Skandia Team GBR

Monday, March 15, 2010

The Zen Encyclopaedia of Presentation Design

mediocrity 002

So in the light in such mediocrity, one of the key ways that I see we can excel and become the Linchpin in our own right is through the way we present our thoughts and ideas, whether this is in an informal conversational setting or formally with PowerPoint and mic’s and all that paraphernalia.

So I read Garr Reynolds first book Presentation Zen and loved it, it’s simplicity is infectious, it’s impact on me was phenomenal, I rediscovered what it means to deliver ideas, my interview for a past role was completely transformed, I read, learnt and gambled for the death of the bullet point and the re-incarnation of the story-teller… So I was very very curious as to what Garr could write about presentations next; the first book being pretty awesome around the simplistic, but highly effective techniques you can employ to deliver your message.

But Garr has succeeded, this next book is centred around the design principles you can utilise around, amongst a plethora of other things:

  • Colour
  • Fonts
  • Imagery
  • Transitions
  • Articulation of messages
  • Photography

I learnt a shed-load from the book, you really should go buy this book (and the one before it):

Pzd_cover_sm

But, his last book you could read & learn, embed those take-away messages into your psyche and then rock-up at your next opportunity to present ideas with some awesome innovation and techniques to make you rock…This book is different.

This book does absolutely, through the great style of writing and the emphasis of simplicity, deliver messages subliminally to your “art” of presenting, but there is so much more detail and technique in PresentationZen Design that it’s not the sort of book that gets read and popped onto the shelf or leant out to your colleagues, you need to keep this book by your side, dip in to refresh your mind or to replay the lessons or deck ideas brilliantly laid out within its pages. This book is your:

Zen Encyclopaedia of Presentation Design

If you are passionate about improving your presenting skills and the quality of your decks then go buy this book now please… for me, for your audience, for your message?

2 comments:

Matt Groves said...

How do you think it compares to Slide:ology ?

Ant said...

I think it's complimentory.

This book focusses more on the details i.e. Font families, colour groupings etc, hence I think it's a reference book