Pictures of slides are intended by the photographer to be used for later data retrieval. Few actually review the images, even fewer retrieve any data. Constructing a slide for this purpose is further false logic. It defeats the purpose of the supportive media as it is visually overwhelming. It also removes the photographer from the cognitive flow of the presentation. Don’t take pictures of slides.
If you have attended a presentation you will have noticed multiple mobile devices raised to take photographs of slides. The photographer intends to record information for later data retrieval. This may be a quote, a reference or the slide in toto. Discussing this with groups during presentation workshops it is clear that despite MBs of images recorded they are virtually never reviewed. For the few that do review the images, even less information is retrieved. It is a wasted effort to take pictures of slides.
Many presenters noticing the forest of phones at presentations mention that they further increased the amount of information in their slides in subsequent presentations. The unintended consequences are that slides become even more distracting. This encourages more photographs and further disengages the audience. The attention of the photographer is in procuring the next image of importance rather than following the presenter. The pictures of slides have become the handout.
The purpose of the supportive media is to support the presentation. It is not to be the handout. This is a false dichotomy. There may be complex data, references or tables that the presenter feels are essential to the audience. This can be offered as a download or as part of the supporting material but should never be on the screen. The science shows that projecting such material doesn’t work, it distracts and disengages the audience and encourages more of the audience to take pictures of slides.
Pictures of slides are not an efficient way of retrieving data. The act itself further removes the photographer from the flow of the presentation. Presenters who incorporate complexity for it to be photographed are making things worse. Pictures of slides are a false dichotomy.
So much this. Thank you!