How to be a Presentation God: Build, Design, and Deliver Presentations that Dominate!

8.3. THE TAKEAWAY

Obviously, these methods are not exactly universal in their applicability. Takahashi is intense and introspective; Kawasaki is business-brief. Lessig spoon-feeds conceptual bites, effectively brainwashing entire audiences with a slide progression that sidesteps the rational mind; Godin painstakingly selects images that pull on heartstrings, opens old wounds, and manipulates the subconscious into overt acceptance of whatever wordless message is being conveyed.

Most of us aren't presenting at seminars on presenting or teaching academic courses on mass communication. Most of us are out there in the real world, getting support or money or clients in order to feed our families and better society. There's no room for making our content an experiment in presentation trends, but each method underscores a key aspiration for the real-life presentations we're delivering. You'll notice, across the board, that every method makes an attempt to eliminate the hot air and get straight to the point. What does that lead us to think about the purpose of design in our presentations? We want it clear. We want it concise. We want it to blend very neatly with our narrative so that each complements the other. Most of all, we want design to keep the audience close by and alert.

With these goals in mind, it's time to get down and dirty with design.