Presentation Zen Design: Simple Design Principles and Techniques to Enhance Your Presentations
On March - 10 - 20105 COMMENTS
- ISBN13: 9780321668790
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Product Description
In his internationally acclaimed, best-selling book Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery, presentation master Garr Reynolds gave readers the framework for planning, putting together, and delivering successful presentations. Now, he takes us further into the design realm and shows how we can apply time-honored design principles to presentation layouts.
Throughout Presentation Zen Design, Garr shares his lessons on designing effect… More >>
Presentation Zen Design: Simple Design Principles and Techniques to Enhance Your Presentations
Forgive me for my lack of professional experience, as I’m still an undergraduate in business school. However, I must say, after reading Mr. Reynolds first book, I went on to give some amazing presentations. So much so, that everyone else in my classes, students and professors alike, including my communications professor often approach me afterwards to compliment me on my presentation style and particularly my slide design. Students often ask me how I created slides like that, and I have been happy to teach them what I know.
I think it is important to realize that there is, more than just creating slides that look pretty, a fundamental disconnect here. Many people cannot think within the realm of a presentation. They feel that the information NEEDS to be on the slide instead of having the slide as a backdrop. So the idea of breaking a four-rowed table out into four slides is ludicrous because “the information is not shown together so it cannot be prepared.” I would argue that it is the job of the presenter to show the relationship between the information. Otherwise, if the table speaks for itself, why on earth are you presenting it?
This is exactly the point. A deck of slides should enhance your talk, not outline all of your main points. If it outlines all of your points, you the presenter, are useless. Hand out a copy of your slide deck and sit back down. Instead, it should be off in the background, it should convey simple messages that enhance your speech and provide visuals for the messages you are providing. That’s exactly what Garr teaches.
Garr’s book, while delving into philosophy and design in general, shows many incredible techniques I have incorporated into my own slides. Bleeding photos, using one or two colors for emphasis, text size and font selection, and even positioning on slides have all been incorporated into my slide design. Additionally, there are a few good specific examples of things I never thought to do, but that make the visuals interesting and exciting.
Some people still do not think this way, and those people will say this style of presentation is useless or laughable, or that it focuses on being flashy and not on substance. They have been the ones to give negative reviews to this book and the first book. They are fundamentally wrong. This style of presenting is incredibly engaging. What is not understood and often overlooked is that the most important element of any slide is the person presenting it.
If you don’t buy into this idea, or can’t being yourself to think this way, then you will not enjoy this book. But if you are open to it and embrace it, you will give some of the most astounding and engaging presentations of your life.
Rating: 5 / 5
Garr Reynolds has done it again. His first book Presentation Zen created a huge learning curve for me as a Professional Speaker/Trainer. After using the tools and techniques he described my work took a dramatic leap toward. Not only have I become more “tech savvy” but now the slides I design capture my audiences attention instead of putting them to sleep. How much better does it get?
I purchased this second book as soon as I could. While the topic is the same, somehow Mr. Reynolds has captured even more information in his unique crisp fashion. Not only does he give detailed information on how to capture the examples he choses but he does so in a way that makes learning fun. His calm “non-ego tripping style” is a welcomed retreat.
I recently sent Garr Reynolds an email thanking him for his book. My email was send early one Sunday morning and within a very short time he replied back. His note was both personalized and humorous.
The value I have received from both of the books Garr Reynolds has written is priceless. His books will give both your Right Brain and Left Brain a real treat.
Rating: 5 / 5
//PresentationZen Design// is a graphic design book for non-designers who want to create more effective multi-media presentations. As Reynolds states, “We know what we like when we see it, but we lack the visual literacy to articulate our thoughts…” So he provides a nomenclature and a way to organize your thoughts when communicating with words and images. In addition to a crash course on the principles of good design, he helps you clarify your content and make it more meaningful.
Reynolds uses the basics of Zen–simplicity, harmony, and balance–as the basis of good design. He balances these big picture ideas with the more practical details of typography (fonts, spacing, placement), images (JPEG, TIFF, cropping), and photography (don’t use Auto Mode). He employs numerous images to visually drive home his message, and in clear concise text, demonstrates how to maximize your presentation’s impact by employing unifying themes, visual clues, depth (created by using large foreground elements) and decluttering (less is more).
While you know that you live in a visual world, how often do you stop and think why one thing is more appealing than another? Although//Presentationzen Design//focuses on presentations, I found it to have a much broader application. Want to attract more people to your website, have more followers on Twitter, make an impression with your business card? It all comes down to aesthetics. And if you understand that the color red implies assertiveness and urgency, and that green connotes dignity, loyalty and professionalism, then you have an advantage in the marketplace.
Reviewed by Bruce Genaro
Rating: 5 / 5
For more of my reviews, check out my blog [...]
Who is this book for? Is it the same for the Designer working at Apple versus a high school student. Not really. Therefore, if you have NOT been formally trained in visual arts or you are one of those ’self-taught’ AND you use PowerPoint (or Keynote) then absolutely 5 stars on this book. It is written for YOU!
If you do have some artistic or designer training you will find this book on the beginner side. The sub title on the cover actually addresses this, “Simple Design Principles and Techniques to Enhance Your Presentations.”
Pros:
* Garr Reynaolds has immersed himself in Japanese culture, which has obviously contributed heavily to his design teachings and principles. If you are going to pick a culture, Japan’s is a good choice.
* His points are VERY clear (imagine that) and supported by plenty of nice examples.
* An abundance of slide examples accurately reinforce points made in the text.
* The layout of the book is pretty pleasing in my humble opinion. Maybe a tad to much whitespace, but then again, he is the expert.
* FAST read that is written efficiently and leaves you retaining the knowledge you acquired.
Cons:
* The book fails to communicate one message. It makes it appear as if PowerPoint has NO place in design, but then later in the book the message then seems to counter that. I caught myself actually saying, “OK, I’m not suppose to use PowerPoint, got it… then what do I use?” But I think THIS is the message: PowerPoint is a presentation tool. And in the hands of someone with good design principles and technique, it can be a powerful tool.
* Tooooo Japanese. Nothing is wrong with the culture and the examples are very nice. But at times some of the book felt like a tourism brochure. Slight, slight con in my opinion
* While so many good examples populate this book, the “slide examples” chapter left me rather disappointed. Some were nice, but most just didn’t do it for me.
Neither Pro or Con:
As a rookie photographer I have been introduced to the micro stock debate. If that has any meaning to you then you should know iStockPhoto is a huge contributor to this book… even the cover is a photo from iStockPhoto. I have mixed feelings about the debate. On one hand iStock is a great service for this books target audience, on the other, how much was paid to the photographer for the COVER photograph of a book?
Summary:
This is absolutely a book you can read from cover to cover. It builds on previous lessons fluently. The delivery is done so in a simple, yet powerful manor.
I consider myself a decent “designer” and good “graphics-guy” that can say with certainty this book has enhanced my presentation practices.
Recap:
If you = are an artist; formally trained; use Flash instead of PowerPoint/Keynote = PASS on the book, 2 of 5 stars
If ANY of the following describe you: open PowerPoint fairly often; use clip art; think more color and fonts the better; feel like you need a better handle on design = BUY IT TODAY! 5 of 5 stars.
Since the book clearly says it on the cover “Simple Design Principles and Techniques…” it should not miss its target audience, therefore the Monkey Butler Ninja says 5 ninja stars out of 5!
Rating: 5 / 5
After reading Presentation Zen from the first to the last page and putting its lessons into practice immediately this book is perfect for further improvements.
Rating: 5 / 5