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CHAPTER 9

179

Creating Movement

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When things move, the eye is drawn to them like a moth to light.

It’s unavoidable. Humans are hard-wired to look when things

move, primarily from the innate fight-or-flight instinct. They will

process what moves and make sure they’re not in danger.

Unfortunately, when the software was designed, the developers

did not anticipate these instinctual characteristics. If animation is

incorporated without purpose or meaning, the audience’s atten-

tion is turned away from the presenter and toward the movement.

It’s inevitable.

Presentations are almost the only time-based

media that professionals use on a daily basis.

It’s tempting to make everything buzz like a fly

or swoosh like a rocket. Don’t do it.

Every change, no matter how subtle, creates distraction. Every

animation, no matter how well-intended, affects an audience’s

ability to grasp insights. And that’s not to say animations are a

bad thing; they should be used only to help an audience process

information. But for some reason, many presenters struggle with

selecting animation wisely.

As a presenter, you might quickly recognize the opportunity

to design content effectively. But you also need to think about

designing—intentionally—the time-based elements within a pre-

sentation. Animation ...