I went to a great Grand Rounds presentation this morning. Controversial topic, good discussion, lots of ideas for further investigation. Only one thing marred it for me - the Powerpoint Phrase of Doom:
"Sorry about this slide."
PPD is usually followed by "This slide is a little busy" or "I know this doesn't show up well". Here's what you are really saying with PPD:
I understand the principles of appropriate construction of audiovisual aids.
I realize that this slide does not satisfy those principles.
I couldn't be bothered to redesign this slide to make it more valuable to you, my audience.
The old 35mm acetate slides were expensive and time-consuming to create. Audiences were more accepting of poorly-designed slides, understanding that you couldn't just whip up a new one at a moment's notice.
Powerpoint changes that. Presenters have complete control of slide layout and can edit right up to the moment the presentation starts (and even on the fly during the presentation). Too much information for one slide? No problem - break it up into 2 slides. Or 5. Digital is free!
Presentation Zen is a great resource for all things Powerpoint.
Friends don't let friends use PPD.
1 comment:
Einstein said, "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler."
I find that science professionals don't like to cut stuff out of a "busy" slide because "someone might ask about the details"...but what many don't understand is that often the extra stuff just makes the main point more difficult to quickly understand and analyze. It's like you enter a big messy kitchen with dirty dishes, pots, and pans stacked everywhere and someone asks you if you noticed the beautiful red design on the pie plate. Eventually you could find it among all the other dirty, stacked items and you could appreciate the beauty. However, wouldn't it have been better if the room was immaculately clean and the pie plate was prominently displayed on the counter?
I invite you to read my blog The Art of Speaking Science at www.artofspeakingscience.com for tips and information to improve your ability to make clear, concise, and compelling presentations.
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