on your computer or cloud, and then click on the Save as type dropdown menu.  You will see a plethora of options, and you will select the one called PowerPoint Show (*.ppsx). 

Interesting side note, the * in that file extension is computer UI code for "anything".  If you have a large folder and you want to search for all the documents, then you would run a search for *.docx.  You can search for PDF files (*.PDF) or images (*.png or *.jpg).  

It is good to save both a pptx and a ppsx file, but in reality the two files are the same.  The only thing that changes is that the show opens the file in show mode, and the presentation opens the file in editor mode.  You can manually rename the extensions from .ppsx to .pptx or the other way around.  

Saving the file in show mode also has the added benefit if you want to share your slides with someone, but you only want them to see the content and not your notes, or you don't want them to make any edits.  You can either save the slides in show mode, or simply save it as a PDF (from the same dropdown menu above).  

Extra Curricular

If you save your file as a .ppsx show then there are a couple ways you can still edit it.  In PowerPoint, you can click File  >>  Open, and search for the file.  It will open like a .pptx file.  Or you can right click (PC) the file icon and select Open with and choose PowerPoint.

Alternately, you can start a PowerPoint presentation in show mode and bypass the editor by right clicking and select Show.  When you reach the end of the presentation, the show will end and the screen will go back to your desktop and not the editor view.  That way the audience won't see your notes at the end. 

Just a tip, it would be good to include a Question or conclusive end slide.  This will help you wrap up the presentation and will be an indicator for you that says "don't progress past me".  

Written by Dr. Sean Nufer, Director of Ed Tech for TCS Education System.

Create an Interactive Branching Scenario in PowerPoint

What is a branching scenario?

In this blog post, we will discover the basics of how to create a branching scenario in PowerPoint.  Typically, PowerPoint is known for advancing a slide deck forward or backward, similar to the old carousels for the slide projectors.  But in a branching scenario, what we want is the ability to navigate around - not just linearly (i.e. advancing the slide forward to the next slide or regressing back to the previous slide). 

An example of an oft-used branching scenario would be an ATM menu.  When you swipe your card in the ATM, you are presented with a menu of items.  The next screen that displays is entirely dependent on the selection that you make on the initial screen.  You can check your balance, make a withdrawal, deposit money, etc.  You don’t simply hit next a number of times until you land on the screen you want.  The ATM navigation is branching and not linear. 

When we discuss branching scenarios, we first begin with a storyboard to chart the navigation of the user.  In the above example of the ATM interface, there is likely a splash screen of sorts.  This is the screen that displays as you approach the kiosk, and it usually says something such as "Welcome" and "Please swipe your card [or touch the screen] to begin".  The image above is the main menu screen - a jumping off point for the user.  A number of scenarios may play out next depending on the option that the user chooses.  

Another example of a branching scenario might be a concierge kiosk at a hotel.  This could be a self-guided kiosk that displays commonly requested inquiries.  The scenarios can be mapped out in a hierarchical branching format.  Here is an example of what that might look like:

Here we have a splash screen to welcome the user.  It likely says "touch anywhere to begin".  The user then advances to the second level, which is a main menu with options to discover information about Rooms, Amenities, or Local Attractions.  If the user selects the latter then s/he will be able to read about the attractions of the area, and a back or home button will take him or her back up to the main menu.  Choosing the amenities option will take the user to an overview of hotel amenities, with options to further explore the concierge desk or dining options.  This hotel happens to have many dining options, so from the main dining page s/he can check out the food court page or research the more formal dining options.  At this point, the restaurant page is level 5, because the user advanced as follows: splash/intro -> main menu -> amenities -> dining options -> restaurants. 

On each of the pages from levels 3-5, there should be a main menu button that takes the user right back to level 2.  There are likely back buttons that will take the user up one level to the previous screen. The more levels you have in a branching scenario, the more complicated the storyboarding becomes.  Your content will dictate how many levels you need, and how many screens you will need on each level.  

Creating your branching scenario in PowerPoint

Now let's explore how you can create an interactive branching scenario in PowerPoint.  We'll assume that you already have your content prepared and mapped out into levels.  To demonstrate the principles of branching in PowerPoint, I'll start with a blank presentation and put 4 slides.  I will put color on slides 2-4.

