Decked Out: Choosing the Right Presentation Tool to Make Your Work Shine

In the AEC industry, strong visuals are often just as important as the message itself—especially during proposals, interviews, or conference presentations. While PowerPoint is the standard for many teams, it’s not the only option. Whether you're looking to improve collaboration, save time, or enhance your visual storytelling, the right presentation platform can make a difference. Here's a quick guide to both trusted favorites and newer tools worth exploring.

Core Tools

Popular platforms that are widely used and easy to adopt.

PowerPoint


Best for: Familiarity, polish, and complex formatting
PowerPoint has earned its place as the industry default. With deep functionality and a high degree of control, it's ideal for teams with established templates and formal workflows. It's especially effective when you need consistency and precision.

Google Slides


Best for: Real-time collaboration and accessibility
Google Slides offers straightforward features and seamless collaboration. Multiple team members can edit at the same time, making it a reliable choice for remote teams or early-stage drafts. It also integrates easily with Google Drive and Gmail.

Canva


Best for: Visual impact and fast design
Canva stands out for its intuitive interface and large template library. It’s a great option for creating clean, branded presentations—even without a background in graphic design. The platform also supports brand kits and easy drag-and-drop editing.

Prezi


Best for: Storytelling and non-linear presentations
Prezi offers a fresh take on the traditional slide format. Its zooming and panning features allow for more dynamic, conversation-based storytelling. If you're looking to keep your audience engaged or move away from slide-by-slide presentations, Prezi is worth a try.

Visual and AI-Enhanced Tools

Newer platforms that prioritize automation, interactivity, and visual storytelling.

Visme


Best for: Data-driven marketing and sales presentations
Visme brings together branded content tools, infographics, and strong data visualization features. It’s particularly useful when you need to present technical information in a clear, compelling format.

Beautiful.ai


Best for: Fast formatting and clean design
This platform uses AI to format your slides automatically. It's ideal for first drafts or turning rough content into a polished deck quickly. The built-in design rules help keep layouts aligned and consistent.

Powtoon


Best for: Animated and video-based presentations
If you're creating presentations for onboarding, training, or social platforms, Powtoon’s animation and video tools can help. Upload brand assets to keep things consistent while building more dynamic and engaging content.

Genially


Best for: Interactive, self-guided presentations
Genially allows users to create presentations that don’t require a live speaker. With gamified features and clickable elements, it's a smart choice for training modules, kiosks, or virtual proposals.

Putting It All Together

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to presentation tools. PowerPoint may be your team’s default, but trying something new could save time, improve collaboration, or help you stand out in front of a client.

Pro Tip: Test a new platform for a low-stakes internal meeting or informal proposal. This gives you a chance to explore the tool’s strengths before using it in a high-visibility setting.