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SXSW Notes pt. 5 – Presenting Straight to the Brain

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• the brain has lots of distractions
• peple have different learning styles that need to be looked at

Research

• there’s no research that says using templates & bullet points are the best way to present
• Book: Multimedia Learning
• we have assumptions about communications that we can send info and someone will receive it without a problem

Types of learning

• no learning
• fragmented learning
• meaningful learning
• usually stuck in fragmented learning

Memory

• sensory memory (unlimited)
• long term memory (unlimited)
• working memory (3-4 chunks of information retained in working memory)
• sync both visual and verbal channels of communication in a presentation
  • the speed the brain processes verbal and visual are different
• need effective information design
• present a story in a way that slims it down enough to where people can process it all

What turns the brain on

• meeting the brain, not just on conscious mind.
• the mind thinks something is important, but the brain disagrees
• how does the brain know what to let through it’s spam filter?
  • brain cares about chemestry
  • anything that sends a little chemical signal (weird things, shocking/novel things)
  • talking to a person’s instincts, eliciting a reaction to toggle memory

What the brain doesn’t care about:

• boring dude with a computer
• code
  • adding in a strong image to code to get a reaction
• talk to the brain, not the mind

Retention

• combining the audio and visual toggle much better memory
• showing interaction with action, sound and animation

Mistakes people make in presentations

• using speaker notes (use the screen and images for speaking queues )
• Focusing on the tool, rather than what you want to do with it
• talking over text
• having too much text
  • putting text on a page forces the brain to decide between listening to you or reading the text
• bullet points are not always your best option (ask: when is it appropriate to put bullet points in a film, or put the script on the screen? — it’s not)
• listing technique doesn’t hold up against a story approach
• don’t read the bullet point
• if a bullet point is wrapping on the next line, it’s too long
• Book: evaluating training methods

How can we make actual changes to someone’s behavior? not just cheap tricks.

• how you view the audience, as a presenter is important
• don’t make a presentation of [x] better, try and make a better user of [x]
• don’t focus on the presentation, focus on the user and how they can use the information

Tips

• never use templates or themes
• use pop culture (star wars example)
• ask yourself if every slide has a pulse
• use puppies

Notes from other people

• DIIA Blog
• David Lee King
• Darryl’s notes

Tags: notes, presentation, sxsw

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