How to make a PowerPoint slide worthy of a PowerPoint party

At-home PowerPoint Zoom parties became very popular in the early days after the pandemic. It was very simple. Each participant creates a PowerPoint about a topic they are passionate about and then shares it with the rest of their group. TikTok made the trend more popular as groups of friends began to make videos of each other’s PowerPoint parties. People can be very imaginative with their presentations, as there aren’t any predetermined topics.

There are many articles that offer tips and ideas on how to host a PowerPoint party, but very few that show you exactly how to make a PowerPoint presentation stand out. I’d like to offer some tips and tricks, based on a real presentation I gave at my own Discord party.

Make a central, clear thesis

No one wants to listen to you ramble about something that you aren’t passionate about! First, pick something that is important to you after receiving an invitation to a PowerPoint presentation party. The following example shows me creating a PowerPoint on fictional men that I love. It is something I would be able to talk about for hours.

You’ll want to make sure to elaborate on your title in a further slide. You can also show off your skills. For me, it meant defining some parameters and showing the taxonomy I like about fictional men.

Simply reiterate the main idea in simple format

Consider this the end of your intro paragraph for a school paper. This is what you want in people’s minds when you continue on with the presentation. Ideally, keep it punchy and short, and if you can make it sound like a meme, then it’s more likely to stick in people’s facts after the example.

Use examples to back up your argument

Every slide should support your central thesis. While some people might prefer a limited scope of view, this is perfectly valid. To show how comprehensive my theory really is, I prefer to spread my wings. For this presentation I used Jeff Winger The CommunityHan Solo Star WarsAaron Hotchner Criminal MindsChrom and? Fire Emblem: Awakening to illustrate my taxonomy. Entertainment! (Also, this way it wasn’t just anime boys — that’s a separate article).

Not the whole thing, but your bullet points.

Image by Polygon/Petrana Radiovic

Slides should not be used as a presentation aid. Make sure you use them well. To grab people’s attention, I think it is best to make a statement that is bold and memorable. Then you can expand your message with a more detailed speech. When I say, “Every time he says something stupid, I want to rail him” on a slide about Shigure Sohma from Basket of FruitsThis simple sentence serves as my launch point, and I will discuss the complex motivations of his compelling allegiances throughout anime.

Embrace visual aids

Image by Polygon/Petrana Radiovic

Eight pictures of attractive men are worth 1000 words. This slide is about Roy Mustang, Howl Pendragon. I wanted to show different instances where these men fulfill the seemingly opposite categories I described. There aren’t any bullet points because I could poetically wax about both of these men using a playboy personality to mask a seething anger and mission that may see them go too far.

Finally … have no shame

Image by Polygon/Petrana Radiovic

It’s not a good idea to be uninteresting in front your audience. Whether you totally ace your presentation with suave charisma or whether you laugh through the entire time — as long as you make a splash, you’ve won. Embrace whatever weird topic you’ve chosen. Accept it. Write about it.