Displaying Data

Edward Tufte, Information Design Expert

Slides in our presentations are most effective when they show visual things. This is why we don't want to have much text on our slides. However, there are times when it is good to show data and statistics that will make an impact on our listeners. The problem is, how can we show data wisely? How much data should we show? What is the best way to display the data?


In the next few posts, I will talk about the 5 rules of Displaying Data. I get these rules from Edward Tufte, an expert on displaying data (not only in slides). In this post, I will introduce the 5 rules:

1. Tell the truth
2. Get to the point
3. Pick the right tool for the job
4. Highlight what’s important
5. Keep it simple

Tell the truth

This point might seem obvious. But it is amazing how often data is used to deceive. Sometimes the "lie" is not intentional. But that means we must be extra careful not to mislead our audience. Check and see that the data you display is "saying" what is true.

Get to the point

You are a busy person. Your audience is full of busy people. Don't waste your time and their time by displaying data that is not important to your message. Spend all of your time "on task".

Pick the right tool for the job

The tools we are talking about here are the different ways to show data. Some traditional tools are bar graphs, pie charts, line graphs, tables, etc... Each tool has strengths and weaknesses. Be sure to think about whether there is another tool that can help your message better.

Highlight what's important

Sometimes it is difficult for the audience to know where they should be looking on the slide. Make it easier on them by highlighting the important information. You can do this by making the important information bigger or bolder or with arrows and other signals.

Keep it simple

We have talked about this point a lot on the blog before.Your slides are not meant to show all the information you have. Use a handout if you need the audience to see many details. Keep your slides (and your message) simple and it will have more impact.

In the next few posts, I will show examples of the 5 data rules. For now, look at your slides and ask yourself if you are keeping the rules.

Good luck!

Welcome!

Welcome Mat

Welcome back to those of you who I helped last year and welcome to the students I have not met yet! I hope you will find this blog helpful.

If you want to make a reservation to see me, please check my calendar. If you see a time available you want, send me an email here. Remember, it's first come, first serve.

I look forward to seeing you soon!

C.R.A.P. Recap

Now that we have looked at each letter in the acronym C.R.A.P., let’s consider how to put all of the pieces together.

First, let’s review each letter. C stands for Contrast. And, the key principle of contrast states that “if two items are not exactly the same, then make them different. Really different.” This can be done by making a font or graphic larger or smaller, bold, or a (really) different color.

R stands for Repetition. And the key principle of repetition states that you “repeat some aspect of the design throughout the entire piece.” For example, you might contrast headings from the main body by making them larger and different font, but for repetition, each heading might use the same font and size.

A stands for Alignment. And, the key principle of alignment states that “nothing should be placed on the page arbitrarily. Every item should have a visual connection with something else on the page.” This can be done by making sure that the left, right, top or bottom border of each element lines up with the border of another element on your slide.

P stands for Proximity. And, the key principle of alignment states that you “group related items together.” By placing related items together, you can visually show their relationship. This will usually create some “blank” spaces on your slide where the eye can rest.

Let’s look at how we can combine this principles on a slide.


















See on this slide how there are no good design principles? First of all, the background is distracting. But also, there is no contrast, no alignment, and no proximity. The only reason there is any repetition is that the font and size are the same.

The lack of design principles makes this slide difficult for your audience to enjoy. But, even more importantly, it makes it difficult for them to understand. What is important in this slide? Where should your eyes look?

Now look at a slide where we apply the principles of C.R.A.P.:


















Much better, right? We applied contrast by using a simple background and be using a (really) different font, bold, and colors (but not too many). We applied repetition by using the same fonts and sizes for the general elements. We applied alignment by having each element share a right axis. And we applied proximity by having information about the topic at the top and information about the speaker at the bottom.

I hope that helps you see how everything works together. Now that you have learned how to apply design to your slides, I hope you realize that these principles also apply to any designs (including posters, documents, etc…).

Delivery

Tomorrow (Monday, the 13th) the 2nd-year students will be giving their presentations. 1st-year students will be giving them on Wednesday. Before you present, I would like to say something about your delivery on the day.

I can see from my meetings with you that you have been working hard to prepare your texts and Powerpoint® slides. But don't forget, that presentations are largely about your delivery. Of course, if you don't have a good script, it will be difficult to deliver well. The same thing is true for your slides. Your text and images on your slides can have a strong impact and support your presentation.

HOWEVER, all the preparation in the world with your text and slides cannot replace your delivery. This means you must practice, practice, practice.

While you want to memorize your text as much as possible, it is not enough to remember the words. You want to know the material so well, that you can talk about it conversationally as if you were talking about your hobbies or your family. If you have been practicing a lot already, this may be possible. If not, it may be late to be that confident, but you will want to be as confident as possible before you present.

