Presentation alters a viewers or audiences’ perception by HOW the information gathered is conveyed, as opposed to just conveying the matter itself. This effectively allows complex messages to be received by a greater audience through using various techniques, be they through a physical or virtual realm. For the sake of this explanation, and ease for the user, only digital examples will be made (how does that fare as a stab at presentation!?).
An example of effective presentation, is to appeal to a person’s understanding of what they already know, and elaborate on that one thing. If we were to understand the scale of size between say, the Earth and the Sun, we could easily say, the Sun is 1.3 million times the Earth’s volume, but do we really understand in that?
Yes, the Earth is big, and the sun is indeed larger. So by saying the Sun is 1.3 million times bigger than the Earth, all we gather is, THE SUN IS REALLY BIG. But what about when the comparison gets more complicated, like comparing the scale of the Sun to a star such as Betelguese (approximately one billion times the size of the Sun)? It goes beyond our sensory perception, as whilst we understand it is big, we are only comparing this bigness in a relative manner.
(Open this link in a new tab, watch, and then continue reading).
http://esokiasarts2090.tumblr.com/post/22579279250/a-little-perception-show-to-give-you-a-little-idea
A presentation such as this, showing a comparative 3D scale of each planet in our Solar System, and stars in neighbouring solar systems, aids in giving us a better understanding than simply saying 1,000,000,000 times bigger than the thing which was already 1,000,000 bigger than the Earth.
Similarly, presentation can be used to express something largely unseen, or perhaps, unnoticed. The understanding and mutual global acceptance that we’ve become a technocentric world (the Western and some developing worlds, anyway) is nothing new. However, visualise this with a 3D contextualisation of our interconnectivity, and a shocking new level of perception is founded, as the following diagrams of Canadian anthropologist Felix Pharand show:
Air traffic routes across North America and Europe - showing the ‘hubs’ that connect the world, such as London’s Heathrow, JFK in New York and Frankfurt.
Air traffic routes over Eurasia - just one of the technologies Felix Pharand Deschenes has mapped over a night-time view of our planet
Global map showing major road and rail networks over land, along with transmission line and underwater cable data superimposed over satellite images of cities illuminated at night.
The three satellite graphically contextualised images and quotes are sourced from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2051314/The-incredible-diagrams-human-technology-taken-surface-planet.html
As expressed above, whilst it is simple to say: X-amount of planes fly between Europe and America over a span of Y amount of days, by presenting this information is a visually stimulating manner, the same message is reached, on a more intense level.
I hope my small presentation has made you further understand how presentation is vital in achieving an better rounded perception of the world around. Using technology is an added bonus!
‘til next time.
I had initially created a video blog, however due to technical difficulties, I’ll have to just type up an altered version of the manuscript and upload the video at a later date.
Image source: http://media8.connectedsocialmedia.com/07/PID_013684/Podtech_Joe_Rorke_interview.jpg
As their name suggests, Visual Media Forms are modes of media expressed in a manner that sparks a creative nerve. They give an insightful and succinct portrayal of information. Ranging from still images, to films, 3D models, graphs, charts and so on; they allow the viewer to visualise what was once too broad, or perhaps to complicated to understand with mere figures.
Visual media forms appeal to people’s emotions in the simplest way. They strike our emotions; play on our feelings and reservations. Striking images are more likely to be retained, as opposed to a lengthy report that delivers the same information.
By conveying information in a clever, and simplistic manner, one can convey even the most obtuse of topics, cleverly.
Image source: http://www.metro.co.uk/news/147937-struggling-polar-bears-put-on-endangered-list
As an example, the movement to save polar bears from extinction has proved most successful with the image of the polar bear struggling to stay sitting on a progressively melting ice-burg.
The message pertained in this image is clear and simple: the bear is in a precarious situation. With one look the image cries: ‘This creature needs our help’. Similarly, this image arouses certain emotions of sympathy, and a nurturing resolve to help the polar bear in its predicament. The oddity of the image is also effective in that it remains in people’s minds. For how often does one see a polar bear, let alone a polar bear balancing on a small iceberg?
Similar can be said for statistical data. Whilst it might not prey on emotions like the polar bear does, by using vast comparisons, statistical data, conveyed in graphs can prove effective.
Image source:http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/climate-change-deniers-vs-the-consensus/
Alongside still images is the power of the audio-visual film. If behind every picture lies a thousand words, then behind a film lies a labyrinth of knowledge. More powerfully gripping people’s emotions, with a synthesis of image and sound, film can convey messages in the most effective ways. Whilst static graphs and images can convey and allow one to ‘visualise’ certain progressions of events, film allows a real-time element. It is engaging in that it can both educate and entertain.
Image source: http://www.dchillier.com/expoextra/czech_media_show.jpg
Overall, Visual Media Forms create an engaging and interactive realm for the viewer. These modes effectively provide a field of visualisation to many dull and dreary concepts.
