78 slide:ology
Too often, information loses its impact—and presenters risk losing
their audiences—because it isn’t expressed as effectively as it could
be. Put another way, emphasis is commonly placed on what the infor-
mation is, rather than how it is best communicated.
It would have been tempting for Dr. Mike Magee to craft a presen-
tation loaded with statistics and proof points that incorporate his
years of research and analysis, but he understood that for change
to happen, people need to be moved emotionally to act. Presenting
his findings using a standard bullet points and bar graphs approach
wouldn’t accomplish that goal.
Case Study: Healthy Waters
Calling to Action with Images
When your cause depends on empathy to move people to act, using the most compelling images is important. Using photos that are raw and
real will motivate an audience to become involved. Dig through as many images as necessary to find the ones that elicit an emotional response.
www.healthy-waters.org
AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh, © 2008 The Associated Press AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh, © 2008 The Associated Press AP Photo/Amit Bhargava, © 2008 The Associated Press
AP Photo/Brennan Linsley
© 2008 The Associated Press
79
Most people default to the built-in charting features
when faced with statistics. However, because of the criti-
cal nature of this message, the designers’ intent was to
imbue each slide with emotional appeal. Icons instead
of numbers show the disparity in water usage around
the world. The 100 drops of water represent 100% of the
water on earth; animation of the water drops dissolving
reveals that only 1% of our total water is fresh water.
Photos should tell stories, show
cause and effect, and engage
audiences emotionally.
Bullet points aren’t mandatory in a presentation; they’re
only one option for displaying text. These statistics have
more impact because they’re expressed separately and
as large statements, rather than competing with other
content on the slide.
To create maximum impact, designers considered the type of informa-
tion being conveyed, and applied one of three techniques to it:
Illustrate Statistics: People’s retention of data increases when they can
“see the numbers.” Various icons bring the information to life.
Isolate Text: Slides crowded with lengthy bullet points seldom commu-
nicate effectively. Pace the information by spreading it across multiple
slides to increase its impact.
Employ Actual Photos: Stock imagery often fails because it lacks con-
tent. Real photos may not always be easy to look at, but they possess
credibility and import that staged images do not.
Determining what information to present is only
half the challenge; molding that information into
an effective communication tool is the difference
between good and great.
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