Click to See Complete Forum and Search --> : PPT - Is this the way to go?
wanderer
11-13-2008, 02:23 AM
Hi, hope you can advise me...
I have a client that I built a 30 page site for, he now is requesting that I make him a PPT presentation that basically shows each page in a sequence, pausing for a few seconds inbetween each. He will burn the PPT file to show at a launch or something. My questions are:
Is PPT really the best way to go for this presentation?
And is the FN/Prt Sc the best way to capture the webpage images?
And, assuming there's no way I can get a complete page, do I simply lose the browser part at the top of the page... F11 and leave it at that?
As you can guess, I've never had this kind of request before, thanks in advance.
CkretAjint
11-13-2008, 11:05 AM
You COULD design it in Illustrator and export out the 'slides' into a PDF for him to use.
why not burn the site to cd and use it as a viewer?
This only works as long as the site doesn't connect to anything too complicated like a database.
My guess is they don't necessarily have internet access where he/she is presenting and it may be for more of a back-up in case a server is down or the site is unavailable. I've presented enough to know that every place is different for their setup. This way if they have their own laptop, projector and extension cord, they are fairly safe in knowing that they can present. Nothing worse then getting somewhere and not having a backup.
I think PPT is the way to go on this, or one of it's clones. If you have acrobat professional you could print the web pages to pdf and then place them in PPT.
My guess is they don't necessarily have internet access where he/she is presenting and it may be for more of a back-up in case a server is down or the site is unavailable. I've presented enough to know that every place is different for their setup. This way if they have their own laptop, projector and extension cord, they are fairly safe in knowing that they can present. Nothing worse then getting somewhere and not having a backup.
My original idea was to run the website off of a laptop without internet access
PPT is crap - you get a much better transistion and graphic resolution from a pdf
MaryD
11-13-2008, 01:48 PM
I would do what Kool said. Sounds like the most direct way.
MikeHun
11-13-2008, 01:50 PM
PDF is the way to go, I agree.
"Technical" Terry
11-13-2008, 03:40 PM
If you can, find out the resolution that the projector will display at. pp and pdf slides are not going to resize as nicely as your web pages may.
jibble
11-13-2008, 08:12 PM
FLASH...
ppt is the most unprofessional piece of software i've ever seen...looks like trash, operates even worse, and you could make a nice slideshow/presentation in flash in a very short period of time and make it EXPONENTIALLY more professional looking...
and simply export an .exe
...and also, since it will be running locally, image resolution/file size is irrelevant so you can have nice full screen images...
Totem-Media
11-13-2008, 10:45 PM
Flash is good, PDF is good. PowerPoint is fine if he wants to do a linear slideshow (yes, I know one can be non-linear in PPT) and loop it. Will the presenter be doing any updates of this presentation?
urstwile
11-14-2008, 01:28 AM
People keep forgetting that Acrobat actually functions quite nicely as a presentation tool as well. I don't believe the final PDF requires the full version either.
MAK online
11-14-2008, 03:57 AM
FLASH...
ppt is the most unprofessional piece of software i've ever seen...
You must understand that PS, AI and ID are the most stupid pieces of software any sales person, engineer and accountant have ever seen. I don't work in PPT but I understand it's use in business. Don't dismiss how others use software to communicate on a business level. If you do, you will leave yourself out of a lot of money making deals.
Sure it all looks like crap but their worlds are filled with ugly looking stuff and they like it....so sad.
urstwile
11-14-2008, 04:53 AM
Wow, supportive and condescending, all at the same time. ;)
wanderer
11-14-2008, 11:47 AM
Thanks for the input, I still am not sure which way to go, flash sounded good but my problem is cheap clients, they already hinted that they wanted me to do this for free. I also dread them finding fault with it, it's amazing how the ones that don't want to pay are the fussiest.
