Preparing an effective PowerPoint presentation is a critical skill across all professional sectors in Kenya, from county government offices to educational institutions and financial service providers. This chapter focuses on the initial stage of presentation development: gathering and understanding the requirements. Accurate collection of presentation requirements ensures that the final product meets the audience’s needs and communicates the intended message clearly. In practice, this phase involves interacting with stakeholders, clarifying objectives, and defining the scope of the content, which is essential for organizations such as hospitals, universities, or retail businesses that rely on clear communication for decision-making and training.

4.1 Collection of Presentation requirements

Collecting presentation requirements is the first step in producing a PowerPoint presentation that is relevant, coherent and useful to its audience. A software developer who asks the right questions before opening the software avoids wasted effort and rework. Examples include a sprint review for a project team, a system proposal for a client, or a training session on version control. This topic covers the terminology involved, the requirements to gather, the types of presentation software, the parts of the presentation window, and how to create, save and switch between presentations.

4.1.1 Definition of terms

Understanding the key terms used in presentation work helps a presenter and the people requesting the presentation communicate clearly. These terms clarify roles, expectations and deliverables, which streamlines planning in a software development team or an ICT department.

Purpose

The purpose of a presentation is the main reason it is created and delivered. It defines what the presenter wants to achieve, such as informing, persuading, training or reporting. For example, a development team may prepare a presentation to inform a client about the features completed in the latest release, and this shapes the content and style.

• Informing: Delivering facts or updates to the audience without asking for immediate action, such as announcing a new software release date.
• Persuading: Convincing the audience to accept a viewpoint or take action, such as asking management to approve a new database server.
• Training: Teaching the audience a procedure or skill, such as showing junior developers how to use a code repository.
• Reporting: Presenting findings or progress, such as a weekly project status report with completed and pending tasks.
• Entertaining: Keeping the audience engaged and interested, for example in a light opening at a developers' meet-up or product launch.

Audience

The audience is the individual or group that will view the presentation. Identifying the audience matters because the content, language and design depend on their knowledge, interests and expectations. For example, a presentation of a system architecture to senior programmers can use technical terms freely, while the same system explained to shop attendants who will use it must use plain language and screenshots.

• Internal audiences: Colleagues, managers or team members within the organisation.
• External audiences: Clients, end users, auditors or partner companies outside the organisation.
• Mixed audiences: Groups with varied backgrounds, which need balanced content and brief explanations of technical terms.
• Specialised audiences: Technical experts who expect detailed, data-heavy content such as diagrams, code structure and test results.
• General audiences: Non-specialists who need simple, clear and engaging content.

Scope

The scope defines the boundaries and extent of the presentation content. It determines which topics are covered, how deeply, and under what constraints such as time or available resources. For example, a project team may limit a presentation to the completed modules of a payroll system and leave out the planned modules.

• Content boundaries: Topics included or excluded based on their relevance to the purpose.
• Depth of detail: The level of technicality that suits the audience.
• Time constraints: The duration available, which limits how much content can be covered.
• Resource limits: The availability of screenshots, data, equipment and software to support the presentation.
• Format restrictions: A required style, template or file type set by the organisation.

Stakeholders

Stakeholders are the individuals or groups with an interest in the outcome of the presentation. Identifying them ensures that their expectations are met. For instance, a presentation on a new inventory system may involve the product owner, developers, testers and store managers as stakeholders.

• Primary stakeholders: People directly involved in or affected by the presentation, such as the project team.
• Secondary stakeholders: Indirectly affected parties or decision makers, such as department heads.
• Sponsors: Individuals or departments that provide resources or give approval.
• End users: The final recipients of the information or the system being discussed.
• Reviewers: People who evaluate the presentation and give feedback before it is delivered.

Deliverables

Deliverables are the tangible outputs expected from the presentation preparation process. They include the PowerPoint file, handouts, speaker notes and any supporting material. Clarity on deliverables aligns everyone's expectations, for example when a client asks for the slides together with a one-page summary of the proposed system.

