Emaze: A New Alternative to PowerPoint & Prezi

Emaze is a new online technology which allows you to create presentations. It is simple to use and it will surely enhance the looks of your presentation dramatically. This is how the site works:

Sign Up
Choose a template
Add a ready-made slide
Type your content, add images and videos
You're ready
Share it with the world

Before getting into details, let me share what I feel is the real benefit of using Emaze. It allows you to make visually good looking presentations quickly. You choose a template and then you add ready-made slides. You have a slide to add quote, one with a timeline, one with a chart, one with a SmartArt kind of image, one with a table and so on.

Some templates of Emaze are like MS PowerPoint and some are like Prezi. When you work on Emaze, your deck sits in the cloud. You can access it from anywhere and on any device.

Watch this short 2 minute video for a crux of what the site does:




Templates
There are 32 templates as of now. The site tries to address all kinds of presenters. From managers to school teachers. From students to professionals. Here are a few samples:

While some templates are simple, some have lots of transitions and some are too much 3D. It totally depends on your situation and need. That should drive your choice of templates. If you keep your mouse over a template, you can get to see a preview of the template.

Slide Layouts
Once you have chosen your template, you can now start adding slides. Again we have a huge choice here. To try this out, I chose the Market Analysis template, since this is more in line with my needs as a manager. There are 22 different types of slides layouts within this template. Here are a few samples:

Once you choose a slide layout, you can start typing out your content in place of the existing content. You can also add a new text box or image (just like you do in PowerPoint). We can also delete existing text/image from the slide layout. The layout can be totally customized.


Pricing
The basic version is free, so you can try it out and see for yourself. The  PRO option is available for $4.90 per month. Click here to know more. Please note: If you sign up for free, your presentation will be public and anyone can see it. Most of the best features are generally reserved for the paid users :)

Caveat (a word of caution)
While Emaze will surely help you make visually good looking presentations faster, it is no substitute for proper presentation planning (hard work). A presentation is successful because of its content. Emaze or PowerPoint is just a tool. The tool will only make your life easier.

Another caveat is to not to get too carried away after looking at all these jazzy templates. Choose the one which meets your needs. The simpler the better. Do not try to impress your audience with your design. Try to get your message to your audience in the least possible time with the least possible noise.

Who is Emaze for?
Emaze is for busy people who need a deck fast. It is for people who do not have mastery over PowerPoint or similar such software. Sign up for free and check it out. It will save a lot of your time.


Watch some presentations created by others using Emaze.
Click here to visit the site.




Disclaimer: I do not get any commission when you sign up on Emaze. However, they did advertise on my blog for sometime.