What software do you use for "Powerpoint" slide design?

[eclipse]

Hi all,
just wondering what you use for designing Powerpoint slides? I'd prefer to wean off the "Evil empire" myself... and am wondering how many of you designers use Keynote in iWorks for slides?

Also... does iWorks08 open most MS office stuff properly now? I remember some older threads where people were having trouble, especially with Pages opening .doc files.

 

[JeffTL]

Sometimes Powerpoint itself, but for when I am teaching accounting, I use Excel -- any spreadsheet would do, though. Numbers would be quite nice for presentations, in fact.

 

[IgnatiusTheKing]

I use Keynote. If I don't need control of when slides will switch, but rather a timed interval, and they are pictures, I use Final Cut Express.

 

[eclipse]

What about Quark for slide design and then exporting... does Quark 8 save with timing, music etc?

What if it was just Quark to design and then import to Keynote?

 

[shecky]

either in keynote itself, or in indesign with an export to PDF that is placed into keynote.

 

[InLikeALion]

What about Quark for slide design and then exporting... does Quark 8 save with timing, music etc?

What if it was just Quark to design and then import to Keynote?

Any time I can choose not to use Quark is a breath of fresh air.

 

[eclipse]

But,.... you are a graphic designer aren't you? Don't clients often hand on Quark files? What about clients moving across from one designer to you for some reason.... "All their projects were done in Quark". Never face this?

 

[shecky]

we almost never have to deal with Quark files. very occasionally.

 

[eclipse]

Do you do slide design for keynote speakers? Because apparently that's a whole new growing thang in design. Also... do you use Indesign normally?

 

[shecky]

Do you do slide design for keynote speakers?

its not a core part of my studio's business, but i have done a number of presentations projects for clients in both Powerpoint and Keynote (and Flash and After Effects as well)

Also... do you use Indesign normally?

i do.

 

[onegirlcreative]

But,.... you are a graphic designer aren't you? Don't clients often hand on Quark files? What about clients moving across from one designer to you for some reason.... "All their projects were done in Quark". Never face this?

The majority of printers nowadays (at least the ones I deal with) use InDesign solely now. It appears that years ago when OS X first came about (Aqua) and Quark refused to upgrade to the new OS, they shot themselves in the foot so InDesign was born. Hence, many printers have made the switch to ID and they're much happier, as a result.

Even though I have both Quark & InDesign on my computer, I NEVER open/use Quark. Only InDesign.

 

[InLikeALion]

But,.... you are a graphic designer aren't you? Don't clients often hand on Quark files? What about clients moving across from one designer to you for some reason.... "All their projects were done in Quark". Never face this?

Sometimes I actually take the time to redo the project in ID. That's how much I hate Quark. I mean, they (through version 7) don't even have a keyboard command for selecting the various tools! That's so unproductive - I won't deal with it. Not to mention poor PDF creation (that also takes AGES compared to ID). Or generally poor user interface, that still looks like it's from the Classic days. Or the host of other annoyances.

The only thing I like about version 8 being released is that some people will use it, which at least for now gives Adobe a reason to stay competitive.

 

[IgnatiusTheKing]

Sometimes I actually take the time to redo the project in ID. That's how much I hate Quark. I mean, they (through version 7) don't even have a keyboard command for selecting the various tools! That's so unproductive - I won't deal with it. Not to mention poor PDF creation (that also takes AGES compared to ID). Or generally poor user interface, that still looks like it's from the Classic days. Or the host of other annoyances.

The only thing I like about version 8 being released is that some people will use it, which at least for now gives Adobe a reason to stay competitive.

Ditto all that. Plus, some Quark files can be opened in ID and quickly fixed.

 

[Krebstar]

either in keynote itself, or in indesign with an export to PDF that is placed into keynote.

Exactly what I'm doing now for a class presentation. Actually, I then have to export to Powerpoint, since the professor demands that it's in Powerpoint, oh well, I found a work around.