Presentation/workshop about slide design, information design, typography and generating imagery. First presented at Latrobe University (July 2018). Workshop to help graduate students tackle the "Visualise your Thesis" competition (also helpful for students working on the 3 minute thesis competition).

1. WELCOME TO
Visualising Your Thesis

2. HELLO
my name is

3. HELLO
my name is
I AM A

4. ADVICE FOR VISUALIZING YOUR THESIS IN 60 SECONDS
Slide Design
Typography
Information Design
Imagery

5. Slide designed by Fabiola Gianotti for CERN

6. Slides are not a document
Text heavy slides are boring
(AND TAKE TOO LONG TO READ)

7. You only have 60 seconds so the
text needs to be a quick read

8. Visually “chunking” the information

9. Helps people read more easily

11. • Exposure to violence/abuse = significant risk factor for myriad
physiological, social and physical health consequences
• # of efficacious and effective treatments identified, with Trauma-
focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) currently evidencing
most empirical support
• Not all children’s families have ready access to these trauma-informed
evidence-based services

12. • Exposure to violence/abuse = significant risk factor for myriad
physiological, social and physical health consequences
• # of efficacious and effective treatments identified, with Trauma-
focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) currently evidencing
most empirical support
• Not all children’s families have ready access to these trauma-informed
evidence-based services

13. • Violence/abuse = significant risk factor with
health consequences
• Effective treatment: Trauma-focused Cognitive
Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
• Not all children’s families have access to
evidence-based services

14. • Violence/abuse = significant risk factor with
health consequences

15. • Violence/abuse = significant risk factor with
health consequences
• Effective treatment: Trauma-focused Cognitive
Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)

16. • Violence/abuse = significant risk factor with
health consequences
• Effective treatment: Trauma-focused Cognitive
Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
• Not all children’s families have access to
evidence-based services

17. SEQUENCING IS
GUIDING THE
VIEWERS EYES
WHERE YOU
WANT
THEM TO
GO

18. Hierarchy

19. BOTTOM
RIGHT
TOP
LEFT

20. top

21. big
top

22. big
bright
top

23. THE KEY TO KEEPING SLIDES SIMPLE
Mangage
Figure/Ground
Relationships

24. Jane Austen was an English novel-
ist whose works of romantic fiction,
set among the landed gentry, earned
her a place as one of the most widely
read writers in English literature.
GROUND =
BACKGROUND
(ALSO CALLED
NEGATIVE SPACE)
FIGURE = FOREGROUND

25. Signal to Noise Ratio

26. THE GUIDING PRINCIPLE
Maximize Signal Minimize Noise

27. Avoid complicated shapes behind text

28. Avoid strong colors in the background
Unless your type contrasts

29. Avoid bright colors on white
ESPECIALLY IF YOUR TYPE IS SMALL

30. Use less contrasty patterns like this one

31. If you have
to use one
then make
your type
bigger

32. Line stuff up and don’t mix alignments

34. Don’t sprinkle or put
something in each corner

36. Avoid panel-itis

41. WORKING WITH
Typography

42. TypefacesCommunicate

43. Serif or Sans Serif

44. Contrast between thick and thin strokes is hard to read

45. Minimal contrast is easier to read

47. AVOID THESE TYPEFACES
Gill Sans
Times New Roman
Futura
Papyrus
Comic Sans
Chancery Script
Eurostile
Copperplate

48. THESE FONTS ARE DESIGNED TO READ ON SCREEN
Georgia
Rockwell
Lucida
Verdana
Helvetica
Myriad

49. Do not compress or extend type
(YES, EVEN TO FIT STUFF ON THE SLIDE!)

50. Use weight for emphasis
rather than changing the typeface

51. Don’t use more than three
typeface changes
on one single SLIDE

52. Don’t use justified type
Especially in a box

53. CREATING AND WORKING WITH
Images

55. Images have ‘negative space’ too

56. Don’t distort images, especially faces.

57. This is not more interesting. It’s just messy.

58. Instead size images so they can be aligned

59. Slide designed by Fabiola Gianotti for CERN

60. LATCH
FIVE WAYS TO ORGANIZE INFORMATION

61. LOCATION
ALPHABETICAL
TIME
CATEGORY
HIERARCHY

69. Organize data by data flow or the story you want to tell

70. Organize data by data flow or the story you want to tell
Location / Distance/geography

71. Organize data by data flow or the story you want to tell
Location / Distance/geography
Alphabetical / Non-linear/miscellaneous information

