Presentation Summit 2021: Conversation with Nigel Holmes


Presentation Summit 2021: Conversation with Nigel Holmes

Created: Wednesday, July 28, 2021 posted by at 9:45 am

Updated: at


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Nigel Holmes

Nigel Holmes
  
Born in England in 1942, Nigel Holmes moved to the US in 1978. After 16 years at Time Magazine, he started his own information design business, Explanation Graphics. In 2009, the Society for News Design gave him its Lifetime Achievement Award. He has been nominated four times for a National Design Award. His latest book (of 12) is The Bigger Book of Everything (2020), and a new book, Joyful Infographics, will be published in 2022.

In this conversation, Nigel talks about his participation at the upcoming Presentation Summit 2021, being held on location in Clearwater Beach, FL, and virtually this year from September 26 to 29, 2021.

Indezine.com is the official media partner for the Presentation Summit.

Geetesh: Nigel, the title and description of your keynote session make me so curious: ) Tell us more about the Neanderthal Nigel session, and what are the takeaways that audiences can look forward to?

Nigel: Earlier this year, I became interested in the amazing similarity between some painted images of animals in paleolithic caves and today’s graphic iconography—think animal-crossing-road signs or wayfinding signs at zoos. I know it’s a bit of a tired cliché to say that the cave painters were the first information artists, but it’s pretty clear that they were.

As to exactly who was doing the painting, I found during my reading on the matter that contrary to accepted thought, it’s likely that some of the artists were not homo sapiens, but were Neanderthals. This research was based on uranium-thorium dating, which is more precise than carbon dating.

By extension of the cliché, therefore, if I’m making the same images today that early cavemen and women were making some 40,000 years ago, then I can call myself a Neanderthal. And in fact, when I sent a swab from my mouth to the National Geographic Genome project, it turns out that I do have a percentage of Neanderthal DNA in me!

Geetesh: Please do share some thoughts about what presenters need to do better? Also, can you share some thoughts about how you will deliver your session at this year’s event?

Nigel: As I have in the past when talking at the Presentation Summit, I’ll be going on about huge numbers and how we still don’t really understand them, with a brand new audience-participation demonstration.

We will explore:

  • Simplicity and clarity are more important than flashy effects
  • More images, fewer words
  • Trust your own voice to deliver the information live, and in-person during a presentation.
  • If you want to leave something behind, make a separate handout based on what you have said. Don’t just print your slides. If you follow the “more images, fewer words” tip above, your presentation won’t have a lot of words anyway!
  • What is the Presentation Summit?

    Presentation Summit 2021: Conversation with Nigel Holmes

    Presentation Summit 2021: Conversation with Nigel Holmes

    For nearly two decades, Rick Altman has been hosting the Presentation Summit, a highly popular event that is geared towards users of PowerPoint and other presentation platforms.

    Indezine.com is the official media partner for the Presentation Summit.

    Date: September 26 to 29, 2021

    Location: Clearwater Beach, FL + Virtual Event

    Register now!

          

    The views and opinions expressed in this blog post or content are those of the authors or the interviewees and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer, or company.




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