m62 visualcommunications, the global leader in presentation effectiveness, has worked with The University of Central Lancashire to produce a study that reveals that presenters should use slides that don’t make sense.
Presenters worldwide use PowerPoint every day, but many use static, self-explanatory slides. For years, m62 has asserted that presenters should instead use slides that don’t make sense to engage the audience, and a recent study conducted in association with The University of Central Lancashire has proven this to significantly increase the transfer of information.
A joint study recently carried out by The University of Central Lancashire and m62 revealed that participants experienced far better recall of presentations using Visual Cognitive Dissonance (VCD) than the next best alternative. Visual Cognitive Dissonance presents something visually that doesn’t make sense at first, and so forces the audience to pay attention in order to solve the puzzle. This technique, developed by m62, keeps the audience engaged with the content, as their brains seek to know what is going to happen next.
The study revealed that VCD has a significant impact on audience recall when incorporated into PowerPoint design. In all instances, recall was the same or better for VCD presentations one week after the presentation than it was immediately following the next best alternative presentation.
Nicolas Oulton, Founder and CEO of m62, commented:
“This technique is something that we have always used to keep the audience’s attention on the presenter, and the results of this study have huge implications for training or sales presentations. We’re delighted to have this academically tested, and are looking forward to pushing the boundaries of presentation psychology in the future.”
m62 has produced over 10,000 presentations for clients around the world, including blue chip companies such as Siemens, Microsoft, and Hewlett-Packard. m62 offers a range of services and its website hosts a range of informative articles and free downloads, including PowerPoint templates. For more information about m62 visualcommunications, call +44 (0)151 259 6262 or visit m62.net