How many ways can you say the same thing... and still make it land?
In my workshops on presentation design, I often see it happen: people start from the same topic but choose completely different paths.
Some begin with an image, others with a question. Some lean on logic, others on emotion. And I always remind them of the same thing: there’s no single right form, only the form that works for that message, for that audience, in that moment.
A similar phenomenon occurs at the Paolo Grassi Academy, where I’ve had the opportunity to observe students working on their thesis projects. Over the course of a three-week workshop, starting from the same initial idea, they reshape how they present it: they shift tone, structure, order, rhythm… It all depends on what they want the audience to feel and which message they want to bring to the foreground. The core project doesn’t change. But the way it’s brought into the world does.
🦠 The Scientific Concept: Degenerate Quantum States
The concept of a degenerate state emerged in the early 20th century, during the development of quantum mechanics. Wolfgang Pauli introduced it around 1924, while formulating the exclusion principle to explain the internal structure of atoms. Later on, Schrödinger, Heisenberg, and Dirac helped formalise it into a core element of quantum theory.
In essence, a state is said to be degenerate when multiple distinct configurations have the same energy level. That is: the system can take on different forms, each with its own internal structure, but still produce the same external result. One classic example is the hydrogen atom: certain electron states may differ in shape or orientation but still share identical energy values. Depending on the system’s symmetry, multiple equivalent solutions can coexist.
It’s a concept with something quietly liberating about it: it tells us that there isn’t just one correct configuration, that multiple forms can work, as long as they’re internally coherent and fit the system.
This holds in physics. But also in life. And in communication. So, in conclusion, all roads lead to Rome. Even the quantum ones.
🎤 Presentations: different forms, same impact
In the world of presentations, we often fall into the trap of seeking the right formula. The perfect slide template. The ideal tone of voice. The best narrative structure.
But the goal isn’t to find one model that works forever. The goal is to find the form that allows your message to resonate, in that context, with that audience.
There are quiet, minimal presentations that move us. There are visual, dynamic ones that bring clarity. And there are fluid, light ones that still leave a mark.
The same content can take different shapes and still work. The key is to choose the form intentionally: guided by purpose, empathy, and clarity.
🏋️ Practical Exercise
Take a presentation you're working on, or one you've already done, and ask yourself: “What emotion do I want my audience to feel?”
Maybe it’s trust. Curiosity. Urgency. Wonder. Lightness. Start designing your presentation from that emotional intention.
→ What words do you choose?
→ What visuals do you use?
→ What pacing and tone emerge?
Then, change the emotion. Pick something completely different from calm to provocation, or from authority to delight.
Now ask: how does your presentation need to change? What structure would shift? What visuals no longer work? What tone feels off?
There’s no one final form. But every form begins with intention. And when that intention is clear, it can truly resonate.
This article is part of Quantum Presentations: a series exploring how ideas from quantum physics can elevate storytelling, communication, and presentation design.
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