inspiration
Visualizing Change
November 17, 2008 Filed in: Graphics &
Images
One of the amazing things about the Internet is how
people can spread ideas in unique, powerful, and
meaningful ways. Take a look at these examples below.
(Some of these are from YouTube, so you may not be able
to view them at work. I’ve used alternate
sources where available.)
Generation We
Generation WE: The Movement Begins... from Generation We on Vimeo.
This video starts dangerously like a pharmaceutical commercial. I keep waiting for the young adults in this video to admit they have genital herpes. After, the initial awkwardness, however, this video gains momentum and power. It’s a great example of how a single message can be threaded through multiple voices.
The Girl Effect
This video makes great use of text and music to present a simple idea in a powerful manner. Even a touch of humor is thrown in at one point.
D-Pan
More powerful stuff. The Deaf Performing Arts Network takes music videos and creates deaf-centric interpretations of the music and lyrics, adding ASL among other visuals. (via Garr Reynolds)
Still Alive
You can even turn something whimsical and niche into an amazing visual presentation through some care and a good sense of humor.
Portal - Still Alive typography from Trickster on Vimeo.
Check out and play the game Portal if you want to know more about what’s going on in this song!
Simply put, the way we incorporate visuals into presentations, multimedia or otherwise, can add power and depth to the presentation. With inspirations like these, why settle for less?
Generation We
Generation WE: The Movement Begins... from Generation We on Vimeo.
This video starts dangerously like a pharmaceutical commercial. I keep waiting for the young adults in this video to admit they have genital herpes. After, the initial awkwardness, however, this video gains momentum and power. It’s a great example of how a single message can be threaded through multiple voices.
The Girl Effect
This video makes great use of text and music to present a simple idea in a powerful manner. Even a touch of humor is thrown in at one point.
D-Pan
More powerful stuff. The Deaf Performing Arts Network takes music videos and creates deaf-centric interpretations of the music and lyrics, adding ASL among other visuals. (via Garr Reynolds)
Still Alive
You can even turn something whimsical and niche into an amazing visual presentation through some care and a good sense of humor.
Portal - Still Alive typography from Trickster on Vimeo.
Check out and play the game Portal if you want to know more about what’s going on in this song!
Simply put, the way we incorporate visuals into presentations, multimedia or otherwise, can add power and depth to the presentation. With inspirations like these, why settle for less?
What Is Aesthetics?
October 26, 2008 Filed in: Rhyme &
Reason
I haven’t forgotten about this site. The problem is
just one of time. Even for the shortest of posts on
Simply Presentation, I put far more thought and
research into my writing here than I do my general
blog (outside a couple of stray political posts of
which I want to make sure my ducks are in a
proverbial row). Lame excuses aside, let’s jump back
in! Last I checked in with all of you, I left you
with this neat video narrated by Paul Rand via Monoscope:
A marriage of form and content. Both slides by Chris Wilson at slideshare from 1. Rapid Change in Design, and 2. The Brand Gap.
Stand on others’ shoulders in your development as a public speaker, and then add something unique and different to the mix. We learn to talk through imitation. Our individual cultures are forms of collective imitation. Don’t be ashamed to imitate as you try to improve or grow as a speaker.
Similar yet unique. Slide 1 by Clint Edmonson from Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide. Slide 2 by Andy Budd from Architecting Human Behaviour 2.0.
“…Done for some ulterior motive…”
About a minute into the video, Mr. Rand discusses a designer’s motivation. Why does he or she do the work? Is it for the money, or is it for the love of the art? Like Philippe Starck discussed, Paul Rand asserts motivation makes a difference. The same is true for our presentations. If we’re preparing slides merely because we think slides should be a given, they won’t be as good as if those slides come from a vision of how to best illustrate our points. The same is true of topics. We will present better when we present that which we are passionate about. Watch some of the videos at TED, for example. You’ll see some truly awkward public speakers deliver some fantastic presentations. The reason comes down to motive.“A work of art is realized when form and content are indistinguishable.”
Mr. Rand speaks of all visual mediums as being forms of art. “It’s all art,” as he puts it. When we are designing slides for a presentations, we have the opportunity to be artists of form and content. A presentation is truly effective when the slides and talk compliment one another naturally, neither overshadowing the other. Without content, good slides are nothing but pretty pictures. (However, you do not necessarily need words to have content.) Without form, slides become bland and repetitive. The marriage of form and content make for the best presentations.
A marriage of form and content. Both slides by Chris Wilson at slideshare from 1. Rapid Change in Design, and 2. The Brand Gap.
“Everybody has a definition which doesn’t correspond to yours.”
Paul Rand acknowledges that we all see different things when it comes to art and design. What speaks to me may not speak to you and vice versa. This point is abundantly clear when my wife and I go to our local art museum. There are exhibits there that I could look at all day while she wants to move onto other things, and the same is true in reverse. This principle applies to presentation format and design. What works for me as a presenter may not work for you. I’ve encountered numerous presentation methods, and not all work for me. Find what works for you, and run with it.“Don’t try to be original. Just try to be good.”
Paul Rands encourages us to borrow from others in our pursuit of quality, and this is how he defines aesthetics – doing things with quality. I noted that I’ve encountered many different approaches to presenting: the Godin Method, the 10-20-30 Rule, Presentation Zen, the Lessig Method, the Jobs Method, etc. Also, I’ve borrowed from all of these techniques at different times, often combining philosophies. What you read on my blog here is not completely original to me. I merely gather information that I judge is good, useful, and/or inspirational, and I pass it on to you. T.S. Eliot says:Immature poets imitate; mature poets steal; bad poets deface what they take, and good poets make it into something better, or at least something different.
