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20 creative presentation ideas to captivate your audience

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Michael Lee June 17, 2019

The ultimate aim of every presentation is to etch a memorable mark that lingers in the minds of your audience long after the final slide fades away. Memorable presentations should be a creative blend of captivating design, innovative elements, and engaging delivery. To ignite your presentation prowess and set your creativity on fire, we’ve handpicked a treasure trove of 20 ingenious creative presentation ideas that will transform your presentations from bland to brilliantly unforgettable:

1. Experiment with color

It’s surprising what a little color can do. The way you use and pair colors in your presentation design can grab an otherwise disinterested audience member’s attention. Just make sure you do it tastefully and carry the theme across all frames. When in doubt, you can simply choose from one of Prezi’s existing content layouts , each with an appealing color palette.

Try experimenting with a two-toned design by adding different accents to your presentation background and other visual elements. You might start with a black-and-white design, then add a bright pop of one color throughout. Contrasting color palettes (think yellow and blue, pink and mint green, etc.) can also create this eye-popping effect. Alternatively, you can use neutral shades to give off a more subdued vibe.

Another idea? Add a color filter to your images to tie them into your color theme. Learn more about presentation colors in our guide.

2. Use a striking background theme

Looking for more presentation ideas and creative ways to present? Put some thought into your background image, as it’s what your audience will be looking at during the entire presentation. If you want to use a photo, choose one that’s beautiful, sentimental, or has action and flow. Just make sure you pick an image that has enough negative space on which to place text. You can also play around with textures and patterns, such as ripples or wood, or themes that are symbolic of your message, such as a passport, billboard, rocket launch, road trip, etc.

Additionally, make sure your chosen background image isn’t distracting. You want to keep your audience’s focus on the foreground — the graphics, text, and special effects you’ve created. Prezi already has a large library of effective and high-quality backgrounds and images you can search for when designing your presentation, so no need to source them from somewhere else.

3. Put thoughts into speech bubbles

Other creative ways to present information include using speech bubbles to communicate key points to audience members. Use them to illustrate an idea or to reveal a character’s thoughts or fears in your story. Have them pop up as notes or commentary in the frame you’re presenting. Similarly, you can use speech bubbles to show milestones on a timeline. If you’re revealing poll or survey results about a product or service, for instance, place data or participant feedback in bubbles.

But, like anything in a presentation, don’t go overboard with it. While speech bubbles can be a fantastic addition, excessive use might divert your audience’s focus from the core message. So, using speech bubbles in the right places to create impact can be effective for engaging your listeners, but scattering them throughout every slide might be a little excessive and cause the opposite effect. Balance is key when using speech bubbles. 

4. Abandon the slide-by-slide style

Free your presentations from the confines of slides. As an interactive presentation tool, Prezi allows for dynamic designs to take your audience on a journey as you tell your story. Zoom in and out on key points. Navigate between topics and sections of your presentation in any order. Go vertical instead of horizontal. Make transitions between ideas look like pathways or scenes instead of simply clicking sequentially from frame to frame. All of these elements come together to make a memorable presentation.

These types of tactics will give your presentation a cinematic feel that will captivate and inspire your audience. An open canvas design also makes it easier for you to tell a story , which people tend to process and remember more easily than straight facts. Prezi’s ready-made templates and striking graphics make it simple for you to share your narrative via one of these seemingly complex designs. If you want to transform a static PowerPoint presentation into a dynamic moving story, simply upload your file and try Prezi’s PowerPoint Converter feature .

5. Tell your story with a video

Presenters have been incorporating video into their slide decks for decades. Video is one of the most creative ways to present projects. It allows you to tell your story using visuals instead of big blocks of text. Now, however, it’s time to elevate the video so it captures your audience’s attention and enhances your narrative. Embed videos that play automatically when you navigate to certain parts of your Prezi canvas.

Just be sure to use videos that aren’t distracting and that work with the rest of your presentation’s flow. They should still complement your presentation’s overall design theme and message. If you’re not producing a video yourself, you can find thematic ones from stock video sites or on YouTube. Just be aware that you might need permission to use some videos.

It’s important to select videos beforehand and place them strategically so that they hit hard in the right places. Selecting the perfect videos is like choosing gems to adorn your presentation’s crown. These videos should harmonize seamlessly with your content, elevating the story you’re weaving.

Imagine, for instance, using a time-lapse video of a bustling cityscape to represent the rapid pace of change in the business world during your presentation on industry trends. Blending your videos with the theme of your topic in this way goes beyond just catching your audience’s eye, it actually adds depth to your story while also making your message more impactful.

