Talking Tech through Compelling Visual Aids

Drawing on the research of Richard Mayer, we discuss design theory to make your technical knowledge compelling through evocative visuals.

1. Indicates Safety Indicates Danger Further Testing Needed

2. Visuals to Make Your Ideas Take Off Matt Vassar June 27, 2024 COM 88: High-Impact Tech Talk Stanford Continuing Studies Program

3. Control the Audience’s Focus

4. Comprehensive Financial Definitions Overview RSI (Relative Strength Index) A momentum oscillator that measures the speed and change of price movements. RSI values range from 0 to 100. Traditionally, RSI values over 70 indicate an overbought condition, and values under 30 indicate an oversold condition. Formula used: 𝑅𝑆𝐼=100−1001+𝑅𝑆 RSI =100−1+ RS 100​ where RS is the average gain of up periods during the specified time frame divided by the average loss of down periods. BVPS (Book Value Per Share) A financial measure that represents a per share assessment of the minimum value of a company's equity. Formula: 𝐵𝑉𝑃𝑆=𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑆ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑒ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑑𝑒𝑟′𝑠𝐸𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑡𝑦−𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑑𝐸𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑡𝑦𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑂𝑢𝑡𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑆ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑠 BVPS = TotalOutstandingSharesTotalShareholder ′ sEquity − PreferredEquity ​ Frequently used by investors to determine a company's equity market value per share relative to its book value per share. Indicator of whether a stock is overpriced or underpriced in relation to the actual net assets of the company. EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization) A measure of a company's overall financial performance and is used as an alternative to simple earnings or net income in some circumstances. Often used in valuing businesses: 𝐸𝐵𝐼𝑇𝐷𝐴=𝑁𝑒𝑡𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑓𝑖𝑡+𝐼𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡+𝑇𝑎𝑥𝑒𝑠+𝐷𝑒𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛+𝐴𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑧𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 EBITDA = NetProfit + Interest + Taxes + Depreciation + Amortization Considered to reveal the profitability of a business before the influence of accounting, financing, and tax environments. Criticized for being misleading as it doesn’t consider capital expenditures needed to sustain business operations. LBO (Leveraged Buyout) A financial transaction in which a company is purchased with a combination of equity and significant amounts of borrowed money. The assets of the company being acquired are often used as collateral for the loans, along with the assets of the acquiring company. LBOs are often executed to take a public company private, to spin-off a portion of an existing business, to transfer private property, or as a corporate restructuring method. Can lead to heavy debt burdens and is considered high risk but can yield high returns if successful.

5. Control the Audience’s Focus

6. 3 1 2 Your Audience Design Theory Design Visually Three considerations for high-impact visuals:

7. 3 1 2 Your Audience Design Theory Design Visually Three considerations for high-impact visuals:

8. Consider Your Audience

9. Choosing the Right Tool for the Task Pencil Computers Complexity of Tool Quick Sketches Complex Graphics Animation Reproducible Casual Drawing Unique Applications

10. Pencils are best for quick sketches

11. 3 1 2 Your Audience Design Theory Design Visually Three considerations for high-impact visuals:

12. Multimedia Learning (Mayer)

13. Multimedia Learning (Mayer) How Much People Learn Voice Alone Voice Images

14. Modality Principle (Mayer)

15. Modality Principle (Mayer) Text Alone How Much People Learn Voice Alone

16. Redundancy Principle (Mayer) Why COM 88’s students are the best in the world: * Our participation levels reach higher and higher peaks each week * We’re motivated to help one another succeed * We all have cool jobs and technical findings * We’re really, really, ridiculously good looking * Other classes don’t come close. * Go Giants!!!! * By the way, do you know what I’m saying right now?

17. Redundancy Principle (Mayer) Why COM 88’s students are the best in the world: * Our participation levels reach higher and higher peaks each week * We’re motivated to help one another succeed * We all have cool jobs and technical findings * We’re really, really, ridiculously good looking * Other classes don’t come close. * Go Giants!!!! * By the way, do you know what I’m saying right now? How Much People Learn Voice Images Voice Images Text

18. Redundancy Principle (Mayer) Why you should avoid text: Audiences learn less Cognitive overload Verbal channels conflict Two slightly different versions of same message Text distracts from images

19. Text overwhelms your audience

20. Coherence Principle (Mayer) COM 88 has the greatest students

21. COM 88 has the greatest students Coherence Principle (Mayer) Limited Visuals How Much People Learn Busy Visual

22. Coherence Principle (Mayer)

23. Control the Audience’s Focus

24. Coherence Principle (Mayer)

25. Segmentation Principle (Mayer) Segmentation Principle (Mayer)

26. Segmentation Principle (Mayer) Segmentation Principle (Mayer) 2+ Ideas Per Slide How Much People Learn 1 Idea Per Slide

27. Indicates Safety Indicates Danger Further Testing Needed

28. Control the Audience’s Focus

29. 3 1 2 Your Audience Design Theory Design Visually Three considerations for high-impact visuals:

30. So often, uncomfortable speakers end up making matters so much worse for themselves. They start off with a lack of confidence, which manifests itself in their physical delivery. Because they are unconfident, they may speak softly or avoid eye contact. They may use a lot of filler words, or begin stuttering over various words and phrases. Of course, this poor delivery results in the audiences getting bored, and then the speaker picks up on that. As speakers feel that their audiences don’t care about what they have to say, it only results in sapping their confidence further, which starts the process all over again. In order to avoid this, a speaker should always be confident in him or herself. This will help with delivery and create positive feedback from the audience.

31. A problem with speaking Lack of confidence breeds poor delivery. Poor delivery bores audiences. Bored audiences sap a speaker’s confidence.

32. A Problem with Public Speaking: Lack of Confidence Bored Audiences Poor Delivery

33. Crafting a Visual Story in Data Matt Vassar June 27, 2024 COM 88: High-Impact Tech Talk Stanford Continuing Studies Program

34. # of Worms Caught by Hour of Day

35. # of Worms Caught by Hour of Day

36. Control the Audience’s Focus

37. # of Worms Caught by Hour of Day

38. Highlight Key Information # of Worms Caught by Hour of Day Sparrows can catch worms late in the day

39. We Must Partner with Sparrows !

40. Our Team’s Expenses

41. Salaries Fun Ads Equip. Our Team’s Expenses

42. Control the Audience’s Focus

43. Salaries Fun Ads Equip. Our Team’s Expenses

44. Fun Other Our Team’s Expenses

45. Our Team Needs to Reenergize

46. Our Team’s Expenses

47. Our Team’s Budget for Fun

48. Our Team Needs to Reenergize

49. Control the Audience’s Focus

50. 3 1 2 Your Audience Design Theory Design Visually Three considerations for high-impact visuals:

51. APPLE PRICES SURGE!!! Apple Company of America

52. Apple prices are at an all-time high

53. …which is why people are buying pears