Presentations: Keeping It Simple
I've been thinking a lot lately about presentation design. The folks at my agency, where we own an amazing research tool called Brand Asset Valuator (www.yrbav.com) do an amazing job of showing brands how they are performing across a multitude attributes.
But often I worry that some of this content is a bit too "data" heavy for most of the marketers we speak with. We always tie it up in a nice bow for them at the end, and more often than not the response is always positive. But in the spirit of constantly improving how we present ourselves, I wonder if there isn't a simpler way.
I think this is true of most agencies. I sometimes get copies of other agency decks and I often find that a lot of shops suffer from content overload.
There was a terrific article about this in Business Week a while back, and I strongly agree with the points it made:
http://www.businessweek.com/print/smallbiz/content/apr2008/sb2008044_186674.htm
Create a new normal. In his latest book, Presentation Zen, Garr Reynolds writes: "What is 'normal' today is out of sync and off-kilter with how people actually learn and communicate. Research supports the idea that it is indeed more difficult for audiences to process information when it is being presented to them in spoken and written form at the same time." Reynolds recommends an approach to presentation design that is simple, visual, and "ultimately more meaningful." His tips include the following:
Prepare in analog. Most professional designers plan on paper, not by opening their slide software.
Cut the noise. "Noise" refers to elements that distract from the central message of your slide. Minimize the noise by eliminating inappropriate charts, lines, shapes, and symbols.
Avoid bullet points. Use bullet points only in rare circumstances and only after you have considered other options to display the information visually.
Picture superiority. Pictures are more easily remembered than words, yet most PowerPoint decks contain far more words than images. Create presentations that have more in common with a documentary film than an overhead transparency.
I'm also interested in how websites are finding new ways to present information and data in interesting ways.
This ran on nytimes.com, and highlights just how fast Usain Bolt ran the 200 meters at the Olympics vs. anyone else in history.
The one thought I'll leave you with is that in the agency business, where data is becoming more and more important, determining how to articulate that info as part of a new biz or client presentation is critical. Who's in charge at your place to be constantly thinking about What's Next?
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