STEALING THE SHOW
As expected, Google announced Presently, a new, online presentation application, as an addition to Google Docs, an online application suite that includes word processing and spreadsheets. Techmeme has a series of posts about the announcement.
Ironically, the presentation that most caught my attention, was the YouTube video Google used to EXPLAIN the essence of Presently and the other Google Docs applications.
It's a pretty innovative presentation done with lots of cut paper illustrations, hand gestures, and scribblings on a white-board, all captured in stop-action photography-style video, with a witty voice-over narrative.
Talk about a non-Powerpoint way to do a presentation.
The most interesting thing about the under three-minute presentation was the entity that produced it for Google, a consulting outfit called Commoncraft.
Turns out Commoncraft has done other videos, called "Commoncraft shows", for other clients, each explaining various online services, using a similar style.
Here's one they did explaining "social book-marking" for Del.icio.us.
And a couple explaining what "Wikis" and "RSS feeds" are all about.
After watching all of them, I found myself wanting an online presentations tool that would allow me to do screen-casts like this instead of boring Powerpoint-like presentations.
When I think about it, the best presentations I've made are in small groups when I've been able to scribble thoughts and sketches on a big piece of paper, all the while talking up a storm.
The Commoncraft presentations are an extension of that idea, sharable as a screen-cast with the world online.
What online applications like Presently need to do is evolve the computer presentation application like Powerpoint into a system that allows truly interactive presentations that can be created with minimal technical effort, but easily sharable online. Now that'd stealing the show.
Great little presentations. I think you could do this in Flash if you need off-the-shelf technology.
I also prefer the live, draw your diagrams and talk presentations. Indeed I got a reputation as an anti-ppt presenter in my last company.
The problem with drawings however, is that most people cannot draw well, and drawing on paper prevents capture for later review.
One solution was the drawing tablet, mainly used by artists, but not by professional road warriors. However, the iPhone may revive the demand for touch screens that you can draw on, so tablet laptops may facilitate this approach.
Funny to think that back in the 1980's light pens were all the rage before the mouse replaced it. The PDA & stylus, plus innovative gestures and drawing apps may get us back to a style that is more free-form and artistic in approach.
Posted by: alex tolley | Wednesday, September 19, 2007 at 12:09 AM