• Presentation slides: The core visual material for the presentation.
• Handouts: Printed or digital material that the audience keeps for reference.
• Speaker notes: Detailed guidance for the presenter during delivery.
• Supporting documents: Reports, data sheets, diagrams or demonstration files.
• Submission format: The file type and method of delivery, for example a PPTX file sent by email or shared through cloud storage.

Other key terms

The following terms are used throughout this chapter.

• Presentation: A structured set of slides, often with speaker notes, prepared to communicate information to an audience.
• Slide: A single page of a presentation that can hold text, pictures, tables, charts and other objects.
• Slide deck: The complete collection of slides saved together in one file.
• Presentation software: An application used to create, edit, store and deliver slide-based presentations, such as Microsoft PowerPoint.
• Template: A pre-designed file that supplies ready-made colours, fonts and formatting so that new presentations follow a consistent style.
• Placeholder: A dotted box on a slide that reserves a position for a title, text or an object.

4.1.2 Presentation requirements

Presentation requirements are all the things needed before and during preparation so that the finished presentation meets the request. They cover the content, the equipment, the time and venue, and the organisation's rules for style and submission. For example, a developer asked to demonstrate a new mobile app to a client must know the demo length, whether the venue has a projector, and whether the client expects the slides in advance.

Content requirements

The content requirements describe the material the slides will carry.

• Source material: The documents and data the slides will be built from, such as the software requirements specification, user stories, test reports and project plans.
• Visual material: Screenshots, system diagrams, flowcharts, logos and charts that will support the key points.
• Key messages: The main points the audience must remember, agreed with the requester before slides are drawn up.
• Accuracy checks: Confirmation that figures, dates and feature lists are current, for example the latest sprint results or an updated budget in Ksh.
• Demonstration files: A working copy of the application, sample data and test accounts needed if a live demonstration is part of the presentation.

Technical requirements

Equipment and software must be checked in advance so that the presentation runs without delay.

Time and venue requirements

These requirements fix when, where and how the presentation will be delivered.

• Duration: The time slot allowed, which determines how many slides can be used.
• Date and deadline: When the presentation will be delivered and when draft slides must be ready for review.
• Venue: The room, its size and seating, lighting, and whether internet access is available for live demonstrations.
• Delivery mode: Whether the presentation is face to face, online through a video meeting such as Microsoft Teams, or sent as a self-running file.
• Audience size: The number of people expected, which affects font sizes, seating and whether handouts are needed.

Organisational requirements

These requirements come from the rules of the organisation or client.

• Corporate style: A required template, logo placement, colours and fonts.
• Approval process: Who must review and approve the slides before delivery.
• Confidentiality: Whether the content, such as client data or source code, may be shown or shared.
• File naming and submission: The naming convention, file type and method of submission.
• Language and tone: The language to be used and how formal the wording should be for the audience.

Procedure for collecting presentation requirements

1. Meet or write to the requester and ask for the purpose and the intended audience, since these decide the content and language.
2. Agree on the scope: the topics to be covered, the depth of detail and the topics to be left out.
3. Identify the stakeholders, including the sponsor, reviewers and end users, and note what each expects.
4. Find out the date, duration, venue and delivery mode, and confirm what equipment will be available there.
5. Collect the source material, such as specifications, screenshots, diagrams and data, and check that it is current.
6. Ask about organisational rules, including the template, branding, confidentiality and file format.
7. Agree on the deliverables, such as the slides, handouts and speaker notes, and set deadlines for drafts and approval.
8. Record everything in a short requirements checklist and send it to the requester for confirmation before starting the slides.

4.1.3 Types of presentation software

Presentation software lets a user build slides, arrange text and objects on them, and deliver them to an audience. Packages differ in where they run, how files are stored and what they are best suited for. A developer chooses the software according to the requirements gathered, for example the devices in the meeting room and whether several team members must edit the same file.

