What Are the Benefits of a PowerPoint Presentation With an Apex Design?

An apex design holds your audience's attention.

A traditional apex design element refers to a construction or plot line that has a clear climax. Like a plot climax during a fictional story, a PowerPoint presentation is more interesting when it has a clear apex -- or climax -- to its slides. Not only does this make a more engaging presentation, but it also creates a clear contrast between the rest of the body of your PowerPoint presentation. By understanding the specific benefits of an apex design for your presentation, you'll know how to utilize the technique to keep your audience interested.

Interest

Consider the plot line of your favorite book. Chances are it has a slow build up to the climax of the story, later winding down to the conclusion. This construction is a classic literary device that serves to keep the reader's attention. Similarly, a PowerPoint presentation that leads up to the main point, argument or idea of the presentation holds the audience's attention better than a presentation that simply follows a set group of points or facts.

Contrast

When you create a boring, linear presentation with PowerPoint, your main message or idea could be buried in other facts and ideas that you want to share. The result has less of an impact than when you use an apex design to create a compelling presentation. When you make your main idea the clear climax of the presentation, however, your audience is left with no doubt as to the takeaway from the presentation.

Featured Point

Creating an apex design with a PowerPoint presentation allows you to give your main point or idea the time and explanation it deserves. Instead of spending precious slides and time on information that supports but isn't directly related to the main point, you can spend the bulk of your presentation focused on the most vital point, which is the climax of your pitch. Once you're finished with your main point, you can then spend a minimal amount of time on the conclusion.

Organization

Using an apex design for your PowerPoint presentation doesn't only help your audience understand your main point, but it can also help you organize your thoughts and ideas on the subject. The apex design usually starts with a lead-in, which can include common problems or questions, or outline the need for a solution. After the main point is presented as the climax, you can then offer supporting data and your final solution to keep your thoughts and the flow of your ideas organized during the presentation.

References

• Microsoft Office: Tips for Creating and Delivering an Effective Presentation
• Beyond Bullet Points: Using Microsoft PowerPoint to Create Presentations That Inform, Motivate, and Inspire; Cliff Atkinson
• Randolph-Macon College: Creating Effective PowerPoint Presentations