Visualisation guide The goal of this document is to help you design and use excellent visual aids in your presentations. “Visual aid” refers to the physical presentation support, such as an OHP slide, a Powerpoint or Impress presentation or a blackboard layout.
Step 1:
Raising awareness
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Think about the worst presentations you've seen so far. What was the problem, how could they be improved? In the past, what went wrong in your own presentations?
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What is the purpose of a presentation? In conclusion, what is the purpose of the visual aid? What are the advantages/disadvantages of text and graphic representation? In conclusion, what are they best used for? Find examples where people use text while they should be using visuals, and examples where visuals are used when actually text would be better. What are reasons why people use a lot of text in presentations? Do they have the audience in mind?
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What is the difference between a presentation and a text book? What possibilities do you have as a presenter compared to an author? What is the effect if you don't use these possibilies? •
Step 2:
You, the readers of this guide, are detached from me, the author, in time and space. This means that I am forced to put most information into printed words. With a presentation, the situation is different: The presenter can use plenty of communication channels, and the handout or slide-presentation is only supplementary. So if your visual aid can stand for itself, there is no point in personally presenting it (if you still try, you'll deliver a bad presentation). What communication channels are there, how should they be used? How can you interact? What happens if you don't interact with your visual aid or the audience? Keep thinking about the differences of a handout and a real-life presentation. How much time do you have to understand it? What organisational limits are there?
Content & Structure
Before thinking about “How”, think about “What” you want to present: • What is your goal, why are you delivering the presentation? • •
Identify key questions & answer them on paper Find a title that gets the gist of it
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Distinguish relevant from irrelevant information
Consider this “contradiction”: We think in networks: Get the bits & pieces of information together and reorganise them until you see the connections clearly. Does it form a whole?
But a presentation is linear: Try to find a logical sequence for your pieces of information. Can you see the red thread? Will everybody be able to follow this sequence?
Visualisation Guide by AlexanderMueller1986@gmail.com for Prof. Dr. Andreas Marschollek, TU Dresden, 2011.
Feedback appreciated!
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Step 3: Planning of the presentation & visualisation Most of the work is done. Now find a way to help your audience follow your thoughts. • •
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Attention: How can you catch the attention of your audience in the beginning? How will you control the attention during your presentation? Variation: During your presentation, you have to vary all kinds scales: fast-slow, new-old, active-passive, loud-quiet, complicated-easy, big font-small font, colour-black/white... How do you make sure to get the balance right? Orientation: Your audience wants to know where they are and where they are going with you. How do you cater for this need? Sequence & Dramaturgy: Pimp the red thread of your presentation (→Step 2) with a shiny button at the beginning (→Attention) and a stunning present at the end. The audience needs to be impressed by your presentation! Choose your weapon: What media is available, which do you feel most comfortable with? You may choose more than one, but be sure to have reasons for your choice. Do you want to distribute handouts as well? What purpose shall they serve?
Types of visual support Icons / Signs / Symbols
Can be understood in an instant across cultural boarders, need to be common & prototypical. Can also be used for structuring of presentation. • graduate hat for education • •
$ for economy A. Einstein for genius
Visualisations
This is the most underestimated category. Here, we can make visible the invisible! Note that it shall support the presentation, not replace it → don't dump all your information into the visual aid! The audience must be able to recall the main facts from a glance at the visual aid.
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networks: mindmaps, diagrams, flowcharts clusters, gauß diagram
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one dimension: linear scales, timeline, … two and more dimensions: coordinates, graphs, ...
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geographic maps
Visualisation Guide by AlexanderMueller1986@gmail.com for Prof. Dr. Andreas Marschollek, TU Dresden, 2011.
Feedback appreciated!
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simple visual metaphors: scales, iceberg, temple, ladder, spiral, circle, pyramid complex visual metaphors: e.g. “education is a production process” in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U
Drawings
Often a drawing can be better than a actual picture because it is easier to draw what you mean than to find/make a picture of what you mean. Draw live if you can! Fotos, Videos
A picture can envoke stronger feelings than a drawing (note: the stronger the emotion, the better we remember) Models, Realia
Sometimes, showing the real thing is just the best. Touching & smelling can be ivolved, an otherwise rare case in presentations.
Step 4:
Presenting
Go back to Step 1 and do your best in the following categories: • speaker attitude & appearance (voice, posture, gesture & mimic, movement) • •
interaction between speaker & audience interaction between speaker & visual aid
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organisation ...
Resources Visualisation • http://www.visual-literacy.org/periodic_table/periodic_table.html • http://vi-c.de/delviz/index.php • http://www.informationisbeautiful.net Example Presentations: • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U • www.ted.com Tools: • multitool with zooming user-interface: www.prezi.com • software overview http://www.mind-mapping.org/VicsPicks/category/all-software/ •
mindmapping software www.xmind.net, http://www.mindmeister.com
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collaborative multitool www.twiddla.com
Visualisation Guide by AlexanderMueller1986@gmail.com for Prof. Dr. Andreas Marschollek, TU Dresden, 2011.
Feedback appreciated!
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