Anyone else feel like presentations haven’t really evolved?
Hey there, lately I’ve been thinking on why do presentations still feel so… manual?
Even with all the tools out there, making a deck still takes a ton of effort. And once it’s done, it’s usually just a bunch of static slides. You present, people (hopefully) listen, and that’s it. Especially for things like onboarding or training, it still feels like a one-way street.
Just curious:
Have you seen any tools that actually make presentations more interactive or automated?
What’s your process like from idea to final deck?
What’s the most annoying part when putting one together?
And if your presentation tool could magically do one thing for you, what would that be?
Would love to hear how others are handling this. Just trying to figure out if we’re all feeling the same friction here😅
Replies
You know, I just went through this recently finally pitching a broader group in my area and for a professional engagement.
I'm unsure of you're a fan of the channel Good Work, but Dan Toomey recently was at TedX and did a terrible (in a good way) Keynote that highlighted the problem, and it's that presentations are just so...sanitized. And unfortunately, tools and AI hold these sanitized ideas, decks, and materials as the gold standard when really they're instruments of torture used to lock us in a room for a few minutes (or hours!). I usually use Copilot to make a skeleton crew of slides in PowerPoint and also dabbled with alternatives but the tools all have the same issue.
My secret sauce for engagement 99% of the time is letting the AI tool of choice make the dry presentation, but then using image generators (and recently Veo!) to create slides that really catch you off guard and that are a smidge memey.
I think tools more than ever need a "temperature" setting before they generate anything. Too much "generation" is using the same cold setting for most things, and I think we're all looking for some sauce with our pasta at this point.
Jotform
@csurita That’s such a brilliant perspective “presentations are just so… sanitized.” Completely agree. It feels like tools have standardised them into something safe and structured, but often lifeless.
I really like your approach of letting AI handle the basics and then injecting unexpected visuals or meme-like moments to make them feel human again. The idea of a temperature setting is spot on. So much generated content feels cold and neutral, when what actually sticks with people is personality, humour, and surprise.
Thanks for sharing this. It’s such an honest take and perfectly captures why so many presentations end up feeling like a chore rather than something that sparks attention or connection.
I use Adobe Creative Express to make videos of all types and I've used it for presentations/courses. It allows you to add not only text but also video to a presentation. So, I can not only talk about it but show specific information that pertains to the presentation and allows viewers to go to a website or check out the info while they're watching.
The most annoying part is that AI is unable to generate useful or relatable slides or video that match my narration or talk. My videos often need specific images and making them is still cumbersome cause I have to ask more than once to get the image I need.
Jotform
@kris_keppeler That’s a really interesting use case with Adobe Creative Express. It sounds like you're creating a pretty dynamic experience with it.
I hear you on AI not quite getting what you need visually. That back and forth just kills momentum sometimes, agreed.
When you say your images need to match your narration, are you thinking more literal visuals, or something conceptual that enhances the tone or message?
@aytekintank Concepts that enhance the tone or message. Could be a picture or a graphic that reinforces what I'm saying that includes text and links. I'm not a visual artist so images and graphics are the most challenging for me.
Jotform
@kris_keppeler Yeah, totally get that. Turning ideas into visuals that actually support what you're saying is way harder than it seems, especially if design isn’t your thing. It feels like that part consumes so much time. Appreciate you sharing this.
@aytekintank My pleasure!
What if we had a tool that not only generates presentations but also presents them and answers questions? That would be amazing! 👀
Jotform
@isibol01 Right? That combo would be awesome. It's exciting to imagine presentations that can actually do more, not just sit there. Really cool to see others thinking about this too.