Presentation Software Resources

We’ve been using Google Workspace for a while now and are comfortable with the core features like email, docs, and meetings. I’m curious to learn how other teams are using it in more advanced or creative ways. Looking to explore ideas that help improve productivity, collaboration, or workflows.

Hi, G2 community. I’ve noticed more presentation platforms are rolling out AI features that claim to design slides automatically, from layout suggestions to generating full decks from text prompts. It sounds like a huge time-saver, but I’m curious how well they actually work in practice, and which vendor provides AI-powered slide design tools?

Here are a few applications I’ve been exploring:

• Canva offers “Magic Design,” where you enter content and get suggested templates and layouts. Does it give enough creative control, or do teams end up reworking the slides anyway?
• Simplified is an AI-first design platform that can auto-generate slides and visuals. Is it accurate enough for polished, client-ready decks?
• Microsoft 365 includes AI-powered features like PowerPoint Designer, which suggests layouts, icons, and formatting automatically. Do enterprise teams find these tools genuinely useful for faster slide creation, or do they still rely heavily on manual design?
• Google Workspace has basic AI-powered formatting and suggested layouts. Is this too limited compared to dedicated AI slide design tools?

For those who’ve tested these:

• Which AI-powered design tool has actually saved you the most time?
• Do the auto-generated slides feel presentation-ready, or do you still spend time customizing?
• Any surprises (good or bad) with how accurate or brand-consistent the AI suggestions are?

Thanks for your insights.

Hi G2 community, I’ve noticed that presentations can fall flat if the audience isn’t actively involved. Polls, Q&A, live reactions, or even quick quizzes can make a huge difference. I’m looking for presentation tools that make this easy to set up and run in real time.

Here are a few solutions I’ve been exploring:

• Mentimeter (4.7/5 on G2, 650 reviews): Designed for interactivity, with polls, quizzes, and word clouds. It’s great for workshops and meetings, but how well does it scale for enterprise-level events with thousands of participants?
• Microsoft PowerPoint (4.6/5 on G2, 4,251 reviews): Offers Q&A and live reactions when used inside Teams. It’s familiar and widely adopted, but is this enough to compete with purpose-built interactive platforms?
• Google Workspace (4.6/5 on G2, 43,609 reviews): Includes a simple audience Q&A feature for live sessions. It’s seamless for quick collaboration, but is it powerful enough to handle real-time engagement at scale?

For those of you who run live presentations:

• Which of these tools has delivered the strongest real-time engagement?
• Do these features meaningfully boost participation, or do they just add extra steps?
• Any surprises (good or bad) when scaling interactive sessions across bigger audiences?

Thanks for sharing!