Dump that Text! Transform PowerPoint Slides into a Visual Feast - 3 of 4

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Semantics
Pragmatics

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Semantics

Semantics deals with the literal meaning of words, phrases, sentences, and discourse that we as a culture arbitrarily define; "dog" could have stood for that slinky animal we currently call "cat," but somebody long ago associated the letters “d-o-g” with the animal we know as a dog. As a result, now a dog is a dog. The story we just told relied not just on syntax, but also semantics and physical form – the elements all work together.

Visual semantics operate similarly to verbal semantics. Presentation visuals don’t necessarily have a set meaning or purpose until we define these qualities—usually verbally.

Figure 8: What Does This Picture Mean?

Perhaps we display the picture in Figure 8, above, and ask, “What’s its meaning? Why are we showing it to you?” Right now, the picture probably doesn’t have any particular meaning or purpose at all. Yes, it depicts a glacier, but so what? It could be part of a vacation picture show, a lecture on global warming, a study of subtle shadow and lighting effects for an art class, or a thousand other contexts. The picture takes on true significance only after we use it as a launching point into more detail.

We might go on to explain that this unusual glacier is in New Zealand, that it is among a very small number in the world that are advancing rather than retreating, and that it exists in one of only two (the other is in Argentina) warm glacial zones (you can walk on the glacier in shorts and t-shirt and feel perfectly comfortable—it’s almost at sea level).

There’s a high likelihood that after reading those facts you instinctively looked back at the picture. Your brain wanted to fill in the dots and associate that extra information with the scene it initially observed.

This is a very important concept: Excellent “visual” communication, especially in a presentation context, works best as a combination of sight and sound. We could delete the picture and force-feed you those facts via bullet points … but then there wouldn’t be anything to look back at and say, “Huh. That’s interesting.” On the other hand, just showing the visual alone wouldn’t be enough, either. You need the accompanying facts for full meaning. Randomly throwing pictures on slides without going on to define their reason for being is almost never acceptable.

To that end, be careful. Many presenters think, “Well, to become more visual all I have to do is place a picture or graphic on a slide, right?” That’s not quite true: some visuals help to convey your message, and others do not. It is very important to make a distinction between decorative and content imagery.

Decorative images typically are stock photos, graphics, or clipart that add visual flare, but really don’t communicate anything meaningful or substantive. A content image, on the other hand, helps to convey your message—such as by showing a compelling example.

For instance: While giving a sales presentation to a potential customer, you draw attention to your company’s superior customer service while showing the photo of smiling people in Figure 9, below.

Figure 9: Decoration or content?

If these smiling people are merely a random stock photo, downloaded and inserted onto the slide to "give the feel" of good customer service, the image is purely decorative. Its people have no particular significance. Any photo of smiling models would do. There’s no reason for the customer to give the slide a second glance because the smiles are fake and empty. A viewer wonders, “Who are these people? Why are you showing them to me?” Purely decorative images paraded as content are a very weak, almost intellectually offensive, form of visual expression. They attract attention initially and then leave people hanging.

Now, change the scenario. Let’s say the people pictured here actually are your company’s representatives—the very individuals this customer will work with after signing the contract. In that case, the photo takes on genuine significance. It is legitimate content, helping customers put faces with names while simultaneously personalizing your company’s operations. “Marcia on the left is the point person coordinating incoming requests. John next to her handles maintenance issues. Fred on the right is in charge of purchasing.”

If in doubt about whether a visual is a decoration or content, look at it and ask, “Will my message’s meaning or depth suffer if I don’t show this? Will people understand less without it?” If so, it’s content.

Pragmatics

Pragmatics is the indirect or implied meaning of language. If someone says, "Can you please open the window?", the literal semantic interpretation is that you've been asked a question. But only a sassy teenager would answer "Yes." The rest of us would understand this as a request that we open the window.

Visual elements on slides clearly can have indirect meanings, as well, which go way beyond what might be said literally otherwise. It’s crucial to ponder what imagery might be implying on your behalf.

An advertisement for vodka that shows a beautiful woman in the arms of a studly man speaks an emotional message that you, too, can be that woman or man—but only if you drink this particular brand of vodka. Scientists can sway impressions of their work by showing attractive, professional illustrations of what they think to be true—and they do. Politicians are not averse to associating images of pollution, war, over-crowding, or crime with their opponents, whether or not such associations are justifiable.

The implied meanings of visual displays can be a very potent force—for good or bad. It’s up to you to make the ethical distinction of what is acceptable and what goes over the line.

Excellent visual speakers study, experiment with, and understand these four aspects of visual language, above and beyond anything they create in PowerPoint. Eventually, they reach a state called visual fluency, where graphical expression flows with the same ease as speaking or writing words. At this level, presenters incorporate visuals that are simple, clear, and visually distinct (physical form); organize visuals in ways that help viewers better understand the messages being conveyed (syntax); clarify why images are being shown and what they mean in context (semantics); and, crucially, pay attention to the non-verbal associations and emotions these images might evoke (pragmatics).

Of course, visual fluency doesn’t happen by accident. It takes time and work, just like learning any other language. With the above principles in mind, try approaching your text-based slides as follows:

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