6. Bring your story to life with audio

Another presentation idea to minimize text and maximize audience engagement is to add sound to your presentation. Tell your story using pre-recorded audio. This creative presentation style turns the viewer experience into just that — an experience. While the audio plays, you can move around the stage and navigate to various parts of the presentation that support the narrative visually. Again, the effect is almost movie-like.

Another auditory presentation tool is music. Use music to set the tone of your talk, or inject it periodically to regain the audience’s attention. The appropriate song choice can get the entire audience into the mood of your presentation. Choose upbeat tunes to convey excitement or dramatic ones that will trigger an emotional response . Plus, if you play a catchy tune that sticks in people’s heads, that’ll help them remember your presentation that much more.

7. Add animations

Another creative way to present is by bringing an otherwise static design to life is animation. Go beyond video by borrowing from stop-motion principles for your presentation. Stop motion is a technique in which you film objects one frame at a time to simulate motion in a scene or a story. You can recreate this effect in Prezi by using zoom, fade, and pan animations to tell a moving story frame by frame.

Animations can inspire and engage your audience, but just be sure to use them sparingly and as a complement to your story or message.

7.1. Make it fun with GIFs

Adding animated GIFs to your presentation can not only make it more fun but also help catch your audience’s eye. Because they’re trendy and often reference pop culture or common emotions, GIFs can help you get your point across without having to use just words.

However, it’s crucial to exercise moderation when employing these elements. While animations and GIFs can enhance engagement, excessive use of them can become distracting. There’ll be certain presentation topics or subjects where GIFs will look misplaced, so just make sure you think carefully about whether they correlate with your message before you use them. However, GIFs are a great way to inject humor and light-heartedness right after slides filled with heavy information. When executed skillfully, animations and GIFs transform your presentation into a dynamic and interactive visual journey, leaving an enduring impression on your audience.

8. Create a timeline

The timeline is nothing new. It’s how you apply it to a presentation that can really wow an audience. Prezi’s dynamic designs let you use the timeline as the basis or focal point of the presentation and then navigate along as you tell your story or plan of action.

Zooming in on specific elements of your timeline as you discuss them adds another layer of clarity and focus. It helps make sure your audience stays on track with your story and doesn’t get lost in the details or complexities. This laid-back way of highlighting key moments or steps keeps people interested and makes it easier for them to remember what you’re talking about.

9. Use maps

Deliver a creative presentation with maps, especially if there’s a geographic or location-based topic in your content. Set a map as your background or focal point, and prompt different regions to change colors or pop out as you navigate over them. When it comes to designing maps , make sure you’re purposefully selecting colors, as the color palette you choose can change the way people respond to your data. Don’t pick colors that are too similar when you’re making comparisons, for example. Use Prezi’s zoom function to zero in on areas for more details, or pull back to reveal the larger context.

You can also go the thinking map route, which is a visual learning technique that can convey complex ideas simply and creatively. Start with a central theme, then branch out into paths or surrounding points. The eight variations of thinking maps include circle maps, bubble maps, flow maps, treemaps, and more. These can be effective interactive aids in educational presentations as well as for small businesses.

10. Do away with bulleted lists

To truly transform your presentations, consider stepping away from the conventional bullet-point lists that often lead to passive learning. Instead, harness the power of visuals to inspire active engagement from your audience. Visual content stimulates the brain’s cognitive processes, making your message more memorable. Engage your listeners by replacing bullet points with visuals .

Prezi’s open canvas design is a valuable tool in this transformation. It shifts the focus from passive delivery to interactive engagement. By using visuals, you prompt your audience to actively process and respond to your content, fostering a deeper understanding and connection with your message. This shift from traditional bullet points to a visually driven, interactive approach can significantly enhance the impact of your presentations.

11. Communicate with images

Presentation images are nothing new. However, when standing alone, photographs, paintings, and other images can have a really powerful effect. Instead of trying to talk over an image, use it as a stepping stone in your presentation, a point of reflection. Once in a while, let visuals do the talking.

Also, a study has found that people process visuals 60,000 times faster than text . So, incorporating more images will make your presentation more memorable.

However, be careful with your selection of images – make sure that they’re relevant to the topic and aren’t just filling up an empty space.

Also, If you’re using Prezi for your presentation, you can access a huge library of images that takes away the headache of finding that one perfect shot. It’s like having a cheat code for making your presentation pop. So dive into the library and pick out visuals that’ll make your presentation not just informative, but engaging.

12. Play with transitions

Using slide transitions is one of the simple yet creative ways to present a project. They create visual continuity and add movement to slides. However, choosing the right page transition for your slides is truly a form of art. You have to consider the topic, tone of voice, and your presentation design. Page transitions should match the overall design, create flawless continuity, highlight key areas in your presentation, and do all that without stealing the show. Ultimately, you want it to compliment your presentation.

