Let’s face it: when we perform certain tasks at work, we often resort to the same tools. Although there are already many alternatives to PowerPoint that make it easier for us to create dynamic presentations, we feel confident and don’t want to spend too much time learning how a new resource works.

Who can blame us? We live in a fast-paced world and it is difficult for us to keep up to date with new formulas. However, when it comes to presentations, writing a report or analyzing certain data, it is convenient not to stay stuck in the past and take advantage of the new tools that appear on the market.

Yes, human beings are creatures of habit. But keep in mind that, slide by slide, according to scientists, another monotonous PowerPoint presentation is likely to have a sleep-inducing effect, both on you and those you think are listening .

Just as it is difficult for us to give up our favorite T-shirt, no matter how old and worn it may be, we are probably part of the millions of users worldwide who return again and again to fall into the clutches of office tools that actively contribute to the syndrome of occupational burnout .

Dynamic presentations: how and what

It may seem that the important thing is the content, what we count, but how we count it can determine whether this content is transmitted successfully or fails. In recent years, the Genially digital platform has found a place in many users’ bookmarks due to its versatility, visual appeal and, above all, its interactivity.

This tool allows you to create interactive presentations, infographics, posters and other visual content quickly and easily. It is enough to select one of the templates that this platform makes available to us to unleash our creativity and engage the public. Its animation effects (always responsibly) and transitions make presentations come alive.

Alternatives to PowerPoint

We’re not saying forget about PowerPoint. This program to create presentations is still valid, but… what if we give its initial use a spin?

Let’s imagine that we have the same PowerPoint presentation that we have already reused several times to explain certain content to our employees. Surely we think that we do not have the time or desire to try another tool.

But we don’t need to change the presentation. To continue using it, but keep my audience engaged, we can use an immediate response system.

Capture the attention of the audience

These systems allow the participants who attend an event, a presentation or a conference to interact in real time with what the speaker is saying.

Through a system of questions, surveys or questionnaires, among other formats, the audience can answer questions, express their opinion or vote in a poll presented by the speaker. In addition, the presenter gets real-time feedback and can adapt her presentation as she progresses and based on the responses she receives.

These systems have evolved over the past few years and include a wide variety of question types as well as templates. Wooclap , Mentimeter , Pear Deck or Curipod are just some of these examples that also allow you to include questions in a PowerPoint presentation to intersperse it with surveys and questionnaires.

This mix of content and audience interaction is what will take our presentations to the next level and our audience will always be left wanting more.

AI at the service of presentations

The wave of new generative AI tools that keep coming our way brings plenty of opportunities to breathe life into the workplace. It’s just a matter of adapting to them .

And here we are not talking about innovating for the sake of innovating, but about powerful tools that can not only increase productivity and save us a lot of time , but also completely change our professional day-to-day. And while ChatGPT probably sounds familiar to us by now, there are a multitude of other wonders to behold.

Here are some of our suggestions:

1. SlidesAI: Optimized Slide Layouts – Creating well-structured, visually appealing slides can be time consuming. SlidesAI uses AI to analyze our content and automatically generate optimized slide layouts. This tool suggests the arrangement of elements, the font size and the format of the texts to improve the readability and the general presentation of your slides. With SlidesAI, we can save time and achieve impactful presentations in the blink of an eye.
2. PowerMode: A presentation from scratch in seconds : This free assistant will allow us to create presentations from scratch. To do this, we will only have to answer a couple of questions and the tool will generate a presentation in a matter of seconds.
3. Predictive Analytics AI: Accurate forecasts : If we want to anticipate future trends and make data-based decisions, it is our ally. This tool uses machine learning algorithms to analyze your historical data, generate accurate forecasts, and create reports based on reliable projections.
4. Chartify: Smart Charts Instantly – Charts can be a great way to visualize complex data, but creating them can be a tedious task. Chartify uses AI to analyze our data and automatically generate relevant and engaging charts. We just have to load the data and choose the type of chart we want. Chartify will take care of the rest.
5. ChatPDF: PDF Summaries and Information Extraction : This great tool allows users to interact with PDF files. The tool parses the supplied file to create a summary or extract essential information. It can be used on just about anything, including textbooks, research papers, legal documents, and manuals, as well as essays, receipts, and contracts.
6. DesignsAI: Power your creativity : It is an AI-based tool that helps create visually appealing presentations. It uses machine learning algorithms to generate custom layouts, select appropriate color schemes, and suggest element arrangement options. With DesignsAI, we can forget about boring templates and create captivating and unique presentations.

Thanks to any of these tools we will be able to amaze with our presentations and turn them into an interactive, dynamic and creative experience.

Author Bios: Elena Mayor Peñalver is a University Professor of English Philology at the University of Alcalá, Alexandra Santamaria Urbieta is a Senior lecturer and Peter Bannister is a Researcher both at UNIR – International University of La Rioja