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,…
Tag: 2014
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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,…
Diverging Stacked Bar Charts; Issue #310 April 29, 2014
When I first heard the name of this visual, diverging stacked bar chart, it seemed complex. As I learned more about it, I realized how valuable it is to know about this type of visual in business presentations. In this article I want to show you what this visual is and how you can use…
Creating slides that print well in B&W; Issue #309 April 15, 2014
One of the participants at last Thursday’s workshop asked how the colorful charts and visuals I was showing would work when printed in grayscale on a black and white laser printer. For those who usually present with printed slides instead of projecting them on a screen, this is a real concern. Here is the issue…
Waterfall Graphs; Issue #308 April 1, 2014
One of the examples you see in this video on what people will learn in my workshops on presenting financial and operational data to executives, is a waterfall graph being used to show the components of the change between a starting value and an ending value. After I showed an example of a waterfall graph…