If you are looking for inspiration, check out Prezi Present ‘s wide selection of templates . You can play with transitions by adding additional animated elements that will make your presentation even more dynamic.

13. Swap for an infographic

To truly stand out and make a lasting impression, consider departing from the traditional slide-based approach and exploring infographics. Infographics are powerful visual tools that condense complex information into digestible, visually appealing formats. Instead of the conventional slide-by-slide progression, imagine scrolling through your presentation, seamlessly transitioning from one section to the next. This fluid movement allows you to verbally expand on key points while displaying the core information visually.

When you’re adding infographics, aim for designs that are easy to understand but also match your brand’s vibe. You want something that looks good and fits well with the rest of your presentation, so everything feels like it’s part of the same story. This helps make your presentation both easy to follow and hard to forget.

14. Get social

Employing a unique hashtag associated with your brand can significantly amplify the impact of your presentation, extending its reach far beyond the confines of the physical venue. This hashtag acts as a vital link between your presentation and the vast world of social media. Inviting your audience to dive into the live-tweet action with a dedicated hashtag during your talk isn’t just a savvy move; it’s a dynamic double play. You expand your reach, drawing in more eager participants, while simultaneously igniting a thriving online symphony of ongoing discussions and insights.

This approach effectively transforms your presentation into an active, two-way conversation. As you speak, people can immediately share their thoughts, favorite parts, and main lessons, creating a sense of togetherness and active involvement. Furthermore, the utilization of a branded hashtag allows you to monitor and engage in these conversations, strengthening your connection with your audience and providing an avenue for addressing questions or feedback. 

Even after your presentation concludes, these online discussions continue to thrive, ensuring that your message remains fresh in the minds of your audience members long after they’ve left the physical venue. This lively and extended interaction adds an exciting twist to your presentations, transforming them from just informative sessions into lively hubs of ongoing conversation and learning.

15. Use creative props

Physical props add a memorable dimension to your talk. Props serve as powerful visual aids, helping to illustrate key points, provide tangible examples, and offer visual cues. Props can be particularly useful for educational presentations, especially if you need to demonstrate an example. Another situation where props are paramount is if you are a brand that’s launching a new product and doing a promotional presentation. 

With Prezi’s creative tools at the forefront of your presentation along with your latest product at hand- you’re bound to persuade your audience. Integrating props at the right time in connection to your current presentation can really create a connection between you and your listeners. Put yourself in your audience’s shoes, would you take in the information by just reading and listening, or would seeing and touching physical props add a layer of interest that enhances your mental absorption?

16. Utilize virtual reality (VR)

VR technology allows you to transport your audience into a different environment or scenario closely related to your presentation topic. Transforming your presentation into a new virtual world takes it far beyond the expectations of mundane slide-by-slide presentations.

With VR, you can engage your audience with a dynamic three-dimensional world where they become active explorers, engaging directly with your content. Picture this: You’re showing off architectural wonders, recreating epic historical events, or unraveling the inner workings of intricate systems. VR takes your presentations to a whole new level, letting your audience not only see and hear but also experience and genuinely feel your message. It’s like inviting them to step right into the heart of your story.

17. Use gamification

Picture turning your presentation into an exhilarating game that dares to captivate and thrill your audience. When you add a little playfulness to your presentation, your audience is going to absorb your information without it feeling like a chore. Making aspects of your talk into fun learning experiences is going to keep your audience switched on throughout the whole presentation. 

You can achieve this by incorporating various interactive elements like puzzles, questions, or interactive storytelling that turn your presentation into an immersive and educational game. Encouraging your audience to think and respond will result in active participants rather than passive observers. 

18. Employ live demonstrations

Incorporating live demonstrations into your presentation is a potent strategy for effectively conveying your message. Whether you’re showcasing a product’s functionality, conducting a captivating science experiment, or engaging your audience in a hands-on activity, live demonstrations actively involve your audience and leave an enduring mark.

Live demonstrations can transform presentations into captivating journeys where your audience doesn’t just listen but also witnesses concepts coming to life before their eyes. This physical approach creates curiosity and entices active participation, effectively transforming your message into something tangible. When people can see, touch, or take part in live demonstrations, it makes a strong connection. It brings your audience right into your content and makes sure they take the message away with them afterward. 

19. Design comic-style frames 

Using comic strips as a presentation style is great when you want to make your presentation engaging and easy to remember. It works well for topics where you want to tell a story, explain things step by step, or simplify complex information. Comic strips contain the best of both worlds, combining visuals with storytelling. This means they’re versatile for various topics, such as education, marketing, and product demos.

