Julian Treasure’s TED talk filmed in June is an exemplary presentation on all fronts: content, design, and delivery. Treasure does an excellent job presenting a compelling argument about why architects need to use their ears. Here are some quick tips we can learn from his presentation.
Think Outside the Box with Audio/Visual
The most interesting thing about Treasure’s talk is his use of audio and visual aids. He uses large visuals to compliment his points nicely, and because his topic is so heavily focused on noise in general, he uses lots of audio clips to make his points come to life.
Rather than simply tell us what 65 dB sounds like, he shows us what it sounds like by playing an audio clip. And while it felt distracting at first when Treasure spoke over the noise, it played into his argument nicely. The environment is loud, he infers. This is how jarring and difficult it would be to listen to me in a room with such bad acoustics, he suggests. This overlay of noise on Treasure’s words allow the audience to further agree with his position that we need more architecture designed with our ears in mind.
Clear Comparisons are Compelling
Treasure is a master at making clear, compelling comparisons throughout this talk. Many presenters get bogged down during a comparison, not making it simple or direct enough. The power inherent in a comparison is that its one fact standing directly next to another fact– if there are too many words in between the two facts, the power is lost.
For example, Treasure says that it costs 2,500 pounds to alter the acoustics of a building, while it costs 90,000 pounds to send a kid to a school that has great acoustics. “The economics are clear,” he sagely concludes. That pointed comparison doesn’t leave much room for uncertainty or dispute for that matter.
Start Strong, End Strong
You don’t necessarily need to spend hours upon hours thinking of a clever introduction for your presentation. Sometimes the easiest way to begin is with a simple declaration of your main point. Treasure does precisely that: “It’s time to start designing with our ears.” Starting with such a clear declaration is powerful as it lets your audience know precisely what your presentation is about, and where you stand.
Treasure also ends strongly by coming full circle in the most obvious of ways: by simply stating his opening sentence again. This repetition is highly effective because it reinforces and reiterates the most important takeaway of the presentation.
