Special Edition Using Microsoft® PowerPoint® 2002

Controlling Eye Movement

We know that eight seconds is the average attention span on any visual. You can leave the visual up as long as you want, but the first eight seconds sets the tone for how long someone reads and how quickly that person can begin to listen. You can't read and listen at the same time. To test this, hand a newspaper article to another person. Begin speaking right away. You'll hear, in an angry tone, “How can I read this if you keep talking?”

Given the need to direct the eye quickly, ask yourself some questions. When a visual is displayed, where does a person look first? At what point on the image is the concentration of attention? Where does a person look next? If you can control a physical element of the audience, you will ...