What Camp Do You Draw In: The Battle Between Illustrator and PowerPoint

In the world of proposal arts there are two camps, both sure they have the best tool for the job. But which proposal graphics tool is in fact better for the task, and for whom?

Before we begin, some background.  Adobe illustrator by its namesake is a powerful drawing package known for its precision and versatility. If you require highly detailed and customized graphics or metaphor graphics/illustrations with elegant design elements, Illustrator is by far a better choice. PowerPoint (PPT), on the other hand, is not a focused drawing tool and akin to a butter knife shamming as a flat head screwdriver. It can do it, but it's not its primary capability.

PowerPoint is not a focused drawing tool and more akin to a butter knife shamming as a flat head screwdriver.

The first arbiter is your own expectation

If your bid requires highly stylized graphics, you are in the glamping camp. Experienced artists can be swift and wonderfully creative, producing graphics that are both memorable and impressive. However, they are often a bottleneck and sole practitioners.

If your strategy is to prioritize speed and agility, PPT is your tool.  You are in the pup tent camp. While the output can be less dynamic, anyone on the team for practical purposes can make at least an edit. In the hands of a skilled artist, PPT graphics can be very attractive with a lot of design flexibility.

A second arbiter is searchability and reuse

PPT graphics are key word searchable when saved in a repository or within a desktop folder, whereas Illustrator art is not.  When your team wishes to reuse illustrator art, an illustrator artist must be brought in, edits must be conveyed and performed while the team waits. Professional artists are magically swift, but it is still a process.  PPT can be edited on the spot and given to an artist for cleanup, resulting in closer engagement and speed. 

A third arbiter is risk

If illness or an event impacts your Illustrator artist, the team will be scrambling for coverage. In a pinch, PPT graphic edits and development can likely be continued by teammates.

In conclusion

After a career in service to both applications, I have come to advocate for one tool above the other.  I am of the pup tent, kitchen drawer camp.  I choose to design in PPT and leave my clients with files they can reuse.

Determining what is right for your team depends on your strategy, the target audience, and tolerances for issues described above. Both are excellent tools.