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Contelligence Group
Adding meaning and mobility to content
Upcoming events
Plan to attend the 5th Annual Intelligent Content Conference on February 7-8, 2013 in San Francisco.
Don Day will lead a workshop on "Working With HTML5 Themes and Enhancements".
Michael Boses will present on "How Things Work: a Manager's Guide to Creating Intelligent Content".
- Conference site
- Register before December 28 to get your early discount!
Worth Repeating: Head tracking in a 2D Universe
Posted on October 24, 2012 by Don
Recently I came across an exceptional persuasive video in which the presenter explains a complex perceptual issue in user experience with astounding clarity. I like the way the presenter, Johnny Lee, thinks. If only my writing could be this clear even some of the time! What is most amazing to me is the number of views on this particular video — approaching 10 million at the time I viewed it.
But the key point in my mind is how effortlessly Johnny Lee walks through the technical principles of depth simulation on a 2D display, building on the viewer’s knowledge step by step, making the concepts incredibly clear. I kept thinking, What can I, as a professional writer, take away as lessons to apply in my own efforts to unfold the mysteries of a complex product or concept to a frustrated or confused reader?
For one, I noticed that he starts his explanation by referencing a common object and shared experience–looking at a picture in a frame. Then, in each segment of the discussion, he patiently builds on one point after another in order to bring my knowledge along. It is a masterful instructional technique for complex ideas.
As you add views to the count for this instructional video (will you push it over 10 million?), what can you apply as a good or even best practice for effective concept writing? And if you’ve already got a 10-million hit instructional video, then of course let us all know what we’ve been missing!
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