Alexei Kapterev's "Presentation Secrets": Chapter 6, The Slides' Contrast

This chapter, like the previous one, is about creating slides. Here, however, the focus is on the type of figures to use in presentations. Kapterev begins the chapter by showing a typical administration diagram showing the hierarchy of a company, and says,

"The probelm with most diagrams shown in presentations is that they could probably work as an analytical tool, but they need too much explanation to be of any use. They are not pictures that are worth a thousand words, they are pictures that require a thousand words to comprehend. But that's not even the worst problem...Although people do need time to digest information, you can set up the animation and show the slide gradually, layer by layer. As long as the whole picture makes sense, it will work. The main issue here is that the picture is senseless and lifeless. The chart lacks drama. It's not going anywhere. It's too static.

"Like a good story, every good diagram needs to some simple contrast, some conflict. It needs a hero and a villain. It needs some action...Where are the challenges? The deadlines? What's important and what's less important? Where's the goal? These are the questions that ultimately make us study and understand things."

Using Comparisons

Scale Slides

Show objects, numbers, weights, anything involving measurements in relation to something else that we all know. Instead of saying that something weighs 6 ounces, show a pack of cards and say that it weighs "6 ounces, the same as a deck of playing cards."

Change Slides

Show the before and after. It helps to see how things change.

Venn Diagrams and Matrix Slides

You probably know what Venn diagrams are, but matrices are like tables, where you can show which items contain different parts. According to Kapterev, both of these are great, but the problem is that they only help to clarify and amplify. Is something is confusing, a Venn diagram can help. But if the point is simple anyway, there's no point in using a diagram. We can often understand without the help of a diagram that's only there to make the simple point seem more important.

As an aside, Kapterev makes the great point that Microsoft SmartArt doesn't really add anything. Either take the time to draw a meaningful, helpful diagram, or just make it a list.

Tables

Kapterev says that tables aren't really that helpful in presentations. They're great in reports, but they generally show too much information and take too long to digest.

However, if a table is absolutely necessary,

• try to group items
• color every other line
• incorporate some pictures into the table
• delete everything that you won't specifically talk about
• use animation to bring up pieces of information

Data Visualization

Analytical and Presentational Charts

Charts (or any kind of figure) can be used for analysis, meaning that it can be studied and interpreted in different ways. But that's different from charts used in presentations. For presentations, charts should be simpler. Instead of making things smaller, those things must be deleted. If your audience does expect to analyze during your presentation, then you do have to have analytical charts, but for the most part, simplify.

Guidelines for Charts (or Graphs)

Remember, for bar charts, column charts, and line charts:

• Make them say something. Instead of a label such as "third quarter results," say what the results tell you. Do the analysis for the audience and give them only that.
• Use comparisons. If the third quarter results are good, then you need to compare them to something else. Make the comparison easy for the audience.
• Delete everything else. If you don't need axis labels, delete them. Delete everything that does not fit what you want the chart to say.
• Avoid 3D. It's junk. And it doesn't help.
• Avoid a bunch of colors. Keep the color scheme simple.

With percentages, try to make it visual. The comparison is already there (25% versus the other 75%), but in a presentation, it should be easy to see. Use a pie chart or if it's 25%, show one out of every four using pictures.

Statistics

In general, use the obvious comparison. Amplifying a message is fine, but making it appear different from reality is lying. If you choose a different way to explain your message, people may notice.

Animation

There's room for animation in presentations, Kapterev insists, but it should be to improve communication, not to make slides appear fancy. Use animation to

• show parts of a sequence
• introduce points one by one
• show transitions from one situation to another

What you don't want to do is put in stuff that hurts rather than helps. In general

• "Avoid complex effects. Use 'Dissolve', rather than 'Spinner' or 'Blinds'."
• "Don't use animation just because you can." Kapterev recommends thinking of slides like real pieces of paper. And you can't, in reality, have 3D text or flying text or anything like that. You can, however, have information appear.
• "Don't make it painfully slow." Use the fast or very fast animation key.