Tag Archive: p2

scientific bulletpoints

There is a feeling that a presentation can’t be “scientific” unless it has bulletpoints, that transfer of information requires a list of facts on the board and that these should be worked through in order. There is no justification for…
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You’re an idiot.

No really! I have such concerns for your stupidity that I will annotate everything for you just so you know what everything is, or, if you aren’t paying attention it will become immediately apparent so you can catch up.There is…
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I’ll talk you through this data slide…

Data slides usually resemble a “Where’s Wally?” picture. Presenters either offer to “talk you through” something like the worst slide in the world or simply talk whilst the audience desperately scan graphs and columns trying to derive meaning from facts. This should…
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Don’t put the cart before the horse.

To develop presentations, one must move away from the concept of looking at the text on a slide and asking how can this be improved by reduction and illustration. This is putting the horse before the cart. Change will only come…
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They are all the same!

It is astounding that, right now, across the world, millions of people will be sat in front of a powerpoint presentation. That is a tribute to the marketing and genius that is Mr Gates and Microsoft. What is more incredible…
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Are you talking to ME?

In the movie “Taxi Driver” Rober de Niro as Travis Bickle envisages a confrontation with a mugger and the classic line, “Are you talking to me? Are you talking to me? In his mind he has worked through how the…
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With images, it’s about focus

When is an image not an image? When it’s out of focus. The effective use of images in presentations is often bedevilled by presenters failing to obey simple rules, principally though ignorance. Some of the common mistakes are more obvious…
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Add a picture, that’ll make it better!

Progress along the artistic journey from Death by Powerpoint towards a more expressive and creative presentation usually starts with the thinking that addition of images will make it better. The (ironic?) clip art issue has already been addressed, even if only briefly but…
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Why does good design work?

I have been struggling with the question of “Why does good design work?” All presentations (p2) are designed in that they didn’t just fall straight from the heavens. Some work and some don’t.  Those with bad design that are cut and paste jobs…
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Good design is about function not decoration.

I recently spent some time discussing all things Presentation with an expert, Nicole Gugger. She had many insights into the nature and problems of presentation; she is an excellent presentation coach. One thing she made clear is that good design of…
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