The document discusses the effectiveness of slideware in presentations, highlighting that traditional bullet points hinder communication and engagement with audiences. It suggests that visual storytelling tools, like photos, can convey messages more effectively than text-heavy slides. The author emphasizes the potential of slideware as a teaching tool if used creatively and in alignment with concepts of visual arts and media.

1. Fred Johnson
C&W 2009, UC Davis
Session a3
6/19/09, 9:30 - 10:45 AM
Starting with
Bad PowerPoint

2. 1. Slideware creates poor slide-audience relationships.

3. 2. Slideware creates good slide-audience relationships,
if we defy the templates it provides.

4. 3. Slideware can be used as a viable new media tool,
if we understand it in terms of other
visual storytelling tools like film and comics.

5. 4. Maybe slideware should play a key role
in your new media course.

7. by Peter Norvig

8. “Four score and seven years ago...”

9. “Four score and seven years ago...”

10. “...our fathers brought forth on this
continent a new nation, conceived in
Liberty, and dedicated to the
proposition that all men are created
equal...”

11. “...our fathers brought forth on this
continent a new nation, conceived in
Liberty, and dedicated to the
proposition that all men are created
equal...”
Image Swiped @ SethGodin.com

12. by Daniel Radosh

13. by Daniel Radosh

14. EPIC
FAIL

15. Slide Therapy 101
Seth Godin Edward Tufte

16. Slide Therapy 102
Garr Reynolds Nancy Duarte

17. Image Swiped @ SethGodin.com

19. Ppt Made Me?

20. Relationship?

24. Relationship?

25. Sto
Me p
ani
ngl
Clip ess
art!
Relationship?

26. Bullet Points
• Are not exactly the height of powerful visual
communication, are they?
• Can you really listen to me AND write down my bullet
points? Research says NO.
• We can process a visual stream of info and a verbal one, but
not two verbal ones at the same time. (See John Sweller.)
• Plus, what is the relationship between an audience and a
slide full of bullet points?
• What are audience members supposed to do with bullet
point info?
• They’re supposed to write it down? Memorize it?
• This is what we want our students and audiences doing?
Probably not...

27. Bullet Points
• Are not exactly the height of powerful visual
communication, are they?
• Can you really listen to me AND write down my bullet
points? Research says NO.
• We can process a visual stream of info and a verbal one, but
not two verbal ones at the same time. (See John Sweller.)
• Plus, what is the relationship between an audience and a
Relationship?
slide full of bullet points?
• What are audience members supposed to do with bullet
point info?
• They’re supposed to write it down? Memorize it?
• This is what we want our students and audiences doing?
Probably not...

28. Audience =
Relationship?

29. Bullet Points
• Are not exactly the height of powerful visual
communication, are they?
• Can you really listen to me AND write down my bullet
points? Research says NO.
• We can process a visual stream of info and a verbal one, but
not two verbal ones at the same time. (See John Sweller.)
• Plus, what is the relationship between an audience and a
Speaker?
slide full of bullet points?
• What are audience members supposed to do with bullet
point info?
• They’re supposed to write it down? Memorize it?
• This is what we want our students and audiences doing?
Probably not...

30. Bullet Points
• Are not exactly the height of powerful visual
communication, are they?
• Can you really listen to me AND write down my bullet
points? Research says NO.
• We can process a visual stream of info and a verbal one, but
not two verbal ones at the same time. (See John Sweller.)
• Plus, what is the relationship between an audience and a
Speaker?
slide full of bullet points?
• What are audience members supposed to do with bullet
point info?
• They’re supposed to write it down? Memorize it?
• This is what we want our students and audiences doing?
Probably not...
Image Swiped @ GreenPrompt.com

32. Images from EdwardTufte.com

33. “Talking about pollution in Houston? Instead of
giving me four bullet points of EPA data, why not
show me a photo of a bunch of dead birds, some
smog and even a diseased lung? Amazingly, it’s more
fun than doing it the old way. But it’s effective
communication.” -Seth Godin

34. Sto
Pol p
luti
on!
“Talking about pollution in Houston? Instead of
giving me four bullet points of EPA data, why not
show me a photo of a bunch of dead birds, some
smog and even a diseased lung? Amazingly, it’s more
fun than doing it the old way. But it’s effective
communication.” -Seth Godin

35. by ndanger @Flickr
“Talking about pollution in Houston? Instead of
giving me four bullet points of EPA data, why not
show me a photo of a bunch of dead birds, some
smog and even a diseased lung? Amazingly, it’s more
fun than doing it the old way. But it’s effective
communication.” -Seth Godin

36. (from Garr Reynolds)

37. (from Garr
Reynolds)

