VisionJar - a journal of visual communication

Just found this “video-infographic” on the state of the internet (by Jesse Thomas). I think it’s a beautiful little video - and some interesting facts too!

JESS3 / The State of The Internet from Jesse Thomas on Vimeo.

Garr Reynolds, author of Presentation Zen and Presentation Zen Design, gives a one-on-one talk on presentation design, based on the basic points in his books.

I love this short video from Nancy Duarte - and they way she outlines different types of presentatations so clearly in a quadrant. Her conclusion is to focus on presentations in the top left quadrant, fight the right fights. I’ll print a copy of the screen dump and post to my screen to visualize where I am when I’m swimming around in the top right corner, trying to push presentations to the left.

Even though I’m a pretty structured person with a visual memory, I spend way too much time looking for slides in my directories. I can have a clear memory of how I solved a visual problem on a slide but then be lost when it comes to what project it was for, when it was. And even though Google Desktop can do wonders when it comes to searches - you still have to open up your presentations, find the slide, move it, reorganize it. So I’ve been looking around for a slide manager - at first hand to use for my workstations but maybe for all my coworkers since a lot of the work we do are in forms of presentations.

This can’t be a unique problem - it must be a problem every organisation has. I decided to try out Slide Executive and PPTShare Desktop and Slideboxx. Slide Executive is priced at a hefty $355 for one license and PPT Share Desktop and Slideboxx at $99 (PPTShare being currently reduced). None feels like the perfect software. Oh, how I would love this to be an integrated part of PowerPoint - maybe something to hope for in Office 2010?

I’ll give them each a week (if I’m not falling sleep during the lengthy indexing phases) and see if either is up to the task I want to complete.

And isn’t it interesting how all three use Blue, orange and white in their text focused logos?

I’ve spent the last couple of weeks traveling and spending way too much time on airplanes (that’s what happens when you travel between California and Sweden - hard to avoid). And even though the  illustrated airplane on the map on inflight entertainment system you can check during  your hardly seems to move - it sure is a nice way to visualize your trip as it is happening. And eventually you will arrive at your final destination. Even on an 11 hour flight. 

I also love the fact that the SAS airplanes have cameras in the front (and to below) so you can actually see the landing as if you were sitting in the cockpit. A great way of visualize flying! 

(I’m not sure if this helps or not for those who are afraid of flying - I’m not and I love it).

Landing at Arlanda Airport in Sweden with SK945 from Chicago.  
Picture taken with BlackBerry and not the best quality.