Presentation Zen

Presentation Zen
June 18, 2010
Appearances in London & Paris in June 23-25
After a few days in Zurich, I will be in London most of next week and then moving on to Paris for a presentation there on Friday. Most of the business is in private companies, but there are three public events — two in London and one in Paris. I hope you'll be able to attend one of these events in England or France.
London
• June 23:Apple Store Regent Street
7:00pm - 8:00pm in the theatre. Presenting on design fundamentals to improve your keynote presentations. iPhone is out the next morning so there will be a real buzz in the store that night.
• June 24:Waterstones Booksellers, Piccadilly  Basement Bar, 8:00pm - 10:00. Signing books and having a pint or two.Map.
Paris
• June 25:La Comédie Saint-Michel,
4:00 - 7:00pm. I'll be presenting on the idea of presenting naked for a cool little evening event called "zen & the art of the pitch." The first presentation that evening will be "Pitching for Success" by Laurence Onfroy, who was voted New Entrepreneur Of The Year 2010 by readers of “Le nouvel entrepreneur” magazine. After that Pierre Morsa will deliver a presentation called “Death by Twitter: how social media can kill your talk – and how to avoid it." The event includes a reception right before my presentation; this is a really good networking opportunity in Paris. Informationin English. Informationin French. Get your ticketshere.
June 18, 2010 |Permalink |Comments (8) |TrackBack (0)
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June 15, 2010
Asymmetry and emptiness: lessons from the tearoom
Lessons are everywhere — even in something as seemingly unrelated to our lives as the traditional Japanese tearoom — we just need to stretch our imaginations a bit. A few principles from the Japanese tearoom or Sukiya are described simply and beautifully in the famousThe Book of Tea by Okakura Kakuzo (my copy), a small book first published over 100 years ago. The Japanese conception of Sukiya, according to Okakura, may signify an Abode of Fancy, an Abode of Vacancy, and the Abode of the Unsymmetrical. "Fancy" in this case does not mean decorative, ornate, or posh, but rather refers to the artistic and poetic impulse for which the structure was meant to house. The tearoom is made for the tea master, Okakura says, not the tea master for the tearoom. "It is not intended for posterity and is therefore ephemeral." It's not that posterity is completely unimportant, only that "...we should seek to enjoy the present more." Recognizing the ephemerality of it all — whether we are speaking of the art of presentation or of the finer art of life in general — helps us to remain in the present, right here right now. This is the first simple lesson to take away. Yet it is the idea of vacancy and the unsymmetrical that may have more obvious and immediate utility for you in terms of design and visual communication.
Vacancy and emptiness
The tearoom is an abode of vacancy, says, Okakura, because it is devoid or ornamentation except for the bare minimum placed to fulfill an aesthetic need of the moment. The room is essentially empty. Just as two pieces of music can not be enjoyed at the same time, one can not comprehend or appreciate the beauty of the moment without a clear focal point or "central motive." Conflicting focal points would be a distraction. Abundance of vacant space allows for the clear existence of a focal point and the participation of the viewer to complete that which has been left incomplete or that which is only suggested. Whether we're talking about the aesthetic of the tearoom or our own work, there is no place for clutter and the superfluous as these harm clarity and introduce confusion. There is no place for the nonessential or "a vulgar display of riches" as Okakura puts it. The key idea here is simplicity, of course, but also the idea of embracing change. Life is in constant motion and the only thing certain, in fact, is change. The items used to create a central theme in the tearoom are not fixed, but like life itself, will change depending on the occasion or the season. The idea of emptiness itself, then, also hints of the potential for growth and improvement and possibilities, that is, of change. Our ideas and our presentation — whatever kind of presentation we're talking about — also must change to fit the time, place, and occasion (TPO, a common expression in business in Japan).
Appreciation for asymmetry
"Uniformity of design was considered fatal to the freshness of imagination," says Okakura. There is a general absence of symmetry in Japanese art. Okakura notes that this is because the Zen (and Taoist) conception of perfection stresses the process "though which perfection is sought rather than perfection itself." True beauty, then, "could be discovered only by one who mentally completed the incomplete." Designs which are asymmetrical are more dynamic, active, and invite the viewer in to participate. An asymmetrical design will lead the eye more and stimulates the viewer to explore and interpret the content. Asymmetrical designs may evoke a sense of flow or movement. This kind of active engagement on the part of the viewer may lead to better recall of the content. It's important to remember that harmony is key and can be achieved in an asymmetrical design when care is given to achieving balance among the elements.
