You’ve just been tasked with a big presentation. Your boss has given you your marching orders, and it’s time to start creating. You sit down at your desk; what’s the first thing you reach for?
If you’re anything like me, I bet your first move is to grab your computer and open a blank Word document. While this may feel like the best way to start creating an excellent presentation, at Ethos3, we would argue it is not the most effective way to design a presentation. Instead, we believe that before you ever move to digital, your presentation design should start with a good ole fashioned pen and paper.
We know that this may be a hard pill to swallow given our tech-driven society, so we put together a list of reasons why analog to start is the way to go.
Eliminates Distractions
One of the quickest ways to lose momentum and experience a block in creativity is the ping of an email or the alert of a new meeting. Distractions are detrimental to your ability to create an excellent presentation and quickly stopper the flow of your creative juices. By switching to the analog of pen and paper, you cut out the majority of those distractions which allows for uninterrupted creativity.
Increases Retention
Studies show that when a person writes something down, they are far more likely to retain that information. As a presenter, retaining your content and being able to deliver it from memory is a sure-fire way to impress your audience. By starting in analog and hand-writing out your content, you help cement the content early, which will make your memorization that much easier.
Encourages Permanence
This reason is perhaps one of my favorites when it comes to creative expression. You see, when we do all of our work on a computer, it is simple to erase and start over. With two clicks, your hard work can be gone and you can start fresh. While this is convenient, it can also lead to a never-ending cycle of perfectionism. By switching to pen and paper, you place a value on what goes on the page. It is far more difficult to erase and start over, so you’re more likely to land on using your first idea, which is typically the best idea.
In the digital age, switching to pen and paper may seem outdated or ineffective. However, at Ethos3, we believe it is quite the opposite. As a presenter, you are creating a work of art that will be shared with your audience, and there is something about analog creation that just can’t be found on a computer. So the next time you’re tasked with creating a presentation, reach for the pen rather than your computer, and you will discover that not only are you more effective, but in many cases, you are more efficient as well.
Looking to learn more about presentation design and delivery? Contact us today to find out how we can help.