The clever approach of comic strips crafts an animated, captivating experience that keeps your audience glued to their seats and sparks their eagerness to participate. Not only that, but it also makes your message highly memorable.

Creating a comic strip in Prezi is straightforward. Start by planning your content and breaking it down into bite-size sections that will be arranged in sequence. Then, use Prezi’s features to design each section as a comic frame, inserting relevant visuals and images. Prezi’s text and shape tools help you add speech bubbles or captions to guide the story you’re telling. As you present, take on the role of a storyteller, guiding your audience through each frame of your comic strip presentation with captivating explanations that hold their attention.

20. Emulate the style of TED talks

The TED-style approach is a powerful method of delivering presentations that revolves around the core principles of clarity, simplicity, emotional resonance, and compelling storytelling. In this approach, speakers focus on distilling complex ideas into easily digestible narratives, using relatable language and impactful visuals to engage their audience. TED-style talks typically center on a single compelling idea , conveyed with passion and authenticity, making them concise, memorable, and inspiring for a wide range of viewers.

Learn how you can excel in storytelling and develop TED Talk presentation skills in the following video:

Staying current with creative presentation ideas

Just as technology and communication methods constantly change, so do presentation audience preferences and expectations. Keeping your creative presentation ideas fresh and aligned with contemporary trends can significantly impact your effectiveness as a presenter.

Why keeping up matters

Adapting to audience expectations.

This is the key to making a memorable impact with your presentations. In the modern world, audiences want more than the ordinary; they seek thrilling, dynamic experiences. To make this happen, you must wholeheartedly embrace cutting-edge technologies and innovative concepts to make your presentations highly engaging. So, why stick with the mundane when you can captivate your audience’s imagination and curiosity with creative presentation ideas? Break free from the conventional and explore new concepts using Prezi. 

Maintaining relevance

Staying relevant is the cornerstone of success. To connect deeply with your audience, demonstrate your strong dedication to delivering top-notch content consistently. Your presentations should stand out with innovation and creativity, signaling that you’re not merely keeping pace with the times – you’re setting the tempo. With Prezi’s toolbox, you’ll be ready to explore a range of creative presentation ideas that leave a lasting impression on your audience. 

Fueling engagement

Elevating your presentations from mere information-sharing sessions to immersive experiences can be a game-changer. By staying in the loop on fresh creative presentation ideas and cool interactive tricks, you’re all set to captivate your audience. Adding some of these new, interactive touches can help you grab and keep people’s attention way better than just repeating the same slideshows.

Where to get your inspo 

If you’re ready to improve your creative game, there are plenty of helpful blogs, webinars, and online courses about fun presentation ideas you can dive into. Prezi offers a lot of useful tips for making your presentations stand out. Think of Prezi as your toolbox, always within reach to unlock your presentation’s potential and make a lasting impression. For presentation inspiration , check out Prezi’s presentation gallery and explore our highly engaging and creative templates .

Watch this video and learn more about creative presentation ideas:

Get inspired for more presentation ideas

The world isn’t flat, and your presentations shouldn’t be, either. Step outside your comfort zone, and play around with these 20 creative ways to present. Better yet, come up with your own creative ways to present and incorporate them into one of Prezi’s dynamic content layouts. Using this presentation software’s open canvas approach, you can tell your story conversationally and spontaneously so that audience members will engage with and remember.

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How to use Prezi

5 second powerpoint handouts.

Prezi is a cloud-based presentation application that lets you use different motion, zoom, and spatial relationships to create visual representations of your ideas. Interestingly, it’s based on an infinite canvas. This canvas, along with Prezi’s zoom in and zoom out capability, are very powerful features that currently sets Prezi apart from its competitors.

Prezi is the brainchild of Adam Somlai-Fischer, a Hungarian media artist and architect, who felt that the traditional form of slides limited his creativity. He joined forces with Peter Halacsy, and Peter Arvai to develop the first version of the application, called “ZuiPrezi”. ZUI for the Zooming User Interface and Prezi as the Hungarian diminutive for presentation. However, the name was soon changed to Prezi.

Prezi works as if it were a huge mind map where you are free to arrange your images, videos, and text. You can easily make the important aspects big, to get your audience’s attention easier, and the details smaller. Once you have the components of your presentation on the canvas, you can set the storyline using a path. If these terms are new to you, don’t worry. Let’s get started and learn how to. use Prezi.

