Simplify Your Story, Simplify Your Graphics

When you simplify your story, you can simplify your graphics.

That's just one thing you'll learn from this weekly workshop recorded July 2, 2009, in which we worked with BBP subscriber Susan to fine-tune a presentation she recently presented to executives.

Watch the one-hour video described below, and you'll learn:
- Why returning to your story template is a way to simplify your story
- How a single, simple graphic could become the basis for a compelling visual storyboard
- Ways you can effectively integrate physical props with an on-screen presentation

>>>To launch the recording of this workshop, click this link.



Video Timeline (Total Time 00:51:33)

Time

Activity

Detail

0:00:00

Introduction

Cliff introduces Susan Schleef in this open workshop session reviewing a presentation she recently delivered

00:00:57 Susan
Overview of presentation: for a 12-14 person meeting, presenting analysis of a process that was bogged down and needed to be more efficient
00:03:46 -
Quick tour of the presentation: the NAN (National Acount Network) process is healthy & growing to begin with but then became overwhelmed, accounts purchasing health and safety training for employees
00:04:50 - Clever graphic in Susan's presentation, she describes how she made the graphic (it was animated during the presentation), Cliff notes this as a very strong graphic in her presentation and how she could use it further in her presentation
00:10:45 - Did the health care metaphor work in this presentation? A discussion with Susan about the effectiveness of her metaphor, looking for a singular metaphor
00:13:30 - Cliff explores one possible story structure for this presentation: being overwhelmed and the process to get to organization and efficiency - filling out a new story template
00:18:00 - breaking the presentation down to a simple conversational story that can be easily communicated, and remembered
00:20:00 - sketching new images for the presentation
00:21:40 - Cliff and Susan discuss keeping your licensed graphics organized and how Cliff keeps his stock photos organized so they are easy to find
00:24:10 -
How to make a background of a stock photo transparent
00:24:45 -
Cliff works with images and repeating graphics in the presentation
00:29:45 -
Susan questions Cliff about the importance of simple graphics vs. possible stronger (more detailed) graphical images
00:33:00 - Working with data in Susan's presentation (visually)
00:37:38 - Keeping the top level slides simple, what are the three visual anchors that you can show people in a presentation that will stay with your audience
00:39:00 - Having the slides more simple leaves more space for brainstorming, allows the conversation to open up
00:40:30 -
Cliff gives Susan a suggestion to bring tactical aids to her presentation to aid in the brainstorming process, adding some "fun" to the presentation
00:48:40 -
Getting your audience involved in the presentation, with tactical aids and brainstorming, with their ideas becoming part of the result of the presentation, helps with the final "buy-in"
00:50:25 Wrap Up
Cliff starts to give final thoughts to Susan for finding graphics
00:51:33 End -



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