Harold Valderama Portfolio - More Than a Powerpoint

Like it or not, we now live in a remote world of video conferencing. The ability to communicate and relay information via a PowerPoint, Keynote or Google Slides has never been more important. Messages have to be succinct, distilled and engaging. Luckily for you, I've mastered this art.

The Pulse & Progress

TrueCar went completely remote in March 2020 and continues to be so to this day. The leadership knew there were challenges to this new way of working so the strategy was to communicate as much as possible. A monthly all-company Zoom called "Pulse & Progress" was born. For almost two years, I was in charge of helping keep it digestible and entertaining. It wasn't just about creating PowerPoints. It was about using the medium to captivate the audience one hour each month. Here are few lessons learned during that time.

Set the mood of the meeting from the start with charming, appealing cover images.

Getting meeting started right with something fun. An interactive poll is great for large groups.

If there's something to celebrate, then celebrate it collectively.

I know, not everyone is a designer, but the lesson to learn here is that It's about creating visually digestible chunks to help guide a viewer's eye when there's lots of info on a page.

Dividers between speakers or topics really helps the audience reset. It's easy to zone out and a refreshing new photo can reengage the group.

Lastly, make time for Q&A. Whenever there's opportunity for group involvement, do it. Some will unmute and ask, but there's the chat which works, too. And if all else fails, seed some questions.

And if you want to get really fancy...

Adding video to break up a meeting is a breath of fresh air. I know many companies don't have an in-house production team, but I know a guy.