[Tex/LaTex] Make beamer not look like beamer

Question

I'm going to present my senior thesis in front of our faculty members, by using beamer. But rumour has it that some of them do not like beamer very much. So I decided to make my slides not look like made by using beamer, perhaps by making it look like fancy slides made using, e.g., Keynote.

The problem is how to do this. I started by replacing Computer Modern with other fonts that are not associated with TeX, but I think I need more.

If you've presented slides atypical of beamer slides, please let me know how you did it. I'd appreciate your help.

Answer 1

But rumor has it that some of them do not like beamer very much.

I imagine that this stems from having seen a lot of (thesis and other) presentations filled with seemingly endless pauses after pages of bullets and enumerations, combined with page-long equations, and paragraphs of quoted texts that are hard to read because they are simply too long.

When giving presentations, I try very hard to minimize the number of words in each frame, and try to make each frame last at least 5 minutes; further more, I try extremely hard to represent ideas graphically using a variety of different pictures to keep the audience from getting fatigued by repetition.

Here's a snippet from a (fairly) recent presentation that I hope illustrates my intent- keep each frame different, with visuals that accompany your verbal description; remember that you are the presentation, and that your slides are there only to support you, and not the other way round.

I don't know if you (or indeed, the community) will consider the following atypical; let the voters decide!

Here's the code:

% arara: pdflatex
% !arara: animate: {delay: 80}
% !arara: indent: {overwrite: yes, localSettings: yes}
\documentclass[mathserif]{beamer}
%\documentclass[handout,mathserif]{beamer}
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\usetikzlibrary{positioning}
\usetikzlibrary{fit}
\usetikzlibrary{backgrounds}
\usetikzlibrary{calc}
\usetikzlibrary{shapes}
\usetikzlibrary{mindmap}
\usetikzlibrary{decorations.text}
\pgfplotsset{compat=1.7}

\usetheme{Boadilla}
\usecolortheme{seagull}

% tikzmark command, for shading over items
\newcommand{\tikzmark}[1]{\tikz[overlay,remember picture] \node (#1) {};}

% standard enumeration
\setbeamertemplate{enumerate items}{(\arabic{enumi})}

% default itemize
\setbeamertemplate{itemize items}[circle]

% transparency
\setbeamercovered{transparent=15}

% for resuming lists across frames
\newcounter{savedenum}
\newcommand*{\saveenum}{\setcounter{savedenum}{\theenumi}}
\newcommand*{\resume}{\setcounter{enumi}{\thesavedenum}}

% title
\title{Accessibility in Mathematics}
\subtitle{A collaborative project}
\author[Leavitt, Hughes]{Scot Leavitt \and Chris Hughes}
\institute[PCC]{Portland Community College}
\date{February 19th 2013}
\tikzset{
   invisible/.style={opacity=0},
   visible on/.style={alt=#1{}{invisible}},
   alt/.code args={<#1>#2#3}{%
      \alt<#1>{\pgfkeysalso{#2}}{\pgfkeysalso{#3}} % \pgfkeysalso doesn't change the path
   },
}

%\includeonlyframes{daytoday}

\begin{document}

\begin{frame}
   \maketitle
\end{frame}



\begin{frame}[label=daytoday]{Where do we start?}

   \makebox[\textwidth]{%
      \begin{tikzpicture}[every node/.append style={cloud,draw,thick,align=center}]
         \pause
            \node[draw=red,double,fill=red!20, minimum width=3cm,minimum height=2cm,cloud puffs=10, aspect=1.3](formats){Accessible\\ formats?};
         \pause
            \node[draw=blue,double,cloud,below right=of formats,fill=blue!20, cloud puffs=13, aspect=1.8](mathml)    {MathML?\\MathJax?};
         \pause
            \node[draw=yellow,double,left=0.75cm of mathml, fill=yellow!30, minimum height=2.5cm, cloud puffs=17, aspect=2](final){Best \\ practices?};
         \pause
            \node[draw=green,double,left=0.75cm of final, fill=green!20, cloud puffs=13, aspect=3](best){Faculty\\ responsibilities?};
         \pause
            \node[draw=orange,double,left=of formats, fill=orange!30, minimum width=2cm,minimum height=3cm,cloud puffs=13, aspect=0.9]{Final \\ product?};
      \end{tikzpicture}
   }

\end{frame}

\begin{frame}{Input from department}

   \begin{columns}
      \begin{column}[t]{.65\textwidth}
         What tools do faculty use?

