eye candy
Creating a Metaphor
April 10, 2008 Filed in: Graphics &
Images
I'm hesitant to post this video because I know it's
inflammatory, but I think it does a great job of
creating and maintaining a visual metaphor throughout
the presentation.
The video details numerous pledges by U.S. politicians and military leaders that the "next several months" and specifically "the next six months" should see significant improvement and progress in Iraq – from Donald Rumsfeld's famous quote that he didn't expect the operation to even last six months in February 2003 to John McCain saying we will either win or lose this was in "the next several months" in November of 2006.
The metaphor is that of a desk calendar flipping through months as promised by the individuals quoted but being roadblocked by quotes asking for more months. The whole time, a pair of folder tabs are keeping track of cost in money and U.S. lives at each milestone.
Whether you agree with the point of the video or not, the visual consistency throughout makes the presentation all the more powerful. Quotes are short and the videos help reinforce those quotes. Nothing distracts from the composition of this production. Nothing looks out of place. Every element – from the background to transitions – works together as a whole.
I don't theme my presentations around a visual metaphor often. They often become visually repetitive, and it's too easy to insert elements that will seem out-of-place. However, I'll definitely use this video as a template of how such a presentation can be done right.
The video details numerous pledges by U.S. politicians and military leaders that the "next several months" and specifically "the next six months" should see significant improvement and progress in Iraq – from Donald Rumsfeld's famous quote that he didn't expect the operation to even last six months in February 2003 to John McCain saying we will either win or lose this was in "the next several months" in November of 2006.
The metaphor is that of a desk calendar flipping through months as promised by the individuals quoted but being roadblocked by quotes asking for more months. The whole time, a pair of folder tabs are keeping track of cost in money and U.S. lives at each milestone.
Whether you agree with the point of the video or not, the visual consistency throughout makes the presentation all the more powerful. Quotes are short and the videos help reinforce those quotes. Nothing distracts from the composition of this production. Nothing looks out of place. Every element – from the background to transitions – works together as a whole.
I don't theme my presentations around a visual metaphor often. They often become visually repetitive, and it's too easy to insert elements that will seem out-of-place. However, I'll definitely use this video as a template of how such a presentation can be done right.
Slides from GDC 2008
March 16, 2008 Filed in: Graphics &
Images
Back in February, Joystiq offered some great
coverage of the 2008 Game Developers Conference,
and some of that coverage included overviews of
some of the presentations given at the
conference – including photos of slides! Here
are some slides from the conference that caught
my attention and some lessons we can take from
them. (All images in this post come from Joystiq.)
The slides are infused with the requisite corporate branding – from the PS3 background of the slides to the Playstaion Network logo in the top left corner. Bullet points poulate the slides, and what is up with that image of the PSP? It looks like some pulled it off of Google Image Search and copied it onto the slide with no editing. Have they no one at Sony who can use Photoshop? Could no one remove that white background?
For such a huge corporation, they had cheap-looking slides. By contrast, Microsoft's slides were virtually bullet-free and featured beautful screenshots of the games they were discussing.
In the first slide, Bioshock's lead developer Ken Levine pays tribute to an internet cult icon named Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw (who is famous for his extremely fast-paced, witty, and usually vulgur game reviews). The second slide is from a Blizzard presentation, and they reference Douglas Adams' The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy through the graphic, the slogan "Don't Panic," and even the font used for the slogan.
Let us not forget that the audience at this conference was probably 95% male, and Valve Software knew how to attract attention to their main point in such a setting!
If you've ever played Katamari Damacy (or any of its sequels), you've probably had that very same thought: WTF? (If you have not played Katamari Damacy, stop reading this article, and go get it right now. I'll wait right here.) The game exudes bizareness, and this simple slide communicates that fact very directly.
Visuals in a presentation can amuse, offend, engage, inspire, or just bore your audience. Look at how most of the slides in this post stand out from Sony's back at the top. Sony took a tried-and-true approach to PowerPoint, but others break from that mold and create more engaging experiences (just like the games some of these presenters create). Instead of being lost in a sea of sameness, take the time to be different so you too can stand apart from the crowd.
But I don't recommend any of you use topless women in your presentations. Trust me on this...
Corporate Is Not Better
Naturally, Sony hosted multiple sessions at GDC, and the slides below are from two different presentations, but you might not know that from looking at them.
The slides are infused with the requisite corporate branding – from the PS3 background of the slides to the Playstaion Network logo in the top left corner. Bullet points poulate the slides, and what is up with that image of the PSP? It looks like some pulled it off of Google Image Search and copied it onto the slide with no editing. Have they no one at Sony who can use Photoshop? Could no one remove that white background?
For such a huge corporation, they had cheap-looking slides. By contrast, Microsoft's slides were virtually bullet-free and featured beautful screenshots of the games they were discussing.
