Latest posts

Below are the most recent articles or resources I’ve published. If you are looking for help on a specific topics, it would best to look at the topics in my Articles archive as I have grouped my recent and best articles by topic there.

  • 2018 Gift List for Presenters and Recommended Products & Services; Issue #427 November 13 2018

    As soon as Halloween was done two weeks ago I started to see Christmas decorations go up in stores and on homes. When I was walking around Chicago last week the decorating was in high gear in the city. It is the time of year we start to think of gifts for others (and ourselves)…… Continue reading

  • FinancialViz Makeover: Comparing to an average with long labels; Issue #426 October 30 2018

    The latest FinancialViz makeover video I posted illustrates how to create an effective visual when dealing with two situations: first, values are compared to an industry average, and second, the company names are long. The original visual was published in the June 2018 issue of the Globe and Mail Report on Business magazine. This is the…… Continue reading

  • FinancialViz Makeover: Comparing to an average with long labels

    This makeover shows how using a dashed line as part of a graph allows easy comparison of values to an average and a bar chart makes long category labels easier to read. (this is a silent video and you can pause it to spend more time on any of the slides) https://youtu.be/MUjhlbdvqRQ Continue reading

  • Change indicator characters; Issue #425 October 16 2018

    The difference between two numbers is a common element of many presentations. It could be the difference between actual and budget, this year and last year, industry average and our performance, or any two numbers that measure an important metric. Visually showing whether that difference is positive, negative, or neutral in a table is what…… Continue reading

  • Accurate Design Ideas-like Timeline; Issue #424 October 2 2018

    In a previous newsletter I showed an example of how PowerPoint’s Design Ideas feature (last week Microsoft changed the name from Designer to Design Ideas) can create a visual from a bullet list of dates for events. Here is the example it created. I like the idea of the events being placed on a timeline…… Continue reading

  • FinancialViz Makeover Change in sectors over time; Issue #423 September 18 2018

    The latest FinancialViz makeover I posted illustrates a better way to show change in values over time. The original visual was published in the July 2018 issue of the Globe and Mail ROB magazine. Here is the original visual. I selected this visual because it illustrates two issues that lead to audiences misinterpreting the meaning…… Continue reading

  • FinancialViz Makeover: Change in sectors over time

    This makeover shows how using color and the right visual helps the audience compare the change in sectors between two time periods. (this is a silent video and you can pause it to spend more time on any of the slides) Continue reading

  • SWD Challenge September 2018

    I think makeovers of slides or visuals is a great way to see what is possible in our own presentations. If we have never seen a visual used in a certain way before, we would never think of applying it to what we present. The makeovers that I use in my custom workshops are always…… Continue reading

  • Getting Designer ideas without Office 365 at work; Issue #422 September 4 2018

    Software and services are always looking for ways to improve our work, and PowerPoint is no different. About two years ago PowerPoint introduced a feature called Designer. This feature interprets the content on your slide as you create it and suggests different layouts to improve the look of the slide. Designer suggests a more visual…… Continue reading

  • Four places to find headlines in your slides; Issue #421 August 21 2018

    In my customized workshops one of the key takeaways from the section on creating effective visuals slides is to start by writing a headline for each slide. A headline summarizes the key message you want the audience to understand. Think of the headline for your slide like the headline of a news story or article.…… Continue reading