I was recently part of a client meeting, where three out of the six present used an iPad during the meeting. The other two had their laptops open to PDF versions of our presentation. Meanwhile, we had spent time and money on printing large, colorful reports to pass out.
This got me thinking: what if our meetings became digital? What if there was a way to save all that paper and ink, and just have colleagues follow along on tablets or laptops? Not only would this be a more economical and eco-friendly option, but think of all the multi-media options you could easily include.
I soon stumbled upon an iPad app developed by none other than the magazine publisher Condé Nast, called Idea Flight. The app, which has been downloaded 85,000 times since its launch in June, let’s one person (the pilot) control up to 15 users’ (the passengers) iPad screens remotely while running through a presentation. This allows the pilot to control what slide is being shown at one time, and keeps it all in sync. It is supported over a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection, and can be unlocked at the end of the presentation so that users can go back and revisit certain slides.
With the use of iPads and applications like Idea Flight, office presentations could be taken to the next level with a streamlined way to control speed and user engagement. Instead of pulling up a projector and tinkering with stagnant graphics at your next meeting, think of using an iPad to make links, videos, and illustrations come to life.
While iPads come with a steep price tag, their ease of use, transportation, and flexibility offer pretty enticing perks. However, if iPads are not a viable option, most people own a laptop. With a cloud-based presentation, everyone could follow along on their computer. Thus saving paper, time, and creating a more meaningful presentation. I will look more into cloud-based presentation apps in my next Daily Axiom.
