Speaker: Markuz Wernli-Saito, photographer/designer of Mirei Shigemori Starting at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, 22 January 2006, designer/photographer Markuz Wernli Saito will give a presentation entitled "Integrating Image and Word: The Process of Designing an Illustrated Book." Markuz's BOOKNOTES presentation will guide the members of his audience through the process of designing his highly visual monograph Mirei Shigemori: Modernizing the Japanese Garden (Stone Bridge Press, 2005), not to impart information about either the Japanese garden or the influential Japanese landscape architect Mirei Shigemori (1896-1975). Markuz's BOOKNOTES presentation should be both entertaining and instructive for anyone who has either subjected others or been subjected to a pedestrian slide presentation. (The author of this paragraph pleads guilty to both.) Excerpts from an insightful review of a presentation that Markuz gave last year at the Apple Store in London's Regent Street appear immediately below. "Last night's 'Design Matters' meeting in the Apple Store featured a presentation by Swiss designer/ photographer Markuz Wernli Saito. Markuz's presentation was, in a word, excellent. Why? Because: (1) its content was perfect for his audience; (2) he had passion and enthusiasm for his topic, which came through loud and clear; (3) he used stories and anecdotes, and painted pictures with his words; and (4) his PowerPoint was highly visual, consisting of full screen photo bleeds, each with a bit of text that emphasized what he was talking about when he showed the slide. "Most presenters make the mistake of preparing slides to be narrated when they should be designing visuals to support and strengthen their stories. This can be as true for the presenter of a five-minute insurance sales pitch as for the presenter of a 30-minute research report on global malnutrition. Markuz did not narrate his slides. He told a story, and his slides greatly contributed to the telling. "Markuz's visuals were perfect, because they reinforced what he was saying, rather than getting in the way of what he was saying. And although his slides were very colorful and had great impact (like most good design), members of his audience were not even aware of just how wonderful his slides were (though we always notice awful visuals, don't we?). The members of his audience did not focus on the fantastic visuals except when Markuz explicitly called their attention to parts of a graphic. Although his slides were powerful, Markuz's manner of speaking and his spoken message were even more powerful. Together, his visual and verbal messages were simply amazing." Your ticket for admission to Markuz's Wernli Saito's presentation "Integrating Image and Word" will be a signed copy of Mirei Shigemori, bought from our shop. Signed paperback copies of Mirei Shigemori may be purchased at Good Day Books for two thousand five hundred eighty nine yen (¥2589) each, tax included, while our supply lasts. |
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