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tell less
The statement “Show, don’t tell” appears on inspirational posters in writing classrooms around the world. Like many clichés, this one is quite useful. Although it’s important to state the facts and explain ideas (“tell”), abstract statements can be dull and hard to follow. Be purposeful about using text. A short phrase may be a prompt for delivering your next point; a longer text could help the audience follow your argument. Since many viewers watch online presentations from their phones, keep your text big and concise.
show more
Reveal your ideas with active stories and vivid examples (“show”) in order to create an enjoyable experience that is easy to grasp. Demonstrate a product in use or illustrate how a process unfolds. Tell stories about how a design solution will help people or where an idea came from. Stories about people can make your subject more relatable. These stories can be about users, historical figures, people you admire—or about you. Keep your stories short. Is your audience sitting in an auditorium or watching from a laptop or phone? Optimize your visual design!
EXTRA BOLD 207
Separating Eggs with a Slotted Spoon
1 Choose a spoon with small slots.
2 Hold the spoon over a bowl.
3 Crack an egg over the spoon.
4 Let the egg whites slip through the slots.
vary the intensity
Don’t spend your whole talk yelling at your audience. Pause to let them think about a point or consider their own answer to your driving question. Mix humor and brief anecdotes with hard- hitting facts and big ideas.
kill the monotony
No matter how punchy your tone or how gut- wrenching your stories, your voice will get boring after a while. Online presentations suffer from a lack of audience feedback. When listeners are in mute mode, presenters can’t tell if they are making a connection (or just bombing). This feedback vacuum diminishes the sense of presence for listeners as well as speakers. People are more likely to laugh at a joke or voice their approval when they are sharing physical space with other warm bodies.
To break up the monotony of an online talk, consider hosting a conversation between two people in place of a soliloquy. The second speaker can function as an interviewer or an equal player. Ask for audience feedback in the chat window
or Q&A panel. Keep the main presentation short, saving more time for Q&As or a group brainstorm. Appoint a moderator to field questions from the audience. Create breakout rooms where attendees can meet each other.