This article by Bryan Einsenberg at Clikz.com is worth a look.
It is directed at web marketers, but translates almost word-for-word into advice for presentation pros.
A quick translation guide:
1. Personas = Audience Profiles
2. Scenarios = Persuasion Process
3. People Friendly = Audience Relevancy
4. Web Analytics = Presentation Evaluation
5. It’s the Copy = It’s the Content
6. Best Practices = Best Practices
7. Conversion Rate = Persuasion Rate
Posted by Robert L. Lindstrom at 2:55 PM .
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Dave Paradi has some good things to think about regarding slide design in this article on InfoComm International’s website.
Posted by Todd Dunn, CTS at 1:17 AM .
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DropSend
Email or store large (up to 1 gig) files easily and securely.
(tags: tools)
Writeboard
Collaborative writing software online with Writeboard. Write, share, revise, compare. From the creators of Basecamp and Backpack.
(tags: brainstorming tools)
Posted by Lee Potts at 6:51 PM .
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I’ve been using my Boom Bag for almost a year now with no problems. It’s a 21″ short trip suitcase like many others except for one thing. It’s also a portable sound system. The sound is decent and the volume will fill most small to medium sized hotel and meeting rooms. Forget lugging around sound dock solutions for your portable players. Just plug them into the Boom Bag and you’re set. It also has USB ports for charging anything able to charge via USB connection. I recently got the new rolling back pack version and was able to get almost everything out of my trusty Wenger bag and into the back pack. The new bag fit better in the smaller regional jet overhead compartments. All of these bags, or pieces of luggage, are great for the road warrior presenter with moderate presentation audio needs. Plug in your computer and you will have enough sound for a room of at least 50 people. There is a line out available to connect multiple bags for even more sound reinforcement. So far, I think it’s a great product. The luggage has a limited lifetime warranty and the sound system comes with a one year warranty. After the one year Boom Bags will replace a failed sound system for $50 for the lifetime of the bag. Is there anyone else making something like this?………….TD
Posted by Todd Dunn, CTS at 3:42 PM .
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I had the pleasure of hearing Jeffrey Zeldman speak at South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, TX. I was impressed with him and all of the folks who have worked so hard to turn Web design into a “practice” based on a growing body of Web standards. Here is a five year old article written by Zeldman and just recently resurrected by the newly launched Adobe Motion Design Center. I think presentation designers can learn a lot from our Web counterparts.
Posted by Robert Befus at 4:49 PM .
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Some of you have BFAs in Graphic Design, or some other form or level of design degree. For those of you who do not have formal training (or those who need a refresher), here is a nice, developing resource on the use of typography. Although it is geared toward Web design, it incorporates classic typography principles that apply anywhere. Typography is an often ignored element of presentation design. If Arial and Times New Roman fonts suddenly disappeared from the planet, so would most presentations.
Posted by Robert Befus at 5:11 PM .
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In many VB posts I have expressed my opinion about the “Death by PowerPoint” thinking that has been so pervasive in recent years. Many blame the tool itself. By its very design, these folks believe, PowerPoint interferes with a presenter’s ability to communicate effectively. Others, (like me), blame the user for not learning how to use the tool effectively. I also indirectly blame myself and others in the presentation media community for not taking our profession seriously enough to research, train, develop best practices and in general treat our work like a serious and important enterprise. As a result, the notion that anyone can simply load up a PPT template and develop effective presentation materials is widespread. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Robert Befus at 2:02 PM .
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Marissa Mayer is in charge of defending Google’s Web page from all who would clutter it up. She says Google’s site is like a closed Swiss Army knife. It is easy to get a hold of and slip into your pocket.
Some presentations are just the opposite, complex and difficult to understand. Simplicity and ease of use are not only important in Web or product design. Presentations need to be easy to use as well.
Here is an interesting Fast Company article on the beauty of simplicity.
Posted by Robert Befus at 10:49 AM .
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A Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning
Doug Vogel’s 1986 study demonstrated a clear and significant effect on persuasion when a presentation is delivered along with supporting visuals. What is not clear from Vogel’s work is exactly how the improvement in persuasion happens. Persuasion is a complicated process involving attention… comprehension… yielding/agreement… and retention …. culminating in action. Vogel studied 17 modifiers of these components of persuasion trying to understand what was going on, but in the end his results were inconclusive and even contradictory.
Professor Richard Mayer has approached the challenge of understanding the use of visuals from a different perspective. Mayer has focused on the effect of visuals on learning. Just as Vogel developed a well researched theory of persuasion, Mayer has done extensive research on learning and developed a cognitive theory of multimedia learning. All of the research he presents in his excellent book “Multimedia Learning” is designed to test the assumptions of this theory.
Why should a Presentation Professional care about a cognitive theory of multimedia learning? Because the design of visual support material should be based on what is known about how the mind works… how information is processed and how learning occurs. Effective presentation design cannot be based on intuition, heresay or opinion. If we were to overlay Mayer’s learning theory over Vogel’s persuasion process, it would clearly overlap with the components of comprehension and retention. I believe there is also an overlap, although a little less clear, with the component of yielding/agreement. Mayer’s work is meticulously researched and referenced. While I won’t present all of his supportive references, they are available in his book for those who are interested. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Robert Befus at 7:21 PM .
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