Just as important to web designers and those who build web pages, it's not just what we look at on a page online, but how we look at the page; that is it's not only about which pages we select to view, but how we really look at these pages. The mechanics of how our eyes move from top to bottom, and from left to right of the screen is the key that unlocks the secret to what is an effective web page.

Web usability is a hot topic in the eye tracking industry. This is because eye tracking technology provides researchers studying the usability of a website or software interface with more comprehensive feedback than just thinking out loud, or click through behaviour, or the time we spend on a page. Having the ability to observe eye movement behaviours is about as close to being in the user's head as you can get. There is a lot that goes into conducting a usability study with eye tracking and obtaining valuable, constructive results.

It might be some time until technology develops to a stage that we can measure precisely how our audience looks at our presentation pages, and the impact each slide design has on grabbing attention and keeping people interested. So, for now, it's good to know that Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007 has the tools we need to help create a professional and attention-grabbing presentation. We know that PowerPoint has the facility to help us use each slide to our advantage, and that we are utilising the optimum position on a slide for each image, placing a headline in the correct place or even deciding on when to play a stimulating sound. Microsoft PowerPoint has all of this in pre-designed styles and layouts for presentational use.

Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 comes with a range of tools to enhance learning and keep audience attention during your slide show. One of these tools is Microsoft Office 2007 Themes.

Themes offer a range of colours, effects and typefaces that have been carefully catalogued into layouts and designs that work. PowerPoint 2007 has the solution to solve any design dilemma. Themes gently guides the user through what could otherwise be regarded as a confusing myriad of colours and fonts.

Located in the Design tab, the Themes group contains pre-organised collections of colours, fonts and effects against matching colour backgrounds. Each Theme has been carefully designed to help you to create a presentation with the look and feel to equal any compiled by a professional.

Using the Themes ensures that your presentation runs smoothly from one slide to the next, with uniformity in fonts, colour and effects.

PowerPoint 2007 gives you the option of looking at a live preview so that you can see how a design template looks before applying to your document. Simply point the cursor at one of the Theme thumbnails to preview each Theme. Options to change colours, fonts and effects are listed on the right hand side of the main Theme group window. To change the colour palette, for example, simply run the pointer down the built-in colour options and view a live preview of how it will look in your presentation.

Font changes can be made in the same way. You can even select from a carefully designed 'package' of preselected matching typefaces. Effects such as new 3-D designs can also be previewed and selected in the same way.

With our eyes and ears competing to absorb some of the information a presentation serves up, it's good to know that you can rely on Microsoft PowerPoint to deliver on target, every time.