Present Pal displays no more than 3-5 key bullet points on the screen at once. 

This is the suggested optimum level of detail per page for someone who is dyslexic. Any more can overload the poor working memory leading to increased anxiety and failure to deliver words as intended.

The bullet points are only short sentences containing minimal trigger words. Their purpose is to guide the presenter through the presentation whilst encouraging the use of long term memory. 

We conducted research on 130 students from Glasgow based IFEs. 100% of participants agreed that Present Pal was more useful than a script with one saying "the bullet points were small and easy to keep tabs of." 

Should the presenter forget key information during the presentation, it can be recalled through the pop-up bubble feature. These pop-up bubbles contain more detailed information and allow notes to be stored.

These pop-up bubbles look to provide a safety net for the user by providing all the information of a script but in an even more accessible way compared to flash cards. 

This gives the presenter more confidence and will reduce the anxiety experienced when relying exclusively on working memory. 

One Student, Rachel H. said "It is easy to use, the speech bubbles for additional information are very useful."

Through the scrolling feature, the bullet point which the user is currently on appears substantially larger than the other bullet points around it. 

This makes it much easier for the presenter to quickly spot the correct place in the presentation after they have looked up at the audience. 

A simple flick of the finger or tap of an arrow progresses the user to the next bullet point on the current slide. Additionally, users can also tap on the individual bullet points in any order to focus on, and enlarge that specific bullet point. 

This feature also allows the presenter to clearly see the structure of the presentation which means they can see the content that is coming next. This is very helpful for those with poor processing skills. 

Overlay colours are an important way of reducing visual stress and helping dyslexic people read more efficiently. Present Pal's customisable colour scheme has 10 different colours to suit every user's need. 

Between 51 and 52% of the dyslexic population benefit from using overlay colours which means the feature should help when decreasing visual stress. 

We also performed some research where we had 100% of our student testers saying it had helped them reduce visual stress. 

As well as being able to customise the overlay colour, users can edit both the font type and text size. 

With an example of how the text will look like, users of the app can change all the options until they find exactly the correct style that suits them best. 

Being able to use and change all these options will allow the presenter to reduce their visual stress and increase their confidence whilst presenting. 

Our research found that 100% of student testers agreed that Present Pal was easy to use and they would use Present Pal again. 

PowerPoint integration

slideshow control

One of the main advantages of the Present Pal app is the ability to control the whole presentation from a smart phone or tablet using a mobile hotspot. 

To the right of the Present Pal screen, the slide selection is highlighted using a different shade of colour. This allows the user to know exactly where they are in the presentation and can easily move sections by tapping on the relevant slide. The PowerPoint presentation will automatically change to the same slide that the presenter selects. 

This means there is no need for additional slide changing remote controls which can increase anxiety. Controlling it all from the one place using a hotspot, allows the presentation environment to be simplified. 

content sync

After a user has created a PowerPoint presentation, Present Pal has the ability to link with the user's desktop or laptop through a mobile hotspot. 

This link allows PowerPoint content to be transferred across to the Present Pal app.

This gives the user the basis of the presentation they see on Present Pal which they can then modify with pop-up bubbles so that it suits the individual user.