Microsoft PowerPoint versus Sway

When it comes to presentations, Microsoft PowerPoint has for decades been the go-to tool for anyone needing to put together a slideshow. But for some time now, there has also been Sway. It’s perhaps a bit misunderstood, so let’s check out the key differences to help decide which to use and when.

Believe it or not, PowerPoint has been around since 1987! It’s like the Toyota that’s been in your driveway forever. It’s reliable, it gets you where you need to go, and you know every noise, button and knob by heart. Sway, on the other hand, was launched in 2014, and it’s a bit like that flashy new EV your tech-savvy neighbour just bought. It’s sleek, modern, and maybe a little intimidating if you’re used to the old ways.

Before you start placing bets, let’s take a closer look at the two side by side.

Microsoft PowerPoint, as we all know by now, creates slide based presentations. If you’re like most people, you open PowerPoint on the desktop and start building slides. Sway, on the other hand, enables you to create interactive, web-based presentations. It’s like PowerPoint went to the day spa and got itself a makeover.

Quick Summary

Here’s a comparison table between Microsoft PowerPoint and Microsoft Sway:

User Interface

By now, PowerPoint’s interface is familiar to anyone who ever had to put together a presentation. It has a wide range of tools and options, which can be both a blessing and a curse. For seasoned users, it provides loads of possibilities, but for newbies, it can feel a bit like being handed the controls of a 747 and told, “Off you go!”

Sway takes a more minimalist approach. Its interface is clean, intuitive, and dare I say, swayve (sorry, I just couldn’t resist). It’s designed to be user-friendly, with a focus on content rather than intricate design options (that comes later).

Design Features

When it comes to design, Microsoft PowerPoint has more templates, themes, colours, fonts, and shapes than you can poke a stick at. Want to make your text spin in 3D while fireworks explode in the background? PowerPoint has you covered (but I might question your design choices, less is more you know).

Sway is far more of a curated experience, where everything just works together seamlessly. You can choose a theme, then let Sway automatically apply the design to all your content. It’s great for creating polished presentations quickly. On the other hand, it might be a bit limiting if you’re the type who likes to be in control of everything.

Content Creation

In Microsoft PowerPoint, you get complete control over your presentation. You get to decide how many slides you want, what goes on each slide, and in what order. It’s a bit like building with LEGO, but with great power comes great responsibility. You have complete control, but it’s then up to you to make sure everything fits together and flows properly.

Sway is more like working with a smart assistant. You feed it your content – text, images, videos etc, and it puts everything into a flowing narrative. You can still rearrange things, but Sway does a lot of the heavy lifting for you. Of course, some people don’t like that!

Online or Offline?

Microsoft PowerPoint is like that dependable friend who’s always there for you, with or without internet. You can create, edit, and present your slideshows offline, which is great for those times when Wi-Fi decides to take a break.

Because Sway is purely web-based, it needs an internet connection to work properly. It’s not really going to happen if you’re offline. You can view your previously opened Sways offline, but for creating and editing, you’ll need to be connected. It’s not ideal for those “presenting in a cave” scenarios.

Animation and Interactivity

PowerPoint’s animation capabilities are like a Swiss army knife. You can make objects fly, spin, bounce, and do pretty much anything short of making them sentient (that might be in an upcoming version). It’s great for adding visual interest but it’s generally a good idea to be sparing. I always tell my participants to “animate with a purpose, not just for the sake of it.”

Sway takes a more subtle approach to animation. It incorporates smooth scrolling and transitions that feel natural and web-like. It’s less “jazz hands” and more “gentle wave.” The interactivity in Sway comes from its responsive design, allowing it to adapt to different screen sizes for easy navigation through your content.

Integration

Microsoft PowerPoint plays well with other applications, especially within the Microsoft ecosystem. It’s like the popular kid in school who’s friends with everyone. You can easily insert Excel charts, embed videos or PowerBI reports, and even use third-party add-ins.

Sway is also well integrated with Microsoft’s suite of tools, but it takes a more modern approach. It can use content directly from sources like OneDrive and YouTube. It’s more like having a personal assistant who’s always checking the internet for the ideal content to support your story.

Presentation Mode

Presenting with PowerPoint is a classic experience. You’re in control, meaning you can present slides at your pace and guide the audience through your carefully crafted information.

Microsoft Sway presentations are more like interactive websites. Your audience can scroll through at their own pace, click on images and other elements to get more information, and even adapt the view to their device. For example, somebody viewing your content on a mobile or table can swipe through to the next item, whereas on a PC, they can just click. It’s less about you presenting to your audience and more about allowing them to explore your content.

The Verdict

Which one comes out on top? Well, like many things in life, it depends on what you’re looking for.

Microsoft PowerPoint has proven dependable when it comes to traditional presentations. It offers excellent control and customisation options, making it ideal for detailed, precisely designed presentations. If you need to create complex slides with specific layouts and animations, PowerPoint is probably your best bet.

Microsoft Sway, on the other hand, is the agile newcomer, perfect for creating quick, visually appealing, and interactive presentations. It shines in situations where you want to tell a story or share information in a more fluid, web friendly format.

Although this article is titled PowerPoint vs Say, the fact is they aren’t really competitors, they’re more like siblings with different strengths. PowerPoint is like the detail-oriented older sibling who colour codes their bookshelf (it’s a thing, I looked it up), while Sway is the free-spirited younger sibling who’s always up on the latest trends.

The best choice depends on your specific needs, your audience, and the type of content you’re presenting. And hey, who says you can’t use both? Mix and match to create the perfect presentation cocktail.

I think the text issue is particularly important when choosing between PowerPoint and Sway. We’ve all been to presentations where the slide is just a placeholder for bucket loads of text. These beasties are referred to as slideuments by Nancy Duarte in her wonderful book, Slide:ology. This portmanteau describes presentations that are really just documents masquerading as slides. In later works, Nancy discusses SlideDocs, which fit somewhere into the grey area between a document and a presentation. The key difference is that they’re created deliberately for use as material to be used before or after meetings.

Although Nancy describes the process of creating SlideDocs in Microsoft PowerPoint, another option here is to build your content in Sway, then provide a link for your audience. This can be either before or after your presentation or meeting. If it arrives before our meeting, I can read the Sway and swipe through at my own pace. That way, I’ll be up to speed and ready to discuss the content. If it’s after, Sway can be a lot more engaging than the old fashioned handouts, and it saves paper. Also, because Sway is a better platform for more text, it can be a useful way to expand on the key points of your PowerPoint presentation.

In case you’re wondering, I still tend to use Microsoft PowerPoint for most of my presentations, but I keep a close eye on how much text I need. If there’s too much to realistically fit onto my slides (death by PowerPoint, anyone?), then I look to Sway. Because the style of Sway is a bit like a magazine, it’s a great way to add more text without it coming across as dull.

Just keep in mind, whether you’re PowerPointing or Swaying, the most important thing is the content itself. Content is King as they say, and even the fanciest presentation can’t save a crappy idea! Sometimes you just need to have a rethink and come up with a better way to tell your story.

Until next time, may your next presentation flow well!