Apply Cognitive Science and Tell a Story

Cognitive science is making strides each day, and some of that work can inform how we reinvent slide design. Despite the overwhelming evidence from cognitive science, and despite wretched experiences as audience members, we still find speakers loathe to lose their bullets. At whatever stage one finds himself in the process of implementing change in his presentations, he needs to continue the analysis of his audience to make the process of improving communication practices easier. Knowing our audiences, the contexts for the presentation, and the messages we need to communicate is the best way to ensure that we do not burden audiences with high intrinsic or extraneous loads. Speakers should try to craft a coherent, cohesive visual story that will engage the audience's thinking and problem-solving abilities. Stories can be organized in many ways, and several short ideas have been included in this chapter for the readers to experiment with.