Prezi Presentation Software Review

Prezi is a cloud-based presentation software designed to create a non-linear or free-flowing presentation. Prezi allows you to work on a canvass where various elements of the presentation are stored. You can then assign path points for each element. This gives you better control and more freedom of presenting your story compared to traditional presentation software formats that merely lets you move in a two directional fashion. Like most presentation software, Prezi is capable of integrating a variety of text, image and video formats to create your presentation.

Features

Prezi uses a non-linear presentation format.  This is in contrast to PowerPoint’s slide based approach where ideas are presented through pre-arranged slides.  What you basically have is a large work board where you could store and arrange ideas in a manner that reflects how slides relate with other slides or pan around and zoom to another slide as necessary.

For starters, Prezi offers a list of templates you could use. However, the only way you could actually view the template is to start using it on your presentation. This can be troublesome since replacing it with another template when you’ve already started your project would require new adjustments compared to simply replacing the slide on a slide-based presentation.

Prezi allows a more flexible process for creating presentations. You are given a work board where you could arrange ideas and simply zoom in or pan out from one to another. Prezi utilizes “path points” that divides the presentation into sections. Presentations move through a series of path points. Prezi provides animations or other effects that help you transition smoothly from one path point to another.

Compatibility

Prezi can be downloaded as an application or accessed online through its cloud-based platform. It is available for use in a variety of mobile devices which allows users to view or work on presentations on the go. Presentations don’t require an internet connection and its Pro version allows users to create and edit presentations offline.  

Prezi allows a high degree of collaboration. Users could simultaneously create one presentation or do the presentation with multiple people. It is even possible to switch from one presenter to another in a different location.

Ease of Use

Those familiar with other presentation software will require no or little time transitioning to Prezi. Presentation still require the use of basic templates and the only difference is how these templates are used. Rather than having your presentations in a linear format where the only option is to move forward or back to another slide, Prezi is like a canvass where you can store your ideas and lets you access each template according to your needs.

The ability to work online allows users could look for Google images directly from Prezi. It also lets you embed YouTube videos or upload additional content from your computer.  For those planning to use Prezi where internet connections are unreliable, a down option is available. It can be stored as a Zip file and can presented with a player.

Prezi provides several tutorials and help options to help new users get familiar with this new interface. This can be confusing at first with the different file formats and presentation format.

Pricing

Prezi offers three subscription based plans. All plans comes standard with premium support, allows you to set privacy settings and access on any mobile device. Pro and Teams versions have image editing and can be downloaded to allow you to work offline. Discounts are available for those who plan to use the service based on an annual commitment.

Summary – Prezi Presentation Software

Prezi takes a unique approach to creating presentations. It tries to do this by creating a canvass where you can place the different elements of your presentation. Rather than creating a storyboard where elements are placed in a predetermined sequence, Prezi allows you to create a more dynamic presentation by allowing you to move freely among your templates. Its ability to zoom in or pan out among elements allows you to present a single story but tell it differently if necessary

Prezi breathes new life into presentation software allowing users to forge a more dynamic presentation that can represent their creativity.