Now I have a main menu, and three color slides.  The next step is to create buttons for the main menu.  A button can be any shape or picture.  Once you place your shape, simply right click and select Link (or the hotkey is to press Ctrl + K).  This will pull up a menu that will allow you to create a hyperlink for your shape (or picture).  A hyperlink is an interaction that occurs when the object is clicked on.  There are many hyperlink options in PowerPoint.  You can have the hyperlink open a webpage, email a recipient, or in our case we want the user to be taken to a specific slide in our presentation.  

For my branching scenario, I am going to create three buttons on my main menu.  I will choose a rounded rectangle, but you can choose whatever shape you want (e.g. a square, circle, arrow, etc.).  From the ribbon menu, click on the Insert ribbon, then click on the Shapes icon in the Illustrations group to see a dropdown menu of options.  Review the video below for details on how to create and hyperlink my navigation buttons.

The last thing I will include on my kiosk is a back button on each of the colored slides.  This will return them back up to the first slide.  To do this, I copied (Ctrl + C) the first (red) button on the first slide and pasted it (Ctrl + V) onto the second slide.  Since both the button and the slide were red, I changed the color to blue.  Then I changed the hyperlink (Ctrl + K) so that it linked back to the first slide.  Then I copied the button again and pasted it on the last two slides.  I changed the button on the last side from blue to red, since the slide color is blue. 

The last thing that I do when creating a branching scenario is to change the show type from "presented by a speaker" (default setting) to "browsed at a kiosk".  This disables all keyboard and mouse functionality other than clicking on a hyperlink.  Since the only hyperlinked elements are buttons, it forces my user to navigate through the branched scenario.  You can change the settings to kiosk mode by clicking the ribbon: Slide Show -> Set Up Slide Show -> Show type: Browsed at a kiosk (full screen).

And now my work is done.  Instead of a typical PowerPoint presentation where you advance progressively, you know have an interactive kiosk with a branching scenario.  You can review the end result below:

Of course, this is a very simple demonstration of the branching process, but it shows the fundamental elements involved in storyboarding scenarios and creating unique paths for the user.  All you need to do now is add your creativity.  Below is a final example of what might be possible using a branching technique.  Click on the icons to the left of the screen.

Written by Dr. Sean Nufer, Director of Ed Tech for TCS Education System.
 

10 Tips for Making Your PowerPoint Slides Effective

Keep things short and to the point

The PowerPoint platform is meant to be a tool for presentations, but it is really a supplement and should not be a crutch.  Whether you are using PowerPoint as part of a formal presentation or as a standalone resource for your audience, it is important to keep your talking points streamlined and efficient.  Excessive narrative belongs in PDF report format, not within a slidedeck.  Do not write paragraphs on your slides.  Even if you use bullet points, you want to make sure they are shortened and to the point.

Choose the right font and formatting

Again, the theme is to keep it simple.  There are many options for font families, but it is important to pick the right font.  The right fond is the one that the audience will read.  

• Sans-serif font are not ornamented (the serifs are the elements that "dangle" off the letters) and facilitate readability.  Decorative and script fonts should be used very sparingly, perhaps only as slide titles and only if they are easily legible.  

• The wrong font can be nearly impossible to read.  Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, and Calibri are always safe choices and they are available on most computers.  
• Be generous with the font size.  These days our PowerPoint slides may be read on anything from a high-definition projector to a mobile device, and everything in between.  A good rule of thumb is that slide titles should be no smaller than 20pt, while the slide body should be at least 18pt.  
• If you are aligning your text, use either left align or right align.  Center aligned text is the most difficult to read and does not look polished or professional. 

Contrast: A designer's best friend

The principle of contrast is all about accentuating differences.  We are conditioned to notice differences and we appreciate contrast.  In literature and cinema, we find struggles between contrasting characters to be particularly compelling: Darth Vader vs. Luke Skywalker, or Harry Potter vs. the dark Lord Voldemort.  We may not be conscious about it, but we are always searching for differences in our environment.  Contrast in our PowerPoint presentations can give our design energy and authority.  

For this reason, the background images that we choose are exceedingly important.  Avoid noisy or gradient backgrounds (graphics that morph and blend from dark to light shades).  Your background should be very dark or very light, and your font color should complement that.  Remember, light text on a dark background, and dark text on a light background.  

Examples of bad slide background images.  On the left, despite the good contrast between the dark font and the light imagery, the scene is much too busy and visually distracting.  On the right, the background is gradient and the dark font on the dark background does not provide good contrast (especially if this were presented on a VGA projector). 

