Graphs and tables are two such figures in a powerpoint presentation which, if not handled properly, can lead to a presenter losing his audience within seconds of a slide, containing one of them, is displayed. The problem with graphs and tables is that often there is too much information on them. So much information that the audience barely has time to comprehend it within the limited period the slide is on display. On top of that when the presenter talks about the graph or the table, the eyes of the audience are often running across the slide, trying to figure out which part of the slide is the speaker on. Eventually, they give up and zone out of the presentation.
One of the most famous presenters in the world, a gentleman called Steve Jobs, knew that the problem of presenting graphs and tables to an audience can’t be wished away. When Steve Jobs wanted to introduce iPhone4 to the world he had to explain the specifications of this new model of the phone in a tabular format. Moreover, often through his presentations, he had to present graphs showing the progress of his company, Apple.
So what he did, in consultation with his team, of course, was to simplify the tables which he had to present to his audience. He ensured that it would not be too data-heavy. He ensured that the language used in the table would not be full off technical jargon. Most importantly he ensured that the entire table was not dumped on the audience in one go. Had that happened, he would have lost his audience in the maze of rows and columns he had just put in front of them.
To avoid such a situation he was smart enough to put forward, the table in which he was showing the specifications of the new iphone4, row by row. After every row was introduced to the audience he would explain the information and then move on to the next row. So, due to this approach, Steve Jobs ensured that his audience would not lose attention.
Whenever Steve Jobs would have to present a graph in front of his audience he would ensure that the graphs would not be too heavy with information. More often than not, when we put our detailed graphs, as it is, on the slide, the number and the text are found to be too small in size for the audience to figure out what is the graph suggesting. Whenever Steve Jobs put forward a graph, more often than not he would put forward the information in a very simple manner. He would present the information in a step by step manner so that the audience would find the information easy to absorb.
So, what is really important, while presenting a table or a graph in a powerpoint, is to ensure cognitive and psychological optimization of the slides. To achieve this it is recommended to take the assistance of powerpoint presentation designers as attempting to do the task by oneself would no doubt become a very time-consuming process. What powerpoint presentation designers do is that they ensure that the information which you wish to put forward in the form of illustrations or tables or graphs is done so in a simple and comprehensible manner.
The powerpoint experts ensure that your powerpoint presentation design is such that the audience would not feel lost in the maze of numbers and figures and text consisting of the illustrations, tables, and graphs. Moreover, the experts ensure that your powerpoint presentation design has a proper structure to it and that all the illustrations and figures blend in with the rest of the document. This would ensure that your presentation is perfectly rounded up by the time it is finalized and that is exactly what the audiences like to see!