Expert: Gianina L. - 4/6/2005

Question
I'm making a pictoral dictionary right now, aka 26 slides in a powerpoint presentation, one for each letter of the alphabet.  For each letter, I'm using a city in the world (Athens, Buenos Aires, Columbo etc.)  What are the most effective transitions for each slide, some of them seem really corny to me, and if i play it as a slideshow, what's the most effective length taht each slide should be showing, assuming each slide says 'A is for Athens'etc. and has a picture.  Also, should I use soundeffects between each slide (during the transition) or play music?..if so what music.. my friend was suggesting the national anthem of the country, but that also seems kind of corny to me.  Then I need to think up a title slide, I've got nothing for that.. haha.  Thanks for everything:).

Answer
Dear Andrea,

Using global cities in a pictorial dictionary slide show is a great idea! Now, let me answer your questions one by one.

What are the most effective transitions for each slide? Yes, you are right, many of the transitions in PowerPoint are slightly on the "corny" side, but they have their applications when used in moderation when it's fitting. I think for your project, the simpler the transition the better. I would suggest using a fade between slides, since this tends to be subtle but still helps to delineate the slide images. Either that, or just stick to no transition at all.

What is the most effective length for each slide? The human eye doesn't need too much time to read a short sentence and see the surroundings. Often, three seconds can even be enough. I cannot tell you a perfect time without seeing the slides themselves, but go through the slides and literally time how long it takes for you to observe the information and at what point your mind starts to wander. Tip is to keep each as reasonably short as possible so the flow of the slide show isn't disturbed. Now, another suggestion is to also vary the times of the slides (instead of having each slide stay the same amount of time) by mimicking the way we speak the alphabet. For example we speak "l, m, n, o, p" faster than other letters when reciting, and the slides can do the same, but not too fast that they cannot be read. This may or may not be the best suggestion, but may help you develop a rhythm for your presentation.

Should I use sound effects or music between each slide? Again, without seeing the actual visuals, I can only answer this question partially. Sound is always a wonderful way to add an extra dynamic to a presentation, but may not be always appropriate. Since the slides are not up for long amounts of time, whatever you use, keep it simple. Think even of just using a narration of someone reading the line. For example, the first slide would have a spoken voice saying, "A is for Athens". Another idea is to think of a sound effect that each brings to mind and use something along those lines. You may not even have to put a sound at every slide, but on key slides that you feel need a little more attention. Depending on how this is going to be presented, silence also is always an option.

Look over your project and give it a name. You can either use a favorite image from your presentation for your title slide or use one that represents the tone and feel you are going for. Think of this in terms of a book. Each slide is a page, and you want to represent them as a whole by the opening title. Look at books on geography or alphabets (or other similar subject matter) to help you brainstorm.

Hope this helps answer your questions. Good luck with finishing your project; I'm sure it will be wonderful!

Sincerely,
Gianina Lopategui