Stand on others’ shoulders in your development as a public speaker, and then add something unique and different to the mix. We learn to talk through imitation. Our individual cultures are forms of collective imitation. Don’t be ashamed to imitate as you try to improve or grow as a speaker.
Similar yet unique. Slide 1 by Clint Edmonson from Organizational Politics - A Survival Guide. Slide 2 by Andy Budd from Architecting Human Behaviour 2.0.
Wrapping Up
These are only a few of the takeaway points from this short video, and I recommend you watch it at least a couple of times to pick up on the things you may have missed the first time around. In future posts, I plan on revisiting the elements of design Paul Rand discusses and how we can apply these to our slides. Until then, allow some of your childhood creativity to find an outlet, and really try to design your next set of slides.Presenting to Inspire
April 26, 2008 Filed in: Links
Presentation Zen: chi-nichi issho: Each
day is a lifetime
Here's another great piece by Garr Reynolds that starts with Dr. Randy Pausch Last Lecture presentation and goes on to examine the way we can inspire others through our words and actions. It's a great read.
(Also, look through the comments for more stories of inspiration!)
…Inspiration does not come from mere words, it comes from actions and behaviors. Words matter and words and speeches inspire and stories can change the world. However, it's not only the stories we tell, it's really about the stories we live.
Here's another great piece by Garr Reynolds that starts with Dr. Randy Pausch Last Lecture presentation and goes on to examine the way we can inspire others through our words and actions. It's a great read.
(Also, look through the comments for more stories of inspiration!)
Connecting With Obama
February 09, 2008 Filed in: Delivery
For some time, I've been wanting to write about
Barack Obama, but I've had a hard time finding the
correct angle. He is a modern phenomenon on the
United States political scene, and much of his
success can be attributed to his effectiveness as a
communicator. Obama connects with his audiences in a
way many other politicians find difficult. His
supporters identify with him like few others. They
don't speak of how "he" will do in the election. They
speak of how "we" will do.
Take a minute (or twenty) to watch Senator Obama's speech on Super Tuesday, and notice the reactions he gets from his audience throughout.
After watching him speak a few times, here are some of the techniques I've noticed him use time and again in connecting with his audience.
Repetition. Like many great speakers before him, Barack Obama uses metered repetition as a way of driving clear messages throughout his speech. Garr Reynolds already has a great article about this very point that I hope you'll take a look at. The use of repetition gives your audience a clear anchor of reference throughout a talk, and your listeners more clearly remember the speech. It's a simple but powerful tool that cannot be overstated.
Spontaneity. Somewhere around 2:23 in the video, Obama, in response to someone calling out at him from the audience, says, "You know I love you back." He breaks down a barrier that usually exists between citizens and politicians with those simple words, and his audience responds energetically and positively towards the simple gesture. Most public figures would have ignored such an individual or perhaps even responded callously. Senator Obama takes such moments in stride, allowing for spontaneous give-and-take while not derailing the message he has prepared.
A Bigger Cause. Barack Obama speaks often in terms of movements and causes. While speaking of his own progress and successes, he diverts attention from himself and onto the larger picture he represents. In doing so, he solidifies his position all the more. He states that this campaign is not about "me," but rather it is about "you," and he delivers this in a convincing and earnest manner. His audience feels connected to history, and they see their involvement as something larger than just another political event. His audience feels connected to all that he represents, leading them to feel connected to him.
All political leanings aside, any speaker could learn much from watching Barack Obama in action. For more, take a look at his YouTube page: YouTube – BarackObamadotcom's Channel.
Take a minute (or twenty) to watch Senator Obama's speech on Super Tuesday, and notice the reactions he gets from his audience throughout.
After watching him speak a few times, here are some of the techniques I've noticed him use time and again in connecting with his audience.
Repetition. Like many great speakers before him, Barack Obama uses metered repetition as a way of driving clear messages throughout his speech. Garr Reynolds already has a great article about this very point that I hope you'll take a look at. The use of repetition gives your audience a clear anchor of reference throughout a talk, and your listeners more clearly remember the speech. It's a simple but powerful tool that cannot be overstated.
Spontaneity. Somewhere around 2:23 in the video, Obama, in response to someone calling out at him from the audience, says, "You know I love you back." He breaks down a barrier that usually exists between citizens and politicians with those simple words, and his audience responds energetically and positively towards the simple gesture. Most public figures would have ignored such an individual or perhaps even responded callously. Senator Obama takes such moments in stride, allowing for spontaneous give-and-take while not derailing the message he has prepared.
A Bigger Cause. Barack Obama speaks often in terms of movements and causes. While speaking of his own progress and successes, he diverts attention from himself and onto the larger picture he represents. In doing so, he solidifies his position all the more. He states that this campaign is not about "me," but rather it is about "you," and he delivers this in a convincing and earnest manner. His audience feels connected to history, and they see their involvement as something larger than just another political event. His audience feels connected to all that he represents, leading them to feel connected to him.
All political leanings aside, any speaker could learn much from watching Barack Obama in action. For more, take a look at his YouTube page: YouTube – BarackObamadotcom's Channel.