Embrace The Zen Of Presentation And Science Of Powerpoint

The web version 2.0 has a distinctive visual component, as does PowerPoint. One area this weblog has delved into is design. Another area of interest is psychology and brain-science, especially as it relates to communication using web 2.0 technology. Design and psychology can be combined in both web 2.0 and PowerPoint.

I have been interested in finding better ways to communicate using the web 2.0 tools I have been learning. The TEDBlog advised us on 2/19/08 to Embrace the zen of presentation.

Garr Reynolds uses some favorite TED speakers to help others refine, simplify and focus their own presentations and talks in his new book, Presentation Zen.

What makes a great TED speaker?
Passion, connection, a story to tell.

The TEDBlog also told us that on 2/16/08 told us that Brain science makes better PowerPoint, via the io9 blog -- Matthew Trost, using rules might remind you of some of the innovative TEDTalks presentations.

Stephen M. Kosslyn, professor and researcher in mental imagery at Harvard shared some quirkily titled guidelines at AAAS.

1. The Goldilocks Rule refers to presenting the "just right" amount of data. Never include more information than your audience needs in a visual image.
   
2. The Rudolph Rule refers to simple ways you can make information stand out and guide your audience to important details
3. The Rule of Four is a simple but powerful tool that grows out of the fact that the brain can generally hold only four pieces of visual information simultaneously.
4. The Birds of a Feather Rule how to organize information when you want to show things in groups.
   

"Kosslyn's co-panelist, Stanford psychologist Barbara Tversky, explained that one of the fundamental principles of data visualization is, ironically, misrepresentation in order to get at the truth.
Good to know: The human brain likes to spot differences and oddities -- and it doesn't like to see more than four things at once.

So we use visual designs to tell a story. There have been a number of other articles passing by my computer screen that touch upon how we our brains effect how we communicate, both visually and cognitively.