We’ve said it before – we love information presented in unique ways. Nathan Yau collects compelling charts, tables, and other ways of visualizing data from across the web at FlowingData. The infographics range from the serious (a pie chart of Iraq rebuilding funds that are accounted for vs. unaccounted) to the entertaining (a recently popular entry is how to win at Rock Paper Scissors).
This flow chart is critical for anyone who has seen Inception and is still trying to figure it out.
Beyond the entertainment value, Yau’s blog does a good job of showing how some complex topics can be understood much more quickly by glancing at a chart than reading a page of copy.
Movie Clips is a database of more than 12,000 movie clips sorted by movie, actor, dialogue, etc. It even sorts them by theme (e.g. communication) and mood (e.g. inspiring). Best of all, the website allows you to embed clips in PowerPoint presentations (you have to be connected to the Internet to access them) or create your own mashup to share with friends.
It’s hard to find good clip art for presentations and other uses. Icon Finder solves part of that problem with some unique art. Admittedly, the graphics are small because they are designed as icons for Web sites, but we definitely see applications in PowerPoint presentations or other media.
Really Bad PowerPoint is a 10-page e-book as entertaining as it is instructional. An expert in permission marketing, Godin laments the misuse of PowerPoint (”PowerPoint could be the most powerful tool on your computer. But it’s not.”) and offers his opinion on how to make it valuable. Be sure to check out Godin’s four keys to a great presentation.
Next time you have an important presentation, try using ethos, pathos, and logos to order your material.
Ethos asks you to establish your credibility at the outset and win the trust with your audience. Pathos means empathy and seeks to create a personal connection with your listeners as you demonstrate an understanding of their needs. Last, logos means logic and allows you to be powerful and persuasive in your presentation. The order is supremely important as both ethos and pathos set the stage and make listeners receptive to your logos.
