When I hear the term “3D,” I’m instantly transported to a crowded theater with lots of people wearing funny looking glasses and grasping for objects as they whizz by. For most of us, that’s our primary frame of reference for 3D. Well, that or all the cool stuff 3D printers are churning out these days. But did you know that presenters are using incredible technology to create 3D presentation media?
Today we are going to look at the pros and cons of 3D presentations, helping you to determine when and how to use them and when to stick to the basics.
Pros of 3D Presentations
Immersive Experience
We are oriented towards a 3D model of the world, which means a 2D presentation can sometimes feel lack luster. One of the incredible benefits of a 3D presentation is that it can immerse the audience in whatever you are trying to teach. In other words, it offers audience members a chance to get inside. For example, say you are presenting employees at your company with a first look at the new company headquarters that is under construction. It’s one thing just to show them pictures of what the building will look like. It’s quite another to take them on a tour of the 3D model. With 3D models, you also introduce movement, a powerful tool for capturing attention.
Large, Free Online Libraries
If you’ve never worked with 3D elements, you may not know just how many free 3D elements are already available for you to use. For example, everyone is talking about the James Webb Space Telescope these days. With just a quick search, I found NASA has a full library of 3D models you can use. It took me about 5 minutes to create this quick PowerPoint with morphing animation using NASA’s 3D model of the Hubble telescope.
You can see how having the ability rotate the telescope while talking about it can add to both the audience’s interest and understanding. In addition, PowerPoint has nearly 60 categories of stock 3D models. You can access them in the insert menu under 3D models.
Greater Flexibility and Range
Presentations with 3D elements also allow you to communicate with greater flexibility and range. For example, 3D models let you scale and access items from a variety of angles no matter their size. If you need to create a unique 3D element, you might want to start with this great beginner’s tutorial video from The Tech Train. In it, you’ll learn how to create abstract 3D shapes, how to use Google maps to trace the shape of a building, and how to create 3D text before ultimately transferring them all over to PowerPoint and smoothly animating them. Knowing how to create and incorporate 3D elements also adds to your speaking skillset. And increasing the tools you have at your disposal to communicate with your audience is always a great thing.
Cons of 3D Presentations
Low ROI
When you are designing a 3D presentation, you need to keep an eye on your return on investment (ROI). Presentations with 3D elements tend to take more time to create. If you already know how to create 3D elements and are comfortable working with them, this might not be an issue. However, if you don’t, you’ll need to learn how to create, import, and use them in a presentation. Or, you’ll need to outsource help from someone who can. Both of those can be costly in both time and money spent. So keep an eye on your ROI and whether adding 3D elements is really worth it.
It Can Seem “Extra”
I have two teenage daughters. Since teenagers tend to be one of the primary groups that change and adapt our language, I’m always interested in the new terms they are using. One of the more recent ones is “extra.” Loosely translated, it is when someone or something tries too hard, almost to the point of becoming laughable. When 3D presentations are used without clear purpose or are used too much, they become “extra.” The audience might think, “that was sort of cool, but what was the point?” When they start asking that, your presentation isn’t far from ridicule.
Low Quality=Low Credibility
All of us encounter high quality 3D models via the media we consume every day. Because we know what good 3D elements look like, we also know what bad 3D elements look like. If you aren’t able to execute high quality 3D models in your presentations, it’s likely to harm your credibility. If the 3D elements aren’t amazing, it’s probably better to leave them out.
Now that you understand the pros and cons of using 3D elements in your presentations, you might want keep these questions handy to help you determine when to use them:
- Does my audience need to “get inside” any of the content of this presentation?
- Will a 2D presentation lack the detail I need to fully explain my content?
- Do I have the resources to create or outsource high quality 3D content?
- Will having 3D elements in the presentation add to its overall effectiveness?
- Can I articulate a clear purpose for using 3D elements?
With these questions in mind, you can move toward creating immersive presentations that wow your audience. And if you’d like to learn more about how Ethos3 can help with your presentation development, design, or delivery, check us out now.
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