OWHL TEDx_Phillips Academy: TEDx Basics

What is it?

A TEDx Talk is a showcase for speakers presenting great, well-formed ideas in under 18 minutes.

Why under 18 minutes?

This short talk model works, since it only demands the audience's attention for a short period of time, decreasing the chance of minds wandering or daydreaming about lunch. In fact, some of our greatest TED Talks have been as short as 5 minutes long!

What is a great, well-formed idea?

It can actually be one of two things:

• Something that’s new and surprising; an idea or invention that your audience has never heard about.
• A great basic idea (that your audience has maybe already heard) with a compelling new argument behind it that challenges beliefs and perspectives.

In other words, an idea isn’t just a story or a list of facts. A good idea takes certain evidence or observations and draws a larger conclusion.

Citation:

“What is a TEDx Talk?” TED: Ideas Worth Spreading. TED. Access date: January 9, 2024. https://www.ted.com/participate/organize-a-local-tedx-event/tedx-organizer-guide/speakers-program/what-is-a-tedx-talk.

The big idea

The talks that make one or two very strong points, and it’s important. Examples: Bryan Stevenson, Onora O'Neill, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The tech demo

An onstage look at some clever new invention that the speaker was a part of creating. Examples: Tan Le, Markus Fischer, Raffaello D'Andrea

The performance

Music, dance, magic, puppetry, or some other performance to captivate your audience. Examples: Usman Riaz + Preston Reed, Arthur Benjamin, Pilobolus

The artist’s statement

In these talks, artists showcase their art and explain the meaning and process behind what they create. Examples: Raghava KK, Liu Bolin, Aparna Rao

The “dazzle with wonder”

These talks are mainly about the amazement of science and discovery. Examples: Yoav Medan, Marcus Byrne, Janna Levin

The small idea

These talks are not about one big, world-changing idea, but instead a very engaging take on an interesting topic. Examples: Mary Roach, Joe Smith, Charlie Todd

The “issue” talk

These talks expose your audience to an issue that they may not otherwise know much about. Examples: Rodrigo Canales, Lawrence Lessig, Rose George

Citation:

“What is a TEDx Talk?” TED: Ideas Worth Spreading. TED. Access date: January 9, 2024. https://www.ted.com/participate/organize-a-local-tedx-event/tedx-organizer-guide/speakers-program/what-is-a-tedx-talk.