How to Avoid “Death by PowerPoint”: 3 Tips for Visual Presentations

When attorneys do a fair amount of work on their own to create visual presentations, they face a risk that I call “Death by PowerPoint.” The symptoms involve overly long, badly constructed, repetitive messes of PowerPoints and other graphics that will kill anyone’s attention.

Death by PowerPoint generally happens when attorneys are so jammed on time that graphics or presentations end up looking “slapped together” with less-than-impressive results. It also happens when they display confusing and overcomplicated graphics that may distract a juror’s focus from the point being made.

I speak from personal experience, having almost fallen victim to Death by PowerPoint numerous times! The problem arises from the fact that preparing for trial can be all-consuming, with many competing interests. (more…)