Presentation Design Methodology: Understanding Complex Concepts

This article explores how we understand complex ideas, focusing on two main ways: creating new knowledge or adopting others' ideas. It discusses the importance of presenting complex topics clearly, especially in presentations.

How do you know when you understand something?

I've been exploring the topic of understanding for some time now —particularly, the understanding of complex concepts. What influences understanding, what facilitates it? What occurs in our brain at the exact moment of understanding?

And it's not just about those a-ha moments, but also about everyday understanding. You speak, and I understand what you're saying.

On the surface, it seems we can put understanding into one of two groups:

1) You essentially generate new knowledge within your brain (new to you, at least), based on the incoming signals/data.

2) You internalize someone else’s knowledge, also based on the incoming signals/data.

The latter seems closer to "belief" rather than understanding, but from a subjective standpoint, these two (generation vs. internalization) can feel quite similar, right?

Creating PowerPoints for Complex Topics

When you’re about to give a presentation on a sophisticated idea, it’s crucial to understand how you can facilitate the understanding of this presentation by investors.

Here are a few books (classics and modern classics), that help a lot to educate yourself around that topic.

‍

- 1 -
"Thinking and Deciding" by Jonathan Baron:

This book delves into how we think, decide, and reason, including how we come to understand or misunderstand information. Baron explores the psychological processes behind decision-making and judgment, offering insights into how understanding is formed or impeded.
- 2 -
"The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature" by Steven Pinker

Pinker's book is a fascinating exploration of how language shapes our understanding of the world. It addresses how our use of words reflects our understanding and how language can both clarify and confuse our perception of reality.
- 3 -
"The Silent Language" by Edward T. Hall

Hall's classic work on intercultural communication explores how people from different cultures communicate and often misunderstand each other. It's a foundational text in understanding nonverbal communication and the unspoken elements that influence understanding.
- 4 -
"Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid" by Douglas Hofstadter

This Pulitzer Prize-winning book discusses concepts of consciousness, self-reference, and formal rules, weaving an intricate narrative through the works of Gödel, Escher, and Bach. It's a deep dive into how minds emerge from mechanical systems.
- 5 -
"On Intelligence" by Jeff Hawkins with Sandra Blakeslee

This book explores the theory of how the brain works, particularly focusing on the neocortex and its role in memory, perception, and cognition. It’s a more recent addition to the literature but offers a unique perspective on understanding.

‍

To further explore this topic and enhance your presentation skills, consider reading related blog posts on PrzntPerfect:

Navigating B2B Startup Challenges:
When and Who to Hire for Your PowerPoint Presentations discusses the critical timing and selection process for delegating presentation design tasks in specialized sectors like biotech and fintech.

Biotech Market Trends 2024:
Tailoring Your Pitch Deck to Current Industry Dynamics offers insights into the evolving biotech industry and how to align your pitch deck with the latest trends to attract investment.
Mastering the Biotech Pitch Deck:
Insights from NextGen Bio's Top Startups of 2023 provides a closer look at the strategies of leading biotech startups, emphasizing the importance of understanding pitch deck strategies for emerging entrepreneurs.

‍

#presentationdesign #understanding #pitchdecks

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We offer free 30-min consultation on the presentation design audit

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"I understand" goes a step further into the cognitive dance of persuasion. It's where the audience begins to see the connections between the facts, to grasp the nuances of the problem and the elegance of the solution.

This is some text inside of a div block.
lay out the facts clearly and compellingly. Use data to establish the ground reality, but remember that facts alone are like the individual strands of a tapestry—necessary but not complete.
lay out the facts clearly and compellingly. Use data to establish the ground reality, but remember that facts alone are like the individual strands of a tapestry—necessary but not complete.
This is some text inside of a div block.
lay out the facts clearly and compellingly. Use data to establish the ground reality, but remember that facts alone are like the individual strands of a tapestry—necessary but not complete.

We offer free 30-min consultation on the presentation design audit

and hiring the right visual  comms professional, let’s talk!

