7/31/2019 Design Lessons Learned

1/2

INTE6710~Project4 Page 1

INTE6710~CreativeDesignsforInstructionalMaterials

Project4Memo:DesignLessonsLearned

RyanMcClintockApril27,2012

Overview

Throughoutthiscourse,IhavereliedheavilyonGarrReynoldsideasonvisuallydesigningpresentation

slidesandfromHeath&andHeathfortheideasofwhattopresentandhowtoweaveandpacemy

mainpresentationmessages.Heath&HeathdescribetheGapTheoryonpage84asagapinour

knowledgethatleadstocuriosity.Ireliedonthisideawhenselectingtopicsformmypresentationsand

withinmypresentationstomakethemstickwiththeaudience.Manyofmycolleagueshadexpressed

curiosityaboutusingTwitter(PechuKuchatalk),implementingmoreProject-BasedLearning(graphic

handout),andreformingourschoolsacademies(stand-alone).Theseprojects,therefore,wereborn

frommycolleaguesinherentcuriosity.

Oneimportantimplicationofgaptheoryisthatweneedto opengapsbeforeweclosethem.

(Heath&Heath,page85)

PersonalReference

Withineachofthesepresentationswerequestionsthatopenedgapsinmycolleaguesknowledgethat

addedasenseofengagementandcuriosityastheyproceedtoview,read,andadvancethroughthe

material.Iclosedthegapsbyprovidinganswersandstepsdescribingthehowtoportions,butalways

leftthemabitcuriousformore,whichiswhyallthreepresentationshavesortofgoneviralatmy

schoolandarebeingusedtodriveinstructionandschoolpolicyandprogramcreation.

IfyouveeverbeentoLondonandtraveledtheirraillines,thenMindtheGapisaprobablyfamiliar

phrase.Mysketchissimplyabridgeoveragap,whichrepresentscuriosityleadingtolearning.The

oppositesidesofthebridgerepresentpresentandfuture,thenandnow,beforeandafter;theslogan

MindtheGapissuperimposedandwovenintothematerialofthebridge.

7/31/2019 Design Lessons Learned

2/2

INTE6710~Project4 Page 2

DesignDecision

AsIwatchedmysonsplayintheirsandbox,IthoughtIcouldalsoplayinthesandboxtocreatemy

image.Ascuriosityandgaptheoryaremymainideasfortheimage,IthoughtIcouldutilizetheslogan

MindtheGapinconjunctionwithacuriouslookingimage,namelyasmallLegobridgethatplayswith

scaleandforcestheviewerstoaskthemselvesaboutthelocationoftheimage.TogethermysonsandIbuiltabridgeandsculptedthesand(well,sandandpebblesreally)intheirsandbox.Wemadethe

bridgerathercolorfulandsymmetricaltoaddemphasistotheuseoflegos.Webuiltthecenterportion

ofthebridgewithwhitebrickssothewordsMindtheGapcouldbecontrastandstandout.We

sprayedthesandandthebridgejustpriortotakingthepicturetoaddadditionaltexturetotheimage.

Weplacedthesandbridgeandgapinfrontofasectionofwoodwithaknotinittoaddanotherpossible

sourceofvisualcuriosity.Wetookseveralphotosofthebridgebeforedecidingitlookedbestwhenits

shadowwascastdownintothegap.

Oncetheimagewasimported,IchosetoaddthewordsGapTheorytoconnecttoGeorge

LoewensteinsGapTheoryofcuriosity,asdescribedbyHeath&Heath(page84)intheirchapter

regardingtheimportanceofUnexpectedtomakingideasstick.IoffsetthewordsUsecuriositytoadd

unexpectedness.toguidethereaderfromlefttorightandslightlydowntowardsthelowerrightcorner

oftheimage.Iemphasized(boldface)thewordunexpectednessasitisthemainreasonadding

curiositytoastory/presentationhelpsviewers(orlisteners)recalltheideasandobjectivesofthe

story/presentation.

Allthingscombinedresultinasimpleandvisuallypleasingimagethatconveystheimportanceof

curiosityelementstoastickystory/presentation.