iSimplify Presentations
The Creative Curve of Presentations
Anyone can craft good presentations if they follow this four-step process
We were made to think that creativity is a right given to some of us by birth, holding most of us back from even trying to become creative. Allen Gannett debunked that myth and proved that there is a scientific process behind any creative endeavour. It is called The Creative Curve.
I am not necessarily a visual thinker and I do not see myself as a designer, but I love crafting good presentations and I believe that good presentations can be created by anyone. It is not exclusive to designers. Even though crafting good presentation is associated with creativity, it is possible to get better at it if practiced properly, or following The Creative Curve.
What is The Creative Curve?
There are two forces behind any creative work: fear of unknown and the pursuit of novelty.
Looking at a presentation deck and trying to find out how to make it meaningful and impactful can be discouraging. In fact, it can be crippling because most of us are not equipped with the basic skills of storytelling with presentation. That is completely normal. It’s like learning to speak a foreign language. Our brain is designed to protect us from the fear of unknown that’s behind that feeling. We are also attracted to what’s new and novel. We like trying new tools and design ideas. We are always pursuing novelty.
The Creative Curve sits between the exposure to something new and craving more of something as it become familiar. It debunks the myths around the sparks of genius that is exclusively given to an elite group of people so we can all pursue creativity at its lair.
How can you apply that in presentation design?
I do not hold a degree in creative design but I do not think that creating good presentation designs is exclusive to designers. That’s what makes me drawn to following the creative curve process and keeps me hungry for more.
Creativity is fluid. If you are terrible at writing, it’s because you haven’t practiced it enough (deliberately), not because you were not born to become a writer. That idea is at the heart of The Creative Curve. The promise is that if you follow the laws of The Creative Curve, you will be successful at creating great presentations.
The laws of The Creative Curve
This is a sequential law that Allen Gannett proposed in his book. I would like to prove to you that this also applies to the creative world of presentations.
The first law: Consumption
To become a creator, you first have to be a consumer. Great presenters immerse themselves in the presentation culture. They listen to podcasts. They attend great presentations. They are always on the lookout for the next best deck of slides. If you are always only looking at your own deck of slides, you will unlikely be able to get better at creating better ones.
How can you get better?
Before you can achieve success in the presentation world, you need to expose yourself as much as possible to presentation designs. This will help you better benchmark and know what success looks like.
I constantly search for presentation designs on the internet that are created for certain categories. Every time I find something interesting, I add it to my library. For example, I love this article by Daniel Eckler on how to pitch an idea to investors. The more I consume, the better I get at finding better presentations and the more I am efficient at creating them.
“Painters show up at numerous art exhibits. Chefs eat at cutting-edge restaurants, visit farms, and travel to food shows. Songwriters are constantly listening to music, new and old.” — Allen Gannett, The Creative Curve (Page 113)
Example from the real world
Before leading the content acquisition team at Netflix, Ted Sarandos binge-watched a lot of movies. To this day, he still does that from his corner office in Beverly Hills.
The second law: Imitation
Most of us have no real experience in creating presentations because we think they are about beauty, rather than harmony, communication and experience. This leaves us with a very limited pool of talent to observe.
How can you get better?
Ever heard someone saying, “do not reinvent the wheel”? That’s your hint. If you want to get better at presentations, follow the work of the people who are great at creating them and imitate them. Study their format and layout. Build your presentations based on what they created and tweak it to fit your story. I follow mentors like Seth Godin or Nancy Duarte for inspiration. To become the master of this skill, I had to become so obsessed with what’s out there.
“You may think that breakout success comes from breaking the pattern. In reality, it is only by following a pattern that you tap into the right level of novelty.” — Allen Gannett, The Creative Curve (Page 141)
Example from the real world
Andrew Ross Sorkin was hired as a business reporter for the NYT when he was 22 years old and lacked real-world experience. To get better at the job, he imitated the greatest people in the field and that skyrocketed his career.
The third law: Creative Communities
People who are creating good presentations do not sit in dark basements and wait for ideas to come to them. They develop a network that promotes and motivates them.
How can you get better?
Being part of a community that is interested in creating better presentations such as PresentationZen on Duarte Inc, is not only about support and common interest; it’s also about learning from other people and, to be honest, it’s about feedback. Find someone in the presentation world that you admire and follow their social media accounts. Sign up for their newsletter. I recently signed up for 356Labs newsletters and I found myself swimming in a pool of ideas.
“The best innovators know that creative success isn’t a solo adventure, and also know that a single key partner is insufficient. We all need in our orbits a community of people who will fill a variety of roles.” — Allen Gannett, The Creative Curve (Page 182)
Example from the real world
Have you ever noticed that artists usually hang out with other artists? Or that many Hollywood celebrities end up marrying other Hollywood celebrities? Or even that a lot of people who live in San Francisco end up being entrepreneurs? Or that runners like to follow other runners?
The fourth law: Iterations
How do you know that you created a meaningful and impactful presentation without asking for feedback? You might not get it on the first try, but honest feedback is crucial. The people who are not very happy about your presentation slides are the ones that will make you better at it. Do not be afraid of making mistakes.
How can you get better?
Always ask people for feedback. Ask the people you work with. Connect with your audience before and after your presentation. Post your designs on the internet. Ask your friends and family. Collect as much feedback as possible and work on it to refine and polish your presentations one step at a time. Try to be more data-driven when it comes to feedback. Every time you receive negative feedback, remember that it’s part of the process.
“The biggest secret to creating something your audience will love? Listen to them.” — Allen Gannett, The Creative Curve (Page 212)
Example from the real world
Ben & Jerry started with 200 flavors. Can you imagine trying to choose between 200 ice cream flavours? Following the iteration process, they reduced it down to just 15 flavours. Which one is your favourite?
What do you need to remember?
If there’s one thing that I want you to take out of this article, is that whether you regard yourself as a creative person or not, you too can craft good presentations. Find your sweet spot where you’re familiar enough with presentations but craving for more. It’s a skill that can be honed. It clearly has to do with the process more than it has to do with an innate talent.
Apply this process to your next presentations and find out for yourself:
- Consume as much as you create (if not more)
- Imitate the great creatives in the presentation field
- Follow like-minded people, listen to a podcast or subscribe to a newsletter
- Connect with your audience and use the feedback to polish your work
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The Man behind this book!
Watch this video about the man behind The Creative Curve, Allen Gannett.
Read this article by Hsin-yu Yang, Annie to learn more about this amazing book.
