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The Cure for Bad PowerPoint: A Review of Presentation Zen

September 16, 2013

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You probably think your PowerPoints are pretty good.

I definitely thought mine were. I knew what bad PowerPoints looked like: Too many words packed onto each slide. Transitions that were too swirly, sparkly, checkerboardy. No consistency in fonts or colors.

Mine were nothing like that.

So when I first came across Garr Reynolds’ book Presentation Zen , my attitude could only be described as smug: I expected it to tell me I was doing everything exactly right, with a few minor tips for improvement. That notion lasted three minutes. After skimming a few pages of the book, I knew my slides were about to change forever. (Links to the book: Bookshop.org | Amazon | What’s the difference? )

If you work in education, presentation is a daily thing for you. And if you’re presenting, you’re probably using either PowerPoint or Keynote as a backdrop. You see slideshows in meetings, at professional development workshops, at conferences. They’re everywhere, and they’re almost all terrible. That’s why we all need this book.

The Pillars of Presentation Zen

The mission of Presentation Zen is simple: to rid the world of bad PowerPoint. And “bad” goes beyond aesthetics. Although you’ll definitely be pushed toward cleaner, more sophisticated design, the book’s message is bigger: Our presentations – our lessons – are boring. We take material that once stirred us so much we built a career on it, and we reduce it to dry, uninspired text, effectively sucking the soul right out of it. And when we present, we compound the problem: Instead of talking directly to our audience like human beings, we read straight from those soul-sucking slides.

As soon as I started reading this book, I seriously couldn’t wait to get my hands on my slides. It was like a light switch going off in my brain. And I want that switch to go on in classrooms all over the world. The book does a brilliant job of explaining and illustrating its principles, but I’ll summarize the Presentation Zen approach here:

Limit text on slides : Your slides are meant to supplement your talk, not provide all the content. If you stick to just a few words per slide – the most important ones – you’ll be forced to speak to your audience , which will be so much more engaging for them. The finer details can be provided on a handout at the end of the presentation; in a school setting, they may be assigned as reading. If your initial presentation is powerful enough, students will be more motivated to do the reading.

Make it visual : Images are incredibly powerful for making a point and strengthening cognitive processing. Anytime you can represent an idea visually, rather than just in text, your slides will actually be helping your students remember the concepts better. (In this  TEDx Talk ,  Presentation Zen  author Garr Reynolds illustrates this idea beautifully.)

Tell a story : Your overall message will stick much better if it’s told as a story. This may be challenging at first, but once you make the decision to find the story in the content, you may be surprised. History is obviously loaded with narratives — captivate your students with one gripping personal account of a specific event before giving them all the dates and major players of that era. Science may at first seem to be all about the facts, but behind every fact is a tale of discovery (What was the world like before penicillin?), or one of impact (What do we learn about groundwater from the legal battles of Erin Brockovich?). In health class, tell the story of one girl whose life was changed by a teen pregnancy before introducing the RealCare Baby assignment. In math, begin a unit on statistics with the story of how a company was able to fool its customers with clever manipulation of numbers. You may not be able to do it every time, for every lesson, but with practice, you’ll become more adept at framing your content inside stories.

Following the Zen Path for Yourself

Making the switch can be time-consuming at first. If you have a year’s worth of lectures already created in the “original” style of PowerPoint, the thought of revamping all of them could overwhelm you.

So start small. Pick one presentation that’s planned for later this year that you feel passionate about, do a “save as” with a new name, and start messing around with the PowerPoint. Begin by stripping as much text as you can: Challenge yourself to represent the same idea in fewer words, knowing you’ll do the explaining in person, and pull the specific details into a separate handout. Then see if you can convert more of the text to visuals: Even using the SmartArt feature to arrange concepts into graphic organizers can represent their relationships better than a list of bullet points. Finally, consider switching from the template you’re using to a clean, blank one, and add images that further illustrate your concepts. If you are working in social studies or science, the images available to you are incredibly rich – fill a whole slide with one of these and see how differently it grabs your students.

Considering how much time we spend looking at bad PowerPoints, the world would definitely be a better place if more people read this book. Not only will we spend less time fighting sleep in classrooms and conference rooms, but we’ll have more of the joy that comes with sharing our passions, the real joy of learning. ♥

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Categories: Book Recommendations , Instruction

Tags: college teaching , graphic design , teaching strategies , teaching with tech

18 Comments

Nice! I will check out the book. I was hoping to see how I could apply this to my monthly safety topics. The only problem is that I don’t present these topics; six other Supervisors do this and most of them have their shift employees take turns readIng the slides (much to my chagrin).

Hi Jez 🙂 Thanks for commenting. How horrible that they just have people reading from the slides! I think you have three options in this case: (1) Have your other supervisors watch the youtube video and maybe read the book. That may not be realistic, though. (2) Edit the slides way down so that the supervisors HAVE to talk through them, rather than read straight off of them. This could work if you don’t cut the slides down too far. (3) Turn your slideshow into a video, where you do the voice-over. That gives you total control over the message. You’d do this with screencasting software, which is what I used to create the youtube video. You can try this out with a free tool called Screencast-O-Matic, which will allow you to record 15-minute videos for free. And if you’re ready to move up to something more serious, your company can buy Camtasia Studio for a few hundred dollars. If one of these options seems like the best one for you, pick it and we can keep brainstorming how you’d actually do it. Also, if you want to submit a “before” slide, send it over and we can talk about how you’d revise it.

