The document criticizes how many companies require speakers at annual meetings to follow strict PowerPoint guidelines that result in "slideumentation" - boring slides filled with too much text meant to serve as both a visual aid and documentation. This "death by PowerPoint" causes speakers to lose their audience's attention. The document argues that PowerPoint should be used to engage audiences visually rather than try to replace written documents, and that companies should instead request readable written documents from speakers to serve as documentation.

1. How do companies’
annual meetings
kill
their audience
with
slideumentation

2. Many companies
annual
during their
meetings…

3. Don’t forget :
Require their speakers Logo is
mandatory on
to follow PowerPoint guidelines every slide !
uniform PowerPoint guidelines
supposed to be submitted in advance…
… far in advance of the meeting.
with useless and boring bullet points
ugly layout
based on the worst of PowerPoint (or Keynote)
with sub-bullet points to make it clear
and fonts so small that no one can read
with 200 words per slide (*)
(*)only 68 in this one !
© restricted, Date, topic, slide #, location, and don’t forget ugly background

4. Don’t forget :
Require their speakers Logo is
mandatory on
to follow PowerPoint guidelines every slide !
uniform PowerPoint guidelines
supposed to be submitted in advance…
… far in advance of the meeting.
with useless and boring bullet points
ugly layout
based on the worst of PowerPoint (or Keynote)
with sub-bullet points to make it clear
and fonts so small that no one can read
with 200 words per slide (*)
(*)”only” 68 in this one !
© restricted, Date, topic, slide #, location, and don’t forget ugly background

5. these "standardised
PowerPoints“ will be
printed in a large
meeting binder

6. or will be included in the
meeting DVD for attendees
to take home.

7. DVDs that the audience will
never – ever - ever
read !

8. This forces the
speaker into a catch-22
situation

9. Should the presenter
design visuals
that clearly support his live talk ….

10. …. or should he create slides that
Are more like a
to
document
be read
later?"

11. Most presenters
compromise and
shoot for the
middle,
resulting in
poor supporting
visuals talk
for the live

12. and a series of document-like slides
document-
filled with text, bullet points and
that do
other data
not read well.

13. Slides that
most speakers
use as a
teleprompter

14. making
their presentations
boring
Speakers tend to put every word
they are going to say on their
PowerPoint slides. Although this
eliminates the need to memorize
their talk, ultimately this makes
their slides crowded, wordy, and
boring. They lose their audience's
attention before they even reach
the bottom of their first slide.

15. …generating
“Death
by PowerPoint”

16. Can’t be the
Same !
Orientation :
Font size :
Text : as as possible
Max nb. of words / slide :
Text structure : bullet points
Visual : based on
Software : , Keynotes

17. tools…
… actually do
properly!

18. Garr Reynolds, calls
these documents
supposed to serve both
as projected visuals
stand-
and as stand-alone
handouts

19. 1rst key point
speakers tend to put every word they are going to say on their
PowerPoint slides.
Although this
eliminates the need to memorize their talk,
ultimately this makes their slides
crowded, wordy, and boring.
They looe their audience's attention before they even reach the
bottom of their first slide.
2nd key point
uniform PowerPoint guidelines
supposed to be submitted in advance…
… far in advance of the meeting.
with useless and boring bullet points
Ugly layout
based on the worst of PowerPoint (or Keynotes)
With sub-bullet points to make it clear
And fonts so small that no one can read
With 200 words per slide (*)
© restricted, Date, topic, slide #, location, speaker
bad
Slideument makes
visual slides

20. Slideument
makes
bad documentation.
Key points
Big typeface size as if it were a book for
kids. In this case : an ugly book for kids.
Too many pages because of big typeface
size
Tiring to read because of landscape
orientation : written documents made to
be read as newspaper are based on a
portait format, with tight columns, so that
your eyes don’t need to go from the
very left hand side of each page
towards its very right hand side
© restricted, Date, topic, slide #, location, speaker

21. No one likes
Slideument
It isn't effective,
it isn't efficient,
and it isn't pretty.

22. Speakers should
respect
the way the brain works
Either your
audience
reads…

23. Speakers should
respect
the way brain works
… or your
audience
hears you

24. Don’t make
your audience
do both
Either your … or your
audience audience
reads… hears you

25. PowerPoint and Keynote are tools for
displaying visual information that
engage your
audience

26. that
catch
your audience’s sight

27. that
increase your
impact

28. Yes,
that increase your
impact

29. that
illuminate
your words

30. that
inspire
your audience

31. That make
your audience
ecstatic

32. That make
your audience
excited

33. That make
your audience
amazed

34. But :
PowerPoint
and Keynote
are
not good
tools for
making
written
documents

35. Speakers
should use
processors
tools
for
making
written documents

36. "bad
PowerPoints“
reflects
flawed
beliefs :

37. When we
get back home
from the meeting,
who can
believe that
we are going…

38. to attempt to
read pages
full of PowerPoint
Key points
Slides ?!
Big typeface size as if it were a book for
kids. In this case : an ugly book for kids.
Too many pages because of big typeface
size
Tiring to read because of landscape
orientation : written documents made to
be read as newspaper are based on a
portait format, with tight columns, so that
your eyes don’t need to go from the
very left hand side of each page
towards its very right hand side
© restricted, Date, topic, slide #, location, speaker

39. Companies
should request
that speakers
instead send a
readable
written
document

40. A written document
that covers the
main points of their
presentation
with
appropriate
detail
and
depth

41. WORD or PDF
document
that is
written in a
readable
fashion
with links
and a bibliography
to even more detail.

42. WORD or PDF
document
that is
written in a
readable
fashion
with links
and a bibliography
to even more detail.

43. With
consistent

44. would be
far more
effective

45. Using the right tool
to do the right task
is always far more
effective

46. an
ideal World
an ideal
Slideshow
an ideal Word
Presentation
Notes

48. Author : Jean-François MESSIER
Email : jfmessier@mercurifr.com
Acknowledgments
I'd like to thank Garr Reynolds. He did nothing Even they have nothing to do directly with this
directly and didn’t help… however this slideshow slideshow, I’d like to thank the “rest of the band” I
would not have been possible three years ago before discovered through Garr Reynolds ; thanks for
discovering Garr Reynolds’s website and publications. inspiring me every day with your publications and
It’s a long journey to get the best of Garr Reynolds’s presentations : Nancy Duarte, Carmine Gallo, Seth
provocative mix of illumination inspiration, education, Godin, Steve Jobs, Guy Kawasaki, Don McMillan, Dr
and guidance. It may change much more than John Medina, Hans Rosling, John Sweller...
presentations : it may change the speaker himself, it Photo Credit
changed myself. Thanks for this, Garr. iStockphoto.com