I need to get this job done as quickly as possible because I know they'll try to knock down the price I give, they do it all the time.... getting paid for monthly maintenance that I do is hell, well into Nov now and still haven't been paid for Oct. sigh, sorry I got sidetracked.
BTW, is there a way to get more of the page than F11 ing it? and is that the best way to get an image of the page?
(No, they won't be editing it after, they are clueless!)
Thanks
Broacher
11-14-2008, 01:01 PM
Be careful WHERE and to WHOM you diss the PowerPoint too. It is the darling of the executive class, especially as it is for most the ONLY piece of software they can comfortably claim competency in on the old CV.
Aside from that, or maybe, in part-- BECAUSE of that, from a marketing angle-- the designer who can work well with Powerpoint and PP users may find themselves in demand by people who are willing to pay well for a well-designed presentation.
David Byrne-- heard of him? Big PP fan. Design is all about adapting to restrictions.
We were having this discussion yesterday around the lunch table: how many non-designer people have noticed that PPoint does not support pair-kerning? What does that say about the real value of this, and so many 'designer-only' skills today?
Totem-Media
11-14-2008, 02:12 PM
You must understand that PS, AI and ID are the most stupid pieces of software any sales person, engineer and accountant have ever seen. I don't work in PPT but I understand it's use in business. Don't dismiss how others use software to communicate on a business level. If you do, you will leave yourself out of a lot of money making deals.
Sure it all looks like crap but their worlds are filled with ugly looking stuff and they like it....so sad.
Not all PPT looks like crap. It does what it does, like Broacher said, with restrictions, but I have seen some very nice presentations.
I hope you don't do the work for free, wanderer, but if they really don't want to pay for you to convert(!), do it in the quickest, easiest way for you, especially if they won't be updating. (And cluelessness is by no means a barrier to updating! LOL!)
MikeHun
11-14-2008, 02:18 PM
How abut those very same Executives give you a PPT slide and say
they want the 8th slide out of 36 blown up to 10'x20' outdoor banners!
longboy
11-14-2008, 02:20 PM
Not all PPT looks like crap. It does what it does, like Broacher said, with restrictions, but I have seen some very nice presentations.
Exactly. Besides, if you really want control over the text and formatting, do all your design in Illustrator and/or Photoshop and just import PNGs or JPGs saved at the appropriate resolution.
At a previous job, the agency I worked for did countless presentations in Powerpoint for VERY big customers. If you know what you're doing, a PPT slideshow can look very professional and polished.
Totem-Media
11-18-2008, 02:25 PM
How abut those very same Executives give you a PPT slide and say
they want the 8th slide out of 36 blown up to 10'x20' outdoor banners!
Yeah, that's a good learning moment.
salsa
11-18-2008, 07:18 PM
Aside from that, or maybe, in part-- BECAUSE of that, from a marketing angle-- the designer who can work well with Powerpoint and PP users may find themselves in demand by people who are willing to pay well for a well-designed presentation.
Happened to me--when I was contracting at MS here in Seattle, I was asked to work on a PPT that the big G used. (Paid more than I'm making now.)
They asked "Do you know PPT?" and I said of course and thought it was a silly question because I used it in for college during the 90's all the time like everyone else. But boy, they sure messed with it on that latest version! I had boxes rearranging themselves for no reason and things flying off the slides, it was like there was this little four year old in my laptop constantly moving things around. Hats-off to anyone who can master PPT today.
wanderer
11-24-2008, 08:24 PM
How abut those very same Executives give you a PPT slide and say
they want the 8th slide out of 36 blown up to 10'x20' outdoor banners!
I thought that was funny..... until I got this message from my client today..
"Kindly explain details of usage at event" :eek::confused:
My reply... "Insert CD you have burned into CD drive, locate and run."
It's just as well that part of my agreement was that I was not responsible for what they do after they download the PPT files I will upload to their website. Isn't any wonder they thought the agreement was 'unnecessary'. I know trouble when I see it!