There used to be an option to do a voice over and just run a slide show on Power Point (I saw a guy doing it back in 2002). I think I might need to look at this, because I think this WOULD be the best option. Thanks for the reminder, Jenn!

I am ao glad you did this! I have been talking about “death by PPT” for a long time!! To me one visual or two and one powerful word!! The handout is a great way for those who cannot part with all that text on a slide… to compromise!! Awesome Bud!!! Thank you!!!

Thanks, Maura. Especially in situations when we are trying to convey a lot of specific information (rather than just inspiring people or telling a story, like in TED Talks), there’s definitely the fear of losing actual content by paring down our slides, so the handout really takes care of that. I think it’s important, though, to HOLD OFF on the handout until the end of the presentation; otherwise, your audience’s attention will be compromised.

Hi Jennifer,

I found your website online recently and I thank you for all that you do. As a new teacher I find your information absolutely relevant, professional, and engaging.

This summary of Presentation Zen is very appreciated. As a first year teacher, I will take this opportunity to move forward with more polished presentations. Luckily I don’t have to go too far back to upgrade my presentations!

All the best, Jen

Here’s my concern: my students see that and freak out. “What am I supposed to write?” “How can I listen to you?” So how would I train them to listen and write notes?

This is a great question, and yes, I can totally see students doing that. Following a strict Presentation Zen approach becomes more challenging when you’re delivering content that contains facts and concepts students need to record for later. In the book, Garr Reynolds recommends preparing a handout that goes along with the presentation; this allows the audience (or in a classroom, the students) to sit back and just listen. I was all for this. HOWEVER, since I read the book Make It Stick , I have learned that handing notes to students robs them of the learning that comes from processing the content and reconstructing it in their own words. This is why I included teacher-prepared notes as one of the 5 Teaching Practices I’m Kicking to the Curb .

With that in mind, I would recommend you stop every few slides, have students do a Think-Pair-Share , then write notes, compare their notes with a peer, then move on with your presentation. If you let them know ahead of time that this will be the process, they will be able to relax and pay attention, knowing that an opportunity to process and write is coming, and with practice, this will become the norm in your classroom. Does that sound like a solution?

Hi Jennifer

I recently discovered your blog and podcast and I can’t get enough! So much needed info, beautifully presented, thank you!

Where do you find better illustrations for presentations and videos than simply googling clipart and photos? I really like the illustrations you used here and in a lot of your videos, I’m wondering if you have any resources/websites to check out.

Thanks so much!

Hey Clo! I started creating my own illustrations using MS Paint after not being able to find free images I liked online. Since then, I have started to use the site Pixabay quite regularly for good royalty-free stock photos. You can also look at Flickr Commons , but you need to be sure the image you want to use is licensed for sharing; learn how to interpret Creative Commons licenses here .

Thank you for your article with the youtube clip. One thing I’d like to point out for others is that sometimes the font you choose to use in your presentation will not appear the same when you show the presentation. I have to be careful bc I like to use lots of groovy (but appropriate/readible) fonts in my work but the program I use at home is not compatible with the program on my laptop and others don’t have the same fonts on their computers that I do – therefore it reverts to the standard fonts. Which can sometimes be boring 🙁

Michelle, that’s absolutely true, and anyone who’s been there knows it can be an awful surprise. You can actually embed specific fonts into a PowerPoint so that they travel with the presentation, not matter where you go. Although it makes your file size larger, it can be a big help. This article explains how it works: https://blogs.office.com/2010/07/01/how-powerpoint-font-embedding-and-replacement-can-save-your-presentation/

Thanks, Jennifer for this article! Many teachers present to their colleagues and most “present” to students everyday. This is very helpful to anyone presenting ideas! I think I will share this with my students so that they Zen their presentations.

I was originally looking up alternative careers for teachers because I’ve been feeling demotivated, and then I stumbled upon your article. Something as simple as revising slides to engage my learners has sparked new motivation. My slides for the next term will never be the same, and I feel sorry for my classes that they’ve had to endure my past presentations (which I of course thought were fabulous). Learning something new is just what I needed. Thank you.

One excellent tool I’ve been using is the Unsplash add-on tool for Google Slides. Really a game changer.

Hi Jen, I really appreciate this. My only quibble is when you mention visual learners. There’s been a lot of recent research debunking the idea of learning styles (see https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/04/the-myth-of-learning-styles/557687/ , for instance). I think there are several good reasons to adopt a Presentation Zen approach, but I don’t think appealing to visual learners is one of them. I know this was back in 2013, so your thinking may have changed since then.

Hi Jose — Yes, my thinking has changed on this. In this 2015 post , I wrote all about it.

Great makeover! The diagram comes across as so much better and more memorable than the bullets. (And thanks for freely sharing how your slides used to look.)

People often don’t realise how few words to put on a slide. So I suggest a limit of around 15 words. Though, as you say, using visuals is even better.

You might also like this 2nd video about using diagrams instead of bullets on slides. It’s fascinating, and touches on research by John Sweller – Professor of Education – about dual encoding (i.e. using true visuals to go with the words the presenter says).

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Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds

Last updated: Sep 5, 2023

Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds is a comprehensive guide that revolutionizes the way we approach presentations. The book emphasizes the importance of simplicity, clarity, and storytelling in creating impactful and memorable presentations.

Reynolds begins by highlighting the flaws of traditional PowerPoint presentations, which often rely on bullet points, excessive text, and distracting visuals. He argues that these practices hinder effective communication and fail to engage the audience. Instead, he advocates for a minimalist approach that focuses on the presenter's message and the audience's experience.

