Towards an evidence-based presentation authoring tool

It would be difficult to argue that any software tool plays a greater role in knowledge transfer than PowerPoint. Unfortunately, prevailing presentation authoring practices yield less than optimal results (as evidenced by the near universal understanding of the phrase “Death by PowerPoint”). In this paper we describe our ongoing effort to develop an interactive presentation authoring aid that helps users craft an effective message and supporting visual media. More specifically, this software aid engages the user in a step-by-step dialog covering tasks ranging from the framing of an argument to the selection of appropriate data chart. We describe the results of preliminary experiments that indicate that such aids can provide benefits to both the speaker and the audience. Finally, we describe a practical approach to collecting the data required to support evidence-based presentation guidance.