If you are relatively new to Prezi, can feel different, and people can find it challenging when they first start. it’s features, such as paths, and frame animations. When used incorrectly, transitions could make your audience feel dizzy. Of course, you are keen to avoid that. However, when correctly using the frames and paths, Prezi is a great tool.

Prezi doesn’t force you to use a linear storyline. Instead, you are free to follow any format suits your presentation best. You can easily communicate complex and nonlinear concepts, move seamlessly between frames, and build each idea separately before showing the big picture to your audience. With Prezi, it is also very easy to switch back to any frame when you need to answer questions from your audience.

Another big advantage you get from using Prezi is its ability to facilitate collaborative work by allowing several persons to edit and add content to the same presentations. However, when you choose to create in Prezi, there is much more to it. Prezi’s user interface shows in real-time the activity of other members.

How To Use Prezi?

Prezi frames.

Frames are used to group several pieces of content together. You can think of Prezi frames the same way you think of PowerPoint’s slides.

Prezi Canvas

It is the blank space you use to create a presentation. Unlike a physical canvas, you can zoom into any parts and hide the rest.

Unlike Powerpoint, Prezi lets you preset transitions between different frames. Even if it’s not mandatory to define the path you wish to take, most people rely on paths to set the speed of transitions and other visual aspects.

Get Started with Prezi

Now that we have an understanding of Prezi’s key terms, let’s see the steps needed to get started. Even if Prezi allows you to begin working with a blank canvas, this approach can be time-consuming, at least for a newcomer. Instead, to give your presentation a slick look in a few minutes, you can choose to start working with one of the many built-in templates. With only a few steps, you will be able to tweak your template and create your own personal touch.

Now that we have our presentation created in a Prezi template, we can choose the colors and fonts. To do this, you must click the customize button on the top of the screen and… start working on your presentation.

Here are some of the most useful tips that will help you work faster with Prezi:

• use left-click and hold to move around,
• hover the mouse over a piece of content to select it (a blue box will appear). Then you can zoom into it.
• move your mouse to the middle of the screen to display the zoom in and zoom out box

Another easy way to start working with Prezi is to import existing content from a PowerPoint presentation. With Prezi, each slide is turned to a separate frame. When a slide is imported, Prezi smartly identifies each individual element like title, body, and images. This allows you to edit work on the elements separately.

Prezi Examples

Prezi is a great tool for making presentations and sharing them online with your colleagues or customers. Here are some collected Prezi presentations that could inspire you for your next presentation:

• MGB – Luxury Airline Interiors
• Student Universe

Prezi for Companies

PowerPoint allowed anyone in business the chance to express an idea. It added much needed visual effects to business messages, and it was easy to use. As such, has become an almost standard piece of software in many companies.

As a result, these days, most of the business presentations show the standard PowerPoint themes. They might have some minor tweaks, but still look outdated.

Prezi brings important advantages. It will help you stand above your competitors. It will allow you to share your ideas online and collaborate with your colleagues. Even more, with Prezi you can import your old PowerPoint slides.

Prezi Alternatives

Choosing presentation software is an important decision. The right tool can make the difference between an average presentation and one that keeps the audience engaged and successfully delivers the message. If for some reason Prezi doesn’t appeal to you, here are some alternatives:

Prezi Alternative No. 1: Microsoft PowerPoint

PowerPoint is included in Microsoft Office and has been the most widely used presentation software for many years. It benefits from an impressive gallery of themes and it has a large user base that can help if you run into trouble.

Prezi Alternative No. 2: Apple Keynote

Apple Keynote is an established product that, for years, has been the standard for many Mac users. Common to all Apple products, it is tightly integrated with the macOS ecosystems and it provides easy access to multimedia content via iTunes and iPhotos. F For Mac users, Keynote is included in the price of their computer. Also, its iCloud version is free to use for anyone with an Internet connection.

Prezi Alternative No. 3: Google Slides

It is part of Google’s productivity office suite and you can access it from any browser. Like using Prezi, it is a good option when you need to create and share your slides online. Many users choose Google Slides due to it’s a collaborative approach that allows different contributors to simultaneously work on the same document. Furthermore, Google offers the Q&A feature that lets attendees communicate with the presenter through an HTTP link.

Prezi Next vs Prezi Classic

Prezi Next, the latest update from Prezi, uses the best storytelling elements found in Prezi Classic and adds several innovative features such as private presenter notes, intuitive editing, and customizable designer templates.

In many aspects, Prezi Next simplifies your options to create standards of continuity from slide to slide. Creating Prezi Next using. HTML5 instead of Flash provides the audience to see a smoother-looking presentation.

Some users still choose to use Prezi Classic when creating their slides as they like to see more control over the customization. The good news for them is that the old version is still available and the company announced that it has no plans to discontinue it.