Play to Your Audience
A game developers conference is going to be filled with geeks, so what better place to throw some truly geeky references into the material?
In the first slide, Bioshock's lead developer Ken Levine pays tribute to an internet cult icon named Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw (who is famous for his extremely fast-paced, witty, and usually vulgur game reviews). The second slide is from a Blizzard presentation, and they reference Douglas Adams' The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy through the graphic, the slogan "Don't Panic," and even the font used for the slogan.
Let us not forget that the audience at this conference was probably 95% male, and Valve Software knew how to attract attention to their main point in such a setting!
Simpler Is Often Better
In a talk about independent gaming, the developers of Everyday Shooter put up what is probably my favorite slide from this conference.
If you've ever played Katamari Damacy (or any of its sequels), you've probably had that very same thought: WTF? (If you have not played Katamari Damacy, stop reading this article, and go get it right now. I'll wait right here.) The game exudes bizareness, and this simple slide communicates that fact very directly.
Visuals in a presentation can amuse, offend, engage, inspire, or just bore your audience. Look at how most of the slides in this post stand out from Sony's back at the top. Sony took a tried-and-true approach to PowerPoint, but others break from that mold and create more engaging experiences (just like the games some of these presenters create). Instead of being lost in a sea of sameness, take the time to be different so you too can stand apart from the crowd.
But I don't recommend any of you use topless women in your presentations. Trust me on this...
Feeling Animated
June 12, 2007 Filed in: Graphics &
Images
When it comes to animation in a presentation, I've
seen an quite a few examples of two extreme
approaches. On the one hand, there are the people who
use fancy animations for every slide transition,
object build, and bullet point while, in contrast, I
see a lot of more professional presenters avoid
animation entirely.
a sleek Keynote transition
While overusing animations can distract from the presentation as a whole, it doesn't seem necessary to eliminate their use entirely. Judiciously added builds and transitions can add a level of polish that helps keep the audience engaged in the talk. Good looking slides help maintain a certain perception of professionalism around you the speaker. While we want to avoid overkill (which does not look professional), animation can be beneficial when used in moderation.
I usually use simple transitions between slides. Most of the time, these transitions will consist of dissolves and wipes, but I might use a push transition if the selected background allows for it to be executed transparently enough. However, some of the flashier transitions are reserved for section breaks or shifts in the talk. These type of transitions signal to the audience that we are moving from one section of the talk to another. (Usually, I will use the same transition for every shift in the talk.)
The same is true for text. Big text builds are reserved for big points. The animation says, "This is important!" Again, not every bullet point or every fact will be animated outside of simple wipes and fades. The eye-cathing effects are reserved for big ideas.
an eye-catching text build
Your visuals should be built entirely around reinforcing the message you are delivering, and that principle holds true for animations as well. Do use animations in your slides, but animate responsibly. Eye candy can be a good thing, especially in front of a bunch of ADHD-prone American adults! However, exercise moderation so your animations don't become the show – distracting from anything you might have to say.
a sleek Keynote transition
While overusing animations can distract from the presentation as a whole, it doesn't seem necessary to eliminate their use entirely. Judiciously added builds and transitions can add a level of polish that helps keep the audience engaged in the talk. Good looking slides help maintain a certain perception of professionalism around you the speaker. While we want to avoid overkill (which does not look professional), animation can be beneficial when used in moderation.
I usually use simple transitions between slides. Most of the time, these transitions will consist of dissolves and wipes, but I might use a push transition if the selected background allows for it to be executed transparently enough. However, some of the flashier transitions are reserved for section breaks or shifts in the talk. These type of transitions signal to the audience that we are moving from one section of the talk to another. (Usually, I will use the same transition for every shift in the talk.)
The same is true for text. Big text builds are reserved for big points. The animation says, "This is important!" Again, not every bullet point or every fact will be animated outside of simple wipes and fades. The eye-cathing effects are reserved for big ideas.
an eye-catching text build
Your visuals should be built entirely around reinforcing the message you are delivering, and that principle holds true for animations as well. Do use animations in your slides, but animate responsibly. Eye candy can be a good thing, especially in front of a bunch of ADHD-prone American adults! However, exercise moderation so your animations don't become the show – distracting from anything you might have to say.
Can Our Images Become Mere Filler?
August 24, 2006 Filed in: Graphics &
Images
Seriously, though, this is a perfect example of just plugging in an image to have an image – which we can be guilty of in our slide presentation all too often. In this ad, would it have not made sense to have chosen an image of a twenty-something man or woman, perhaps looking somewhat self-conscious? Our self-assured woman in late midlife simply fails to reinforce the statement made in the advertisement. Forget about impressing your in-laws with taxes! How about you go and visit them more than three times a year? That will impress them even more!
