Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
You can use a recurring image to signal to the audience where you are in the story. Here I introduce the six key
aptitudes outlined in Dan Pink's best-selling topic
A Whole New Mind
(Riverhead Trade, 2006) in one of the
first slides in the presentation. Although I use many slides in between, at the start of each section the original
six-aptitudes slide reappears with only the current topic highlighted to remind the audience where we are in the
journey.
You need unity so that your message comes out clear and strong, but you also need
variety in the design to add interest and grab attention. If the design has too much
variety, however, then even if certain items are repeated with an eye toward creating a
unified feel, the repetition effect will be lost in a sea of clutter. You have heard me say it
before, but in all things there must be balance.
Images in slides from
iStockphoto.com
.
Connecting the Elements
You can give visuals a unified, harmonious feel by making sure that all the elements on a
slide are visually connected to each other. Sometimes, this means connecting many
elements via an invisible or implied line. At other times, a particular element may align
with just one other element. You do not have to connect every element with something
else in the slide, but if an element is unconnected, the effect should be intentional and for
a good reason.
The disharmony produced by a poor connection of elements gives visuals an
unprofessional feel that impairs the natural flow of the eye through a design. Using even
a very simple grid (discussed later in this chapter) for your slide elements' arrangement
makes aligning objects easier for a more connected design.
Revisiting Gestalt theory again, the law of proximity says that “spatial or temporal
proximity of elements may induce the mind to perceive a collective or totality.” In other
words, people have a natural tendency to assume that elements that are physically close
to each other are related, and elements that are further apart are not. You can achieve
greater harmony and help your viewers understand your visuals by making sure related
items are clearly positioned close to each other. Grouping elements, then, allows the
viewer to simplify things based on their location. The closer the items are, the more likely
they are to be seen as related or together.
