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.

  • 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

  • Graph using Excel Data Bars; Issue #420 August 7, 2018

    Most business professionals are familiar with creating graphs in Excel using the powerful built-in graph features. Today I want to show another feature of Excel that can be used to create a bar graph quickly in Excel. It has limitations but can be particularly useful when you want to create multiple bar graphs of related…… Continue reading

  • Redefining the KPI acronym; Issue #419 July 24, 2018

    In a presentation I did earlier this year at a number of regional Association for Financial Professionals (AFP) conferences I suggested that we redefine the acronym KPI. As organizations have started to measure more activities, they are deciding on which metrics should be Key Performance Indicators, the traditional definition of the acronym KPI. I suggest…… Continue reading

  • “But they want ALL the data!”; Issue #418 July 10, 2018

    Earlier this year a new record was set for the largest number of cells I have seen copied from an Excel spreadsheet onto a PowerPoint slide: 3,128 cells! I couldn’t make that up even if I tried! This beat the previous records of 2,100 and 1,975. When I share this in my customized workshops I…… Continue reading

  • FinancialViz Comparing common elements; Issue #417 June 26, 2018

    I recently posted a new FinancialViz makeover that illustrates a better way to compare common elements using color and position. The original visual was published in the May 2018 issue of the Globe and Mail ROB magazine and looked like this.​​​​​​​ One reason I selected this visual is because it is a good example of…… Continue reading