The author introduces the concept of "zen" in presentations, which involves achieving a state of simplicity, balance, and harmony. He encourages presenters to adopt a zen mindset by embracing principles such as restraint, naturalness, and mindfulness. By doing so, presenters can create presentations that are visually appealing, emotionally engaging, and intellectually stimulating.

Reynolds emphasizes the importance of storytelling in presentations. He explains that stories have the power to captivate and connect with the audience on a deeper level. Presenters should structure their presentations as narratives, using a clear beginning, middle, and end. By incorporating personal anecdotes, metaphors, and vivid imagery, presenters can make their message more relatable and memorable.

The book also delves into the visual aspect of presentations. Reynolds provides practical advice on designing slides that are visually appealing and support the presenter's message. He emphasizes the use of high-quality images, minimal text, and effective use of white space. The author also discusses the importance of typography, color, and visual hierarchy in creating visually cohesive and impactful slides.

Furthermore, Reynolds emphasizes the importance of rehearsal and delivery in presentations. He encourages presenters to practice their presentations extensively to ensure a smooth and confident delivery. He also provides tips on body language, voice modulation, and connecting with the audience to enhance the overall presentation experience.

Throughout the book, Reynolds provides numerous examples and case studies to illustrate his principles and techniques. He also includes practical exercises and checklists to help readers apply the concepts to their own presentations.

In summary, Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds is a transformative guide that challenges traditional presentation practices and offers a fresh approach to creating impactful and engaging presentations. By embracing simplicity, storytelling, and visual design, presenters can captivate their audience and deliver memorable presentations that leave a lasting impact.

1. Simplicity is key

In Presentation Zen, Garr Reynolds emphasizes the importance of simplicity in creating effective presentations. He encourages presenters to strip away unnecessary clutter and focus on delivering a clear and concise message. By using minimal text, simple visuals, and a clean design, presenters can engage their audience and make their message more memorable.

Reynolds suggests using the "zen aesthetic" in presentations, which involves using empty space, minimal colors, and a balanced layout. This approach allows the audience to focus on the content and prevents distractions. By embracing simplicity, presenters can create presentations that are visually appealing, easy to understand, and impactful.

2. Tell a story

One of the key takeaways from Presentation Zen is the power of storytelling in presentations. Reynolds emphasizes that humans are wired to respond to stories, and incorporating storytelling techniques can make presentations more engaging and memorable.

Reynolds suggests structuring presentations like a story, with a clear beginning, middle, and end. He encourages presenters to use narrative elements such as characters, conflict, and resolution to create a compelling story arc. By framing information within a story, presenters can capture the audience's attention and make their message more relatable and memorable.

3. Visuals over text

In Presentation Zen, Reynolds advocates for the use of visuals over text in presentations. He argues that visuals have a greater impact on the audience and are more effective in conveying information.

Reynolds suggests using high-quality images, charts, and diagrams to support the message instead of relying on bullet points and lengthy text. Visuals can help presenters communicate complex ideas in a more accessible and engaging way. By using visuals strategically, presenters can enhance understanding, evoke emotions, and create a lasting impression.

4. Practice and rehearse

Another important takeaway from Presentation Zen is the value of practice and rehearsal. Reynolds emphasizes that delivering a great presentation requires preparation and practice.

Reynolds suggests rehearsing the presentation multiple times to become familiar with the content, timing, and delivery. He encourages presenters to practice in front of a mirror or record themselves to identify areas for improvement. By rehearsing, presenters can build confidence, refine their delivery, and ensure a smooth and engaging presentation.

5. Engage the audience

Presentation Zen highlights the importance of engaging the audience throughout the presentation. Reynolds suggests using interactive elements, such as questions, polls, or activities, to involve the audience and make the presentation more interactive.

Reynolds also emphasizes the importance of eye contact and body language in connecting with the audience. By maintaining eye contact, using gestures, and moving around the stage, presenters can establish a connection with the audience and keep them engaged throughout the presentation.

6. Embrace silence

In Presentation Zen, Reynolds encourages presenters to embrace moments of silence during their presentations. He argues that silence can be a powerful tool to emphasize key points, allow the audience to reflect, and create a sense of anticipation.

Reynolds suggests using pauses strategically, especially after making an important statement or asking a thought-provoking question. By incorporating silence, presenters can create a more dynamic and impactful presentation.

7. Design for the back row

One of the unique insights from Presentation Zen is the concept of designing presentations for the back row of the audience. Reynolds argues that presenters should consider the needs of those sitting farthest away and ensure that the content is visible and understandable for them.

Reynolds suggests using larger fonts, high-contrast colors, and clear visuals to accommodate the back row. By designing for the back row, presenters can ensure that everyone in the audience can fully engage with the presentation and receive the intended message.

8. Continuous improvement

Lastly, Presentation Zen emphasizes the importance of continuous improvement in presentation skills. Reynolds encourages presenters to seek feedback, reflect on their performance, and constantly strive to improve.

Reynolds suggests recording presentations and reviewing them to identify areas for improvement. He also recommends seeking feedback from trusted colleagues or mentors to gain different perspectives and insights. By embracing a mindset of continuous improvement, presenters can refine their skills, deliver more impactful presentations, and connect with their audience on a deeper level.

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Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery (Voices That Matter) 3rd Edition

Reach your audience through simplicity and storytelling.

