Since 1998,
Google has been giving us Google Doodles. The first Google Doodle was in honor
of the Burning Man Festival.
It was
simple and still used the Google text with an image behind the word.
What Google can teach
us about PowerPoint is that you don’t need to use text to communicate your
message. Yes, many Google Doodles still use the Google Text, but they have been
transformed into images that tell a story.
Take the
Google Doodle from June 1, 2015 “Children’s Day 2015 (Multiple Countries).”
While the
Doodle does show the letters in the word “Google,” they have been transformed
to show a children’s playground. Each letter represents a child playing,
laughing, and singing.
You know it is Google’s Home Page when you get there,
even though you don’t see Google’s true logo. You think about children on a playground.
Google Doodle’s are telling a story, much like a PowerPoint Presentation should do. Your
mind reads the story that is being told to you in the image.
Most, if not
all, of you have either sat through or created a PowerPoint Presentation that
you would consider “Death by PowerPoint.” You know, those blank white slides
with bulleted text so small that you have a tough time reading it, or can’t
read it at all. The presenter just reads the text as if you were a 2 year old.
Google
Doodles were initially neither animated nor hyperlinked; Doodles transformed.
From January 2010 with the first animated Doodle honoring Sir Isaac Newton,
to the first
interactive Doodle appearing shortly thereafter celebrating Pac-Man,
and then hyperlinks
began to be added to Doodles, usually linking to a search results page
for the subject of the Doodle.
As simple as
it may sound, these are the things Google can teach us about PowerPoint.
As Google
Doodles have transformed, so has PowerPoint. PowerPoint now offers features
that allow you to make your presentations come alive.
Transitions, Image
layering, Animations, Hyperlinks, and other incredible features aren’t there
for you to present boring white slides with bullets. These amazing features
allow you to engage your audience, to tell your story. We should make our PowerPoint slides visual,
interesting to the eyes, and interactive whenever possible.
Now, don’t
think you need to go crazy with using PowerPoint features. Look to Google
Doodles for inspiration: Keep slides simple, but tell a story. Use an image for
your audience to view as you speak to your topic. Let the audience use all of
their senses to hear your story.
You also don’t
need to be a graphic designer. There are plenty of free image sites out there.
One of my favorite is Pexels.
You can
search by keywords to find the image that best represents your story. Simply
place the image into the slide and fill the slide with the image. Often times, you
don’t need any text at all. Your audience will absorb the image and your story
as they view the image and you speak to them. It can also insight a
conversation.
Tip: When using images, not only do you want to make sure avoid
copyrighted images, but don’t use a goofy clipart image when you are speaking
about a serious topic, for example. And, don’t just place the image next to your bulleted
text. While sometimes that will work, it still looks boring and it looks like
an afterthought.
I bet everyone reading this remembers at least
one (1) Google Doodle they’ve seen over the years. And, so it should be when
your audience views your PowerPoint Presentation. They should remember
something about what you presented. They shouldn’t come out of your
presentation thinking they’ve just seen another “Death by PowerPoint”
presentation.
The moral of
the story – Google can teach us about PowerPoint. It’s how you use what you've learned that will make you better.
Learn from
Google Doodles and go make engaging, exciting, story-telling PowerPoint Presentations.
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