PRESENTATION GRAPHICS

Until recently the use of graphics in written and oral communications was considered a luxury. Today it is a necessity for planners wishing to reduce the time needed to prepare a presentation or to increase their communication effectiveness. Presentation graphics software has changed greatly in the past year in ways that should be very beneficial for planners. This review examines these changes and considers several types of presentation graphics capabilities, including (1) data-driven charts; (2) text charts and fonts; (3) diagrams, illustrations, and technical drawings; (4) painting and image processing; (5) libraries and utilities; (6) presentation management; (7) desktop presentations; and (8) hypertext, hypermedia, and multimedia. Many software programs are evaluated and guidance is offered for software selection. Finally, a glance at the future for presentation graphics is provided. © American Planning Association Chicago, IL.