Garr Reynolds, the bestselling author of Presentation Zen , is back with a third edition that covers advances in PowerPoint, Keynote, and other presentation technology. Garr tackles storytelling through slides and shares his approach to effective presentation design.

• Draw inspiration from fresh examples
• Combine design principles with Zen simplicity
• Create simpler, more effective presentations that will motivate your audiences

Garr offers techniques for cutting through the noise and distractions of modern life and truly engaging with your audiences in a meaningful way.

"Presentation Zen changed my life and the lives of my clients. The philosophy and approach so elegantly explained in Garr's book will inspire your audience. Don't even think of giving another presentation without it!"

―Carmine Gallo, author of The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs and Talk Like TED

"Garr has broken new ground in the way we think about the power of presentations, and more important, has taught an entire generation of communicators how to do a better job. Don't miss this one."

―Seth Godin, legendary presenter and author of This is Marketing

"If you care about the quality and clarity of your presentations―and you should―pick up this book, read every page, and heed its wisdom. Presentation Zen is a contemporary classic."

―Daniel H. Pink, author of A Whole New Mind and Drive

• ISBN-10 0135800919
• ISBN-13 978-0135800911
• Edition 3rd
• Publisher New Riders
• Publication date December 14, 2019
• Part of series Voices That Matter
• Language English
• Dimensions 7.5 x 0.85 x 9.2 inches
• Print length 336 pages
• See all details

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Capturing the best from leading-edge graphic designers, photographers, and business visionaries.

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An easy, visual approach to learning. Suitable for beginner through intermediate levels.

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From the Publisher

Simplicity: Why It Matters

• Simplicity is powerful and leads to greater clarity, yet it is neither simple nor easy to achieve.
• It’s not about making it easy for us, it’s about making things easy for them .
• Simplicity can be obtained through the careful reduction of the nonessential.

This passage is an excerpt from Presentation Zen .

Praise for Presentation Zen

“Garr has broken new ground in the way we think about the power of presentations, and more important, has taught an entire generation of communicators how to do a better job. Don’t miss this one.”

Legendary presenter and author, This is Marketing

“If you care about the quality and clarity of your presentations–and you should–pick up this book, read every page, and heed its wisdom. Presentation Zen is a contemporary classic.”

Daniel H. Pink

Author, A Whole New Mind and Drive

Editorial Reviews

From the back cover.

• Reach and motivate audiences through simplicity and storytelling: use slides to make your message unforgettable, not drown it out
• Transform how you think about using PowerPoint, Keynote, or any other presentation software
• Reinvigorate existing material in fresh and interactive ways that make it resonate as never before
• By Garr Reynolds, host of presentationzen.com, the Internet’s leading site for better presentation design and delivery

Everyone’s been forced to sit through terrible presentations: boring, confusing, dense, full of unnecessary clutter and effects. There’s a radically better way to reach and motivate your audience ― and it starts with simplicity and storytelling. In Presentation Zen, 3rd Edition , best-selling selling author and popular speaker Garr Reynolds shows you how it’s done, using modern versions of PowerPoint, Keynote, or other presentation tools. You’ll learn how to build slides that focus your audience’s attention precisely where you want it, and illuminate and inspire people rather than burying them in facts and data. Garr’s new full-color examples, lessons, and perspectives combine proven design principles with the tenets of Zen simplicity, and help you along the path to creating and delivering cleaner, better presentations.

About the Author

Garr Reynolds is the bestselling author of Presentation Zen , Presentation Zen Design , and The Naked Presenter , and a leading authority on presentation design and delivery. A sought-after speaker and consultant, his clients include many in the Fortune 500. An award-winning writer, designer, and musician, he is currently Professor of Management and Communication Design at Kansai Gaidai University in Japan. Garr is a former corporate trainer for Sumitomo Electric, Inc. and worked as the Manager for Worldwide User Group Relations at Apple, Inc. His popular website can be found at presentationzen.com. He lives with his family in the countryside of Nara, Japan.

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ New Riders; 3rd edition (December 14, 2019)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0135800919
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0135800911
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.5 pounds
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 0.85 x 9.2 inches
• #2 in Business Communication
• #276 in Communication Skills
• #1,025 in Unknown

About the author

Garr reynolds.

Garr Reynolds is an internationally acclaimed communications expert, and the creator of the most popular Web site on presentation design and delivery on the net: presentationzen.com. A soughtafter speaker and consultant, his clients include many in the Fortune 500. A writer, designer, and musician, he currently holds the position of Associate Professor of Management at Kansai Gaidai University in Japan. Garr is a former corporate trainer for Sumitomo Electric, and once worked in Cupertino, California as the Manager for Worldwide User Group Relations at Apple, Inc. A longtime student of the Zen arts and resident of Japan, he currently lives in Osaka where he is Director of Design Matters Japan.

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Presentation Zen Summary

Simple ideas on presentation design and delivery, zero to one, peter thiel，blake masters, jason fried, david heinemeier hansson, barbarians at the gate, bryan burrough, leaders eat last, simon sinek, the lean startup.

Audiobook Online

Description, readers also enjoyed, free pdf download, chapter 1 | overview, chapter 2 | effective presentations require simplicity, minimalism, and a focus on conveying the message with clarity and impact., chapter 3 | visuals play a crucial role in presentations, and the use of high-quality images, effective layout, and appropriate typography can significantly enhance audience engagement and understanding., chapter 4 | presenters must prioritize storytelling, authenticity, and connecting with the audience on an emotional level to create memorable and impactful presentations., chapter 5 | presentation zen review, books like presentation zen.