Prezi Accessibility: Desktop Software vs. Online

Prezi Desktop is in many aspects similar to the online version of Prezi, but once you have completed the registration process it does not require an Internet connection.

Prezi desktop is useful when you work offline. Just imagine when you have to incorporate some last-minute information on a flight.

When creating you next presentation, if you choose to use Prezi give yourself a little more time. Creating a Prezi for, the first time can be a challenge, but should you choose to do so, the outcome can be very rewarding. appeals with its innovative features the let your creative juices flow. These days, audiences are tired of slide-based presentations, so Prezi’s immersive presentations have the WOW factor.

In the future, Prezi might become more commonplace or other ingenious alternatives might appear. But, until this happens, Prezi should be the go-to application for creating an engaging and beautiful presentation.

Whether you are presenting to management, colleagues, a venture capitalist at a conference, meeting, or sales demo – here are some basic tips that will help you wow your audience. Using these helpful tips will turn your next corporate presentation from ‘good’ to ‘great’ and make you a winner.

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How to Make a “Good” Presentation “Great”

• Guy Kawasaki

Remember: Less is more.

A strong presentation is so much more than information pasted onto a series of slides with fancy backgrounds. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others. Here are some unique elements that make a presentation stand out.

• Fonts: Sans Serif fonts such as Helvetica or Arial are preferred for their clean lines, which make them easy to digest at various sizes and distances. Limit the number of font styles to two: one for headings and another for body text, to avoid visual confusion or distractions.
• Colors: Colors can evoke emotions and highlight critical points, but their overuse can lead to a cluttered and confusing presentation. A limited palette of two to three main colors, complemented by a simple background, can help you draw attention to key elements without overwhelming the audience.
• Pictures: Pictures can communicate complex ideas quickly and memorably but choosing the right images is key. Images or pictures should be big (perhaps 20-25% of the page), bold, and have a clear purpose that complements the slide’s text.
• Layout: Don’t overcrowd your slides with too much information. When in doubt, adhere to the principle of simplicity, and aim for a clean and uncluttered layout with plenty of white space around text and images. Think phrases and bullets, not sentences.

As an intern or early career professional, chances are that you’ll be tasked with making or giving a presentation in the near future. Whether you’re pitching an idea, reporting market research, or sharing something else, a great presentation can give you a competitive advantage, and be a powerful tool when aiming to persuade, educate, or inspire others.

• Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist at Canva and was the former chief evangelist at Apple. Guy is the author of 16 books including Think Remarkable : 9 Paths to Transform Your Life and Make a Difference.

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How to Use AI to Make a Work Presentation

For a different perspective when creating a presentation, let artificial intelligence step in, and see what happens.

Is a presentation supposed to be concise, or is it a storytelling process for sharing your ideas with others?  

I don't have the answer to that question. But I was recently tasked with creating a presentation for a client, and though I was unclear whether it was going to be verbally presented via Zoom or handed off via email, I needed to edit my presentation so it would feel more conversational and less like a to-do list. While beautiful in design, it lacked the same personality in its content.

So to prepare for any potential outcome, I hopped on goblin.tools , a free neurodivergent-focused AI platform used to help navigate daily tasks like meals, time management, digital communication and even tone. 

With a few shortcuts built exactly for my immediate need -- like the Estimator (just tell me how long this will take), the Judge (am I misreading the tone of this?) and the Formalizer (turn spicy thoughts into classy ones, or vice versa) -- I knew that refining what I'd created would take less time than if I were to sift through my syntax and edit on my own.

If you're curious about how long something like creating or editing a presentation will take, just turn to goblin.tools' Estimator.

And for more ways to use AI for work, check out CNET's AI Atlas hub for tips on  how to use AI to summarize a Google Doc and  how to use AI to get a summary of a Zoom call .

How to use goblin.tools to make a presentation 

Step 1: goblin.tools was created for ease of use, so navigating the site is pretty easy. First, jump into the Estimator to get an approximate time -- and set an expectation -- for how long creating your presentation will take. My estimate was two to four hours and didn't exceed that. 

Step 2: From here, insert your copy into the Formalizer and toggle through the drop-down menu to find the tone you want to work with. With 14 different tone options, the Formalizer makes it fun to figure out how you want to get your point across -- or how (and if) your message will land. 

Step 3: For my presentation's setup and closing, I clicked on more passionate and found myself turning to easier to read for any areas where there was complex information. If you have an outline or article or brief to turn into bullet points for your presentation, this is also the place to do it. 

