Slides vs Back of a Napkin
Sunday, December 7th, 2008
I just finished reading Dan Roam’s “The Back of the Napkin” a book about solving problems and selling ideas with pictures drawn on the back of a napkin. Dan makes a great case for the power of using visual thinking to solve problems and sell ideas. I agree with almost all of his concepts related to thinking visual can lead to faster and better solutions. It’s a fast read with lots of pictures of course. The back of a napkin and/or white board can be a great tool to assist in the visual thinking process.
But, I believed the electronic slide (PowerPoint) is a MUCH better business communication tool than the back of a napkin can ever be. Yes, it may take a little longer to learn than drawing with a felt tip marker and white napkin, but it is infinitely more powerful with it’s ability to create fast, effective support visuals. Using the back of a napkin is a great tool for developing visuals of ideas that in the end will be more effectively edited, modified, and finally communicated with a good PowerPoint deck than a few napkins or a drawing on a white board. Read the rest of this entry »