Presentation Zen

Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery

Garr Reynolds | 4.24 | 14,168 ratings and reviews

Ranked #1 in Presentation , Ranked #14 in Public Speaking — see more rankings .

Rankings by Category

Presentation Zen is ranked in the following categories:

• #47 in Business Communication
• #41 in Communication
• #37 in Communication Skills
• #76 in Design
• #82 in Public
• #97 in Storytelling

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Learn: What makes Shortform summaries the best in the world?

Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery

Summary of “Presentation Zen”: Due to a general misunderstanding of what makes a good presentation, most PowerPoint or Keynote presentations are utterly sleep-inducing nowadays, with slides filled with text and bullet points repeating exactly what the speaker says, and packed with images that overlap with the page background; this book gives us all the ingredients for a simple, clear and powerful presentation for the audience.

By Garr Reynolds , 225 pages, 2008.

Chronicle and summary of “ Presentation Zen”:

Garr Reynold is a designer and marketing professor living in Japan, as well as the blogger of the popular, Presentation Zen, which, since 2005, has been offering methods, ideas and thoughts on the different ways to deliver a quality presentation to an audience.

This book is both a natural extension and a deepening of his blog. Its form, spacious, filled with images , highlighting some presentations designed for the web, including articles by guest authors, is reminiscent of a blog. In fact, this is the first book I have the opportunity to read that seems to be a mix of a traditional printed book and a blog, which produces a fairly good result.

The foreword by Guy Kawasaki perfectly summarizes the interest and the reason behind Presentation Zen :

So, most presentations made using computer-assisted presentation software such as PowerPoint or Keynote are bad: long, ugly, boring and meaningless.

However, even though many people hate these tasteless and sleep-inducing presentations, today most presentations are inconceivable without slides made with presentation software . For most people, giving a presentation without slides is like giving it without clothes; they would feel the same either way. Therefore, everyone feels compelled to make slides, but unfortunately, these slides often don’t add something of value, but rather they’re a series of indigestible bullet points supplemented with images that are clearly there to fill a void .

Should we give up PowerPoint?  Not really. The ideal, on the contrary, is to learn how to make good use of it.

This includes understanding these basic principles:

• Projecting in the form of text the same information that is communicated orally does not help convey the message, on the contrary .
• A good oral presentation is not the same thing as a well-written document and trying to merge the two by making a PowerPoint presentation that can serve both as an oral and written medium is the surest way to make a hybrid that fails in both areas .
• Many multimedia presentations are mediocre nowadays; it only takes a few small improvements to stand out .
• There is no miracle recipe and each presentation is a unique case, but adopting a Zen approach helps to avoid the most common mistakes and to focus on the essence: getting the message out to the public .
• Presentations must tell a story that is enhanced by the image and are more like watching a documentary than reading a written document.

Chapter 2: Creativity, limits and constraints

Creating a presentation is a highly creative activity . We are all, to varying degrees, creative beings. No need to hang out in the trendy arts circles. Even NASA’s engineers are creative (watch the Apollo 13 movie and understand the treasures of creativity and ingenuity that the engineers had to deploy to help save the three astronauts in distress).

Zen emphasizes the beginner’s mind, in which there are infinitely more possibilities than in the expert’s:

The practice of the Zen mind is the beginner’s mind. The innocence of the first question, what am I?, is necessary throughout Zen practice.

The beginner’s mind is empty, free from the habits of the expert, ready to accept, to doubt, and open to all possibilities . It’s the kind of mind that can see things as they are, which, step by step and in a flash, can capture the original nature of everything. It is the practice of the Zen mind.

• ShunryuSuzuk

When approaching a task with the fresh mind of the beginner, the fear of being wrong, of making a mistake fades.

We will never be creative if we don’t take risks .

There are many ways to stimulate your creativity, such as working under stress, being idle, cultivating your enthusiasm for a subject, and many more – you can discover by reading my review of The Creative Habit .

For example, the Pecha Kucha is a concept of presentation created in 2003 in Tokyo, and then spread all over the world (the Paris club page is here and the Montreal club page here ). The idea is simple: each participant must project 20 slides for 20 seconds as he/she tells a story in sync with the visuals, which scroll automatically, for a total of six minutes and forty seconds. Then it’s over.  This time limit allows for concise, to the point presentations .

Note: you can see an example of a Pecha Kucha presentation here .

Creativity is therefore essential when preparing a presentation, so as not to be locked in the humdrum of a paralyzing habit. Moreover, it’s important to keep in mind three essential notions during this preparation:

Chapter 3: First draft on paper

It’s important in the initial stage of preparing a presentation to get away from the computer . Spending all your time thinking and preparing in front of the screen is the surest way to miss the big picture and to not identify the core message .

The main pitfall of “all-computer” design is that we allow ourselves to be misled by the wizards and templates offered by the software, taking us places where we don’t always want to go.But as Steve Jobs said 20 years ago, “the computer is like a bike for the mind”, which means it’s important to pedal and you shouldn’t rely on the power of a computer as you would on that of a train. The best software doesn’t hinder us or force us in any direction, it helps us amplify our skills and ideas .

We can use different tools to jot down our initial ideas, such as pencil and paper, white board or post-it notes. It’s important not to rush – and therefore to slow down – and not to hesitate to isolate ourselves in order to stimulate our creativity .

