Portraying two worlds

When we've shown two worlds in a slide or movie presentation, there are lots of opportunities for animation. We can move between the two worlds and move around in each. It's inviting to take different viewpoints in looking at each world. We can follow varied paths in each world and between them.

Two worlds is a common pattern in initiations and other ritual processes. The initiate enters the process from his/her ordinary world of day to day living amidst the passage of time. The ritual space suspends the passage of time and ordinary events. What happens seems out of this world, impossible to predict and difficult to explain. The events seem extremely symbolic and larger than life. At the closure of the ritual process, the initiate returns to the ordinary world transformed in identity, outlook and sense of purpose. The ordinary world remains the same but being in it has been changed.

Two worlds is also a common pattern in a hero's journey that Joseph Campbell popularized. A heroic myth, fairy tale or story begins in a declining world of a fallen king, wicked stepmother, prolonged drought or some other persistent misery. The heroic character seeks an elixir to end this misery in his/her homeland. It becomes necessary to find a way out of this world which leads the heroic character to a threshold between two worlds guarded against casual entry. If the hero passes the tests of the threshold guardian, the quest continues in the extraordinary world of other-worldly powers, confrontations, challenges and conquests. At the end of the story, the hero returns to the ordinary world with the elixir which brings an end to the persistent misery.

In presentations, we can also portray two worlds by changing approaches midstream. After a sequence of covering straightforward content, we could switch to open-ended processes like:

• reflecting on images with no captions or other text
• pondering what-if possibilities with only the question on the screen
• exploring a visual metaphor for different ways to define a problem, to think about functionality or realize combinations of solutions
• showing the previous sequence upside down and backwards to break up preconceptions about right answers and requirements
• doodling on a projected whiteboard about better questions to be asking or different ways to be seeing situations
• telling a story with images that sends a message to be more playful, open-minded or exploratory
• combining to scenarios into one that contains the visual elements from both in new contexts, uses or frames

Okay, it's time to go back to formulating presentations which portray only one world. Thanks for taking this  journey with me as you read this.

Taking a different view

Another set of options for creating movements in space or movements of objects plays with our point of view. When we're looking at anything, there are always different vantage points to utilize. We can have a moving effect on the viewers of our slideshows and movies by taking a different view of what we're showing them. When we're dealing with lots of charts, graphs, illustrations and photos, we forget to consider other vantage points. There's nothing more to show the viewers by looking at a 2-D object from it's side or from far away.

When we're thinking in three dimensions, there are lots of different views we can use:

1. Overviews of relative positions, distances, locations, zones and paths
2. Close-up views of details, components, interfaces
3. Inside views of hidden dynamics, internal processes
4. Side views of layers, levels, rankings, underlying structures
5. Long views of evolving trends, scouting reports
6. Process views of cycles, fallout, interactions
7. Juxtaposed views of a game board & dashboard or a territory & map

Whenever we're showing a change in viewpoint, we've entered the realm of narrative possibilities. Engaging stories often put different viewpoints in conflict and work through changes in one or more ways of seeing things. When we add this dimension to our animation strategies, we can consider using movements to show:

• changing from one view to another, as if we finding a better vantage point, taking higher ground or moving to a better place
• getting out of a fixed point of view, as if we've been stuck in one location, trapped by confining evidence or prevented from changing outlooks
• opposing a view that appears to narrow, as if we're expanding our outlook to become more panoramic, inclusive and complex
• reversing outlooks, as if we're facing the wrong direction when we over-rely on past history to predict the future or on obvious symptoms to diagnose problems
• realizing a different view could be useful, as if we're utilizing different views to better diagnose problems, make decisions and formulate better decisions
• getting oriented in a new view, as if we need time to familiarize ourselves and get comfortable with a new way of seeing things
• combining points of view to benefit from both outlooks, as if we're creating problems for ourselves until we see both sides as valuable

When we play around with our own points of view like this, creating presentations will prove to be a moving experience for us. Then moving the audience to our point of view will simply share what's it's been like to formulate our slide show or movie.

Following an animated path

When we're using animated timelines, the thing that clearly moves forward is time. Other things may also advance, but within the context of time's progress. We can show these other advances without the context of time. We are then following a path through a sequence, procedure or production routine. We're showing how to get from point A to point B before getting to point C. When we animate the movement of objects or movement in space, we define a path for the animation. By following a path, we've begun to animate the audience's attention and thought processes.

Every presentation follows a path including this one. Usually there is no mention or visualization of the implicit path. There is usually too much content to cover to acknowledge the path or make use of this visual metaphor. As with many others I will be exploring, the imagery of a path is ideal for animating by either moving in space or moving objects.

When we follow a path, we can easily visualize:

1. going there from here by way of a sequence of events, locations or steps
2. getting somewhere in a straightforward manner following markers, milestones and signs along the way
3. ending up where we intended after starting out at the beginning
4. completing the movement from plan to execution, problem to solution, order to fulfillment, etc.
5. showing how to get this done, think this through, or move forward on this
6. providing a map of the way to proceed or the better road to take
7. connecting the dots with a clear narrative about what happens after each step

When we prepare others to follow a path on their own, there's more than the path itself to consider. A presentation about following a path may also explore:

• different places to start from or varied initial conditions 
• ways to better prepare for the path or commit to the path before starting out
• pitfalls on the path to anticipate and to avoid insightfully
• forks in the road which may get misread as tempting shortcuts or pointless pursuits 
• changes in levels of difficulty, challenge or cost depending on other circumstances
• opportunities to look back, reflect on the sequence and learn from the path taken
• reasons to backtrack, go over the same ground again or revisit intermediate places on the path
• possible improvements in efficiency, quality or other metrics of following the path
• predicting what lies ahead when the path makes an unexpected turn
• considering what the path veers near to or far away from as it crosses terrains
• dealing with the adversity of the path's demands, difficulties and delays

You've just followed a path while reading this. We started out from the previous post about using animated timelines. We moved across the boundary between time's progress and other advances. We compared animation paths to the vast array of other paths to portray. We looked at the missed opportunity to explore paths in most content-laden presentations. Then we went to the place of so many different paths we can easily visualize. We approached the end by going through many other dimensions besides the path itself which enrich the metaphor of "following a path". Our journey concluded with this look back over the path we've taken.

