Presentation Secrets: Do What you Never Thought Possible With Your Presentations

A WORD ON ANIMATION

Animation is a great way to show change and guide the audience's attention. Unfortunately, it is frequently misused to the point that most books on presentations recommend avoiding it entirely. The problem, of course, is that people add animation to “pimp their slides,” to make them “sexier.” What they achieve, invariably, is the reverse effect. Flashy effects aren't really enjoyed by anyone since most of the time they have nothing to do with the content itself. However, I think that by banning animation altogether we are missing many opportunities to improve our presentations.

Presenters use animation with intention to attract more attention, but since animation has no real meaning, it doesn't attract—it distracts.

I think there are a number of situations where animation is not just permissible, it is obligatory. For example, if you have a complex diagram (which is not a great idea but sometimes there's no other choice) or a chart, you can show parts of it in a sequence, explaining them as you go, so the audience has a chance to keep up with you. If you have multiple bullets (also not a great idea, but still) you can show them one by one, so the audience doesn't read ahead of you and thus doesn't lose interest in what are you going to say next. Even Steve Jobs does that sometimes. Finally, if you have to show a transition from one situation to another by moving ...