presentation zen … · chapter 1.1 preparation preparing a presentation is an act of creativity...

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Presentation Zen - Garr Reynolds Simplicity is a complexity resolved” Constantin Brancusi

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Page 1: Presentation Zen … · Chapter 1.1 Preparation Preparing a presentation is an act of creativity this is why the rules of creativity apply: • Laziness/wasting time is needed –time

Presentation Zen- Garr Reynolds

“Simplicity is a complexity resolved”Constantin Brancusi

Page 2: Presentation Zen … · Chapter 1.1 Preparation Preparing a presentation is an act of creativity this is why the rules of creativity apply: • Laziness/wasting time is needed –time

Zen Presentations – Chapters:1) Preparation:

1.1 Creativity

1.2Planning

1.3 Crafting the story

2) Design:

2.1 Simplicity

2.2 Presentation Design: Principles and techniques

3) Delivery

3.1 The Art of Being Completely Present

3.2 Connecting With an Audience

4) Next step

“Simplicity is a complexity resolved”Constantin Brancusi

Page 3: Presentation Zen … · Chapter 1.1 Preparation Preparing a presentation is an act of creativity this is why the rules of creativity apply: • Laziness/wasting time is needed –time

Chapter 1.1 Preparation

Preparing a presentation is an act of creativity this is why the rules of creativity apply:

• Laziness/wasting time is needed – time away from computer and direct challenges of work (be prepared for constructive solitude)

• Restrictions& limitations – are best ally in creative work• Beginners mind or child’s mind vs counter productive mind: Beginners mind - a mind open to new ideas, exploration, discovery,

experiment- “Why not? Let’s give it a shot!”

- “ In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s mind there are a few” Shunryu Suzuki

Counterproductive mind (expert mind) – fixed ideas, habits or conventional wisdom (blind to possibilities)

• Remember: “If you’re not prepared to be wrong you’ll never come up with anything original” – Sir Ken Robinson

Rule for presentations: simplicity, clarity, brevity

Page 4: Presentation Zen … · Chapter 1.1 Preparation Preparing a presentation is an act of creativity this is why the rules of creativity apply: • Laziness/wasting time is needed –time

1.2 Planning “If your audience remembers one thing, what should it be?” Garr Reynolds

1.2.1 Find the big picture:a) Turn off computer and go analog

business people and college students do all the preparation of their presentations directly in slideware

most of the professional designers do much of their planning and brainstorming on paper because the computer is the equivalent of a bicycle for the minds*

computer -> is just a tool that enhanced the great potential that exists within us -> this is why the computer had to be turned off

b) Go analog for brainstorming: use paper (see Moleskine storyboard notebook), post – it, pen,

whiteboardsc) Find the answers to wright questions:

What’s main core point Why does it matter Wrong questions: how many slides, bullets, text on the slides

* “What a computer is to me is it's the most remarkable tool that we've ever comeup with, and it's the equivalent of a bicycle for our minds. “ Steve Jobs

Page 5: Presentation Zen … · Chapter 1.1 Preparation Preparing a presentation is an act of creativity this is why the rules of creativity apply: • Laziness/wasting time is needed –time

1.2 Planning “If your audience remembers one thing, what should it be?” –Garr Reynols

c) most of the people worry about techniques, bullets or images and don’t spend enough time to craft the story that is most effective, memorable and appropriate. In order achieve a memorable story:

3 parts of the presentation is needed: notes, slides and handouts*Notes – should contain the core message and pass the “elevator test” –sell the message in 20-45 secSlides should avoid “slideument”- documents combine with slides (see ex. obesity slide)Handouts – should contain all the necessary information for the audience in a pdf format

N.B* In the book it is mentioned slides before notes, but I don’t agree because the big picture should be well documented in a PDF/ word document with the concept and bibliography and links to even more detail

Souce: Presentation Zen p. 67

Page 6: Presentation Zen … · Chapter 1.1 Preparation Preparing a presentation is an act of creativity this is why the rules of creativity apply: • Laziness/wasting time is needed –time

1.2 Planning “If your audience remembers one thing, what should it be?” –Garr Reynolds

d) Questions we should be asking:

How much time do I have?