Using animated timelines

There is a big difference using dates or date ranges compared to using a timeline in slide presentations or movies. Dates offer few opportunities for animation where timelines give us lots of choices between moving in space and moving objects. Of course a timeline can be put on a static slide so it simply sits there like any numeric date.

If we first choose how to animate a timeline, we've interfered with how well the timeline can work for us. It's far better to first choose how to use the timeline and then let that choice set up the parameters for choosing how to animate the timeline.

There are several different ways to use a timeline in a presentation:

1. Ordering a bunch of scattered incidents into a chain of events that unfolded over time to then fill in the gaps, dismiss false accusations or straighten out the story
2. Sequencing the stages of a process or separate developments of something that have evolved, merged, cross fertilized or forked over time
3. Recognizing patterns that have repeated over time which help theorize what is likely to occur next and why it is likely to happen in a particular way
4. Heightening the suspense about what twist of fate is forthcoming or which past torments have been driving current behaviors

With the use of the timeline selected, the choices for animating the timeline can be considered more strategically to achieve an intended effect. Here are most of those animation choices:

-- Assembling a timeline incrementally from individual time periods
-- Moving along and zooming into/out from a completed timeline

-- Placing event icons above or below the actual timeline
-- Zooming into find scaled down event icons hidden within the timeline

-- Starting with a bare bones timeline to gradually complicate with added features, callouts and connections
-- Starting with a completed, messy timeline to incrementally remove components which reveal the bare bones structure

-- Moving forward through the progression of time's arrow
-- Looking backwards to early signs, initial efforts and seeds of later flowering

-- Picturing a single timeline of calendar dates
-- Portraying parallel timelines of efforts, specialties, subgroups etc. which diverge, converge and affect each other's progress

-- Envisioning a straightforward progression from the past to the future
-- illustrating the setbacks, detours, reversals and iterations which contradict linear progress

-- Returning to the timeline as a launchpad to the next exploration
-- Inserting the timeline as a frame of reference while exploring other contexts besides the progression of time

When we already know which use we're going to make of an animated timeline, these choices for how to animate it will look different to us. We will see which alternative better serves the particular use we're making of a timeline.

Formulating an animation strategy

As I've been messing around a lot with Prezi and Apple Keynote lately, I've realized how easy it is nowadays to weave animations into slide presentations and videos. Gone is the era of my arduous attempts at animation in Macromind Director, Flash and ActionScript. Welcome to easy creation of paths for moving objects or for moving the eye of the viewer. Showing movement to audiences is likely to move audiences to change their minds and act accordingly. Animation can be another strategy for doctoring indoctrination. With such powerful tools at our fingertips, I'm feeling the need for a framework for orchestrating how I use these tools. The options I'm facing are overwhelmingly numerous and diverse.

In this first post, I'll explore what all these new animations can show. In later posts I'll look into different ways to show those options and how to choose among them. First, here's a look at what animations in slides or videos can show:

Movements in Space can show:

1. the way to get a result, to get to an desired outcome or to end up where one originally intended
2. the pitfalls where we can get into trouble, get stuck in a maze, or get mislead off the path through the woods
3. where to look for a solution, where answers can be found or where better ideas will be discovered
4. how close/distant something has become, how near/far apart two things are or easy/difficult it is to move between those things
5. the path to follow, the chasm to cross or the contrasting high and low roads to take
6. how steep a path is, how tempting it can be to step onto a slippery slope or how to reverse attempts climbing the wrong hill
7. levels of play in the game, higher levels of attainment or challenges to get back up after falling down
8. the difficulties with getting inside an opportunity, getting outside a confinement or getting around an unmanageable obstacle
9. the process of iterating successive approximations, of evolving a refined response or of rethinking previous decisions
10. the disconnect between two subsystems, the gap between two understandings or the broken bridges between islands
11. the straight narrow path of conformity, the avenues that deviate from the consensus trance or ways to think outside the box
12. the thought processes can get somewhere significant, get out of going in circles or make good decisions upon further consideration

Movements of Objects can show:

1. assembling a chart one row, column or cell at a time
2. building a diagram in stages, with subassemblies or in synch with a parallel process
3. changing the location, proximity or overlap of at least two distinct things
4. removing the excess, non-essentials or next level of detail to reveal the main thing
5. covering up a misdiagnosis, flawed strategy or bad decision with corrections and revisions
6. adding comments to a statement, callouts to an illustration or dialogue to cartoon characters
7. introducing the next piece to a historical timeline, sequential procedure or unfolding storyline
8. revising the size of the container to include, exclude or draw a line between components
9. bringing in what has been missing, held in suspense or expected to complete the picture
10. reconfiguring the layout to function better, to solve the problems or to address different opportunities
11. engineering the desired outcome in reverse or proceeding backwards from the end result
12. combining incompatible alternatives to resolve dilemmas, to benefit from paradoxes or to explore their intersection

Welcome to my world of a staggering number and diversity of animation options :-)