“PowerPoint is dead, long live flip chart…."

...is one of the duller headlines. The sort of thing that might get a cheesy laugh in Have I got news for You as they pull apart some innocent on old Stationary Business mag.

So why should it interest you?

Well, if you work in business then the chances are you  use PowerPoint either for presenting or just putting together some juicy internal review. If you don’t, then you will recognise is the de facto choice of teachers and lecturers who want to bore their students with a long slide bound lecture. It’s now seen as the only way to deliver a speech or talk. It’s never been more popular. So why is it dead, and why, unless you are being generously sponsored by “flipcharts are us” or some such, would you say that Flip-charts are king? The simple answer is that PowerPoint basically doesn’t work. It actually, and this is remarkable for a tool that is seen as shorthand for “presentation”, makes the very thing it supposed to aid, worse. Occasionally it can be of use, as in science or financial based talks (and then for a limited time), but mostly, it’s just harmful.

You don’t believe me?

Then try this. Project a PowerPoint presentation onto your wall or screen. Then stand next to it and present to a group of vaguely interested colleagues. Now press the “b” key. The projected image disappears. Continue the presentation and then ask them which one they prefer. You plus PowerPoint? Or just you? They will go for “you” every time – even if you’re a completely crap presenter - actually particularly if you are a crap presenter. So incredibly the de facto presentation aid makes your working life more difficult not easier.

How does that escape our wrath?

Well, sometimes it’s a good idea to put something written or a picture in front of the class. Again, put a simple PowerPoint graph this time in front of your colleagues. Now press the “b” key and move to a flip chart and draw the graph. Which is more interesting? Yep, you and the flip-chart. Not just a bit more interesting either. You have in a stroke or several scribbles with a marker pen, become awesomely compelling.

So why then is PowerPoint so popular? And is there hope for the old presentation stalwart? For this you’ll have to wait to my next blog…