Latest posts

Below are the most recent articles or resources I’ve published. If you are looking for help on a specific topics, it would best to look at the topics in my Articles archive as I have grouped my recent and best articles by topic there.

  • Free Pre-Made Diagrams; Issue #317 August 5, 2014

    Where do you turn when you want to use a diagram to show a sequence relationship or a relationship between entities (two of the six categories of messages in my book Select Effective Visuals)? Microsoft will tell you to use SmartArt. I suggest you don’t use SmartArt. It is inflexible, hard to edit, hard to customize,…… Continue reading

  • Review of a Data Viz Checklist; Issue #316 July 22, 2014

    In the last six to nine months I have been paying more attention to the world of data visualization. This is the practice of showing data in a visual way that clearly communicates the message. This is important to presenters of financial, operational, and technical information. I have found this industry a good source of ideas…… Continue reading

  • When you should use a dual-axis graph; Issue #315 July 8, 2014

    It is not uncommon to see a graph with two axes. But it is rare that the graph makes information easier to understand for the audience. It usually confuses the audience and obscures any message the presenter was trying to deliver. In this article I want to explain why dual-axis graphs are usually confusing and…… Continue reading

  • Comparing groups broken into segments; Slide Makeover #79

    Use a stacked bar chart instead of two pie charts for comparing groups broken down into segments Continue reading

  • Don’t start by copying previous slides; Issue #314 June 24, 2014

    Participants in my workshops confirm it every time I ask. The most common way professionals start preparing their presentation is to copy slides from previous files. The presenter picks all the slides they think might be useful in this presentation. This is a big mistake that causes many presentations to be not nearly as effective…… Continue reading

  • Converting written content to a SlideShare deck

    As a professional who is using written content to market your products or services, you probably have many articles, special reports, and white papers. How can you take the content you have already created and convert it to take advantage of the SlideShare platform? Do you need to hire a designer? No. You can do…… Continue reading

  • Sources for Free Images; Issue #313 June 10, 2014

    Photos are one of the types of visuals that many presenters include in their presentations. There are photos that are specific to our organization, like product photos, photos of our staff, screen captures of an internal system, and photos of our locations or facilities. We use these photos to illustrate a point we want to…… Continue reading

  • Universal Indicators; Issue #312 May 27, 2014

    Next week I am presenting a workshop to accountants in Vancouver. One of the points I will be making is that when you show a number that indicates the difference between a measured figure and a standard, you need to use an indicator so the audience knows whether this is a good number or not.…… Continue reading

  • The Globe and Mail May 26, 2014

    Dave’s article on starting your presentation with a hook that shows the audience why they need to pay attention was cited by The Globe and Mail Report on Business in this article. Continue reading

  • What presenters can learn from how TV shows start; Issue #311 May 13, 2014

    When you watch a TV show these days, whether it is a half-hour sitcom or a one hour drama, how does it start? Why is that relevant to presenters? That’s what this article is all about. The change in TV shows In the past, TV shows started with a listing of the credits (actors, directors,…… Continue reading