Thanks to a tweet from fellow presentation designer and visual communicator Tony Ramos, I came across this impressive TEDx talk by John Bohannon, biologist and journalist, entitled, “Dance vs PowerPoint: A Modest Proposal.” Just hearing the title, I was intrigued. I’m no stranger to the numerous arguments against PowerPoint, but I’d never heard of dance as an alternative. Take 11 minutes out of your day to watch this video and I’ll give you my thoughts after the jump.
I’m not sure how you saw it, but it seemed his presentation was divided into two distinct parts, so I’ll cover each of them separately. The first half focused on the explanation of a complex scientific theory that most people (including myself) would find difficult to understand had John explained it one-on-one over a cup of coffee. John used dancers not to reiterate but to illustrate the concepts he was conveying. It was incredible. There were no words or text to compete with his information. The audience didn’t even have to focus on John. They could simply listen to him while watching the dancers visually communicate with them. He did an incredible job of utilizing a unique visual aid to complement his presentation. Well done.
The second half delivered his proposal of utilizing dance as an alternative to PowerPoint. John discussed the dangers of PowerPoint as a tool and the negative effects it has on our global economy. Said Bohannon,
Powerpoint is a tool, and like any tool it can and will be abused. It helps you to soften up your audience. It distracts them with pretty pictures [and] irrelevant data. It allows you to create the illusion of competence, the illusion of simplicity, and most destructively, the illusion of understanding.
I won’t argue with that point. However, I want to make sure we’re clear. While PowerPoint is a tool which, when abused, can be very destructive, it can also be, when used correctly, an extremely powerful visual communications device. The problem we’re faced with, however, is that PowerPoint is far more often used incorrectly or even abused as a presenter’s crutch instead of a visual backdrop. But that’s why I’m here. That’s why people like Nancy Duarte, Garr Reynolds, and Rick Altman exist—to show the world that there is a better way to utilize PowerPoint. And while those startling figures of wasted money and time are not far from accurate, we can change the presentation landscape for the better.
That said, I LOVE the idea of using dancers to convey your message. I can’t imagine that it’s easy, convenient, or fast, but the best presentations never are.
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