Digital Presentation Tools

Where PowerPoint used to be the only method to visualize information, more and more tools have sprung up over the years to add some diversity to corporate and student presentations.

PowerPoint is a classic presentation tool that remains everpopular by numerous presenters. Nearly everyone in the academic world understands how to create a basic presentation. However, due to PowerPoint’s popularity, it loses some of its appeal.

Notice how this image features a tour of PowerPoint from 2011. PowerPoint can be viewed as dated.

There is nothing wrong with PowerPoint, it’s just extremely common. PowerPoints are still effective presentation tools, but there are others that my allow your presentation to stand out a bit more.

Prezi is probably the most commonly used apart from PowerPoint. Prezi is an online, web-based presentation tool which started back in 2008 as a way to replace ordinary slide presentations. Rather than flip through slides, the user creates points in a 3D environment where the reader zooms through the presentation. The information technically lies on a 2D plane, but at different depths that are reached through pans and zooms set by the user.

Prezi allows you to begin with a zoomed-in shot…

…before zooming out to reveal new information!

Prezi is more fluid than PowerPoint, and can add diversity. Projects have a much better chance to stand out if they are unique, giving students who use Prezi an edge. If a class of students all use PowerPoint to present, the one student using an alternate presentation tool will certainly be the standout.

PiktoChart is another web-based presentation tool that gives the user a substantial amount of creative control. PiktoChart is regularly used to create fantastic infographics, as well as posters and presentations. If a student is uncertain which format to present in, PiktoChart offers enough diversity for experimentation before making a decision.

Here is an example of a partial infographic created within Piktochart!

A major benefit of PiktoChart is the amount of graphics they supply. Presenters can find a free graphic of just about anything they could ever need, and all for free. The only con to PiktoChart is unless you spend money to upgrade, there will always be a PiktoChart watermark on the creation.

Overall it’s up to you to decide what software best fits your presentation, but hopefully this expanded your knowledge of potential tools available!