         \begin{tikzpicture}[every node/.append style={align=center}]
            \begin{pgfonlayer}{background}
               \node[circle,fill=red!30,draw=black,thick,minimum size=5cm](0,0){Microsoft Word\\ 86\%};
            \end{pgfonlayer}{background}
            \pause
               \visible<2->{\filldraw[gray,opacity=0.5] (2.5,0) arc (0:-190:2.5cm) -- (0,0)node[black,opacity=1,anchor=north east,scale=1,inner sep=.5cm] {MathType \\ 60\%};}
            \pause
               \visible<3->{\node[circle,fill=blue!40,draw=black,scale=1.15] at (2.3,-1){\LaTeX\\16\%};}
            \pause
               \visible<4->{\node[circle,fill=orange!40,draw=black,scale=0.65] at (2.3,1){Open Office\\12\%};}
         \end{tikzpicture}
      \end{column}%
      \pause
         \begin{column}[t]{.35\textwidth}
            Other tools
            \begin{itemize}
               \item Graph
               \item Winplot
               \item GeoGebra
               \item Maple
               \item Excel
               \item PowerPoint
               \item Applets/videos, etc
            \end{itemize}

         \end{column}%
   \end{columns}
\end{frame}


\begin{frame}{Rule of four}

   \centering
   \begin{tikzpicture}[approach/.style={draw,very thick, fill=blue!20, text width=5em,
            text centered, minimum height=2.5em,rounded corners=3ex},
         idea/.style={draw, very thick,fill=blue!40, circle,text width=6em,
            text centered, minimum height=2.5em},
         connections/.style={<->,draw=black!30,line width=3pt,shorten <=5pt,shorten >=5pt},
      ]

      % Draw diagram elements
      \node (idea) [idea,draw=blue,fill=blue!20]  {Idea or concept};
      \pause
         \node (verbal) [approach,draw=red,fill=red!20,above=of idea]  {Verbal};
         \node (tabular) [approach,draw=green,fill=green!20,left=of idea]  {Numerical};
         \node (graphical)[approach,draw=yellow,fill=yellow!20,right=of idea] {Graphical};
         \node (formular)[approach,draw=orange,fill=orange!20,below=of idea] {Algebraic};

         % Draw arrows between elements
         \draw[connections] (idea) -- (formular) ;
         \draw[connections] (idea) -- (verbal);
         \draw[connections] (idea) -- (graphical);
         \draw[connections] (idea) -- (tabular);
         \draw[connections] (verbal.west) to[out=180,in=90](tabular.north) ;
         \draw[connections] (verbal.east) to[out=0,in=90](graphical.north) ;
         \draw[connections] (tabular.south) to[out=-90,in=180](formular.west) ;
         \draw[connections] (graphical.south)to[out=-90,in=0](formular.east);
   \end{tikzpicture}

\end{frame}

\begin{frame}[label=workflow]{Workflow}

   \makebox[\textwidth][c]{%
      \begin{tikzpicture}[
            outpt/.style={->,blue!80!black,very thick},
            >=stealth,
         every node/.append style={align=center}]
         \node (kaela) at (0,0) {\begin{tabular}{@{}c}Disability\\ Services \\ Office \end{tabular}};
         \pause
            \node (accessfile) [right=of kaela] {\begin{tabular}{@{}c}accessible\\ electronic \\ file \end{tabular}};
            \draw[outpt](kaela)--(accessfile);
            % Draw background
            \begin{pgfonlayer}{background}
               % Left-top corner of the background rectangle
               \path (kaela.west |- kaela.north)+(-0.5,0.5) node (a) {};
               % Right-bottom corner of the background rectanle
               \path (accessfile.east |- accessfile.south)+(+0.5,-0.5) node (c) {};
               % Draw the background
               \path[fill=yellow!20,rounded corners, draw=black!50, dashed]
               (a) rectangle (c);
            \end{pgfonlayer}
         \pause
            \node (screen)[above right=of accessfile]{Screen\\ reader\\ accessible};
            \node (braille)[right =of accessfile]{Braille-ready\\ format};
            \node (enlarge)[below right=of accessfile]{enlargable\\ \& other \\ formats};
            \draw[outpt](accessfile)--(screen.west);
            \draw[outpt](accessfile)--(braille);
            \draw[outpt](accessfile)--(enlarge.west);
            \begin{pgfonlayer}{background}
               % Left-top corner of the background rectangle
               \path (screen.west |- screen.north)+(-0.25,0.25) node (a) {};
               % Right-bottom corner of the background rectanle
               \path (enlarge.east |- enlarge.south)+(0.5,0) node (c) {};
               % Draw the background
               \path[fill=green!20,rounded corners, draw=green,thick]
               (a) rectangle (c);
            \end{pgfonlayer}
         \pause
            \node (source) [left=of kaela,draw=black!50,dashed,circle,fill=orange!30]{Source files};
            \draw[outpt](source)--(kaela);
      \end{tikzpicture}
   }
\end{frame}

