Comments on: Seven (7) http://www.presentationfacts.com/index.php/2009/01/01/seven-7/ Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:15:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Bruce Gabrielle http://www.presentationfacts.com/index.php/2009/01/01/seven-7/#comment-6077 Bruce Gabrielle Sun, 26 Jul 2009 21:18:00 +0000 http://www.presentationfacts.com/index.php/2009/01/01/seven-7/#comment-6077 The magic number seven only applies if you're memorizing a string of digits. There is another, more relevant, concept called "working memory" which says a person can only hold about 3-4 concepts in mind at the same time. If you present them with more than 4 concepts, they cannot understand them all at once. That's why a slide with more than 4 items becomes overwhelming to understand. The mind cannot hold all of it at once. When composing PowerPoint slides, this is a rule called "The Rule of Four" developed by Dr. Stephen Kosslyn. This says you should only have four elements on a slide. This is the concept I teach in the workshops I lead for MBA programs and Fortune 500 companies. The magic number seven only applies if you’re memorizing a string of digits.

There is another, more relevant, concept called “working memory” which says a person can only hold about 3-4 concepts in mind at the same time. If you present them with more than 4 concepts, they cannot understand them all at once. That’s why a slide with more than 4 items becomes overwhelming to understand. The mind cannot hold all of it at once.

When composing PowerPoint slides, this is a rule called “The Rule of Four” developed by Dr. Stephen Kosslyn. This says you should only have four elements on a slide.

This is the concept I teach in the workshops I lead for MBA programs and Fortune 500 companies.

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