So I was happy to get a tip from Thorsten Happel in Germany about this cool remix below called Typefaces Give Us Signals. Watch it below or on Vimeo. Typefaces give us signals from erik spiekermann on Vimeo . Typomania Below is the original video made for the BBC nearly 25 years ago from which the audio clips from  Eric Spiekermann  were remixed to create something more appropriate for our time. I'm a big fan of  Eric Spiekermann (see this older post on Helvetica ). Although elementary, the video below is still good stuff even

"What would you like to see in PowerPoint design in 2009?" That's what Olivia Mitchell, who writes the fantastic Speaking About Presenting blog, asked me last month. She asked us to write one post on this topic. Many have already posted replies at their blogs. (Olivia Lots of great ideas!) My PowerPoint design wishes for 2009? The look and feel of social media techniques will transition Now, Olivia didn't ask just me: she also acted as community organizer, posing the question to a plethora of presentation bloggers. Olivia promises to organize these posts

THERE'S AN INTERESTING TOPIC being bandied about by some of us presentation blogger types that you might find valuable. The theme is "What would you like to see in PowerPoint slide design in 2009?" And Garr Reynolds and Nancy Duarte (among others) have given us outstanding examples of how to improve the effectiveness of our visual communications.         So we've probably covered the range of PowerPoint slides from a design standpoint — unless we all The idea was sparked by Olivia Mitchell (I'll give you the back story in a minute) and I couldn't resist the invitation to join the discussion.         My short answer is . . . "Nothing." 

TALK ABOUT A TOUGH CROWD! If you think it's hard keeping adults engaged, try standing in front of a class of 12 year-olds. And to discuss effective presentations? The only thing many of them were interested in (at least regarding PowerPoint) was how to do fancy transitions and flaming bullet points.

But what does that mean PowerPoint slides should look like in 2009? So where does that leave us? say if you must use PowerPoint, in 2009, use it to further the discussion with your audience. In that scenario, speakers in 2009 could use PowerPoint to: Ask questions of the audience: Instead of loading your slides with bullets or pictures, try posing relevant--and thorny--questions about your issue. Olivia Mitchell of the Speaking About Presenting blog sent me this provocative post by Laura Bergells on the Maniactive blog: It notes the backlash against bullet-filled PowerPoint slides, which led to simple art-filled slides.

Their answers are anonymous unless you upgrade to a paid version (the lowest price point for personal use is US$15 a month). One of their paid plans (US$65 a month) also allows you to moderate tweets before they’re displayed. But it comes with a price, plans start at US$80 a month. (Note: Presenting while people are tweeting is challenging – but also adds a new dimension to the presentation experience for your audience. Gradually tools are being developed to make it easier for you as the presenter to manage the backchannel.

Exposing ourselves to traditional Japanese aesthetic ideas — notions that may seem quite foreign to most of us — is a good exercise in lateral thinking, a term coined by Edward de Bono in 1967. "Lateral The principles of Zen aesthetics found in the art of the traditional Japanese garden, for example, have many lessons for us, though they are unknown to most people. Reminds Lateral Thinking is for changing concepts and perception," says de Bono. Beginning to think about design by exploring the tenets of the Zen aesthetic may not be an example of Lateral Thinking in the strict sense,

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believe there is. Below are 10 things (plus a bonus tip) that I have learned over the years from designers, things that designers do or know that the rest of us can benefit from. The goal of this activity is to get people thinking about  thinking about design, something most of us never do (it also gets people in the audience talking, loosening up a bit; always a good thing). Start Most people do not really think about design and designers, let alone think of themselves as designers. But what, if anything, can regular people — teachers, students, business people of all

20 tips for better conference speaking ~ 16 February 2009 ~ View from on stage as I’m preparing to speak at An Event Apart New Orleans 2008. Genuinely recommended by Authentic Boredom. 1 Jason Zimdars ~ 16 February 2009 Great post. On a pure gut level, I thought Jeffrey Kalmikoff’s recent post on the topic was pretty interesting, too. [link] I’ll be straight up with you: I don’t profess to be an expert speaker. I’ve had my share of presentations that have been total flops, along with some