What makes messages stick?
There are six principles which spell SUCCESS
S = simplicity – stick with the key point
U = unexpectedness – tell them something you think they don’t know by asking a question and then giving them the answer.
C = concreteness – say what you mean
C = credibility – relate your message to something familiar with them
E = emotions – use pictures to arouse people’s emotions and make it easy for them to relate to what you are telling them.
S = stories – they stick. People remember better when the lesson being taught is in story form.
Stories can make or break a presentation. Even if the slides are just mediocre, if the story is good, it will leave your audience remembering the points made. Stories that relate and are real, are told in a genuine way, which makes them come across as very supportive of the information being spoken about. When emotion is added to a story, it’s always more memorable. Conversational style speech is always easier to understand also and to stay in tune with.
The author, Garr Reynolds, uses three steps when designing and creating a powerpoint presentation. The first step is brainstorming without editing. The second step is grouping and figuring out what the key idea that is portrayed is. And third, lay out your story on post-it notes, adding and subtracting as necessary. Then lastly, create on slides.
Put yourself in the audience’s place when it comes to looking at your presentation with a critical eye and editing out any unrelated information. “When it doubt, cut it out” (Reynolds).
Chapter 5
Simplicity: Why it Matters
There is a middle row between simple and too simple and it’s up to us to find it. Starting from scratch with an open mind is the best way to get your presentation design in order. Timesaving measures, taken from the audience’s perspective should be used. No one wants to sit and listen to someone drone on and on with repetitive speech.
Chapter 6
Presentation Design: Principles and Techniques
“In the world of design, there is more than one solution to a single problem” (Reynolds). Everything needs to be taken into consideration before designing can begin. Only then will you know what to bring in and what to leave out. If certain things can be left out with the same message coming forth, then leave them out. Using a 3-D chart takes away from the clarity of a slide as does having your logo on every slide. Also, you should rarely use bullet points in your slides.
When words are used that reinforce what the picture is showing on a slide, it is proven that an audience will remember it longer. A good place to get photos for your slides is iStockphoto.com. Other than a free photo each week, these photos do cost. There are other sites with low cost photos and also free sites.
Adding quotes to your slides makes a big impression. Your quote can either be inside the photo box or outside of it. Resist the urge to fill all white space with either words or photos. Empty space can be defined as a design or art in itself. “White space on a slide is necessary, but If you have too much, it will look strange” (Paradi).
Using grids and the rule of thirds is the best way to know how to place your information on your slide. “Grids can save you time and ensure that your design elements fit more harmoniously on the display” (Dlugan). You can crop and reposition photos to apply this rule. It brings out what is important for the viewer to see.
There are four principles that Reynolds talks about in his book: Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, and Proximity. With contrast, you can make a point stick out above the rest. Repetition has the opposite affect and sort of connects things and lets the viewer know that all things should be viewed as a whole. There should be a “visual connection” between items on a slide which means they should be aligned to make that happen. It guarantees a more professional look (Reynolds). And lastly, proximity has to do with how things are organized by their spacing of closer and farther apart.
Dlugan, Andrew. "Rule of Thirds: Improve Your PowerPoint Slides." Six Minutes: Public Speaking and Presentation Skills Blog. 12 Mar. 2009. Web. 28 Oct. 2011.
Johnson, Joshua. "How to Design a Professional PowerPoint Presentation | Design Shack." Design Gallery, Deals, Tutorials & Community | Design Shack. 10 Feb. 2011. Web. 28 Oct. 2011.
Paradi, Dave. "When "White Space" on a PowerPoint Slide Is a Bad Thing." Dave Paradi's PowerPoint Blog. 20 June 2006. Web. 28 Oct. 2011.
"Preparing Professional PowerPoint Presentations: Process." QuestGarden.com. Web. 01 Nov. 2011.
Reynolds, Garr. Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery. Berkeley, CA: New Riders Pub., 2008. Print.
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