Chapter 13 Organizing, Writing, and Outlining Presentations 371organization can be especially effective when analyzing a step-
by-step process, such as a presentation on the stages of grief or
how to use a particular smartphone application.
Topical Pattern
Also known as a categorical pattern, the topical pattern is
based on organization into categories, such as persons, places,
things, or processes. Thus you might use it to describe the
various departments in an organization, the characteristics of
a successful employment interview, or the reasons for giving a
charitable contribution to a specific organization.
One key concern when selecting this approach is the
sequencing of topics, that is, which topic to offer first, second,
and so on. Depending on the circumstances, you might choose
an ascending or descending order, for example, according to
increasing or decreasing importance, familiarity, or topic com-
plexity. The primacy–recency effect can offer some guidance
in that it notes that audiences are most likely to remember points you raise at
the very beginning (primacy) or at the very end (recency) of a message, indicat-
ing that you might place your strongest point first or last so that your audience
members keep it in mind long after the end of your presentation.
Spatial Pattern
The geographical or spatial pattern arranges main points in terms of their physi-
cal proximity in relation to each other (north to south, east to west, bottom to
top, left to right, outside to inside, and so on). As an organizational pattern, it is
most useful when describing objects, places, or scenes in terms of their compo-
nent parts. For example, you might describe the physical layout of the Mall in
Washington, D.C., using a spatial pattern.
Problem–Solution Pattern
If you’re trying to call an audience to action to address a particular problem, the
problem–solution pattern of organization can be especially effective. This pat-
tern involves dramatizing an obstacle and then narrowing alternative remedies
down to the one that you recommend. The message is organized to focus on
three key points:
- There is a problem that requires a change in attitude, belief, or behavior.
- A number of possible solutions might solve this problem.
- Your solution is the one that will provide the most effective and efficient remedy.
Topics that lend themselves to this pattern include business, social, economic,
and political problems for which you can propose a workable solution. For
example, the persuasive speech described earlier about convincing listeners
not to text while driving follows this pattern. The first main point established
the problem, the second point described the ineffectiveness of current govern-
ment efforts to address the issue, and the third point proposed a solution—that
listeners themselves make the pledge not to text while driving.
DECIDING HOW to orga-
nize your speech, like figuring
out how to display family
photos on a wall or arranging
pictures from a recent trip in
a Facebook album, can be
tricky because there are so
many options to consider:
you can do it chronologically,
topically, or even spatially.
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