What's the venue like?

What time of the day?

Who is the audience?

What's their background?

What do they expect of me (us)?

Why was I asked to speak?

What do I want them to do?

What visual medium is most appropriate for this particular situation and audience?

What is the fundamental purpose of my talk?

What's the story here?

Page 7: Presentation Zen … · Chapter 1.1 Preparation Preparing a presentation is an act of creativity this is why the rules of creativity apply: • Laziness/wasting time is needed –time

1.3 Crafting the storyTime saved for audinece

1.3. The sticky messages have 6 key principles:

1.3.1 Simplicity1.3.2 Unexpectedness1.3.3 Concreteness1.3.4 Credibility1.3.5 Emotions1.3.6 Stories

Ex. of messages:

"Our mission is to become the international leader in the space industry through maximum team-centered innovation and strategically targetedaerospace initiatives. “

"...put a man on the moon and return him safely by the end of the decade. “John F. Kennedy

Brancusi working in the studio

Page 8: Presentation Zen … · Chapter 1.1 Preparation Preparing a presentation is an act of creativity this is why the rules of creativity apply: • Laziness/wasting time is needed –time

1.3.1 Simplicity – reduce the ideas to its essential meaningWhat’s the key pointWhat’s the coreWhy does it matter1.3.2 Unexpectedness – surprise peoplestimulate curiosity through: questions, open holes in people’s knowledge and fill

those holes1.3.3 Concreteness use natural speech; give real examples with real things; concrete images – “to the

moon and back” JFK 1.3.4 Credibility – use numbers, data so that people can visualize it Ex. “five hours of battery life” vs.

“Enough battery to watch favorite TV show non stop on your iPad during your flight from San Francisco to New York

1.3.5 Emotions – use image. Ex. 100 g. fat doesn’t say anything, but an image with French fries and cheeseburger says everything

1.3.6 Stories : have a clear beginning provocative, engaging content in the middle, clear conclusion It’s not about of how results meet expectations -> this is boring

Page 9: Presentation Zen … · Chapter 1.1 Preparation Preparing a presentation is an act of creativity this is why the rules of creativity apply: • Laziness/wasting time is needed –time

Capter.2 Designsubtlety, elegance, clarity

2.1 Simplicity – elegance from Zen philosophy

“Simplicity does not come from a place of laziness or ignorance, rather it comes from an intelligent desire for clarity that gets to theessence of an issue, something which is not easy to do” G. Reynolds p. 103

simplicity is suggestive rather than descriptive or obvious (maximum effect with minimum means

naturalness – nothing artificial or forced

simplicity uses empty space

Ex. of Zen gardens

Where to find simplicity in visuals: the art of comics and zenphilosophy (tea ceremony, etc)

Use simplicity in order to take care of the view time

“Simplicity is not an objective in art, but one achieves simplicity despite one's self by entering into the real sense of things.” C. Brancusi

Page 10: Presentation Zen … · Chapter 1.1 Preparation Preparing a presentation is an act of creativity this is why the rules of creativity apply: • Laziness/wasting time is needed –time

Capter.2 DesignSubtlety, elegance, clarity

2.2 Principles and Techniques

The design for a presentation:

Comes right from the start not at the end

Means organizing information in a way that makes things clearer

2.2.1 No noise in the slides -> use powerful memorable graphics with simple background, no charts with an image in the background

2.2.2 Use 2D instead of 3D for the praphics

2.2.3 Logo on every slide in redundant

2.2.4 Bullets points -use bullets very rarely - > instead use images

2.2.5 Picture superiority effect :

Pictures are remembered better than words

Text within images – use an image as big as the slide (800x600)

Look for an image that sustains the quotation

The pictures should have space for the quoteIbidem. p.131

Page 11: Presentation Zen … · Chapter 1.1 Preparation Preparing a presentation is an act of creativity this is why the rules of creativity apply: • Laziness/wasting time is needed –time

Capter.2 DesignSubtlety, elegance, clarity

2.2.6 Empty space:

is also called negative space ( a tatami room has a single object – a flower arrangement or a hanging picture)