Lessons in asymmetry and empty space are all around
Once you become more aware of how emptiness (in the form of negative space) and asymmetry are used by designers, you'll begin to spot it everywhere.
 
ABOVE: (Left) The area in front of the lifts in a hotel in which I was staying in Japan. Each side is almost a mirror image of the other. It static and stable...and a bit dull. (Right) Moments later I came across this simple sign that got my attention on the streets in front of a restaurant. Its use of empty space and balanced asymmetrical composition are interesting and dynamic.
 
 
ABOVE: A couple of simple examples from the world of slides. The slides on the left have three simple elements aligned with the center axis. The slides on the right use the same three elements in a way that is more dynamic and the elements within the photographs become much more involved.
Related PZ posts
•Tokonoma and the art of the focal point
•Sumi-e, color, and the art of less
•Wa: The key to harmonious design
•10 design lessons from the art of Ikebana
•7 Japanese aesthetic principles to get you thinking
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NOTE: Uncharacteristically there was over a three-week gap between posts. I have just returned from Japan from a sudden trip in May to the US to deal with the passing of my motherwhich I mentioned in my personal blog. I also want to apologize if you have sent an email recently that has gone unanswered. I am sorry that my response to email has been slow the past few weeks and I thank you for your patience. I'll do my best to reply soon.
June 15, 2010 |Permalink |Comments (11) |TrackBack (0)
May 21, 2010
We are the stories we tell ourselves
I wanted to point you tothis short TED talk below for two reasons: (1) It's a pretty good example of delivery while displaying visuals on a monitor, and more importantly, (2) the content will be inspiring to many of you, and especially to those who may be stuck or looking to make a change in their life (but are a bit scared). In many ways, this presentation byRoz Savage is a good follow-up to the last post. Jake Shimabukuro (see below) excels by far surpassing other people's expectations for his instrument. And Roz Savage speaks to the idea (among other things) of pushing through our fears to far surpass our (old) expectations for ourselves.
Presenting with a flat panel display
The monitor behind Roz Savage was not very large, but big enough for smaller venues. It's been common for quite some time for some schools and corporations to install large flat panel displays in presentation/meeting rooms. Even 7-8 years ago I was using monitors like this mounted on walls to project images and video in Japan. The advantage is you can keep the lights on in the room as the ambient light does not washout the screen as much as when using a projector. Also, you can (and should) stand very close to the screen without having to worry about blocking the light from a projector. I would have liked Roz to use more visuals when she was covering her FAQ section as actual photos of the food she ate on board, her bed and how she slept, etc. would have been informative. On the other hand, her point in this talk was more about the meaning of the journey rather than the nitty-gritty of the daily routine of of her rowing. What I especially liked was how she kept her shoulders facing the audience and hardly ever took her eyes off the crowd seated around her.
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Roz does an excellent job of keeping her eyes on the audience while also displaying images at times in sync with her talk. This image clearly shows how big the Pacific actually is.
You can change your story
In many ways, we are what we believe ourselves to be. There is a lot of truth in the notion that "we are the stories we tell ourselves." Sometimes the story — that inner dialog — is not always a positive one. For many of us, the story is in fact a limiting one, a story of "playing it safe" or of accepting "mediocrity" out of fear of something even worse: unemployment for example. For others the story is even less inspiring, a story of self-doubt, insecurity, and low expectations. But we need not be married to our stories. Our past need not dictate our present or our future. Now, the point is not that we all should drop what we're doing and row across the oceans of the world. I look at Roz's example as more of a metaphor for the rest of us. Some people you know — maybe even you — are having thoughts similar to this: "I feel like there is a purpose in this life — I do not know what it is, but I'm pretty sure it's not ________ (current job, school, etc.)! If so, maybe Roz's story can inspire you to make a change, to create a new life rather than waiting for it to come to you.
A lesson from the Samurai
As I mentioned before, last week I was atTEDxTokyo. One talk I really enjoyed wasthis 8-minute talk by actor, comedian and host of"I survived a Japanese Game Show" Rome Kanda.This clip below comes at the end after his joking around where he makes a very serious point about taking a lesson from the code of the samurai. Again, here the point is not to take the way of the samuri literally. What Rome is talking about is finding a purpose that is greater than yourself, one that you can dedicate your life to. Of course, our families and especially our children give us some sense of purpose, but going beyond that, it is a lucky man or woman indeed who can work at something that is not just a job but a cause. Not just a paycheck but a calling.