Once you are alone, pen in hand, relaxed and with a serene mind, visualize the presentation you will soon be doing , then write down the answers to the following questions:

• How much time do I have?
• At what time of the day will I be speaking?
• Who is my audience?
• What is their background?
• What do they expect of me?
• Why was I asked to give the presentation?
• What reaction do I expect from the audience?
• What visual medium will be most appropriate for this particular situation and audience?
• How is the conference room arranged?
• What is the fundamental purpose of my talk?
• What is my story about?

And finally, the most important question of all:

What is the message that I wish to convey?

Or: if the audience should only remember one thing, what do I want it to be ?

Moreover, the objective of the PowerPoint presentation means a lotto its final look: too many presenters make up a PowerPoint presentation which must both serve as a support for the oral presentation and as written support to be distributed to the public.  This is a crucial mistake . You need three separate documents:

• The slides that the public will see
• The notes that only you will see
• The printed notes to hand out

So, you can use the best of each medium rather than trying to make a bad hybrid as a whole. This will prevent you from making slides that are overloaded with text, which you will feel compelled to read during your presentation.

Chapter 4: Creating a story

Once you have a clearer vision of the presentation’s content and its main subject, the next step is to establish the presentation’s structure , defining how the ideas will flow. When the main message and the secondary messages follow one another logically, our words come out more naturally and are easier for the audience to follow .

The ideal for this is to make sure your messages stick. But how do you do this? By using in particular the 6 principles of the book, Made to Stick , which, as a reminder, are:

• Unexpectedness
• Concreteness
• Credibility

For the details of each principle, I invite you to read or reread the book review.

It’s often very important to illustrate your presentation with one or more sincere stories , with an interesting and clear beginning, engaging and provocative content in the middle, and a clear conclusion. Our brain is programmed to forget everything it doesn’t perceive as vital and necessary for our survival. So even though our conscious knows the importance of reading and understanding the physics textbook to pass the next exam, our brain tells us that it’s boring, uninteresting and unimportant for our survival. However, our brain loves stories , perhaps because the stories told by the first humans able to talk were the first vehicles for transmitting the information necessary for our survival.

One of the most important criteria for a successful story is sincerity.  Don’t hesitate to talk about the mistakes that you or your company have made.

There are 4 steps when preparing the presentation:

• Brainstorming . Write down everything that comes to mind, without a computer, trying to take a step back and get an overview.
• Grouping and identifying the core message . It’s about identifying the only important and memorable idea from the point of view of the audience. Group together similar ideas while looking for a general theme.
• Creating the storyboard without a computer (optional step). Take the notes obtained in step 2 and put them on post-its. Another solution is to print empty slide pages – twelve per page – to be completed by hand.
• Storyboard creation in Slider Sorter view (PowerPoint)/ Late Table view (Keynote).

Storyboard creation in Light Table view

To learn how to master story creation in Slide Sorter mode, the author recommends the book, Microsoft PowerPoint: Beyond Bullet Points by Cliff Atkinson.

An important detail in creating a story and a storyboard is to be restrained and to not hesitate to cut out anything superfluous: always bring everything back to the central message .

Chapter 5: Simplicity – Why It Matters?

There is a fundamental misunderstanding about simplicity and what it means to be simple today. Simple is often confused with simplistic, which means neglecting and glossing over the difficulties, which ends up producing pure lies. Politicians are often guilty of oversimplification.

However, being simplistic and being simple have nothing in common. True simplicity is not the result of laziness or ignorance, it comes from an intelligent desire for clarity that gets to the essence of something , and it’s not easy to do. Here, simple is used as synonymous with clear, direct, subtle, essential and minimalist. It’s the Zen way of being simple.

An excellent way to understand the impact of simplicity in a presentation is to compare the presentations of Steve Jobs (Apple CEO) and Bill Gates (former CEO of Microsoft) when they present the products of their company. Often, the slides used by Steve Jobs contain, at most, one or two lines of text and especially an image that illustrates what he is saying . The slides used by Bill Gates are often modeled on PowerPoint’s default slides: filled with bullet lists, and therefore overused text. And when images are used, they are often complex and incomprehensible.

Compare for example this presentation of the iPhone by Steve Jobs:

Note in particular the simplicity of the slides used by Steve Jobs

And this presentation by Bill Gates about a new technology for Outlook:

The visuals used by Steve Jobs are an essential part of his presentation, but they don’t have a major impact to the detriment of the speaker . Jobs uses slides to tell a story and interacts with them in a natural way, rarely turning his back to the audience.

Therefore, simplicity is important, and provides more clarity, but it’s not easy or simple to get. The very notion of simplification lies in the idea of carefully eliminating the non-essential : when designing slides, keep in mind the concepts of 1) subtlety 2) grace and 3) understated elegance.

Thus, it’s important not to use garish colors, excessive gradations, tacky images, and not too many bullet points, colors and elements. Good designs start with a lot of empty space.  Think subtract rather than add .

The risk is that by trying to be simple we make it too simple. It is up to us to find the right balance for our particular situation.

Chapter 6 – Slide composition: principles and techniques

When Garr Reynolds arrived in Japan in the 1990s, he was surprised to find that Japanese businessmen often used the term “case by case” when discussing future events or strategy. At first it bothered him because he thought it was a hollow phrase, used especially as a cop-out. Today, he understands that it’s an expression of wisdom .