Shedule a call

- 1 -
Consistency at Scale:

Biotech Market Trends 2024: Tailoring Your Pitch Deck to Current Industry Dynamics.
- 2 -
Efficiency and Speed:

The traditional process of manually updating presentations is not only slow but also prone to bottlenecks, especially when dealing with large volumes of slides. Automation dramatically accelerates this process, enabling designers to apply changes across hundreds of slides in the time it would take to manually update a single one. This efficiency is a game-changer for agencies working under tight deadlines or managing multiple projects simultaneously.
- 3 -
Enhanced Creativity:

With the burden of manual updates lifted, designers can allocate more time and energy to the creative aspects of presentation design. This freedom allows for deeper exploration of innovative design concepts, experimentation with new visual storytelling techniques, and the development of more engaging and interactive presentations. Automation doesn't stifle creativity; it amplifies it, enabling designers to push the boundaries of what's possible in corporate presentation design.
- 4 -
Error Reduction:

Manual updates are inherently prone to inconsistencies and mistakes, from misaligned logos to incorrect font sizes. These errors can detract from the professionalism of a presentation and, by extension, the corporate image. Automation minimizes these risks by ensuring that updates are applied uniformly and accurately across all slides, enhancing the overall quality and integrity of the presentation.
- 5 -
Cost-Effectiveness:

The time savings afforded by automation directly translate to cost savings for both the design agency and its clients. By reducing the hours spent on manual updates, agencies can optimize their workflows and resources, allowing them to take on more projects without compromising on quality. This efficiency can also make high-quality presentation design services more affordable and accessible to a broader range of businesses.

Presentation Design Methodology: Understanding Complex Concepts

How do you know when you understand something?

And it's not just about those a-ha moments, but also about everyday understanding. You speak, and I understand what you're saying.

On the surface, it seems we can put understanding into one of two groups:

1) You essentially generate new knowledge within your brain (new to you, at least), based on the incoming signals/data.

2) You internalize someone else’s knowledge, also based on the incoming signals/data.

The latter seems closer to "belief" rather than understanding, but from a subjective standpoint, these two (generation vs. internalization) can feel quite similar, right?

Creating PowerPoints for Complex Topics

When you’re about to give a presentation on a sophisticated idea, it’s crucial to understand how you can facilitate the understanding of this presentation by investors.

Here are a few books (classics and modern classics), that help a lot to educate yourself around that topic.

‍

- 1 -
"Thinking and Deciding" by Jonathan Baron:

This book delves into how we think, decide, and reason, including how we come to understand or misunderstand information. Baron explores the psychological processes behind decision-making and judgment, offering insights into how understanding is formed or impeded.
- 2 -
"The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature" by Steven Pinker

Pinker's book is a fascinating exploration of how language shapes our understanding of the world. It addresses how our use of words reflects our understanding and how language can both clarify and confuse our perception of reality.
- 3 -
"The Silent Language" by Edward T. Hall

Hall's classic work on intercultural communication explores how people from different cultures communicate and often misunderstand each other. It's a foundational text in understanding nonverbal communication and the unspoken elements that influence understanding.
- 4 -
"Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid" by Douglas Hofstadter

This Pulitzer Prize-winning book discusses concepts of consciousness, self-reference, and formal rules, weaving an intricate narrative through the works of Gödel, Escher, and Bach. It's a deep dive into how minds emerge from mechanical systems.
- 5 -
"On Intelligence" by Jeff Hawkins with Sandra Blakeslee

This book explores the theory of how the brain works, particularly focusing on the neocortex and its role in memory, perception, and cognition. It’s a more recent addition to the literature but offers a unique perspective on understanding.

‍

To further explore this topic and enhance your presentation skills, consider reading related blog posts on PrzntPerfect:

Navigating B2B Startup Challenges:
When and Who to Hire for Your PowerPoint Presentations discusses the critical timing and selection process for delegating presentation design tasks in specialized sectors like biotech and fintech.

Biotech Market Trends 2024:
Tailoring Your Pitch Deck to Current Industry Dynamics offers insights into the evolving biotech industry and how to align your pitch deck with the latest trends to attract investment.
Mastering the Biotech Pitch Deck:
Insights from NextGen Bio's Top Startups of 2023 provides a closer look at the strategies of leading biotech startups, emphasizing the importance of understanding pitch deck strategies for emerging entrepreneurs.

‍

#presentationdesign #understanding #pitchdecks

News & Updates...

Have you ever wondered why, despite advancements in technology, updating corporate presentations still feels like a Herculean task? What if there was a way to change that narrative? In the bustling world of corporate communication, where every slide and every image carries the weight of brand identity, the introduction of PowerPoint automation feels like wielding a magic wand. This transformative tool is not just about efficiency; it's about redefining the creative process for corporate presentation design agencies.

Imagine this: Your company just rolled out a sleek, new corporate PowerPoint template. It's modern, it's fresh, and it's exactly what you needed to revamp your brand's image. There's just one problem – migrating your vast library of existing presentations into this new template feels like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. If you're staring down this daunting task, wondering how to avoid turning it into a full-blown nightmare, you're not alone.

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