In Edward Tufte’s article “Powerpoint is Evil” I found this sentence most interesting:
“Audience boredom is usually a content failure, not a decoration failure.”
With this point Tufte is trying to say that if your audience is bored with your presentation of some sort of information it is because the information is irrelevant, of poor quality or lacks integrity not because your presentation is not formatted correctly. I disagree with this statement entirely and believe that presentation plays an equal role in making something interesting to an audience. If you take valuable content, write it into a formal speech and simply read it to an audience, it makes it hard for the listeners to access and absorb the information because they are only required to use one sense, hearing. In this case, it is harder for the audience to keep their focus because they can be distracted by their four other senses and simply ignore the information being brought to their ears. If however, you pair a speech with a visual presentation, not only are you able to exemplify your main points with ease but also you are now requiring your audience to use two senses, hearing and sight, which will keep their attention longer. As a result, it is important to combine both content and presentation so that they work together in conveying a message.
Another point is that even the most mundane and dull content can become interesting depending on its presentation and presenter. I’m sure almost everyone has had the experience where they are forced to take a class in school that does not interest them at all and they expect to hate the class. But once they meet the teacher and listen to the lectures, it soon becomes their favorite class. This proves that the way information is presented, preferable in a dynamic and stimulating way with the use of visual tools and enthusiasm, effects how the receiver responds to the information. We may prefer to think sometimes that as intellectual human beings we are beyond our senses but truth be told, we still respond to flashy colors, movement and loud sounds. In addition, especially with the younger generations, our attention spans are short and we usually need constant reminders to keep our minds from wandering. In effect, presentation may not be everything but it certainly is something.
Leave a Comment