Presentation Zen

The Story of Stuff (and the stuff of story)

Here is a good example of a passionate presenter giving a fast-paced overview of an important topic that is greatly enhanced with the integration of simple visuals in harmony with the narration. The visuals are a wonderful example of "amplification through simplification." This 20-minute talk by Annie Leonard, an expert in international sustainability and environmental health issues, is informative and provocative. Her style is informal and casual, but also passionate, and with just a touch of urgency in her voice. The aim of the presentation (from the website) is to "...expose the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues and call for all of us to create a more sustainable and just world. It'll teach you something. It'll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever." The presentation is illuminating, and it raises as many questions as it answers. Therefore, this is also a good example of a tight, well-structured presentation that would greatly benefit in a live setting from a lengthy discussion session after the 20-minute opening so that both the presenter and audience can go deeper.



The Story of Stuff website is very well done. The presentation does raise questions so they have made it possible to explore and go a little deeper. For example, if you mouse over the images above Annie's head, you'll see that there are links to more info in each of the five categories she touches upon: Extraction, Production, Distribution, Consumption, and Disposal.

You may have issues concerning some of the specifics of the content, but I think she does a great job of telling the story of the problem as she sees it. The visuals in this case are not something "over there" off to the side. Here the presenter and the simple visuals work in harmony and are integrated to form a compelling and engaging narrative. Something similar can indeed be done in a live talk with PowerPoint or Keynote.

For the best viewing, watch the Flash version at the top of The Story of Stuff homepage. Parts of the presentation are on YouTube. (Below is a short clip of one of my favorite parts of her talk.)

Take some time and explore the site. You can download a QT version and Flash version of the presentation here.

H/T Mauricio

Latest "Steve Jobs" keynote best yet: watch and learn

Great delivery, simple visuals, total engagement (a few too many bullets though). Watch how Steve focuses on what's important and skims over what's not: "The '90s are not important." Enjoy. (H/T Caroline.)


Original source.

Inspiration and story: living the message (redux)

If this story came out of Hollywood, it would be criticized for being too incredible to be true. No one would believe it. Who needs Hollywood? This true story — which is still being lived out — has given me all the inspiration and motivation to last me at least through the week. The father here, Dick Hoyt, is remarkable for so many reasons, but I'm also just amazed at his physical strength (which he says comes from his son Rick). And I thought running a marathon was hard (42K); I am humbled by this man. What strength and endurance...and love. I am inspired, motivated, and moved by this wonderful true-life story. I think you will be too.

Watch the Today Show clip below to get the background on the Hoyt's story. Then watch the clip below that for a good example of powerful visuals used to tell the story sans narration.




The best stories are the true ones. And what a sticky and memorable story! It has it all: it's simple and concrete, it's emotional and very credible, and it features the unexpected and the amazing, all of which leave a powerful image in the mind. Incredible story. H/T Luis Iturriaga

• The Team Hoyt website.

Ichi-nichi issho: Each day is a lifetime

You may have already heard about the remarkable Dr. Randy Pausch and his "Last Lecture" presentation. Randy, a professor at the prestigious Carnegie Mellon University in the USA, was diagnosed with terminal cancer of the pancreas in the summer of 2006. In August of 2007, Randy was told by the doctors that he had 3-6 months of healthy living left. A month after Randy was given just 3-6 months to live, he delivered an inspiring presentation at his university, a presentation that has touched millions of people around the world. His presentation is a remarkable contribution.To get some background on Randy's story and lecture watch this short video promo below from an ABC special on the "Last Lecture."

If you would like to see a shorter version of his September 2007 presentation, watch this 10-min slide presentation below that Randy did on the Oprah Winfrey show.

Below is the original presentation that Randy did called "The Last Lecture." It's 76 minutes long, but try and set some time aside to watch it this weekend. (Randy wrote a book as well called The Last Lecture along with Jeffrey Zaslow).

How do we inspire others?
Inspiration matters. A lot. Both our own inspiration and the inspiration we instill in others. Randy Pausch's presentations are great, and his words inspiring. But inspiration does not come from mere words, it comes from actions and behaviors. Words matter and words and speeches inspire and stories can change the world. However, it's not only the stories we tell, it's really about the stories we live. It's not about platitudes and wishful thinking, it's about this moment and about you and me taking the chance to reveal who and what we are and why it matters. Our daily life is our story, the actions and the behaviors of our everyday life is the story that can truly inspire others far beyond the ephemeral influence of a single presentation. Randy is a wonderful example of a man whose life is the story, whose life is the message.

Keeping the channel open
We are our stories — though thanks in large part to our education and habits — we have learned to doubt our stories and edit them; we have learned to doubt ourselves. This is the greatest shame of all. Randy reminds us that we can choose to live the life —and tell the story — that is truly within us. Randy's life story is perhaps a reminder to you: What's holding you back? We may each just be a blip on the continuum, but we matter while we're here, so why not make a difference? Why not make a big difference? This is my takeaway from Randy's amazing presentations. And this reminds me of a wonderful Martha Graham quote that was featured in The Art of Possibility:Transforming Professional and Personal Life by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander. I made the Keynote slide below with the quote and use it occasionally; in hangs on my wall next to my desk as a reminder to "keep the channel open." (Click for the full size.)

