conference tipsa presentation about presentations

Basic Tips

Respect the 15-minute time limit

Stay Focused: no lengthy quotes, no literature review

Give road markers

Keep tone conversational & project your voice

Give yourself reminders

“eye contact,” “slow down,” “pause,” “emphasize”

Practice, Practice, Practice!

What presentation materials make sense

for you?PowerPoint/Keynote

Prezi

Visual Timelines (Dipity, Timeline JS)

Venn Diagrams, Graphs, Maps, Trees

Others?

PowerPoint & Keynote

Lend visual appeal

Organize your points

Enhance clarity

Reinforce message

Prone to misuse

Unsuitable to task

Poorly Constructed

PROS CONS

what’s wrong with this slide?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/27/world/27powerpoint.html?_r=2&hp

Problems

This image is taken from an article entitled “We Have Met the Enemy, and He Is PowerPoint,” published in the New York Times on April 26, 2010. It originated from a presentation to General Stanley A. McChrystal, leader of the NATO forces in Afghanistan, and “was meant to portray the complexity of American military strategy.”

The visual aid becomes a confusing, visual nightmare of colors, words, arrows, and cryptic acronyms that obscures rather than enlightens the intended message.

Even a distinguished General with expertise in military strategy and well-versed in the language used to describe the complex structures, procedures and considerations of war was completely baffled by the slide, saying, “When we understand that slide, we’ll have won the war.”

If you haven’t guessed by now, this slide is yet another example of what NOT TO DO.

Too much data/text

=>

...or boredom.

The 7x7 Rule

MAX: 7 lines of text

MAX: 7 words / line

Keep it simple

Don’t read from the slides

PP & Keynote are VISUAL

Prezi vs. PowerPoint

Pros & Cons of Prezi

The big picture + the details

Non-linear, graphical representation of your presentation

BUT can be distracting

Digital Timelines

Timeline JS Dipity

Timeline JS vs. Dipity

What presentation materials are right for you?

let’s talk about it...

Last Tips

Be prepared for problems...

Bring an extra copy of your paper

Save your paper in multiple places

Be prepared to present without visual aids

Be Confident! Remember--you’re the expert!