Prezi Persuasive Script
E-Thank you for joining me this afternoon for another Tea Time and Technology. If you haven’t already, start boiling a kettle of water, steep your delicious tea, and sit back and enjoy. Today we are so fortunate to have Stuart Kruidenier joining us to explain his thoughts on the new modern presentation software, Prezi. Stuart, would you mind introducing yourself and explaining just what exactly you do.
S-Well, as a technology critic, it’s my job to learn about the different forms of technology we have at our fingertips. In this world of ever-changing technology, it’s important to get a good idea of what is beneficial to society as well as what is damaging.
E-Goodness me, I can see you are very passionate about what you do!
S-You’ve got that right, Emily! And let me tell you why. But before I do that, let me pose a question. Have you ever sat in a dark room, watching a speaker give a presentation that seemed as though it would never end? Blah blah about presentation…..
E-By golly, it’s as if you were right there with me just the other day when my boss gave a simple power point presentation on the company’s rules and policies.
S-Well then I hope your boss is listening, because I’m about to enlighten you on how the Prezi software is changing the presentation culture as we know it. According to Forbes, Drew Banks, head of marketing for Prezi explained “Prezi sets users apart because it’s different from any other presentation software out there. You’re not bound by a linear format but by a story-telling format on a blank canvas rather than in a guided, prescriptive process.”
E- That’s a very moving quote, Stuart. Thank you. My next question, then, is if users are not bound, as Drew Banks puts it, to a linear format, then what are the possibilities of Prezi’s formatting and why are those so special?
S-That’s a great question. In my view, the possibilities are endless. With Prezi, you are an artist and the software is your canvas. Prezi allows users to create their own narratives with the wonderful zooming user interface feature. According to John Hopkin University’s Innovative Instructor Blog, “ZUI is a term used in computing to describe a graphical environment wherein users can change the size of a viewing area by enlarging or reducing it, navigate by panning across a surface, and zoom in and out of content.Stories can be told with a significant amount of visual depth and perspective.” In addition to moving from slide to slide, each about new topics or ideas, Prezi allows users to zoom into the slide or image on the screen, and build in a more detailed, in depth description of the topic at hand.
E-It’s sounds as though this zooming in feature is a large selling point in your eyes. However, according to brightcarbon.com, many users prefer PowerPoint when giving presentations, as it is more direct and straight forward. Some complain that Prezi comes across as confusing and dizzying, in a sense. What are your thoughts on that?
S- What do you want from your presentations? You want to captivate the audience. Move them. This is your tool for doing so. PowerPoint has its strengths, sure, but it has become a very tired formulaic approach that has completely lost its luster. As far the comments on confusion and dizzying, you of course can take your audience into account when creating a presentation. You don’t always have to have intricate animations at every turn, but the possibility to do so is empowering.
E- Conclusion.
Bibliography
Blume, J. (2012). The Problems with Prezi. Retrieved from: http://www.brightcarbon.com/blog/the-problems-with-prezi/
Gunelius, S. (2011). Stand Out From Competitors With Prezi Presentations. Retrieved from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in- progress/2011/03/23/stand-out-from-competitors-with-prezi-presentations/
Hall, M. (2014). The Power of Prezi. Retrieved from: http://ii.library.jhu.edu/tag/prezi/