72. Organize data by data flow or the story you want to tell
Location / Distance/geography
Alphabetical / Non-linear/miscellaneous information
Time / Sequence/change over time

73. Organize data by data flow or the story you want to tell
Location / Distance/geography
Alphabetical / Non-linear/miscellaneous information
Time / Sequence/change over time
Category / Similarity or relatedness

74. Organize data by data flow or the story you want to tell
Location / Distance/geography
Alphabetical / Non-linear/miscellaneous information
Time / Sequence/change over time
Category / Similarity or relatedness
Hierarchy / Common measure (highest to lowest)

76. Pick the Right Tool
Bar Charts / compare items

77. Pick the Right Tool
Bar Charts / compare items
Line Graphs / show trends over time

78. Pick the Right Tool
Bar Charts / compare items
Line Graphs / show trends over time
Pie Charts / emphasize proportions

79. Pick the Right Tool
Bar Charts / compare items
Line Graphs / show trends over time
Pie Charts / emphasize proportions
Flowcharts / show process and connectedness

80. LET’S TRY IT OUT
Make a graphic of “I will survive” using the LATCH method
First I was afraid
I was petrified
Kept thinking I could never live
without you by my side
But I spent so many nights
thinking how you did me wrong
I grew strong
I learned how to carry on
and so you’re back
from outer space
I just walked in to find you here
with that sad look upon your face
I should have changed my stupid lock
I should have made you leave your key
If I had known for just one second
you’d be back to bother me
Go on now go walk out the door
just turn around now
‘cause you’re not welcome anymore
weren’t you the one who tried to hurt me
with goodbye
you think I’d crumble
you think I’d lay down and die
Oh no, not I
I will survive
as long as I know how to love
I know I will stay alive
I’ve got all my life to live
I’ve got all my love to give
and I’ll survive
I will survive
It took all the strength I had
not to fall apart
kept trying hard to mend
the pieces of my broken heart
and I spent oh so many nights
just feeling sorry for myself
I used to cry
Now I hold my head up high
and you see me
somebody new
I’m not that chained up little person
still in love with you
and so you felt like dropping in
and just expect me to be free
now I’m saving all my loving
for someone who’s loving me

81. AFRAID/PETRIFIED
NIGHTS SPENT FEELING SORRY FOR MYSELF
GREWSTRONG
LEARNEDTOCARRYON
SURVIVED!
CRYING&MENDINGHEART

82. Designing your
information

84. Pie Charts
Don’t use an ellipse—it distorts the data
Don’t use busy patterns or 3D effect
Make sure colors are tonally contrasting

87. Line Graphs
Background and labels should not overwhelm the lines
Scale allows variation without exaggeration
Doesn’t always need increments

89. Bar Charts
Don’t always need a frame or increment marks
Differences of height should be discernible
Type should be in proportion to the data

91. Use dashes or ellipses for missing data
Tints help the eye read across or down
Use fonts with open counters and/or no serifs

94. 100
95
90
85
80
75
70
65
60
55
50
45
40
35
30
%
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
SKILL DEVELOPMENT
GOALS AND EXPECTATIONS
EXAMINATION
SUPERVISION
INFRASTRUCTURE
INTELLECTUAL CLIMATE
OVERALL SATISFACTION

99. Avoid Visual Clichés

107. Creative Thinking
=
Making New
Associations

108. It probably matters
that online design
teachers can’t
make this face

110. Any Questions?

111. Resources for Slide Design
Nancy Duarte’s book is called Slideology
www.duarte.com
Really Bad Powerpoint by Seth Godin can be found at:
sethgodin.com/freeprize/reallybad-1.pdf
Useful website: presentationzen.com
Typeface Research can be found here:
opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/
2012/08/08/hear-all-ye-people-hearken-o-earth/

112. CONTACT ME
WEBSITE ANITRALAND.COM
SLIDESHARE ANITRANOTTINGHAM
EMAIL ANITRA@ANITRALAND.COM
TWITTER / PINTEREST @ANITRANOT