"If you put it that way"

To exploit Prezi's potential and build great presentations, we need to think about our perception of SPACE

(you can draw the dots on paper, or just try it on the screen using your finger as imaginary pen)

zooming IN

think of an upcoming presentation, and write down the MAIN thing you want your audience to know, feel or -better yet- do after you are done.

(note: this Prezi was adapted from the one used at a live talk at a meetup at Prezi's office on April 19, 2012 - the original one had way less text... and me engaging with the audience :)

setting the stage for an experience

Step 2

brainstorm metaphors for that main idea

And that can be daunting

So as you start exploring this new territory...

Practically infinite!

Image by Yuki Yaginuma (Flickr, Creative Commons license)

what if

instead of thinking about...

With Prezi, you start with a big blank canvas...

Step 3:

look up images using the metaphor you came up with as a keyword

giving a presentation

present (v.) c.1300

from Latin praesentare,

"to place before, show, exhibit"

Relax!

now you can use that image as a 'big picture' frame for your Prezi :)

(yes, like I'm doing right now)

we still use it as we would...

Even when using a breakthrough innovation such as...

• any

• other

• presentation

• tool

...because our mind is clinging to an old metaphor: SLIDES

and we are stuck in a linear mode

Violent Crime is a Beast Preying on Our City

Violent Crime is a Virus Infecting Our City

When people are asked what to do about crime, their answer is affected by the language used: those who are told crime is a BEAST favor tougher police and incarceration practices; those who are told crime is a VIRUS favor social reform measures.

from Prof. Lera Boroditsky's research

(Stanford Psychology Dept.)

http://news.stanford.edu/news/2011/february/metaphors-crime-study-022311.html

In all areas of our lives, the metaphors we hear and use affect what we do (most of the times, unconsciously).

And this is true of teaching and giving talks...

You'll soon find your (Prezi) way

you thought about...

For an alternative approach (using templates), check out this video tutorial by the Prezi folks:

Step 1

We need to zoom in and out in our minds, before we do it on the canvas

Solutions reproduced from "Conceptual Blockbusting" by Prof. Jim Adams

zooming OUT

You may have come up with this solution... and in fact this problem is where the phrase "thinking outside the box" came from

1

4

1

3

2

However, my point is that this is not THE solution, but one of many... Yet we often stop once we find the first right answer to a given problem.

1

4

1

3

2

We fail to see the OTHER dimensions (boxes) we need to break free from...

experiment

(to jumpstart setting up YOUR stage)

Solve this problem:

an

Connect the above 9 dots with a maximum of 4 straight lines, without lifting the pen from the paper.

Time's up!

try

Let's

Leticia Britos Cavagnaro

http://dschool.stanford.edu

http://universityinnovationfellows.org

If you put it that way...

Thanks!

background photo by Flabber DeGasky (CC)