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7.3
Animate Your Tables
Similar to graphs (Chap. 6), tables may contain a lot of information, requiring time
for the audience to grasp. If a complex table is not introduced gradually, the audience will try understanding the table while losing track of what the speaker says.
My strong advice is to ANIMATE tables:
• First introduce column names (with units, when relevant), and then the row
names (when relevant). Do not introduce the content yet.
• With column and row names defined, introduce only one set of data (row or column) at a time:
– For instance, if you compare results from three different experimental configurations, introduce only one configuration at a time
– Spend as much time as needed prior to proceeding with the next data set
• To emphasize specific table elements, do not use the laser pointer (Sect. 13.4).
Instead, animate some rectangles or other geometrical figures or pointing arrows
to emphasize your data
Advantages of animating tables:
• The audience is not overwhelmed by too much info flashed at once
• Verbal explanations are provided at the same time as visual information is introduced (Sect. 2.2)
When animating tables created within a spreadsheet software, multiple variants
of the table might need to be generated, with increasing content. Alternatively, you
can hide (for instance with white opaque rectangles) elements from your table, and
then make these rectangles disappear at the appropriate time, using animation tools.
Similar to graphs, don’t think you are treating your audience like kids when you
take the time to slowly introduce your table. Quite the contrary, you are demonstrating respect.
7 Tables
7.3
Animate Your Tables
Similar to graphs (Chap. 6), tables may contain a lot of information, requiring time
for the audience to grasp. If a complex table is not introduced gradually, the audience will try understanding the table while losing track of what the speaker says.
My strong advice is to ANIMATE tables:
• First introduce column names (with units, when relevant), and then the row
names (when relevant). Do not introduce the content yet.
• With column and row names defined, introduce only one set of data (row or column) at a time:
– For instance, if you compare results from three different experimental configurations, introduce only one configuration at a time
– Spend as much time as needed prior to proceeding with the next data set
• To emphasize specific table elements, do not use the laser pointer (Sect. 13.4).
Instead, animate some rectangles or other geometrical figures or pointing arrows
to emphasize your data
Advantages of animating tables:
• The audience is not overwhelmed by too much info flashed at once
• Verbal explanations are provided at the same time as visual information is introduced (Sect. 2.2)
When animating tables created within a spreadsheet software, multiple variants
of the table might need to be generated, with increasing content. Alternatively, you
can hide (for instance with white opaque rectangles) elements from your table, and
then make these rectangles disappear at the appropriate time, using animation tools.
Similar to graphs, don’t think you are treating your audience like kids when you
take the time to slowly introduce your table. Quite the contrary, you are demonstrating respect.
7 Tables