As we design our slides, it is common to want to use images to reinforce what we are saying. (In some cases, we may feel the need to reduce negative space, but we should really resist that particular urge.) Unfortunately, if we don't respect the time it might take to select the right images, we may end up with pictures that merely feel tacked on – pictures that fail to really reinforce our message.
Let's return to some slides on conservation. In the two slides below, which seems to create the greater impact?
x
Both slides emphasize the visual nature of the medium, and both use high quality images. However, the first slide, while very nice, fails to make a connection with the subject. The second actually illustrates the topic. The second slide forges a stronger connection between the subject matter and the audience.
When choosing images for our presentations, we shouldn't just plug something in to fill space or because it creates a certain effect. We need to make sure the images are meaningful to the topic we are presenting on.
PS: Now that I think of it, the woman in the ad may be the in-law in question. Unfortunately, the way the ad is laid out, it still looks life she is the one making the quote.
The Sermon Presentation
July 22, 2006 Filed in: General Tips
I'm sure many of you attend congregations with slide
presentation abilities, and, along with these
capabilities, you probably have slides running
through the preacher's sermon. The sermon
presentation can be a very different beast from a
professional presentation, but some of the same
principles apply. Here are some things to think about
if you are planning a presentation to go with a
sermon.
Do Follow the 10-20-30 Rule. If you don't know what I'm talking about: 10 slides, 20 minutes, 30-point font. If you are presenting a standard sermon, you should be able to fit everything in right around 10 slides. My longest slide presentation for a sermon comes in at 14 slides. My shortest has only six. Most sermons will break the twenty-minute mark, but you should definitely try to avoid breaking that thirty-minute mark. Finally, any text smaller than 30-points gets hard to read.
Do Use (Some) Built Text. Your average sermon will have numerous scripture references. Pick those scriptures most relevant to your point, and cite them on the slide. This can be helpful for those following along and for those taking notes. Have those scriptures appear as you get to them so the audience does not get ahead of you and disengage.
Do Use Images. I don't mean clip art here. Use quality images that reinforce your point, that create emotional impact associated with the topic.
x
The first slide uses clip art and a business theme. Number two uses a stock image and an organic theme.
Do Use Themes. Choose a nice background for your slides. Don't make it busy or the color too bold– a simple texture should do – and avoid "business" themes. Use a background that has a natural feel about it. Textured paper or light stone should do.
Don't Overuse Transitions. Stick mostly with simple fades and dissolves. Save big transitions for big points, such as your summation. Too much animation will distract the congregation, and the message will become secondary to the show.
Don't Write Out Scripture. This is an easy one to fall into. If you have some words you want to pull out of a scripture, build those words onto a slide as you get to them in your reading. Don't just paste the entire scripture up there and highlight the words.
x
The first has a lot of visual distractions. The second is much clearer on the main points.
I've seen preachers have three or more slides straight containing one long scripture reading. First, this practice creates walls of text that just get unreadable. Second, by the time you get through all the slides, the congregation has forgotten what was highlighted on the first slide. Build in the key words. Your point will be stronger for it.
Don't Use "Cool" Fonts. You want the congregation to be able to read the text you do put on your slides. Avoid neat-looking fonts that obscure legibility (and remember kids: 30-points or higher).
x
The first makes me want to get my eyes checked. The second is much clearer.
Finally, be prepared to slip your slides in amidst other slides the congregation may be using – for standard announcements, song service, etc. When I occasionally preached at a congregation that used slides like these (and I wanted to use Keynote for my slides), I would replicate the standard-use slides, so my computer could be used for the entire service. Otherwise, I would switch to PowerPoint for the day. If you do want to use different software than the congregation traditionally uses, make it seamless. Don't put someone in a situation where they have to try and switch computers mid-service.
Hopefully these tips help those of you that present slides along with your sermons. Remember, if you are taking the time to make slides, then it is worth doing those slides well. Churches deserve good presenters as well!
Do Follow the 10-20-30 Rule. If you don't know what I'm talking about: 10 slides, 20 minutes, 30-point font. If you are presenting a standard sermon, you should be able to fit everything in right around 10 slides. My longest slide presentation for a sermon comes in at 14 slides. My shortest has only six. Most sermons will break the twenty-minute mark, but you should definitely try to avoid breaking that thirty-minute mark. Finally, any text smaller than 30-points gets hard to read.
Do Use (Some) Built Text. Your average sermon will have numerous scripture references. Pick those scriptures most relevant to your point, and cite them on the slide. This can be helpful for those following along and for those taking notes. Have those scriptures appear as you get to them so the audience does not get ahead of you and disengage.
Do Use Images. I don't mean clip art here. Use quality images that reinforce your point, that create emotional impact associated with the topic.
x
The first slide uses clip art and a business theme. Number two uses a stock image and an organic theme.