“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open.”            
                                    
                                                            — Martha Graham

Your approach to today
About four years ago I read Zen Guitar by Philip Toshio Sudo. I loved it and quoted Philip a few times in my presentations. Then about a year later I found his website and started reading every word about his battle with cancer. I was at that time shocked and sadden to read that Philip had already passed on June 9, 2002 at age 42. Philip too was an inspiration to me, though we never met. Throughout his ordeal his message was clear: this is the moment, this is the day—we must live every moment as we live our life.The slide below features a quote from Philip's website. This quote is a take on the Japanese expression of ichi-nichi issho (within each day is a lifetime) that fits well with Randy's message as well.



Links
• Randy's website including day-to-day updates from Randy
• Last Lecture page on the ABC News website

Al Gore's latest TED talk

It's been two years since Al Gore presented at TED about climate change. This presentation is not as tight or as smooth as his 2006 talk since he was doing this particular short version for the first time, but I enjoyed the talk even more as it seemed more natural and authentic in spite of its lack of polish. Indeed, it may have seemed more authentic, more human, because of its lack of polish. The great designers at Duarte Design did the updated visuals, of course, but I think Al changed the structure and flow of the talk all on his own (there was one text slide that went by pretty fast for example). I liked his story about the elder lady he told to illustrate how long he'd been in the public eye (that was a good laugh), and I thought his level of passion and urgency was higher and more "real" than in other talks I have seen by Al, including those in the documentary. Watch the talk below or on the TED site here (you can also post comments concerning the contents of his talk there).



All-n-all, I thought it was a very good presentation, but there are just a couple of things to point out that may help us improve our presentations.

• Do not apologize or imply (or admit) that you have not prepared enough for your specific audience. It may be true, and your apology may be coming from a very sincere, honest place (rather than just making an excuse), but it never comes across well to an audience. When Al said he'd "gobbled this [presentation] together" to stay within the time constraints, and quipped that he was trying to bring the bar of expectation down a bit before his talk, it reminded me that this is a mistake I have made several times before. I even did it recently (it just comes out sometimes). Our audience does not know that we did not prepare as much as we would have liked, so why mention it and get it in their head? "Man, he's right—he didn't prepare enough," they may say to themselves. The same goes for telling people you're nervous. "You didn't look nervous, but now that you mention it..." Instead, start your talk with a simple thank you and begin the conversation. It was not a big deal in Al's case, but you and I are not a well-known and popular public figure.

• Do not turn your back on the audience. With monitors in front there is no need to turn your back except for the briefest of moments. I thought Al was at his best when he was not speaking in the direction of the slide. I would have liked to see him come out a little closer to the audience the way Dr. Taylor did in her talk. The monitor there makes it easy to do this and still know at all times what image is behind you. (I see that I made this same comment about Al almost two years ago.)


With the monitor in front mirroring the screen, it's possible to keep your attention in the direction of the audience to make stronger connections.


Your notebook can be your monitor if you have space in front, low and out of the way. Above is a pic from a talk I did two weeks ago in Tokyo. The MacBook was on a theatre chair in the first row. The VGA and audio cable were long enough to reach the podium inputs. (Larger photo on Flickr.)

Al Gore is a very experienced presenter by now; he certainly does not need my advice. But we can all get a little better a little bit at a time. Try getting away from the podium and refrain from turning your back in your next big talk and see if it doesn't make a difference. I bet you'll find a much higher degree of engagement with your audience and a more effective, powerful talk.

• Sample Al Gore slides from the Duarte Design Web site.

Alltop: my online magazine rack

One of the things I like about visiting the States is going to some of the enormous book stores with the huge magazine racks. I love "perusing." (In Japan I do this too—it's called tachiyomi or "standing reading.") Well, there is a website that gives me a similar sort of experience of a large, well-stocked magazine rack: Alltop.com. Alltop (along with popurls) has been the first thing I check every morning since Guy Kawasaki asked me to preview it a couple of months ago. Yes, I have my blog feeder and a million other ways to keep up to date, but I like the way a lot of my favorite sites are displayed on Alltop. It's a very simple idea; maybe that's why I like it. I spend a lot of time on the Design page and the Photography page. Presentation Zen is one of the sites featured on Alltop (under design). Read the FAQ on Alltop. Better yet, listen to Guy talk about it.

Here is Guy speaking to Drue Kataoka about Alltop to give you some background on it. (Drue also has a very cool new blog called Valley Zen).

Watch Part II of the interview.

Authors@Google presentation

As you know, I presented for Google on March 21 in Silicon Valley. I linked to the video last week as an update to an older post but I didn't really point it out to you because I didn't know if it was really of value online since it is so long, etc. But I see that people like Mitch Joel over at Six Pixels of Separation thought the video was worth watching as have some others such as David Zinger who outlined his key takeaways on his site. So here it is below. Maybe the video can help someone you know make a better presentation in the future. I hope it helps.

