We all want our PowerPoint slides to be the best they can be, not detracting from an excellent presentation. And yet not all public speakers are trained in design.
Here is the answer.
It isn't a public speaking book.
It isn't a PowerPoint book.
It presents the principles of design.
There is little surprise then, that it is beautifully designed.
It pairs clear explanations of every design concept with visual examples of the concepts applied in practice. The left side is dedicated to theory, the right to visual examples of how this theory can be used.
From the "80/20" rule to chunking, from baby-face bias to Occam's razor, and from self-similarity to storytelling, every major design concept is defined and illustrated.
Every theory is pared down to these two concise pages.
And within the theory page are two more elements - some incredibly useful references to other resources for further exploration and reading and to other theories as well - research on motivators and perception, psychology and biology, and so many more.
As a reader, we are being encouraged to make connections - to other ideas about the principle and to other principles that intercept with it.
And making connections is certainly necessary - it is a great mindset by which to use the book, to apply the principles to one's own discipline - in our case, public speaking and PowerPoint.
The connections are not made within the book, and several reviewers have complained about that, and the lack of full information about each principle. I like making connections, exploring further, and the discipline of making creative use of rules. It is a stimulation of creativity that is necessary among the rather linear thinking involved in creating a storyboard, and a logical development of ideas.
And the concise treatment of the material makes the book an easy reference to use, and book that can be picked and read in small chunks.
About the Author
William Lidwell writes, speaks, and consults on topics of design and engineering. He is the Director of Design at Stuff Creators Design in Houston, Texas. He is author of the best-selling design book, Universal Principles of Design, which has been translated into 12+ languages; Deconstructing Product Design, a social deconstruction of 100 classic products; and lecturer of two video series on design: "How Colors Affect You: What Science Reveals" available from The Great Courses, and "The Science of Logo Design" available from Lynda.com.
He lives in Houston, TX.
You can buy the book from Amazon , The Book Depository , Fishpond.com.au
