Stories that Move Mountains: Storytelling and Visual Design for Persuasive Presentations

It's called CAST (Content, Audience, Story, & Tell) and it¡äs been a quiet success, until now. Developed over a twelve year period as a presentation method to help Enterprise Architects, it was adopted by Microsoft Enterprise Architecture teams and filtered from IT managers to Sales, and beyond to major organizations around the world. Now, thanks to this unique book from an expert author team that includes two Microsoft presentation experts, you can learn how to use this amazing process to create and make high-impact presentations in your own organization.

The book helps you build complete visual stories, step by step, by using the CAST method to first create a Story Map and from there, a compelling presentation. It includes sample Story Maps, templates, practical success stories, and more. You'll discover how to go beyond PowerPoint slides to create presentations that influence your peers and effect change.

• Explains the secrets of making presentations and effecting change using CAST to create Story Maps and from there, high¨Cimpact and visual presentations that tell a story
• Covers how to apply a range of techniques and what the results look like, using screenshots of presentations, one page hand outs, and basic delivery with whiteboards
• Coauthored by Microsoft experts and a visual design guru who have years of experience training professionals in these methods
• Includes sample Story Maps, templates, practical success stories, and more

Learn how to sell your ideas and trigger change in your company with Stories That Move Mountains: Storytelling and Visual Design for Persuasive Presentations.

About the Authors

Martin Sykes started writing software 31 years ago and has spent the last 24 years working in IT organizations in the public and private sector. Since 1999 he has focused on IT Strategy and Enterprise Architecture. While developing the process and templates for visual storytelling he has worked in organizations from GlaxoSmithKline to Her Majesty's Prison Service to Microsoft, on projects from product lifecycle management to offender management systems. He has personally seen the difference a visual story can make in gaining commitment and has trained many people in the related techniques. After joining Microsoft Services in 2006 Martin began to develop many of the methods and practices now used by Microsoft Enterprise Architects around the world.

A. Nicklas Malik is a leader in the Enterprise Architecture community at Micrsoft, a role that is all about making change happen. Most people don't understand the role of the Enterprise Architect, so when Nick met Martin and learned about his remarkable approach to storytelling, he realized the opportunity was right in front of him to leverage these ideas. Some of the visual stories Nick has developed have been used to build support for consistent governance, approaches to design, and plans for building a completely integrated approach to complex business problems.

Mark D. West has a background in art, design, music, education, and training. He started working for Microsoft in 1997, executing graphic design and production solutions for MSN as an independent vendor. After many other contracts and companies, he found himself working on presentation design and data visualization for the Microsoft Services Enterprise Strategy team in 2010, where he ran into Martin. Mark has an M.A. in Whole Systems Design and ten years of experience directing art, teaching, advising, training, and developing curriculum for design programs at five different colleges. He has been awarded Distinguished Educator of the Year at International Academy of Design and technology (IADT)-Seattle and appointed to the Professional Advisory Committee for the Art Institute of Seattle.