According to one aspect of the invention, disclosed herein is a method of controlling a
visual presentation of data to a viewer, the presentation comprising a plurality of display configuration states through which
data content is presented to a viewer, the presentation being responsive to transition input to transition from a current display configuration state to a next display configuration state, the method comprising: (1) providing a plurality of transition effects; (2) for each pair of potentially successive display configuration states, associating a transition effect therewith; (3) receiving transition input indicative to transition from a current display configuration state to a next display configuration state, the transition defining a pair of successive display configuration states; and (4) during the transition from the current display configuration state to the next display configuration state, presenting to the viewer the transition effect associated with the defined pair of successive display configuration states. According to another aspect of the invention, disclosed herein is a method of controlling a
visual presentation of data to a viewer, the presentation comprising a plurality of display configuration states through which
data content is presented to the viewer, the method comprising: (1) providing a plurality of style guides, each style guide having a plurality of display configuration states corresponding thereto; (2) for each style guide, associating each of its corresponding display configuration states with a plurality of counterpart display configuration states in the other style guides; (3) for a presentation having a previously-defined style guide, selecting a different style guide therefor; and (4) replacing the presentation's display configuration states with their counterparts in the different style guide.