Common presentation software

• Microsoft PowerPoint: A desktop application, also available online, that offers a wide range of design, animation and delivery tools. It saves files in the PPTX format and is the software used in this chapter.
• Google Slides: A web-based application in which several people can edit the same presentation at once. Files are stored online and can be exported to PPTX or PDF.
• LibreOffice Impress: A free, open-source presentation program in the LibreOffice suite. It saves in the ODP format and can also open and save PPTX files.
• Apple Keynote: A presentation application for Apple computers and devices, known for its smooth visual effects. It can export to PPTX.
• Prezi: A web-based tool that arranges content on one large canvas and moves around it by zooming, instead of moving from slide to slide.
• Canva: A web and mobile design tool with ready-made presentation templates, suited to visually styled slides prepared quickly.

Comparison of presentation software

4.1.4 Elements of presentation window

The presentation window is the screen area in which a presentation is created and edited. Knowing the name and purpose of each part helps a user find commands quickly instead of searching. The following elements are described for Microsoft PowerPoint, and other packages have similar parts.

Top of the window

• Title bar: Shows the name of the open presentation and the program name, with the minimise, maximise and close buttons at the right.
• Quick Access Toolbar: A small toolbar, usually at the top left, holding frequently used commands such as Save, Undo and Redo. Users can add other commands to it.
• File tab: Opens the backstage area, which holds commands such as New, Open, Save, Save As, Print and Close.
• Ribbon: The band of tabs, such as Home, Insert, Design, Transitions, Animations, Slide Show, Review and View. Each tab contains groups of related commands.
• Search box: A box on the ribbon in which a user types a task, such as "table", to find the command or get help.

Working area

• Slide pane: The large central area where the current slide is displayed and edited. Text, pictures and other objects are placed here.
• Thumbnail pane: The column at the left that shows small pictures of all the slides in order. Clicking a thumbnail makes that slide current.
• Placeholders: Dotted boxes on a slide, such as "Click to add title", where text or objects are entered.
• Notes pane: The area below the slide where the presenter types speaker notes that the audience does not see during the show.
• Scroll bars: Bars at the right and bottom that move the view when the slide is larger than the window.

Bottom of the window

• Status bar: The strip along the bottom edge that shows information such as the current slide number out of the total.
• Notes button: A button on the status bar that shows or hides the Notes pane.
• View buttons: Small buttons that switch between ways of displaying the presentation, such as Normal, Slide Sorter, Reading View and Slide Show.
• Zoom slider: A slider that enlarges or reduces the displayed slide.
• Fit slide button: A button beside the zoom slider that resizes the slide to fill the available window.

4.1.5 Manipulating presentations

Manipulating presentations means handling the whole file: starting a new one, storing it safely and keeping it under a suitable name and format. These are the first actions a developer performs after the requirements are agreed. A presentation that is created and saved correctly from the start is protected against loss and is easy to find and share.

4.1.5.1 Create a PowerPoint presentation

Creating a presentation produces a new file with a first slide ready for content. A user can start from a blank file or from a template that already carries a colour scheme and layouts. For example, a developer preparing a sprint review may start from the company template so that the slides follow the required style.

Procedure for creating a new presentation

1. Click the Start button, type PowerPoint and select the program, or double-click its shortcut on the desktop.
2. On the start screen, click Blank Presentation to begin with plain slides, or select a template or theme if the organisation requires one.
3. Check that the new window opens with Slide 1, normally a title slide with two placeholders, in the slide pane.
4. Click the placeholder "Click to add title" and type the presentation title, for example "Inventory System Sprint 3 Review".
5. Click the subtitle placeholder and type the presenter's name and the date.
6. Click the Home tab, then New Slide, to add the next slide, and repeat for each further slide needed.
7. Save the file immediately, as shown in the next section, so that the work is not lost.

