Digital Story Telling: Week Three

Week Three of Digital Storytelling has been stretched-out over a 3 week break and provided a chance for me to reflect upon past presentations. Am I designing presentations with my audience in mind? How truly effective were they? I discovered that the technological features of my slideware need to be reigned-in so that my focus is on getting my message across to my audience as clearly as possible. It's OK, actually better, if slides are less busy and free of noise. By eliminating bullet points, background images and tiny product logos on every slide I amplify my message through simplification.

I must resist the urge to fill-in the empty spaces with 'stuff' and let a tract of empty background contrast a single image and/or text. Instead, I need to spend more time doing offline thinking about my main ideas and presentation design a particular audience. The goal is not to have slideware that I talk about, rather I am presenting ideas and the slideware provides a reinforcing backdrop which promote acquisition of ideas in the audience's mind.

I wrapped-up my 28 day Photo Blog on my Posterous site. I really enjoyed posting daily photos and looking at what my cohorts were doing as well. I linked my daily photos to my Facebook page and had wonderful feedback from my FB friends. I was amazed at the pictures my cohorts came-up with and in turn inspired me to see things differently. But Posterous was not the end of for pictures as I used them to create a 30 second Animoto video. I uploaded photos and a video clip which were combined with a lively jazz soundtrack to create this video about spring storms in Wisconsin. I revised it a few times until it felt just right. Take a look and leave a comment about it if you like!

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Digital Storytelling is really storytelling with audio and video support. To create a really good digital story or presentation one needs to plan first and then execute the plan. A common theme between DigiTales and Presentation Zen is thinking through what you want to tell or say and then designing the elements which support and further the message for an audience. Sounds simple? It isn't! We have so much technology at our fingertips in terms of video editing and slideware software that it can be too tempting to just jump right-in and start being creative. I do this all the time and, if I'm lucky, I pull myself back before I am bogged down in bullet points, font colors and jamming text into a slide.

On that last point, I am in the process of revamping an older presentation I made on ADDIE to my former coworkers at Pharmacy OneSource. My challenge is to embrace and apply the design principles found in chapter 6 of Presentation Zen and create a brand new presentation with a handout. Can I resist the urge to clutter my screen? This is a tough assignment for me as I am trying to un-do 20 years' worth of behavior. I have been thinking about this for 2.5 weeks now and it is hard - but worth doing if I am to create truly effective presentations in the future. One assignment will not fix me, it is going to take practice and reflection to become better.

Finally, I am looking forward to the challenge of using the Pecha Kucha approach to presentations. What is the challenge? Well you have to use no more than 20 slides and have only 20 seconds on each slide. I don't think I can get away with drinking 6 shots of espresso and talking like a sports broadcaster calling a Funny Car race. "Sunday! Sunday! Nitrous-powered Funny Cars at US 30 Drag strip. Be There! Be There!". Ahem, sorry about that. Couldn't resist. Well, Pecha Kucha will require me to distill and focus my presentation into key elements that can still interest my audience.

If you've read this far in the blog then you know I am wordy. I admire those that can express their ideas in short, tailored measures. Presentation Zen doesn't just apply to presentations - it should be considered when writing as well.