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sci_comm [2016/04/15 18:12] cedric [Body language] |
sci_comm [2016/04/15 18:17] (current) cedric [Slide aesthetics] |
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| Presentation software includes graphical options like animations and templates. These are to be avoided! Templates are usually very ugly and animations are cheap looking. In short, they don’t bring much to understanding and it reduces the presenter’s credibility. The only acceptable animation is the "direct appearance" when, for example, we want multiple elements to appear without showing them all at once: we make them appear successively (without any strange animation). | Presentation software includes graphical options like animations and templates. These are to be avoided! Templates are usually very ugly and animations are cheap looking. In short, they don’t bring much to understanding and it reduces the presenter’s credibility. The only acceptable animation is the "direct appearance" when, for example, we want multiple elements to appear without showing them all at once: we make them appear successively (without any strange animation). | ||
| - | Colours must be used parsimoniously. It can be helpful to emphasize an important element, but we must be careful when choosing the font and the background colour. Many colour combinations make it difficult to read a text (//e.g.,// a red font on yellow background). The best colour combinations that maximize readability on a slide are: 1) black on white, 2) white on black, and 3) white on dark blue. It looks sober but colour-blind people will not have trouble reading. If you want to include more colourful slides, have a look at the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_wheel]] and the [[http://www.colourlovers.com/|COLOURlovers]] websites to explore colour palettes. You can always improve the aesthetics of a slide, but be sure to preserve its readability. | + | Colours must be used parsimoniously. It can be helpful to emphasize an important element, but we must be careful when choosing the font and the background colour. Many colour combinations make it difficult to read a text (//e.g.,// a red font on yellow background). The best colour combinations that maximize readability on a slide are: 1) black on white, 2) white on black, and 3) white on dark blue. It looks sober but colour-blind people will not have trouble reading. If you want to include more colourful slides, have a look at the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_wheel|colour wheel]] and the [[http://www.colourlovers.com/|COLOURlovers]] website to explore colour palettes. You can always improve the aesthetics of a slide, but be sure to preserve its readability. |
| If you must include images or tables that are derived from an article, pay attention to the image resolution. A simple "copy and paste" is usually not enough to render a clear image on the screen. It is very annoying to hear a presenter say: "We don’t see clearly what I wanted to show you, but…" Always use high-resolution images. To improve the resolution of an image, you have many options: | If you must include images or tables that are derived from an article, pay attention to the image resolution. A simple "copy and paste" is usually not enough to render a clear image on the screen. It is very annoying to hear a presenter say: "We don’t see clearly what I wanted to show you, but…" Always use high-resolution images. To improve the resolution of an image, you have many options: | ||
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| {{coherence.png?400|The heart rate in a state of cardiac coherence is more regular.}} | {{coherence.png?400|The heart rate in a state of cardiac coherence is more regular.}} | ||
| - | It is well known that the brain, through thoughts and mental images, influences heart rate. What is less known is that the heart can also influence the state of mind (//i.e.,// the brain). This creates a vicious circle where one component influences the other, leading to increased stress. There is a breathing exercise that can help to break this negative feedback loop and to get back to a state of cardiac coherence. The principle is that you have to focus on your breathing and your heart simultaneously. Focusing on your heart and on your breathing prevents you from having negative thoughts (//i.e.,// causing stress). This exercise is not instantaneous: it requires practice to be useful. Visit the following [[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4179616/|article]] for more information and this [[https://www.heartmath.org/resources/heartmath-tools/quick-coherence-technique-for-adults/|website]] for an audio file explaining the exercise. | + | It is well known that the brain, through thoughts and mental images, influences heart rate. What is less known is that the heart can also influence the state of mind (//i.e.,// the brain). This creates a vicious circle where one component influences the other, leading to increased stress. There is a breathing exercise that can help to break this negative feedback loop and to get back to a state of cardiac coherence. The principle is that you have to focus on your breathing and your heart simultaneously. Focusing on your heart and on your breathing prevents you from having negative thoughts (//i.e.,// causing stress). This exercise is not instantaneous: it requires practice to be useful. Check the following [[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4179616/|article]] for more information and this [[https://www.heartmath.org/resources/heartmath-tools/quick-coherence-technique-for-adults/|website]] for an audio file explaining the exercise. |
| ====== A few resources and good ideas ====== | ====== A few resources and good ideas ====== | ||
