Audience Quote by David Mccandless
“I think everyone is struggling somewhat with presentation. The Internet is generally well designed, if you look at the most popular websites, so we expect our visuals to be at that level of quality. When you sit in a presentation and you're looking at nonsensical pie charts and the like, your audience does disengage. People across a range of industries, not just science, are struggling with their communication because their output doesn't compete with what people see on a day-to-day basis.”
About This Quote
Source Talk: Presentation Design, David Mccandless, 2015
People compare their slides to polished web designs, leading to disengaged audiences when visuals are poor.
In simple terms: Bad slides lose attention.
Key Takeaway
Improve visual quality to keep audience engaged.
Themes
communication
design
audience engagement
visual literacy
Mood
frustrated
motivated
Type
advice
observational
When to use this quote
- business meetings
- academic lectures
- online webinars
- product pitches
Key Concepts
cognitive load
information design
media comparison
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you prioritize visual clarity over flashy design?
- What simple changes can raise slide professionalism?
A Different Perspective
High design expectations can be unrealistic for limited resources.