Practice OUT LOUD as much as possible. In fact, if possible, you want to practice out loud at a speech level of volume.

Also, when possible, practice in front of a mirror. See what you look like when you present. You may notice some bad habit before your official presentation and be able to adjust.

Another thing to consider is practicing with your team including the Powerpoint® delivery. During your presentation, you don't want to have to look behind you at the screen to see if it is the correct slide. Also, you don't want to have to look at the person at the computer to signal to change the slide. That does not look natural to your audience.

Now, when it comes time to give your presentation, stop worrying about the above, just relax and give your best performance. If it doesn't go as smooth as you would like, use this experience to help motivate you to prepare earlier and more carefully for next time.

Learning is a lifelong event. Don't get frustrated over imperfections in class. Use them to help you do better next time.

Work hard in your preparation. Then, relax and enjoy your performance. Then, learn and grow.

I look forward to watching your presentations.

This is not the last blog post, so keep checking back.

Photography in Powerpoint® Slides

I was asked today by a student to give advice about finding and using photography in Powerpoint® for your presentations.

FIRST, I think it is a good idea to use photography in your presentations. Photographs often have a strong impact on your audience if you choose good images. Of course, in addition to finding and choosing good-looking images, you need to be careful about using copyrighted materials.

One way to avoid problems is to use your own photographs. Consider if you and your teammates can take photographs that suit your point.

Another option is to use stock photography. There are both paid and free options. Sometimes I buy photographs from a website called iStockphoto.com. After paying one time for the photo, I am able to use the photo again and again.

However, most of you probably do not want to pay for your photographs. There are some free options on sites like Flickr. You need to be careful though, because each photographer who puts their photos on Flickr can choose what kind of license to give to people who download their images. You need to find images with a Creative Commons licence (click here to read about the CC license and to browse photos with those licenses).

SECOND, you should consider filling your entire slide with one photograph instead of using a small image inside your slide. Also consider if you really need text, or if the image alone is enough to support what you are saying. If you do need to use words on the slide, write them in an empty space inside the photograph (if there is any). If possible, use white or black with a shadow.

Most of Flickr's photos are not large enough to fill a slide though. I recommend photos that are 1024 x 768 pixels or larger (at least 800 x 600 which you can stretch). So, I suggest another site called stock.xchange. There images are free to download and come with a license that allows you to use the images in presentations (read here for more details about the license). Just don't use those images to earn money for some other project. There is a search bar where you can write in key words that can help you find good images.

THIRD, give credit to the photographer. Some people will write the photographers name and/or the website link on the photograph. This is OK, but you can also make a slide at the end of your presentation with all of the credits (or even a handout). Whatever you do, don't take credit for someone else's work.

Have fun in your preparations. I look forward to seeing what you do with your presentations!

Proximity

In this post we continue looking at the principles represented in the acronym C. R. A. P. from Robin Williams’ book the Non-Designers Design Book. In previous posts we looked at Contrast, Repetition and Alignment. In this post, we look at the next letter in the acronym, Proximity (nearness). According to Williams, the key principle of alignment states that you “group related items together.” When items that are related to each other are moved close together, the proximity helps make a visual connection and adds cohesion to your visuals.

Proximity helps us to see the relationships. It makes it easier for the audience to see the relationships and the empty spaces gives a place to rest their eyes. Look at the two slides below:





























With the slide on the top, it is not clear whether my name belongs with the title or with the school. On the bottom, it is clear that I am showing the relationship with my name and the school.

So, I hope you will look at your slides and consider how to show relationships using proximity.

Alignment

In this post we continue looking at the principles represented in the acronym C. R. A. P. from Robin Williams’ book the Non-Designers Design Book. In previous posts we looked at Contrast and Repetition. In this post, we look at the next letter in the acronym, Alignment. According to Williams, the key principle of alignment states that “nothing should be placed on the page arbitrarily. Every item should have a visual connection with something else on the page.”

Alignment gives greater cohesion to your design. Even though items on your page are separated from each other (the P in C. R. A. P. — Proximity), with alignment, your audience can see that all of the elements are part of the same piece.

Elements can be aligned either horizontally or vertically (or both). It is not necessary that each element align with every other element, only that each element should align with at least one other element. Elements can align with other elements on the center, left, or right, or they can align at the top or bottom.

See an example of center alignment below:

Title
Point 1
Point 2

Point 3

Notice that the text from each line aligns on the middle. Next, see an example of left alignment below:

Title
Point 1
Point 2

Point 3

See how each the text from each line aligns on the left? Finally, let’s look at an example of right alignment:

Title
Point 1
Point 2

Point 3

Beginners often use center alignment because it is clean and safe. And there is nothing wrong with that. But sometimes, you slides can have more impact if you try left or right alignment. Try out a few different ways with your slide until you find the best combination for your message.