Presentation Zen [41]
When it comes to the display of quantitative information (charts, tables, graphs, etc.), I strongly favor display designs that include the highest SNR possible without any adornment. I use a lot of photographic images in my presentations, so when I do show a chart or a graph, I do not usually place any other elements on the slide. There is nothing wrong with placing a bar chart, for example, over a background image (so long as there is proper contrast or salience), but I think the data itself (with a high SNR) can be a very powerful, memorable graphic on its own.
With other visuals, however, you may want to consider including or retaining elements that serve to support the message at a more emotional level. This may seem like a contradiction with aiming for a high SNR, or the idea that “less is more.” However, often emotional elements matter (sometimes a lot). Clarity should be your guiding principle. As with all things, balance is important and the use of emotional elements depends on your particular circumstance, audience, and objectives. In the end, SNR is one principle among many to consider when creating visual messages.
A simple bar chart without the use of an image.
The same simple data with an image added. The image complements the underlining theme—save the planet—without getting in the way of the chart. (Embedded background images from iStockphoto.com.)
2-D or Not 2-D? (That Is the Question)
Many of the design tools in Keynote or PowerPoint are quite useful, but the 3-D tool, is one I could do very well without. Taking 2-D data and creating a 3-D chart does not simplify it. The idea is that 3-D may add emotion, but when it comes to charts and graphs, you should aim for simple, clean, and 2-D (for 2-D data). In The Zen of Creativity (Ballantine Books), author John Daido Loori, commenting on simplicity, says that the Zen aesthetic “…reflects a simplicity that allows our attention to be drawn to that which is essential, stripping away the extra.” What is essential and what is extra is up to you to decide, but stripping away the extra ink that 3-D charts introduce seems like a good place to start. A 3-D representation of 2-D data increases what Edward Tufte calls the “ratio of ink-to-data.” While it’s nice to have a choice perhaps, 2-D charts and graphs will almost always be a better solution. Three-dimensional charts appear less accurate and can be difficult to comprehend. The viewing angle of the 3-D charts often makes it hard to see where data points sit on an axis. If you do use 3-D charts, avoid extreme perspectives.
Who Says Your Logo Should Be on Every Slide?
“Branding” is one of the most overused and misunderstood terms in use today. Many people confuse the myriad elements of brand identity with brand or branding. The meaning of brand and branding goes far deeper than simply making one’s logo as recognizable as possible. If you are presenting for an organization, try removing logos from all except the first and last slide. If you want people to learn something and remember you, then make a good, honest presentation. The logo won’t help make a sell or make a point, but the clutter it brings does add unnecessary noise and makes the presentation visuals look like a commercial. We don’t begin every new sentence in a conversation by restating our name, so why should you bombard people with your company logo on every slide?
Most companies with a PowerPoint template certainly insist that their employees use the company logo on every slide. But is this good advice? Slide real estate is limited as it is, so don’t clutter it with logos and trademarks, footers, and so on.
Here’s some good advice:
“[I]f you want people to understand better, then get that stuff off the screen… Clean it up and get it off because it is simply making it more difficult for people to understand what [you are]