Although still a little busy, the example on the left ensures that the text is legible by cropping the picture and presenting the title as black font on a white background.  There is not simply one singular design layout, but the slide on the right is an example of a possible layout that ensures that the font is legible.

Do you have data?  Show it!

We have evolved to be visual communicators.  Our neanderthal ancestors communicated visually via cave paintings as a way to record events, preserve their genealogy, tell stories, and document history.  Even today, we have an appreciation for visual communication.  You may even find that it is more efficient for you to communicate through visual elements than it is using text - although it does take practice.  PowerPoint has many graphic and design options to choose from. If you are interested in reading more about effective graphic design, you might consider these readings:

• Presentation Zen
• Design for how People Learn
• The Non-Designer's Design Book

Transitions

PowerPoint has some very interesting and lovely transitions.  There are exciting fractal transitions, dissolving checkerboards, page curls, and origamis.  My advice is that you shouldn't use any of these transitions.  If you do feel like you need transitions, be sparing and subtle, and limit the different types of transitions you use in a presentation.  If a particular transition serves the content of the two slides and you feel it is appropriate, then please use it.  Otherwise you want to avoid the flashiness and stick with a classic transition, such as fade.  With that said, the morph transition is actually a very interesting tool.  You can see this transaction in action below:

Use Imagery

In addition to graphs and charts, imagery can greatly impact your PowerPoint slides.  Be mindful of copyright law, but know that there are many great resources available for you that provide professional, high resolution images.  Some of these sites include: pexels.com, pixabay.com, flickr, or morguefil.com.  The reason why you want high resolution images is that you can always take a large image and make it smaller, but you can't make a small picture larger.  If you enlarge a small image then you will end up losing quality, as it will appear grainy and pixelated.  If you need to make sure an image fits within a certain dimension, crop is or drag it from the corner to resize; do not adjust only the width of the height or else you will end up with tall and skinny or short and fat images.

You also want to avoid many of Microsoft clichés, including clipart, bevel and 3-D effects, and many of the older SmartArt styles.  Also, steer clear of sound effects (e.g. a whoosh sound that plays with a slide transition).  Many of these older effects show signs of their age and audiences have grown weary of them.  

Color Schemes

Color can add flash and flair to your presentation.  It can bring ordinary content to life.  You may be tethered to a certain departmental or institutional template, but if you have a little freedom to explore color schemes then make sure you are mindful of your audience and that you choose colors that work well with each other.  PowerPoint actually has many very good color schemes built into the platform.  You can find these on the Design ribbon >> Variants >> Colors (from the dropdown).  

Another excellent resource for finding color schemes is a platform called Adobe Color.  Within the app, you can explore color options and search for complementary colors, triads, and you can even upload a picture and create a color scheme based on its composition.  

Adobe Color is a free (and fun) color theme app that allows you to explore various color palettes.

Housekeeping tip: Aligning objects

One key to having a polished and professional slidedeck is to make sure that your objects are properly aligned.  What you shouldn't do is drag and drop each object and manually try to align everything.  This will be a lot of work with a lot of room for error.  The best way to align multiple objects is to:

1. Hold shift while clicking each object to select all the objects.
2. On the Format ribbon look for the Arrange group, then apply the Alignment Type

PowerPoint Presentation vs. PowerPoint Show

What is the difference between a pptx and a ppts file?  One is a presentation file, and the other is a show file.  Okay, so what in the world does that mean, exactly?  When you open up a regular PowerPoint file (.pptx), then the PowerPoint program will load up, where you will see the editing pane with all the slide thumbnails and ribbon options.  This allows you to create, modify, save, and show your content.  However, if you are giving a presentation then you can jump straight to presentation mode by saving the file as a show (.ppts).  This means that when you click on the file then it will obviate the editing mode and start the slideshow immediately.  Saving a PowerPoint file as a show is as easy as File >> Save as... >> Save as type: PowerPoint Show.  

Presenter View

Are you going to have two monitors when you present?  If so then you qualify for Presenter View.  Throw away those note cards, because with presenter view you can not only see your presentation slide, but you can also read the slide notes, see the upcoming slide, keep track of time, easily make annotations on the slides, and a myriad of other handy features.  To enable the Presenter View, click on the Slide Show ribbon and check the Use Presenter View box in the Monitors group. In that group you can also select on which monitor the primary slide show will play.  You can also set up the presentation by clicking on the Set Up Slide Show button in the Set Up group on the Slide Show ribbon.  

Written by Dr. Sean Nufer, Director of Ed Tech for TCS Education System.