Visualize

In a previous post I suggested typing your thoughts into the notes section. After you’re done that for the entire talk, print out the notes view. Grab a sharpie, a pencil and a pen and visualize how you would illustrate each slide.

A graph?
..What type? Pie? Bar?

A picture?
..Of what?

The web is full of things to help you visualize. Search! Search Flickr, search Google Images (careful on copyright), search stock photo companies, etc. If you can’t find exactly what you want, can you make something? Did something you saw inspire you? Can you create the perfect image from inspiration off of another image you encountered?

How would your audience react to that visual? Does it get your point across?

 

Did you see that billboard?

Did you remember what was on the billboard? Most billboards are designed to be at the side of a road and drivers passing by have only a few seconds to capture the information and process it.

“Eat at Joes” prompts thoughts such as:
Am I hungry?
Do I have time to eat?
Is it close?

The audience reacts to what you put on a slide similarly. In about 3-5 seconds they have scanned the entire slide for information. Why make them read for more information? Make it obvious. Make it clear. Make it like a billboard.

 

Yellow stickes…

…are your best friend. (more…)