This week we examined various techniques of making power points effective. Thinking back to some of the PowerPoint presentations that I sat through in the past, I must say I've seen my share of presentations focused around glitzomania and distracting backgrounds or pictures. Now I realize why my focus wandered during some of these presentations, and my curiosity and imagination took my focus elsewhere completely. However undeliberately, the PowerPoint was designed in a way which encouraged one's focus to shift. Anyone would have issues focusing on a rant pertaining to the neurological signals going to and from the brain when one sees a monkey scurrying up and down a ladder sloshing water from it's pail in the meantime! I imagine you even lost your focus just reading that and contemplating it's connection to neurological science. That definately goes to show how important it is to keep one's presentation focused and clear, without any unnecessary distracters. I was also intrigued by the idea that effective PowerPoints are more about storytelling than merely presenting an audience with information, and that it's the presenter's job to make it a compelling story that reaches out and grabs the attention of those present.
