A New Way to Wow’em in the Boardroom

For those of you looking for a new alternative to PowerPoint, you might want to check out Prezi.com.

Prezi is a free application that allows you to create presentations with flash technology that are both Mac and Windows compatible. Because I’m familiar with Adobe’s Creative Suites, I was able to create a presentation in less than an hour. However, this program isn’t for the technology-challenged. I also wouldn’t recommend Prezi if you prefer a more linear approach to creating presentations.

The finished product is very visually appealing; however, I found the creation process a bit frustrating. For example, the first few steps in creating my Prezi were easy, but the rest of the process was difficult, limited and confusing. First, I clicked Create New Prezi, entered a title and description, selected my design and clicked Create. Next, I clicked Open Me. Then I clicked Open. So far so good, but that’s where it all changed.

Unlike PowerPoint, Prezi does not allow the user to use multiple slides. Instead, the user is given one screen in which to design his/her Prezi. Also, the user must use a control module in the upper left corner to create the Prezi.

To add text to the Prezi, the user must click Place; Text; body, strong or head and then click anywhere on the screen to place the text box. Once you’ve created the text box, you can add text in the text box. However, you cannot change characteristics of the text, such as style or color. You can however, change the position, rotation and size of the text by using a Prezi tool called the transformation zebra.

To use this tool, click Place and then click on the text box. The transformation zebra will appear over the text box. If you click and drag on the inside circle of this tool, you can move the text. If you click and drag on the middle ring of this tool, you can resize the text. And if you click and drag on the outside ring of this tool, you can rotate the text.

To add image, video or PDF files, click Place, Media, and File. Then select a media file and click Open. The file will appear on your Prezi. To edit the file, use the transformation zebra in the same way that you used it to edit text.

Once you’ve finished adding elements to your Prezi, you’ll need to create a path for the presentation. Because Prezi does not place elements on separate slides like PowerPoint, the path will show the elements in the order you desire based on the path you’ve created. To create a path for your Prezi, click Place, Path and path. Then click on the objects in the order you’d like them to appear. Once you’ve click the last object, click on the first object again to close the path. If your objects are too close together, they will appear in the same window. You can use the transformation zebra to move them farther away from each other, so they don’t appear in the same screen together. When you’ve finished creating your Prezi, make sure you save it by clicking File, save & close and close.

Want to see my first Prezi? The click here.

Have you tried Prezi? What do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this free application. Post a comment below and let me know.

Until next time,

dp

Stayed tuned for more reports on my student adventures in public relations and new media.