Step 4: Inevitably, you'll find a part of your presentation that you'd like to expand on or dig into a bit more. Another great asset of goblin.tools is the Professor, which gives you a crash course on, well, anything (goblin.tools has access to OpenAI's GPT models , and its training data for all that "knowledge"). Enter what you'd like an explanation of, and the Professor will answer with a simplified explanation of your subject and an example that puts its explanation into practice. So, when I found my presentation reading with a gap between what I was speaking about and why it was important for this specific target audience to hear about it, I toggled over to that part of the site.  

Step 5: Once you're satisfied with your draft presentation, copy it over into the Judge to gauge how it comes across. I used this feature to see whether goblin.tools understood my main ideas. If the AI platform could read into my presentation from a similar perspective as my own, I felt oddly confident about how an actual person would respond to it.

Step 6: Read, refine and repeat until you can call your presentation finished. Congratulations!

Should you use goblin.tools to make a presentation?

This particular AI tool can't be used to both help you design and write a presentation, but it can set you up for success in the writing portion. You can learn about a subject, design best practices and even have your presentation's outline, bullet points and first draft refined on the platform. 

But if you're seeking an AI tool to help you with all aspects of the presentation-creation process, I would utilize another tool before this one. A few currently that are creating digital buzz are Beautiful.ai , Tome  and the long-standing  Canva . Because I was solely needing to (re)write my presentation, this wasn't a pain point for me. But I can understand the need for a tool that can create everything at once. 

I believe goblin.tools is helpful for many aspects of professional and personal life, and since it doesn't have a paywall (unless you're in China), you're not losing out by trying it.

It may not be the all-in-one presentation tool that you might be seeking, but it can be helpful for a myriad of "life admin" tasks -- like writing an email to a client to clarify whether your presentation will be held via Zoom or in person. 

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How to make your presentation sound more like a conversation.

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The main difference between strong, confident speakers and speakers who seem nervous in front of the room is in how relaxed and conversational they appear. Here are some basic pointers that will help you create a conversational tone when speaking, regardless of the size of your audience.

1. Avoid using the word, “presentation.” Every time you say, “I’m here to give you a presentation on X,” or, “In this presentation, you’ll see…,” you are emphasizing the formal, structured, sometimes artificial nature of the interaction. No one wants to be “presented” to. Instead, use language that emphasizes a natural, conversational exchange. “We’re here today to talk about X,” or “Today I’ll be sharing some ideas regarding Y.” You can even go so far as to say, “I’m glad we have time together today to discuss Z.” Even if your talk is not going to truly be a dialogue, you can use language that suggests engagement with the audience.

2. If you are using PowerPoint, avoid using the word “slide.” Instead of talking about the medium, talk about the concepts. Swap out, “This slide shows you…,” for, “Here we see….” Instead of saying, “On that slide I showed you a moment ago,” say, “A moment ago we were discussing X. Here’s how that issue will impact Y and Z.” Casual conversations don’t usually involve slide decks. Just because your complicated presentation on tax exposure, supply chain issues, or new health care regulations requires you to use slides, doesn’t mean you have to draw attention to that fact that the setting is formal and structured.

3. For many large-group events, speakers are provided with what’s called a “confidence monitor,” a computer screen that sits on the floor at the speaker’s feet showing the slide that appears on the large screen above the speaker’s head. Avoid using confidence monitors. Our natural inclination when using a confidence monitor is to gesture at the bullet point we’re discussing at the moment. However, we are pointing to a bullet point on the screen at our feet, which the audience can’t see, so it creates a disconnect between us and the audience. Instead, stand to the side of the large screen and gesture at the bullet point you’re talking about so that the audience knows which point you are discussing at the moment.

4. Don’t tell your audience, “I want this to be interactive.” It’s your job to make it interactive. If you are delivering the type of presentation where your audience size allows you to create true engagement with your listeners, create that connecting in stages to “warm up” the audience. Stage One engagement is to ask the audience a question relevant to your topic that you know most of the audience members can respond to affirmatively. “Who here has ever bought a new car?” or, “How many of you have ever waited more than 5 minutes on hold on a customer service line?” Raise your hand as you ask the question to indicate to the audience how to respond. Whoever has raised their hand has now participated in the discussion. They have indicated a willingness to engage. Stage Two engagement is calling on one of the people who raised their hand and asking a specific, perfunctory question. Again, it needs to be a question they can answer easily. If your first questions is, “Who here has bought a new car?” you can then call on someone and ask, “How long ago,” or “What kind of car did you buy most recently?” If your first question was, “Have you ever waited on hold for more than 5 minutes,” you can’t ask, “What company were you calling at the time?” The people who raised their hands weren’t thinking of a specific instance; they were just thinking broadly about that type of experience. You could, however, call on someone and ask, “Do you prefer when they play music or ads for the company’s products?” Anyone can answer that question. At that point, you are in an actual dialogue with that person. Stage Three engagement is asking them a question where they need to reveal something more personal. “How does that make you feel when you hear those ads?” You’ve warmed up your audience and drawn them in with baby steps. Now you have actual, meaningful audience participation.