38. Pollution in Houston
Impact on Wildlife

39. by ndanger @Flickr
Pollution in Houston
Impact on Wildlife

40. by ndanger @Flickr
Pollution in Houston
Impact on Wildlife

41. from Garr Reynolds

42. + Use Handouts

43. Next Step?

44. Next Step?

45. Next Step?

46. Sequence
Roland Barthes

47. Roland Barthes
Floating Chain
of Signifiers
+
Anchorage
& Relay

48. A Floating Chain
of Signifieds signifier/[to infinity]
Signifier/signified
Signifier/signified
Signifier/signified
Signifier/signified
Signifier/signified
Signifier/signified
Signifier/signified
Signifier/signified
Signifier/signified
Signifier/signified
Signifier/signified
signifier/[to infinity]

49. by Georgie Sharp @Flickr

50. by Georgie Sharp @Flickr
signifier/[to infinity]
Signifier/signified
Signifier/signified
Signifier/signified
Signifier/signified
Signifier/signified
Signifier/signified
Signifier/signified
Signifier/signified
Signifier/signified
Signifier/signified
Signifier/signified
signifier/[to infinity]

51. A Floating Chain
of Signifieds signifier/[to infinity]
Signifier/signified
Signifier/signified
Signifier/signified
Signifier/signified
Signifier/signified
Signifier/signified
Signifier/signified
Signifier/signified
Signifier/signified
“...text is meant to fix the
Signifier/signified
floating chain of signifieds in
Signifier/signified
such a way to counter the
signifier/[to infinity]
terror of uncertain signs.”

52. by Georgie Sharp @Flickr
The Invisible Author

53. by Georgie Sharp @Flickr
The Invisible Author

54. Anchorage
Words and Context

55. Relay
by Brian Dunlay @Flickr

56. Relay via Design

57. by Nosromoo @Flickr

58. clouds by by taivasalla @Flickr

60. Evaporation
Condensation
Precipitation
[The Water Cycle]

61. Sequence
Kuleshov and Film

62. Clip from Fletcher Markle’s A Talk with Hithcock
Hitchcock on the Power of
Shot-Reverse Shot

63. The Kuleshov Effect
anticipation/revision

66. mise en scene

67. mise en scene

68. mise en scene

69. mise en scene

70. mise en scene

71. mise en scene

72. mise en scene

73. mise en scene

74. Anchorage
Relay
Kuleshov Effect
Active Audience Through
Active Sequencing

75. Note: Re-sequencing Images

76. Sequence
McCloud and Comics

77. Scott McCloud
Sequential Art
Closure

78. “Sequential Art”
“Closure”
all comics images from McCloud’s Understanding Comics

79. “Sequential Art”
“Closure”
all comics images from McCloud’s Understanding Comics

81. by ndanger @Flickr

82. Streetcar Named Desire
Drury Theatre, 2005

83. Relationship
+ Concept
+ Sequence

84. Application
Sequence and Visual Composition

85. 1. Moment to Moment

86. Moment to
Moment 1

89. Moment to
Moment 2

90. Carolyn
Porco
Text
Speaking of the
Cassini Probe
to Saturn

91. Landing
on Titan

92. Landing
on Titan

93. Landing
on Titan

94. Landing
on Titan

95. Landing
on Titan

96. 3. Subject to Subject
within one
scene or idea

97. Subject to
Subject
(Within One Idea)

98. From Wikimedia Commons
Realism is Experimental

99. From Wikimedia Commons
<<--Not this way.
dbaltzer.com
Realism is Experimental

100. From Wikimedia Commons
This way.-->
[ ]
<<--Not this way.
dbaltzer.com
Realism is Experimental

101. 5. Aspect to Aspect
outside time, in one
place, idea, or mood

102. Aspect to
Aspect

104. Evaporation

105. Evaporation
Condensation

106. Evaporation
Condensation
Precipitation

107. Evaporation
Condensation
Precipitation
[The Water Cycle]

108. Evaporation

109. Evaporation
by skycaptaintwo @Flickr

110. Evaporation
by skycaptaintwo @Flickr by Sir_Iwan @Flickr

111. Evaporation
by skycaptaintwo @Flickr by Sir_Iwan @Flickr by Slightlynorth @Flickr

112. Evaporation
by skycaptaintwo @Flickr by Sir_Iwan @Flickr by Slightlynorth @Flickr by law_keven @Flickr

113. 4. Scene to Scene
across space
and/or time

114. Scene to
Scene
Across Space and Time

115. 1945

116. MODERN 1945

117. MODERN 1945 PoMo

128. I’m
probably
out of
time...

129. ...which is why I’ve put a bunch
of classroom suggestions on the
back of the handout, for your
consideration.

130. Summary:
1. It’s bad.
2. It’s good.
3. It’s new media.
4. It’s got great potential for teaching.
Relationship + Concept + Sequence
Roland Barthes: Anchorage and Relay
Film: The Kuleshov Effect
Comics: Sequential Art, Closure, Transitions

131. END