Other ways of starting a presentation

• Keyboard shortcut: Press Ctrl + N while PowerPoint is open to create a new blank presentation.
• File tab: Click File, then New, and choose Blank Presentation or a template.
• Online templates: In the New screen, search for a template that suits the purpose, select it and click Create.
• Saved template: Open a company template file and save it under a new name so that the original stays unchanged.
• PowerPoint for the web: Sign in through a web browser and create a new presentation online when the software is not installed on the computer.

4.1.5.2 Save a PowerPoint presentation

Saving writes the presentation from the computer's memory to a storage location so that it can be opened again. A file that has not been saved is lost if the computer shuts down or the program fails. A new presentation should be saved immediately and then saved regularly while it is being edited.

Procedure for saving a presentation for the first time

1. Click the File tab to open the backstage area.
2. Click Save As, or click Save if the file has never been saved.
3. Choose where to save, such as This PC, cloud storage or Browse, and open the folder in which the file will be kept.
4. Type a meaningful name in the File name box, for example Inventory_System_Sprint3_Review. Avoid the characters \ / : * ? " < > | because file names cannot contain them.
5. Click the Save as type list and select the required file format.
6. Click Save, then check that the title bar now shows the file name.

Saving changes later

• Save: Press Ctrl + S or click the Save icon on the Quick Access Toolbar to store the latest changes in the same file.
• Save As: Use File, then Save As, or press F12, to save a copy under a new name, format or location while the original stays unchanged.
• AutoRecover: Under File, Options, Save, the user can set how often PowerPoint keeps recovery copies, which helps to restore work after a sudden shutdown.
• AutoSave: For files stored in cloud storage, the AutoSave switch at the top left of the window saves changes automatically as the user works.
• Save prompt on closing: When a user closes a presentation with unsaved changes, PowerPoint asks whether to save them, and Save should be chosen to keep the work.

Common file formats for saving

4.1.6 Working with presentations

Working with presentations covers handling several files at the same time. A developer often keeps a previous sprint's presentation open as a reference while preparing a new one, or compares a company template with a draft. Knowing how to move between the open files saves time and prevents editing the wrong one.

4.1.6.1 Switch between open PowerPoint presentations

Each presentation opens in its own window, and only one window is active at a time. Switching makes another open presentation the active one without closing any of them. For example, a developer can move from the new sprint review to last month's file to copy the format of a results table.

Procedure for switching between open presentations

1. Open the presentations needed by clicking File, then Open, or by double-clicking each file in File Explorer. Each opens in its own window.
2. Using the taskbar, point at the PowerPoint icon at the bottom of the screen to see thumbnails of the open presentations, then click the one required.
3. Using the ribbon, click the View tab, then Switch Windows in the Window group, and click the name of the presentation to move to.
4. Using the keyboard, hold Alt and press Tab repeatedly until the required window is highlighted, then release both keys.
5. Alternatively, press Ctrl + F6 to move to the next open PowerPoint window.
6. To see several presentations together, click View, then Arrange All to tile the windows, or Cascade to overlap them, and click inside a window to make it active.
7. Confirm the active presentation by reading the file name on its title bar before editing.

Chapter Summary

This chapter begins by exploring the collection of presentation requirements, defining key terms and outlining the essential needs to prepare an effective PowerPoint presentation. It highlights various types of presentation software and describes the elements of the presentation window, guiding users on how to manipulate presentations including creating and saving files. The chapter then addresses working with multiple presentations, including switching between them seamlessly. Designing the presentation layout is examined with attention to factors that influence effective design choices. The creation of slides covers different slide views, design options, and transitions that enhance the flow of the presentation. Manipulation of slides involves adding and formatting text and data, applying animations, and managing slides through moving, copying, or deleting. Additional features such as inserting headers and footers, incorporating objects like tables and charts, and setting up printing options are also discussed to ensure comprehensive presentation preparation. Finally, the chapter reviews the various types of presentation layouts and the important considerations when designing layouts to communicate information clearly and professionally.