Typical Workflow
Creating a presentation can sometimes require some forethought. Here are some suggestions on how to manage the process:
- Write an Outline
Sitting down first and figuring out what you're going to say and how you're going to say it will save you time later on. From here, you can plan exactly what you need and how you're going to accomplish it. Without a plan, you're going to be scrambling at the last minute to get everything done.
- Get Help Now
Do you need assistance researching information, writing copy, creating images and animations, finding stock photography, etc? If so, now is the time to figure out who will be helping you and to get them to commit to your timeline. Your outline allows you to determine what you need so that you can bring help on board from the beginning.
- Create Your Theme
Your presentation needs a personality, and SlideRocket lets you bring your slides to life with layouts and backgrounds. Not only does your theme determine what your presentation looks like, it also establishes the dimensions of your images, videos, animations, etc. This is important to know early, especially if someone else will be helping you create your assets.
- Build a Draft Presentation
Now it's time to start putting your slides together in SlideRocket. This gives you a feel for what your presentation will look like when its done and will also highlight any trouble spots early. The draft also lets you create a list of exactly what's needed for each slide.
- Test Any Tricky Parts
Are you trying something for the first time? Do you need the technology to cooperate? If so, you need to test your plan with at least one slide to make sure that it's going to work the way you hope. If not, testing early gives you time to figure out an alternative.
- Test Printing
If you are going to be printing your presentations for any reason, it's important to test printing early in the process and before you create all of your assets. Doing this will save you having to re-create every asset later in the process if they're not printing properly. The main issue here will be any videos and Flash animations, and you want to make sure that the correct frame is printing.
- Create Your Assets
You know what assets you need and you know what size they need to be on the page, so go ahead and get them ready. The planning ahead that you did should make this step relatively straightforward.
- Build Your Slides
Now you have everything you need to put your presentation together.
- Run It Past Some People
There's always something that you can do to improve your presentation, and you may be too close to it to have any perspective at this point. Now's the time to run it past a few trusted advisors and get feedback.
- Test The Technology
How are you delivering this presentation? Will you be in a conference room with a laptop and a projector or will you be hosting a remote meeting online? Now is the time to do a dry run using exactly the setup you'll be using on the big day. If something doesn't work or if you need to change something, you still have time.
- Refine Your Presentation
Of course you'll be tweaking your slides up to the last minute, and your planning and preparation will give you the breathing room you need to focus as your deadline approaches.
