Info to Ink...how to keep it simple
Info to ink...how to keep it simple. In his outstanding book "The Visual Display of Quantitative Information", Edward R. Tufte speaks of the "Data to Ink Ratio". In this he describes how to rid a chart of all unnecessary information so that the only components remaining communicate the information for which the chart was created.
It is our philosophy that such an approach should be taken with the text in every slide in a presentation, what we call the "Info to Ink Ratio". "Ink", in this context, is the creative term we use to mean text on a slide. There should be no text in a slide that does not contribute to the message that the slide was developed to deliver.
Importantly in this philosophy is the notion that the slide exists as part of a presentation...and that it will be delivered in conjunction with a presenter...and it exists solely to support the presenter. (More about this another day perhaps.) Also, slideware like PowerPoint was developed as slideware, not a report writer. Many people think that reproducing the slides in printed form is acceptable, which we strongly oppose, unless you would also believe that a spreadsheet would be an acceptable way to write a letter. Excel was not designed for that purpose, PowerPoint was not designed to replace a printed document.
The human mind can only absorb so much information in a single instant and in order to absorb that information it needs to put things into a context to understand it. Placing excessive text on a slide causes the audience to read, listen and contextualise in the same moment and the only outcome can be that the excess is lost and never makes it to short-term memory, let alone any long term placement.
This may be best illustrated if we use an example. I have used a slide prepared by an individual who has been paid to develop this slide, but whose specialty is more to do with the content. Nonetheless, they are very well educated and to protect them I have removed any references. Also, to keep the focus on the text, I have eliminated any graphics.
In this slide we can see a great deal of text that adds little to the overall purpose of the slide. For example:
This new slide is much more visually appealing as it is less cluttered, the points are more more easy to digest and they do not involve the audience in having to read the slide and understand its context whilst listening to the presenter. Now, they simply reinforce the presenters point and add significantly to the potential for recall.
Always try to keep the Info To Ink ratio at 1:1. Anything less is a distraction.
It is our philosophy that such an approach should be taken with the text in every slide in a presentation, what we call the "Info to Ink Ratio". "Ink", in this context, is the creative term we use to mean text on a slide. There should be no text in a slide that does not contribute to the message that the slide was developed to deliver.
Importantly in this philosophy is the notion that the slide exists as part of a presentation...and that it will be delivered in conjunction with a presenter...and it exists solely to support the presenter. (More about this another day perhaps.) Also, slideware like PowerPoint was developed as slideware, not a report writer. Many people think that reproducing the slides in printed form is acceptable, which we strongly oppose, unless you would also believe that a spreadsheet would be an acceptable way to write a letter. Excel was not designed for that purpose, PowerPoint was not designed to replace a printed document.
The human mind can only absorb so much information in a single instant and in order to absorb that information it needs to put things into a context to understand it. Placing excessive text on a slide causes the audience to read, listen and contextualise in the same moment and the only outcome can be that the excess is lost and never makes it to short-term memory, let alone any long term placement.
This may be best illustrated if we use an example. I have used a slide prepared by an individual who has been paid to develop this slide, but whose specialty is more to do with the content. Nonetheless, they are very well educated and to protect them I have removed any references. Also, to keep the focus on the text, I have eliminated any graphics.
In this slide we can see a great deal of text that adds little to the overall purpose of the slide. For example:
- Repeating the title. If you must use a title, there is little point having exactly the same text on the very next line. If the title is about Product Departmentalisation, then surely the presenter can tie in the definition.
- If we actively look at our text on a slide and search for ways to reduce the verbiage, we can eliminate those words that may state the obvious or are better made verbally by the presenter. if we check each one of these sub points, much of the words are irrelevant. "Speed and effectiveness of decision making improved"...what is added in that comment over "Improved Decision making".
This new slide is much more visually appealing as it is less cluttered, the points are more more easy to digest and they do not involve the audience in having to read the slide and understand its context whilst listening to the presenter. Now, they simply reinforce the presenters point and add significantly to the potential for recall.
Always try to keep the Info To Ink ratio at 1:1. Anything less is a distraction.
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