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Prezi Design Strategies

Can we apply concepts used in video production to Prezi design? Let's find out! In this Prezi I pull terms from Bruce Block's book _The Visual Story: Seeing the Structure of Film, TV, and New Media_. Let me know what you think.

Shawn Apostel

on 28 August 2015

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Transcript of Prezi Design Strategies

by moving the line over
to the side, we make
the image off balance.
there's more potential energy in this image now.

prezi design strategies
shawn apostel, ph.d.
instructional technology specialist
bellarmine university

terms in this prezi are from
bruce block's _the visual story:
seeing the structure of film, tv, and new media_
where you place
an object on your
prezi screen matters.

don't believe me?
look how small and helpless
our prezi figure looks now.
that's a long way to fall!
believe it or not,
even simple lines
have meaning.
where is this going?
let's find out.
see the potential for movement?
that line makes the
space look unstable.
notice how your eyes stay
between the lines?
our prezi figure can
go two directions
but not up or down
because of the lines.
our prezi figure looks safe,
but he is boxed in.
never mind
horizontal lines can be calming
because they feel secure.
this line is defying "gravity."
it looks stable
and yet offers some energy.
the line is in the center.
it is visually balanced.
triangles look stable.
that is,
unless they
are tilted.
rectangles resemble bricks and seem
heavy and hard to move.
squares seem solid yet moveable.
circles feel like they
can be in constant
you get the idea.
stand the rectangle up
and it looks easier
to push over.
notice how our feelings
about shapes and lines can be applied to fonts?
stable. hard to move.
strong yet thin.
tone refers to
the lighting
of an object.
a color's meaning depends on culture and personal
experiences, so get to know your audience.
while colors may have different meaning, there are some things common with humans.
we tend to group things by color.
here's an example:
help momma star find
her child.
we tend to group things by shape.
here's an example:
help momma star
find her child.
consider this:
still don't see it?
is our prezi figure walking?
or falling?
we tend to assume closer things are related.
here's an example:
which star is
momma's baby?
consider this:
hard question, right?
let's play with space
to make it clear.
how about now?
matching colors
can be tricky.
for more options,
try this website:
you can
pick the complementary
you can pick
a triad.
you can
pick different
shades of a
single color.
the human eye is very attracted
to movement.
quick movements can make us
feel a bit edgy. but at least the
movement we see here is predictable. that helps us feel more comfortable.
it's comforting to be able to predict
movement. but it's not exciting.
next time you watch a video,
draw lines in a little box
to record movement.
notice how the edges look sharp? we relate to visuals with our bodies.
how do these flowers make you feel?
too easy
want to know why?
you'll need to go way
back in time.
here's prezi figure's great, great, great ( x 5,000) grandmother.
she saw movement in the bushes as she picked berries to eat.
did something
move in the bush?
step back.
her sister didn't see
movement. no babies:(
hit play on both videos (first the left video then quickly the right video) to see how this works. hold your mouse over the video and push the play button that appears at the bottom of the video image. you can remove ads by clicking the x.
the more variation in lines you see, the more visually exciting...which can be good or bad depending on your intent.

how do you want your audience to feel?
rhythm is tricky
because we associate
it with something
we hear, not see.
think of each object
as a beat in a song.
here's a beat
another beat
you get the idea.
that was a steady beat.
it was predictable and
easy to follow.
and see what happens.
let's change the beat
notice a difference?
even though we stayed on the same
horizontal line, the rhythm was different,
more unpredictable, and unsteady.
choose a rhythm that fits your message.
we treat visuals on the
screen like they are subject
to the laws of physics.
i should
she avoided the snake,
survived, and had babies.
the tone changes
so does
our feelings
about the flowers.
when you put darker colors
together, you can create a more
somber mood. however, dark colors
may be difficult to view on a
projection screen. use with caution.
notice how our eyes looked here?
when there is no movement, our eyes like to focus on bright areas.
here's an example:
if our prezi figure dresses
in white, she might be
going to a fancy, spring
picnic in the usa.
or attending a funeral in india.
wearing white to a funeral
could be inappropriate in the usa
because many americans do not
associate white with death.
click on this link to learn more about colors and culture:
try this next time you design a prezi:
watch your prezi and record the movement you see.
notice the mix of curves and lines? they fill the page in a random order. if your prezi looks like this, you may make people motion sick.
it's usually best
to find a balance between
predictability and excitement.
choose exciting transitions
at appropriate times.
how about now?
if we put a fulcrum here we can see what's going on. the vertical line makes the entire page lean one way.
this gives the page potential energy
your eyes seem to end up here.
an angry face maybe?
Full transcript