Thus, without a good knowledge of the place, the circumstances, the content and the context of a presentation, it’s difficult to judge whether something is appropriate or inappropriate, let alone whether it’s good or bad. There is no definite method for slide design because it is as much art as science .

Nonetheless, there are some essential principles, fundamental concepts shared by many of the simplest and most effective slides:

A common misconception about design is to believe that it’s something to add at the end, like decoration on a birthday cake. However, the design is not a graphic overlay, it’s something essential that comes in right from the start , and that is used to organize the information in order to clarify things. It is also a means of persuasion.

Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)

It’s the relationship between the relevant elements and the irrelevant elements in a slide. The more superfluous elements are in a slide (the noise), the more difficult it will be to perceive the core message (the signal).

Two slides illustrating 1) a signal-to-noise ratio in favor of the noise, on the left, and 2) a signal-to-noise ratio in favor of the signal, on the right. The left and right slides present the same information, but which one do you think the audience will more likely understand and remember?

In particular, it’s important to avoid as much as possible 3D graphics , which are often difficult to comprehend, to avoid having the logo of the company or the ubiquitous product on every page – having it on the first and last slide is enough (Do you start each sentence by stating your name?) – and again avoid overusing bullet points.

Picture superiority effect

Pictures are better remembered than the words: research shows that after a 30-second delay, their recall is much higher than it is for texts . Therefore, it’s important to use the picture superiority effect to improve the recognition and recall of important information. To achieve this, it’s necessary for the pictures to reinforce as much as possible the words and are part of the signal rather than noise .

To understand this, consider three examples of slides with the same information (72% of part-time workers in Japan are women):

Here, the clipart used, in addition to being overused, has nothing to do with the statistics presented. The background is a classic PowerPoint background – and it’s also overused – which reduces the visibility of the text.

Here it’s a little better, but the clipart used is cheap and the whole of it doesn’t provide a strong visual impact and doesn’t give it a very professional look.

Here we have a slide with a strong and professional visual impact that presents the information in a precise and powerful way.

Displaying quotations on a slide, unlike bullet points, has some effect. Quotes from a famous person or reference can help support your point.

Text within images

When using a quote, it is best to put it with an image . However, rather than putting a small picture with the quote below or above it, use an image as large as the slide in the background, and insert the quote in an empty space.

Empty space

The empty space, or negative space, is a concept of extreme simplicity but one of the most difficult to apply. When designing a document or a slide, most people succumb to the irresistible urge to fill in all the empty spaces.

But the empty space brings elegance and clarity, and a precise role: it gives the design air and lets the positive elements breath .

The four pillars:

Contrast means difference, and our brain, still programmed by genetics to be on the alert for predators in the Savannah, is designed to note the differences. So, when we enter a room, we notice its scent(if it is different from where we’re coming from), then we don’t smell it anymore. Visually, the contrast is what strikes the eye, and in our slides, the differences must be clear , not subtle.

First and foremost, we identify what is in contrast with the environment. Here, it’s the pink tree that catches our eyes first. However, it’s only one tree among a dozen others. If it had been a green tree that stood in the middle of a dozen pink trees, it would have been first noticed…

Photo by  alordelo

It’s possible to establish a contrast in many ways, by:

• The manipulation of space (near and far, empty and full)
• The choice of colors (dark and light, hot and cold)
• Text formatting (font with and without serif, bold and normal)
• The position of the elements (above and below, isolated or grouped)

The repetition of certain elements in a slide or series gives a clear impression of unity and consistency. The use of a template provided by a preparation software guarantees unity thanks to the presence of the same background and the same type but be careful not to overdo it and not to use templates that have been seen time and time again.

This principle means that nothing in a slide should look like random placement . Each element is connected to another via an invisible line. The repetition aims to create consistency in a set of slides, while the alignment aims to achieve unity among the elements of a single slide . So, when you place elements in a slide, try to align them with another element.

According to this principle, related elements must be grouped so that they appear as a set instead of independent elements. The audience easily identifies items close to each other as belonging to the same group.

And finally, do not forget:

The more visually striking the presentation is, the more people will remember it. And more importantly, they will remember you. – Paul Arden

Chapter 7: Examples of slides: images and text

Here are some examples of quality presentations, which are not necessarily perfect. And without context, it’s difficult to judge its impact in real life. What these presentations have in common is that they are simple and visually striking.

The Sustainable Food Lab by Chris Landry

Sustainable Food Lab

View more presentations from Chris Landry .

This presentation is used by Chris Landry to present his organization of which the goal is to preserve the food industry. It contains more text compared to the original in order to be comprehensible by itself.

Truemors by Guy Kawasaki

View more presentations from Guy Kawasaki .

This presentation was used by Guy Kawasaki to explain how, with just $ 12,107.09, he launched a user-run citizen journalism Web 2.0 website (of which the French equivalent is Agoravox ).

The Science Of Presentations by Kevin Gee

The Science Of Presentations

View more presentations from Kevin Gee .

A presentation clearly designed to be a support for a talk about the art of making good presentations…

Note: you can find many other presentations on Slideshare and see especially the most popular .

Be here now. Be someplace else later. Is that so complicated – David Bader

Chapter 8: A question of presence

If we try to maintain a conversation or conduct an interview with someone and the person doesn’t give us their full attention, it bothers us. Yet we are used to having presenters who are not fully engaged with their audience and subject. One of the most important things for a successful presentation is to be 100% present at that moment.

