School text books and many business documents are written with the content creator in mind. Organized in sections, a clear structure nicely summarized in a detailed content page (or a PowerPoint agenda tracker). We make a point, provide supporting arguments, repeat the point, go back to the tracker page, open the next section, repeat. Perfectly organized, perfect logic. Studying equals forcing your brain to memorize a sequence of bullet points against its will. ("Hey, the first letters of each point make the word A-P-P-L-E when I swap the last 2 bullets!")

Most stock images are descriptive: search for "ice cream truck" and you get what you asked for. The position the image puts the audience in, is at least as important (maybe even more important) than the object it represents. Look at this image of the inside of the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris (Wikipedia link). Six images stitched together to create the sensation of small child looking up to the ceiling of this vast place.

Another motion graphics video, again about the size of the Internet. This time by graphics designer JESS3. My opinion remains unchanged:

• Beautiful graphics, and a beautiful color scheme
• But (moving) text is not the best way to visualize the billions and millions

I do however like the slowly moving time line with the launches of social networking sites over the years towards the back of the video.

I have always dreamt of using a Rube Goldberg-style animation in a presentation (earlier post). Watch this video.