6. Presentation and infographic tools
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Free tools are completely free to use with all features.
Freeware tools include basic functionality for free. Additional features may need to be paid for.
Open source tools are developed in a collaborative manner and can be used, modified or shared openly. This software can be used for free and often includes a lot of support documentation.
Paid tools can only be used after purchasing, and agreeing to, a product licence.
The ability to deliver compelling presentations is increasingly important. Which tool you use to create, share and present your work may depend on a range of factors:
- individual or group work — different tools offer collaborative functionality.
- basic or advanced function — if you wish to incorporate complex data visualisations, or include special effects you may require a more advanced presentation tool.
- availability of training — the availability of in-person training and online help varies between presentation tools.
Find:
Looking for help with your assignment?
- Types of assignments — Information on written, video, audio, presentations, posters, 3D models and coding assignments.
- Find and use media – Find images, audio and video, comply with copyright and Creative Commons licences.
- Analyse and display data in the Work with data and files module.
- Data visualisation guide
Presentation tools
| Tool | Useful features or limitations | In-person training | Online training | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Slides | Google Slides is a free, web-based presentation tool that requires a Google Account to use. To access Google Slides without an internet connection you need to use the Google Chrome browser and install Google Docs offline Chrome extension. Slides offers a small range of templates. You can easily edit text as well as insert images, diagrams, videos, and shapes. You can export your files into a range of file formats, including PowerPoint (.pptx). |
No | Google Slides Essential Training (LinkedIn Learning, 1h 8m) | |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | Microsoft PowerPoint is the standard presentation tool used in many workplaces and offers a large range of templates. | Yes | PowerPoint Essential Training (Microsoft 365) (LinkedIn Learning, 2h 32m) | Free for UQ students and staff |
| Impress (LibreOffice) | Impress (LibreOffice) is free, desktop presentation software you can download to your computer. Impress has a relatively small number of templates and limited collaborative functionality. | No | Limited online training. LibreOffice 5.3 New Features: Impress (YouTube, 44s) |
|
| Prezi | Prezi is a web-based presentation tool that offers a tiered membership model. The basic membership type offers unlimited presentations but is limited in other respects. For instance, the Basic model does not offer presenter notes or offline access. | No | Prezi Essential Training (LinkedIn Learning, 2h 31m) | |
Infographic tools
| Tools | Useful features or limitations | In-person training | Online training | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canva | Canva is a web-based design tool with free plans available. It allows you to easily create slides, infographics and other visual components for your presentations. You can easily add your colleagues to your projects and collaborate. | No | Canva tutorials | |
| GraphPad Prism | Graphpad Prism is a biostatistics, curve fitting (nonlinear regression) and scientific graphing tool. Easily organize, analyze and graph repeated experiments; pick appropriate statistical tests and interpret the results. | No | GraphPad resources | Free for UQ students and staff |
| Piktochart | Piktochart is a web-based tool you can use to create infographics and visualising data and includes a range of a range of templates for you to use. The free version allows you to download your infographic in PNG format. | No | Piktochart Tutorial: A Simple Guide to Piktochart for Beginners (YouTube, 5m11s) | |
| Venngage | Venngage is a web-based tool for creating a range of data visualisations, including infographics, posters and reports, to share or download. The basic version of Venngage is limited in terms of templates, collaborative functionality, and support. | No | How to Create an Infographic with Venngage (YouTube, 5m6s)How to Create an Infographic with Venngage (YouTube, 5m6s) | |
| Visio Online | Access to the web version to draw diagrams to communicate complex information. | No | Beginner tutorial for Visio- web version |  Free for UQ students as part of Microsoft 365 |