\begin{frame}{Stand alone concept}

   \begin{tikzpicture}[mindmap,
         concept/.append style={fill={none}},
         root concept/.style={concept color=blue},
         level 1 concept/.append style=
         {every child/.style={concept color=blue!50},level distance = 30mm},
         level 2 concept/.append style=
         {every child/.style={concept color=red!50},level distance = 19mm},
         every node/.append style={align=center,scale=0.7},
      ]
      \node [concept,font=\huge] {Stand\\ Alone}
      child[grow=0, visible on=<2->] {node[concept] {Source files .tex, .docx}
         child[grow=80, visible on=<2->]{node[concept] {.pdf}}
         child[grow=30, visible on=<2->]{node[concept] {Enlarged}}
         child[grow=-20, visible on=<2->]{node[concept] {MathML}}
         child[grow=-70, visible on=<2->]{node[concept] {.brf}}
      }
      child[grow=-90,visible on=<3->] {node[concept] {Graphs}
         child[grow=0,visible on=<3->]{node[concept] {tactile printing}}
         child[grow=180,visible on=<3->]{node[concept] {alt text}}
      }
      child[grow=180,visible on=<4->] {node[concept] {homework management system}
         child[grow=110,visible on=<4-> ] {node[concept] {keyboard navigable}}
         child[grow=180,visible on=<4->] {node[concept] {screen reader accessible}}
         child[grow=250,visible on=<4->] {node[concept] {vpat}}
      };
      \node at (0,0) [inner sep=9mm,decorate,circle,decoration=
      {text along path,text={Equally Effective Equally Effective Equally Effective  Equally Effective }}] {};
      %\draw decorate[decoration={text along path,text={Equally Effective}}]
      %{(-3,0) arc (135:45:.5cm)};

   \end{tikzpicture}
\end{frame}

\begin{frame}[c]{What stands alone?}
   % Which content creation tools stand alone?
   \pause
   \begin{columns}
      \begin{column}[c]{.33\textwidth}
         \tikz \node[fill=green!20,draw=green, rounded corners,very thick,inner sep=0mm]{%
            \vbox{%
               \begin{itemize}
                  \item MS Word with MathType
                  \item \LaTeX
                  \item LibreOffice
                  \item Scientific Notebook
                  \item Graphs
                  \item Prepared lecture notes
                  \item Desire2Learn
                  \item WeBWorK
                  \item Videos
               \end{itemize}
            }%
         };
      \end{column}%
      \pause
         \begin{column}[c]{.33\textwidth}
            \tikz \node[fill=orange!20,draw=orange, rounded corners,very thick,inner sep=0mm]{%
               \vbox{%
                  \begin{itemize}
                     \item[] MyMathLab
                  \end{itemize}
               }
            };
            \vfill
         \end{column}%
      \pause
         \begin{column}[c]{.33\textwidth}
            \tikz \node[fill=red!20,
               draw=red,
               rounded corners,
               very thick,
               inner sep=0mm,
               %decorate,decoration={zigzag,segment length=10mm,amplitude=2.0mm},
            ]{%
               \vbox{%
                  \begin{itemize}
                     \item MS Word OMML
                     \item PowerPoint
                     \item TestGen
                     \item GeoGebra applets
                     \item Flash-based applets
                     \item Other media
                  \end{itemize}
               }
            };
         \end{column}
   \end{columns}

\end{frame}


\begin{frame}[fragile]{Collaboration is key}
   \makebox[\textwidth][c]{%
      \begin{tikzpicture}[venn circle/.style={draw=#1,
               circle,
               very thick,
               minimum width=4cm,
               text=black,
               fill=#1!90,
               opacity=0.4,
               text opacity=1},
         every node/.append style={align=center}]
         \node [venn circle = red] (A) at (0,0) {Math Department:\\ Content Experts};
         \visible<2->{\node [venn circle = blue] (B) at (60:3.25cm) {Disability Services:\\ Accommodation Experts};}
         \visible<3->{\node [venn circle = green] (C) at (0:3.25cm) {Distance Learning:\\ Web Design \&\\Delivery Experts};}
         \visible<4->{\node[circle,fill=orange!50,draw=orange,very thick,opacity=0.8,minimum width=3cm] at (barycentric cs:A=1/3,B=1/3,C=1/3 ){Students};}
      \end{tikzpicture}
   }
\end{frame}

\end{document}