Currently I find myself getting ready for a number of presentations. I have to present at work, to train clients, and maybe even a presentation at Drupal Camp Connecticut…

I watched the DVD while on the way to Prince Edward Island in Canada. What a good use of time, huh?

For this reason I have become interested in Garr Reynolds and his books. He has written Presentation Zen and Zen Slide Design, books that teach presentation techniques from a Zen approach (Reynolds lives in Japan and seems to be really into the Zen arts). Recently I watched his video Presentation Zen, and the following is what I got out of it.

The Principles of Presentation Zen

These are the three ideas Garr stresses in the video: restraint, simplicity, and naturalness. Think about it, they all make sense.

Use restraint in choosing what goes into your presentation- is it supporting your core message, or is it unnecessary fluff that you can trim away?

Design simply. This does not mean dumb down your presentation, but rather think about how to trim off distractions and concentrate on what you are trying to contribute to your audience. When designing a slide, ask not what you can add, but what you can eliminate. (Less is more!) Garr mentions the idea of amplification through simplification.

Naturalness is something everyone values in a presenter. If a presenter is up there speaking like a wound-up tickle-me Elmo doll, you will not appreciate her presentation. It will sound contrived and artificial. That is why you need to make sure you preserve a level of naturalness when you present. It will help your audience connect with you.

Take Home Messages

At the start of the video, Garr points out the dichotomy between a visual and a document, making us wonder where does the slideshow lie? A slideshow cannot be purely a document but it also just can't be photos. If you need to, use a handout to put extra text and data somewhere, but not in your slideshow.

Garr really encourages getting off the computer in order to do the basic planning phases to figure out what your message is and how you're going to tell your story. I find in my own work, especially at school when I need to plan complex essays, I turn to the paper and pencil to just figure out exactly what it is I want to say. (This usually happens after an exasperated fit from spending way too much time staring blankly at the screen pondering the clarity of my thesis). It is no different with storyboarding your slideshow.

The Value of Presentation Zen

I really liked this video. I think that if you can create presentations with this frame of mind, you will get your point across better and create slide decks that people will be more interested in downloading, even if they weren't at your presentation. I look forward to reading Garr's books. He also maintains a blog.