Communication consultant Nancy Duarte dispenses this useful piece of advice in her classic guide to business presentations, Slide:ology: “Keep yourself visually and conceptually fed by watching films, visiting museums, and reading design-related publications.” Duarte suggests that we can develop expertise by learning from and emulating outstanding examples.

To learn from the presentation skills of the best speakers today, visit the TED channel on YouTube or the TED website. Watch one or more of the 3,700+ TED talks (motto: Ideas worth spreading) available online. Standing at more than three billion views worldwide, the presentations cover topics from the fields of technology, entertainment, and design (TED).

Your Task. 

If your instructor directs, select and watch one of the TED talks and outline it. You may also be asked to focus on the selected speaker’s presentation techniques based on the guidelines you have studied in this chapter. Jot down your observations either as notes for a classroom discussion or to serve as a basis for an informative memo or e-mail. If directed by your instructor, compose a concise yet informative tweet directing Twitter users to your chosen TED talk and commenting on it.