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5. Use gestures. When we’re speaking in an informal setting, we all use hand gestures; some people use more than others, but we all use them. When we try to rein in our gestures, two things happen that diminish our speaking style. First, we look stiff and unnatural. We look like we are presenting a guarded or cautious version of ourselves; we look less genuine. Second, hand gestures burn up the nervous energy we all have when speaking in front of a large group. That’s good. When we try to minimize our hand gestures, we tie up that nervous energy and it starts to leak out on odd ways, where we start to tap our foot, fidget with our notes or microphone, or tilt our head side to side to emphasize key points. Just let the gestures fly. It’s unlikely they will be too large or distracting. I have coached people on their presentation skills for 26 years. In that time, I have met three people who gestured too much. Everyone else would benefit from using their gestures more freely.

The impact we have as communicators is based on the cumulative effect of many different elements of our delivery. These suggestions alone won’t make you a terrific presenter. They will, however, add to the overall package your present of yourself when speaking to large audiences.

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The Geneva Conventions and their Commentaries

The 1949 Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols are international treaties that contain the most important rules limiting the barbarity of war. They protect people who do not take part in the fighting (civilians, medics, aid workers) and those who can no longer fight (wounded, sick and shipwrecked troops, prisoners of war).

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What are the Commentaries?

Useful links, from the international review of the red cross.

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The rules of war in a nutshell

People have always used violence to settle disputes, and all cultures through the ages have believed that there have to be limits on that violence if we are to prevent wars from descending into barbarity. For instance, there are rules protecting non-participants, prisoners and the wounded. These rules are set out in international humanitarian law. Yes, even wars have limits.

Updated Commentary on the First Geneva Convention

Updated Commentary on the Second Geneva Convention

Updated Commentary on the Third Geneva Convention

The Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols

What are the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols?

The Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols are international treaties that contain the most important rules limiting the barbarity of war. They protect people who do not take part in the fighting (civilians, medics, aid workers) and those who can no longer fight (wounded, sick and shipwrecked troops, prisoners of war).

The Geneva Conventions – one of humanity's most important accomplishments of the last century – turned 70 on 12 August 2019. It was an opportunity to celebrate all the lives the Conventions have helped save, determine what further work needs to be done and remind the world of the importance of protecting people from the worst of war.

The Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols are at the core of international humanitarian law , the body of international law that regulates the conduct of armed conflict and seeks to limit its effects. They specifically protect people who are not taking part in the hostilities, including civilians, health workers and aid workers, and those who are no longer participating, such as wounded, sick and shipwrecked soldiers and prisoners of war. The Conventions and their Protocols call for measures to be taken to prevent or put an end to all breaches. They contain stringent rules to deal with what are known as "grave breaches". Those who commit grave breaches must be pursued and tried or extradited, whatever their nationality. 

The ICRC has produced Commentaries on each of the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols to promote better understanding of and respect for these vital treaties. They are currently being updated to incorporate developments in the application and interpretation of these treaties since their negotiation. The main aim of the updated Commentaries is to give people an understanding of the law as it is currently interpreted so that it can be applied effectively in today's armed conflicts. They are an essential tool for practitioners, reaffirming the continued relevance of the Conventions, generating respect for them and strengthening protection for people affected by armed conflict.

Treaty database: full texts, commentaries and state parties

• First Geneva Convention, 1949
• Second Geneva Convention, 1949
• Third Geneva Convention, 1949
• Fourth Geneva Convention, 1949
• Protocol I additional to the Geneva Conventions, 1977
• Protocol II additional to the Geneva Conventions, 1977
• Protocol III additional to the Geneva Conventions, 2005

Domestic Law

• Additional Protocols to the Geneva Conventions of 1949
• The Protection of the Red Cross, Red Crescent and Red Crystal Emblems
• The International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission
• Geneva Conventions (Consolidation) Act – Model Law
• Third Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 – Ratification kit
• Additional Protocols to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 – Ratification kit
• The protection of the natural environment under international humanitarian law:…
• Beyond the Literature: Detention by Non-State Armed Groups under International …
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• The legal limits to the destruction of natural resources in non-international a…
• Unveiling claims of discrimination based on nationality in the context of occup…
• The Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force Afghanistan Inquiry Repor…