One of the most basic things Zen teaches is mindfulness . But our mind is often occupied by a thousand worries, distracted from the present by past or future problems. Meditation is an excellent remedy for this permanent distraction and allows us to realize that our actions and our judgments are in general only automatic responses resulting from an internal dialogue . Through it, we can be free to detach ourselves from such judgments. So instead of hating to do the dishes, we can do the dishes. When we’re writing a letter, we write it. And when we’re giving a presentation, we’re doing it for good.

Note: I have been practicing meditation since February following my reading and my review of The Art of Meditation and I agree wholeheartedly with the author’s view. Meditation allows, in a breathtaking way, to become aware of our inner dialogue and of the non-stop murmuring that our brain creates. And to become aware of it ultimately allows us to be less distracted by it, making it easier to focus on the present moment.

Charismatic presenter

The perfect example of the charismatic presenter with a presence on stage is Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple whose iPhone video above you have seen. He was a smooth communicator; his visuals were always striking and perfectly synchronized with what he would say. He would seamlessly scroll his own slides, without even a noticeable gesture. It all seemed so automatic and natural for him. But you would be wrong if you thought this talent came to him naturally and was due to his exceptional charisma.

When Steve was on stage, he was an artist, and like any artist, he perfected his form and technique through practice and experience . And as an artist who has practiced a lot, there was no thought of technique or of form, nor of success and failure when he was on stage. It sounds paradoxical, but as soon as we think of technique or success and failure, we have lost, just like a sword fighter can die at any second because of a distracting thought. To be present, we must be in a state of flow , being completely immersed in what we do, as Steve Jobs did.

Note: you can watch many other videos of Steve Jobs on the Apple website or on YouTube . You can even find old videos from the 80’s like the presentation of the Macintosh in 1984. At the time PowerPoint and video projectors did not exist.

This state of flow is due to having an empty mind, of “abandoning it without being abandoned”. You have to get rid of the obtruding ego consciousness but also, as Suzuki says “…as if nothing special was taking place at the moment.”

The best advice for presentations can come from unexpected sources, such as the following five principles:

• Observe carefully : carefully observe your situation,carefully observe others, and carefully observe your environment.
• Take the initiative in everything you undertake.
• Take all the elements into account, act decisively .
• Know when to stop .
• Stay in the middle .

These wise words that seem to be from a presentation book are actually Jigoro Kano’s five principles of judo. It’s easy to imagine how these precepts can be adapted to presentations.

Remember that the ideal is that you work seriously while not taking yourself too seriously. By acting in such a way, you will lighten up the others and put them at ease with your humor.

Chapter 9: Connecting with the audience

Consistent content with a logical flow is important, as we have seen; but it is also necessary to establish a connection with the audience. We have to appeal to both the logical and emotional side of the audience members.

The first principle is that if our subject deserves to be talked about; then we must put energy and passion into our presentation . Every situation is different, but there is never an excuse to be dull and tasteless. It is therefore useless to show restraint: if the subject fascinates us, we must show it .

In addition, it’s also important not to give too much away to the audience. In fact, it’s better to not say enough , in reasonable proportions, leaving the public eager to know more, than to give too much away, leaving the audience stuffed and feeling that they have had more than enough.

A common mistake in presentations is to turn off the lights as soon as the presentation starts. It may have been mandatory at a time when the power of video projectors was insufficient to display an image; other than in the dark, but this is no longer the case today. Keeping the lights on allows both the audience to see you and keep a connection with you; and it’s up to you to see the audience and measure their temperature by using the subtle reactions you hear.

Finally, eliminate all obstacles between you and the audience : avoid the use of a desk if possible; use a wireless microphone and a remote control for the slides to move seamlessly and freely (we still see all too often people who are forced to go back to their computers in order to scroll through their slides).

Book critique of “ Presentation Zen” by Garr Reynolds:

Pleasantly formatted and filled with images, this book contains a substantial amount of valuable content. In a simple way; by offering both easy-to-apply practical tips and theoretical concepts that will take time to be further developed; Garr Reynolds provides the perfect handbook for a successful presentation . The subject may seem narrowly focused, and it may be; but this book is an absolute must for anyone who is required to give presentations; frequently or occasionally, as it will help avoid the many pitfalls that emanate from 99% of presentations. Moreover, this book doesn’t at all focus on preparation software technology; but on the spirit of successful presentations , which somewhat protects it from the obsolescence that characterizes all books dealing with computer science.

As the author says, most presentations are so mediocre that the application of a few tips and principles will help you stand out. And in this way, even if you only apply a small part of the methods; tips and advice offered by this book, you are sure to do better than the average person .

In terms of its flaws, I sometimes found it to be somewhat superficial; not going far enough in the discussion or the topics covered. However, that is also what helps it to be accessible and to get to the point.

I do recommend it. Once you have delivered your first presentation and have had the opportunity to make an impression and to convey your message more effectively, you will realize that the small investment of this easy-to-read book was well worth it. A nice and practical book.

Strong points of the book Presentation Zen :

• Graphically pleasing.
• Easy to read and well-illustrated with picture examples.
• Contains both practical tips that are easy to apply and theoretical concepts to further develop.
• Articles by well-known personalities (Guy Kawasaki, Seth Godin, etc.).
• Focuses on the spirit of the presentation, not on PowerPoint or Keynote technology, which makes it rather timeless.

Weak points of the book Presentation Zen :

• A bit superficial at times.
• A somewhat narrowly focused subject.

Have you read “Presentation Zen”? How do you rate it?

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