In the pre-2020 world of presentations it was rare to include content other than PowerPoint slides because it was difficult to switch to other content when the presenter was standing beside the screen and their laptop was on the desk a distance away.

When virtual presentations became the norm in early 2020, presenters discovered that they could now include content from other apps because they were at their keyboard and it was easier to switch from slides to another app. Unfortunately, the switching between content in apps is inconsistent between meeting platforms and awkward on some platforms. It is also visually jarring for attendees depending on how the meeting platform works.

I created the desktop as a canvas approach to bring a new way of switching between content in a presentation that would get around these limitations and be easy for presenters to use.

The concept is to consider the desktop as a canvas that we share with the attendees. We can bring slides, a spreadsheet, a browser, or any other content onto the canvas to show the meeting attendees. We can easily and seamlessly switch between the content so the attendees can easily follow our presentation even as we use the different content.

This concept allows you to present on Zoom, Teams, Webex, Google Meet, or any other meeting platform because it is platform independent. Some platforms allow for additional options that make this approach even more powerful.

Many of the different options for implementing this approach work if you only have your laptop screen so it can be used by any presenter in any situation, whether a virtual only meeting or a hybrid meeting with some people in the room.

In the following lessons you will learn the different ways to implement this approach and use it to make your presentations more engaging for the attendees.