Do Use Themes. Choose a nice background for your slides. Don't make it busy or the color too bold– a simple texture should do – and avoid "business" themes. Use a background that has a natural feel about it. Textured paper or light stone should do.
Don't Overuse Transitions. Stick mostly with simple fades and dissolves. Save big transitions for big points, such as your summation. Too much animation will distract the congregation, and the message will become secondary to the show.
Don't Write Out Scripture. This is an easy one to fall into. If you have some words you want to pull out of a scripture, build those words onto a slide as you get to them in your reading. Don't just paste the entire scripture up there and highlight the words.
x
The first has a lot of visual distractions. The second is much clearer on the main points.
I've seen preachers have three or more slides straight containing one long scripture reading. First, this practice creates walls of text that just get unreadable. Second, by the time you get through all the slides, the congregation has forgotten what was highlighted on the first slide. Build in the key words. Your point will be stronger for it.
Don't Use "Cool" Fonts. You want the congregation to be able to read the text you do put on your slides. Avoid neat-looking fonts that obscure legibility (and remember kids: 30-points or higher).
x
The first makes me want to get my eyes checked. The second is much clearer.
Finally, be prepared to slip your slides in amidst other slides the congregation may be using – for standard announcements, song service, etc. When I occasionally preached at a congregation that used slides like these (and I wanted to use Keynote for my slides), I would replicate the standard-use slides, so my computer could be used for the entire service. Otherwise, I would switch to PowerPoint for the day. If you do want to use different software than the congregation traditionally uses, make it seamless. Don't put someone in a situation where they have to try and switch computers mid-service.
Hopefully these tips help those of you that present slides along with your sermons. Remember, if you are taking the time to make slides, then it is worth doing those slides well. Churches deserve good presenters as well!
A Case of Overshadowed Text
July 12, 2006 Filed in: Slide
Makeovers
Earlier today, Macintalk posted an article
regarding web browser performance on Mac OS X.
The write-up is an interesting read, and you can
find it right here. I couldn't help but
notice that their graphs were created using
Keynote's excellent Storyboard
theme. However, one of the graphs distracted me,
and I've reproduced it here.
This theme makes liberal use of Keynote's high quality shadows, and the shadows are enabled by default when you insert a table like the one seen above. It looks very pleasing, but a serious issue comes up when one tries to read the text below the graph. The shadow is obscuring the text. Now, Macintalk is not entirely to blame here. The author was not preparing an actual presentation, and this is the default location for the shadow.
Still, if I was going to present this at a technology conference or tradeshow, I would not want these shadows getting in the way of making my point. Fortunately, the solution is very easy. Using Keynote's Inspector palette, I can simply disable the shadow, or I can change its placement. Additionally, setting the text below the graph to bold will make it easier to read since it is smaller than 30 points.
In the image below, I tried to replicate the Macintalk slide as best I could quickly, and I made two changes. First, I set the text below the graph to bold. Second, I altered the shadow – decreasing its offset and changing the angel. The result?
Our table is still very attractive, and now everyone can read our text. We could still make some tweaks, but those two easy adjustments make the slide much more readable (and, if I worked for the OmniGroup, that would make me a very happy camper).
The basic lesson is this: Form is important in giving a presentation. Good slides make a good impact. However, do not let the aesthetic touches get in the way of your slides conveying your intended meaning. Look for confusing graphics and obscured text, and, if you find troublesome spots, simply fix them. After all, you don't want you audience squinting as the result of overshadowed text.
This theme makes liberal use of Keynote's high quality shadows, and the shadows are enabled by default when you insert a table like the one seen above. It looks very pleasing, but a serious issue comes up when one tries to read the text below the graph. The shadow is obscuring the text. Now, Macintalk is not entirely to blame here. The author was not preparing an actual presentation, and this is the default location for the shadow.
Still, if I was going to present this at a technology conference or tradeshow, I would not want these shadows getting in the way of making my point. Fortunately, the solution is very easy. Using Keynote's Inspector palette, I can simply disable the shadow, or I can change its placement. Additionally, setting the text below the graph to bold will make it easier to read since it is smaller than 30 points.
In the image below, I tried to replicate the Macintalk slide as best I could quickly, and I made two changes. First, I set the text below the graph to bold. Second, I altered the shadow – decreasing its offset and changing the angel. The result?
Our table is still very attractive, and now everyone can read our text. We could still make some tweaks, but those two easy adjustments make the slide much more readable (and, if I worked for the OmniGroup, that would make me a very happy camper).
The basic lesson is this: Form is important in giving a presentation. Good slides make a good impact. However, do not let the aesthetic touches get in the way of your slides conveying your intended meaning. Look for confusing graphics and obscured text, and, if you find troublesome spots, simply fix them. After all, you don't want you audience squinting as the result of overshadowed text.