Death by PowerPoint – we’ve all experienced it. Slide after slide of bullet points, dense pieces of text and visuals that seem to be irrelevant. As someone who needs to communicate a key message with impact, how can you create compelling presentations that show rather than tell?

We remember visuals more than we can recall blocks of copy. In this hands-on masterclass with data visualisation expert Laura Knight, you will focus on the strategies that will help you to establish the key points of your story and identify the best way to tell your story visually.

You will learn how to understand a specific audience, identify your key messages, explore visual metaphors and storytelling structures, and plan a presentation that will communicate your ideas more effectively. You will underpin your learnings by taking part in practical exercises, and you will receive invaluable feedback from Laura and your peers throughout the evening, working collaboratively to develop ideas and plan your presentation.

Whether you’re a student presenting research, an entrepreneur, a marketer or a designer, this masterclass will help you understand how to translate seemingly dry data into visuals that will inspire and inform your audience.

Course Content

Understanding visual storytelling
Exploring visual metaphors
Presentation formats and structures
Frameworks for transforming the verbal to the visual
Planning your presentation
Q&A

Tutor Profile

Laura Knight is a designer and educator whose research explores the relationship between visual representation and knowledge. She is a Senior Lecturer in the Graphic Design Department at University of the Arts, London. She was previously the Design Director at Data Design Studios where she worked with global clients to tell visual stories with data and images. She continues to work as a consultant and trainer, supporting teams in organisations and businesses worldwide to develop their capacity in visual storytelling and information design.

Course Details

Date: Tuesday 23 May 2023
Time: 6.30pm-9.30pm (BST)

A catch up recording will be shared after the class and will be available for two weeks.

6.30pm BST | 7.30pm CET | 10.30am PST | 1.30pm EST

You will be sent a link to the webinar 24 hours and 30 minutes before the start time. Please email masterclasses@theguardian.com if you do not receive the access link 24 hours before the scheduled start time.

This masterclass is available globally. If you are joining us from outside the United Kingdom, please use this time zone converter to check your local live streaming time.

We aim to make all Guardian Masterclasses accessible to all. If you require any adjustments to enable your participation in this course, please get in touch with us at masterclasses@theguardian.com.

This event will be hosted on a third-party live streaming platform Zoom, please refer to their privacy policy and terms and conditions before purchasing a ticket to the class.

Once a purchase is complete we will not be able to refund you where you do not attend or if you cancel your event booking. Please see our terms and conditions for more information on our refund policy.

Visual storytelling: How to enhance your presentations