When face are used with the text, the face should look at the text (it is important not to have images of people looking in the opposite direction)

2.2.7 Golden ratio rule:

we are naturally drawn to images that have the proportion 1:1.618

from the golden ration derived the rule of thirds -> used in photography

an image in the middle of slide is not interesting, the image should be placed in one of the four power points of the grid

use grids to align elements in order to give overall balance of a slide (NB> this is very important)

Page 12: Presentation Zen … · Chapter 1.1 Preparation Preparing a presentation is an act of creativity this is why the rules of creativity apply: • Laziness/wasting time is needed –time

Capter.2 DesignSubtlety, elegance, clarity

2.2.8 The big four – Contrast, repetition, alignment, proximity

Contrast - means difference

a design in which on item is dominant

a strong design has a strong and clear focal point -> the viewer get the point quickly

Can be achieved through: manipulation of space (near vs. far), color choice (dark&light), ext selection (serif and sans serif, bold and narrow), by positioning of elements (top andbottom, isolated and grouped)

Repetition – reuse of the same or similar elements

using elements to make sure the design is viewed as being part of a larger whole.

Alignment – obtain unity among elements

Proximity – move things closer of farther apart

the related items should be together -> viewed as a group

Contrast example

Proximity example Ibidem,

p.153,158

Page 13: Presentation Zen … · Chapter 1.1 Preparation Preparing a presentation is an act of creativity this is why the rules of creativity apply: • Laziness/wasting time is needed –time

3.1 DeliveryBe here now!

3.1.1 Performing in a state of “No-Mind” – free from the burdens of inhibitions and doubts

With a quite mind you can be fully committed to the moment

Lost in the moment – no worry for the past or the future

Internalize the presentation and believe in the message

“ Only by cultivating a receptive state of mind, without preconceived ideas or thoughts, can one master the secret art of reacting spontaneously and naturally without hesitation and without purposeless resistance” Judo, H. Seichiro Okazaki p.193

Non aggressive response -> when receive challenging questions from a skeptical or hostile, aggressive person

A person who wants to make you look foolish it’s not your enemy -> the enemy is within us

“Victory over the opponent is achieved by giving way to the strength of the opponent, adapting to it and taking advantage of it, turning it in the end to your own advantage.” Judo, Jigoro Kano

Page 14: Presentation Zen … · Chapter 1.1 Preparation Preparing a presentation is an act of creativity this is why the rules of creativity apply: • Laziness/wasting time is needed –time

3.1 Delivery“In contribution there is no better !” p.195

Sharing and teaching something of lasting value

Questions:

How can I make a contributions vs I will be appreciated/ Will I win them over

Be not afraid of mistakes -> only through mistakes can you see where you are lacking

Page 15: Presentation Zen … · Chapter 1.1 Preparation Preparing a presentation is an act of creativity this is why the rules of creativity apply: • Laziness/wasting time is needed –time

3.1 Delivery“PUNCH model”

Personal -> make the presentation personal -> a story about you

Unexpected -> reveal something unexpected; something against what people expect-> gets the audience attention

Novel -> show or tell something novel; introducing something new; a powerful image that’s never been seen; a story that’s never been heard; a statistic from a brand

Challenging -> challenge conventional wisdom, challenge audience’s assumptions, challenge people’s imagination, challenge intellectually (provocative questions -. how would you like to fly from New York to Tokyo in two hours?)

Humorous

Page 16: Presentation Zen … · Chapter 1.1 Preparation Preparing a presentation is an act of creativity this is why the rules of creativity apply: • Laziness/wasting time is needed –time

3.1 DeliveryLessons from Steve Jobs

Use acts for showing structure (1,2,3…) -> Ex. I’ve got 4 things I’d like to talk about with you today…

Focus not on numbers, but on what the numbers mean; compare the data with something meaningfull

(ex. 4 mil. iPhone sold vs. 20.000 iPones per day since the units went on sale)

Be very clear and very focused:

focus on your core points

Key messages that you want people to take away

Take out the non-essential

Visual – use good visuals and B key – the screen becomes black (shift the attention from ppt you)

Introduce something unexpected

Save the best for the last