Non-Designer's Presentation Book, The: Principles for effective presentation design, 2nd Edition

Chapter Five Animation

Animation, of course, refers to things that move on the slide. Transition refers to the animation that can appear when one slide disappears and the next one appears.

I realize there are presentation gurus who insist that animation on slides is one of the greatest sins on earth. But the fact remains that we like a little animation. We like to spark things up a bit with moving parts. We like cool transitions.

And certain animations and transitions, respectfully implemented, can serve to clarify and enhance a presentation. That’s the key—respectful and relevant implementation. Certainly there are millions of presentations that make your eyes cross because every single word comes flying in from around the corner, twirls in ...