Course Level: This class is for anyone that has to or wants to work in PowerPoint, and anyone involved with presentation preparation, design, and delivery. Some familiarity with PowerPoint is helpful for the workshop but not required.

What You'll Learn: Everyone knows what boring PowerPoint slides look like, since 99% of all slides are boring. This course will cover:

1. Foundations for effective communication
2. How to design great, memorable presentations
3. PowerPoint tips and tricks

Structure

The class will follow a three-part format with Q&A throughout.

• Lecture: Effective Presentation
• Design Workshop
• Interactive Lessons Demos: PowerPoint Tips and Tricks

Adam will provide an overview of lessons from presentation greats including Jobs, Kawasaki, and Godin, and discuss visual elements including white space, charts, photos, fonts, and color. In the interactive portion of the course, you'll have some fun with AutoShapes, movie quotes, and explore some charting techniques. At the end of the course, students will have a new appreciation for PowerPoint, the value of communications, and the art of great presentation. Adam will also provide a take home "cheat sheet" for PowerPoint design. Students will need to bring a laptop with PowerPoint pre-installed.

Technical Requirements: Adam will primarily be using PowerPoint 2011 for Mac, but any recent version for either platform (2003, 2007, 2010 for PC, 2008 for Mac) will be fine. 

Adam Sigel (@adamsigel) works for a global consulting firm, helping people and companies communicate critical events to investors, employees, media members, and policymakers.  He knows how to marry good content with design and delivery that changes people's minds.  Adam has 3 versions of PowerPoint installed on his computer, and Keynote on my phone, iPad, and laptop.  No sane person would do this unless they cared desparately about presentation design.  Adam has built and seen enough bullet-flled "leave behinds" to last a lifetime, and is desperate to show people why "deck" doesn't have to be a four-letter word.  He's all about effective communication, and he wants to help you tell your story so you can win business, gain customers, attract capital, solicit sponsors, bring awareness, and generate buzz.  If you hang around him long enough, he will inevitably bring up how smart his dog is.  In his spare time, Adam enjoys drumming, baking, and relating things back to The Wire.