I'd give this talk of mine about a 7.5 out of 10. It's not great, it's not bad. In a twist on that old Mark Twain line, if I would've had more time to prepare I would have made the talk a little shorter. No presentation is perfect. All we can do is get a little better each time and offer up more value to our audience. The audio balance with the music and videos was better live though it does not come across as well in the video. All-n-all though Google did a great job with this video. Nothing was cut from the video, technical hiccups and all. You can't see the faces of the audience or hear them very well on the tape, but it was a very good crowd. Google is a totally awesome company with a lot of very smart, very cool people.

The one challenging thing about the room was that there was no monitor or any way to put the MacBook in front so that I could see it. So the only way I could know which visual was showing was to look briefly at the screen (usually peripheral vision was enough). Not ideal but each situation is different and the show must go on. It's just a presentation after all, not the Oscars. The room was great otherwise and fully packed. There were even people sitting on the floor off to my left; a very close and intimate setting. Thanks Google — You guys rock! Thanks especially to Katina and Gregory! Can't wait to return. Maybe next time I'll at least wear a blazer.

(No slides are posted from this talk, but you can see some of the slides in this sample deck used for an article I wrote for Slideshare.net a few weeks ago.)

Dr. King's last speech

Forty years ago yesterday, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. An unspeakably terrible loss for the United States, but his vision, wisdom, and influence live on today. King was remarkable for his ideas and vision but his ideas would never have had such an impact if he was not also an amazing and powerful public speaker. Indeed, he is surely one of the best speakers the United States has ever known. Just about everyone in the world is aware of King's "I Have a Dream" speech delivered in Washington D.C. on August 28, 1963. But you may not have ever heard the last speech King ever made. On April 3, 1968, Dr. King delivered an impassioned speech to striking sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee. The next day he was murdered as he stood on the balcony of his room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis.

Here below are just the last few moments of the last speech Dr. King ever made (here you can see the entire transcript.)

If you have the time, I urge you to listen to the entire speech. You can find part one here, and part two here. It starts slowly and builds and finally finishes big. Part two is especially moving. A very inspiring leader and speaker who knew the power of story and how to capture an audience and take them someplace, all the while painting pictures with his words in a way...well, in a way that we are still talking about forty years later.

Dr. King would be 79.

Your moment of (slideument) Zen

Three sample slides for your contemplation courtesy of a 65-slide PowerPoint deck from the world's biggest brand.

Source: Coca-Cola Japan. Go to the site (investor relations page) and download the presentation slides (1.5MB pdf) and enjoy the journey yourself. The slide deck is 'the real thing.' H/T Samuli.

• What's a Slideument?

Dick Cavett on improving your speeches

When I wrote the post below I swear I had not read this New York Times piece (Candidate, Improve Your Appearance!), but something must be in the air. A kind PZ reader tipped me off to this wonderful New York Times article by one of my favorite television presenters, Dick Cavett. Cavett's article is fantastic with some good concrete advice from someone who knows what he's talking about. I recommend the article — and if you have time — the 200 comments have some real nuggets in there as well. Good stuff. In case you are too busy, here are some bullet points (notes and quotes) I gleaned from Dick Cavett's article:

• Teleprompters, says Cavett, "are supposed to create the illusion that you are not reading. And they do, when skillfully used." (If you can't use them skillfully, might reading from notes be better, more honest?).

• John McCain is fine speaking off-the-cuff, but has real problems reading a speech. Obama is good at both (and Clinton is good too). But all three are better than the current US president, says Cavvett:

"...everybody does it better than the capering loon who does soft-shoe in the White House.... His speechifying has a strong odor of remedial reading about it, combined with an apparent fear that there might be some hard words ahead."

• Ronald Reagan had the art of the speech down.

• "Politicians, if smart, would hire not just a comedy writer but an acting coach."

• Tip #1 "Change all 'I wills' and 'I shalls' to “I’ll’; Also, 'I haves' and 'I ams' to 'I’ve' and 'I’m,' etc." (That is, speak in a human voice, conversational, natural.)

• Tip #2 "Pretend you are speaking to one person. One single person. Because that’s what everybody is." (Again, conversational, natural, real.)

• Tip #3 "Grab a bunch of words off the prompter and, instead of staring straight ahead, glance down and to one side as you do — in real life — when thinking just what to say next. Then look back and deliver those snatched-up words to the camera." (This tip makes you seem more natural and connected to the audience.)

Go read the entire article.

Keeping it real in Q&A
While reading the comments section, I found a few people who suggested Obama was indeed good at reading speeches, but that his off-the-cuff speeches and his Q&A discussions with large audiences lack clarity and substance and are simply filled with platitudes. I have not found that to be the case. Recently another PZ reader sent me this link which shows Obama in Oregon doing a good job live when asked to explain "in a nut shell" the difference between himself and Clinton. At five minutes it is not a short answer, but it seemed clear to me. What I liked is that he did not put his opponent down and admitted on some issues there was not a big difference between them, but then he showed where the difference are. You decide for yourself how lucid his answer was (Watch it).