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May 21, 2010 |Permalink |Comments (19) |TrackBack (0)
May 16, 2010
Presenting the humble ukulele: Jake Shimabukuro wows TEDxTokyo
On Saturday I attended the 2nd annualTEDxTokyo conference.Last year was great;this year was even better. The event was extremely well run and the mix of presentations and performances was outstanding. My head is still spinning. What a day! One of the most memorable performances was byJake Shimabukuro. Please set aside 20 minutes out of your day towatch this whole presentation/performance. Jake plays a few songs and shares a couple of good stories as well. Crank up your speakers and stick with this performance; it just gets better all the way to the end. Remarkable. (Also withJapanese translation.)
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Beating people's expectations
In life, often people just don't think too much of you (or of what you do), even before they know much about you. They prejudge you. But rather than letting this get you down, you can use this as an opportunity to surpass their expectations and blow them away. Low expectations can sometimes be a blessing to be leveraged. I love Jake's money quote on this idea: "One of the things I love about being a ukulele player is that no matter where I go in the world to play, the audience has such low expectations. [This is] a huge plus for sure."

There are many takeaways from this performance from the Zen Master of the the ukulele beyond mere entertainment. The ukulele itself, and those like Jake who play it so insanely well, represent both the struggle and the inspiration and delight that comes from blowing away other people's low expectations of you through your own hard work, unbridled passion, and dedication to excellence. As with the ukulele, others may misunderstand you or not take you or your cause seriously. Others may not give you a chance or think you are too small, too young, too old, too unusual to take a chance on. Few people take the ukulele for a serious musical instrument, and yet Jake shows us how misguided that kind of conventional wisdom is. Jake and his ukulele are an inspiration.
Playing naked is best
All Jake had with him on stage yesterday in Tokyo was his ukulele and his talent. As he explains in this older performancebelow (it's an amazing performance from circa 2007), he used to have all sorts of equipment to play loads of special effects. People loved this. But he decided to go back to basics — to go naked in a sense — and strip everything away and to be what he really is: the best ukulele player you'll ever see. He is an amazing talent with a great personality that really shows through his art.
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Photo in the slide above is by Ryota Mori.
May 16, 2010 |Permalink |Comments (19) |TrackBack (0)
May 12, 2010
The importance of starting from Why
Here is a good recent TEDx Talk that was delivered simply and effectively with nothing but a flip chart and a pen for visuals. The idea that the presenterSimon Sinek was talking about is very simple and not really new perhaps. But it's always good to get a reminder of what is important. I could quibble over some things in the talk — Apple's success (now) is of course more complex than he implies — but the essence of what Simon expresses concerning the importance of Why is quite true. I'm certain if you watch this talk it will get you thinking. Simon goes in depth with the idea of starting with why in his bookStart with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action.Watch his TEDx Talk below.
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Starting presentations from Why
Simon's simple but very important idea can be applied to many challenges we have, even the construction of a good presentation. InPresentation Zen I said that most ineffective presentations could have been prevented if the presenter had just asked two important questions before he began to prepare: (1) What's my point? And (2) why does it matter? Most presenters focus only on the what (information, data, more information...more data just in case) and then spend some time on the how (often resulting in the creation of typical bulletpoint driven ppt slides), but almost no time is spent really thinking about the Why. The Why is were we should start almost all projects, including presentations.
If you think about it, we don't ask Why enough. "Why am I spending loads of money and time on a college education?" Or "Why do I really want to pursue that job or why am I sticking with this one?" Thinking deeply about the Why is not an abstraction; it's fundamental. In life, and in business, we spend all our energy thinking and talking about the what and the how, complaining about what we don't have and what we'd do if we did. We rarely spend time thinking deeply about the why. Why are we doing this? Why does it matter? Why is it important (or not)? What is the meaning in the whole scheme of things? Part of the reason we suffer in our professional, academic, and even personal lives is we do not spend enough time first with the Why. How could your work (including presentations) and your life in general be improved if you spent more time first thinking deeply about Why?
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NOTE: Follow TEDxTokyo LIve this Saturday (May 15)
You can watch TEDxTokyo 2010 Hit Resetlive through their web-cast in both Japanese and English at  from 9 AM to 6 PM on Saturday, May 15th.See the awesome list of presenters here. I'll be continuing to work with some of the presenters onsite the day before the event. Please tune in. Last year was remarkable. Follow theTEDxTokyo blog. FollowTEDxTokyo on Twitter. I will also be tweeting live from the event in Tokyo (mostly photos), you can follow me here at@presentationzen.
May 12, 2010 |Permalink |Comments (25) |TrackBack (0)
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