Communication

Free Culture: Presentation Voice Matters

As I’m just sitting here at work, avoiding the crazy wind storm that is causing anger veins to explode, I watched listened to this presentation on Free Culture.  Powerful. Compeling.

Firstly, I came across this presentation after reading Presentation Zen, and their recent article on Slideshare. Now, I’ve been through many PowerPoint presentations and downloaded countless slide decks, and so I completely align myself with Presentation Zen author Garr Reynolds. Anyways, after finishing experiencing what Lawrence Lessig says about Copy Right and limitations on creativity because of stricter rules, I wanted to give the old middle finger to the man.

The part I wanted to touch on was not about Slideshare or a freer culture, but on the power of someone’s voice and how much more they can attribute to a presentation.  In visual communication classes, and as a simple design principle, if you have to explain an image or some interface explicitly, then it’s not a very good design. Where I’m going with this is presentations more often than not are poorly designed. I am not bringing up anything new, but only reemphasizing the presenter’s significance to sharing knowledge.  If we relied only on slide decks, whatever software you chose, then there wouldn’t be a need for presentations.  Just attach that puppy to an email and click send. Done. A feeling of accomplishment has been fulfilled because you are informing your community of important information.

Switch to the recipient…

“wtf? another slide deck? I’ll read it later, I gotta write this func spec…”

In fact, they’d be lucky to even come across it because of all the rules set in Outlook triaging the 500 emails received a day. It’s like that little girl asking ”why?” all the time. She keeps asking for your attention, but you just can’t seem to make it stop.

It’s an attention economy.  It’s an experience economy. Some things develoepd to make us more effiecient or effective, ends up losing sight of it’s original purpose. It’s a people problem.  People’s time is important, and to deliver a message that sticks is increasingly more difficult.  Why not build tools that makes us better presenters. Better at speaking and drawing attention to our audience. I can read slides, but I want to hear the tone of your voice that brings chills down my spine or be surpised by the elegance of an image that flows along with the story you’re telling me.

Anyways, watch the video, it’s really interesting, and keep in mind how you react to the presentation. His slides are all textual, but very appropriate because of a minimalistic approach.

Free Culture