Effective Presentations

Transcription

1 Effective Presentatins Surce: Effective Presentatins by Erin B. Lindsay URL: Preparatin Effective Slides Graphics Graphs, Diagrams, and Tables Arrangement Templates Clrs Fnt Basics Type Basics Laser Basics Page 1 f 9

2 Preparatin Plan yur presentatin carefully arund the basic "take-hme" message What is the purpse f yur presentatin? Is the purpse t mtivate? Is the purpse t persuade? Is the purpse t simply cnvey infrmatin? Knw yur audience Wh is yur audience? Are the members f yur audience yur peers? Are they students? Are they yur superirs? What is their level f expertise? Are the members f yur audience familiar with the tpic? Are they familiar with the jargn, but nt the details? Is this the first time they ve even heard f this subject matter? What des the audience expect t get ut f yur presentatin? Des the audience expect a general verview? Des they expect t learn the intricate details f an elabrate subject matter? Practice yur presentatin Practice ften, bth alne and in frnt f peple. Remember that yu are teaching, nt impressing peple with yur knwledge. Watch the use f jargn r highly technical terms. Speak cmfrtably and clearly Speak a bit mre slwly than yur nrmal pace. Talk t yur audience, dn t read t them Yu can best keep the audience interest by explaining the cntent using related wrding t what is depicted. Enjy yur presentatin If yu enjy the presentatin, yur audience will enjy it. If yur audience enjys the presentatin, they will better remember the message. Page 2 f 9

3 Effective Slides Include nly necessary infrmatin Chse yur "bullet" pints carefully. With each "bullet" pint ask yurself: - Is this an imprtant pint? - Is this really smething that needs t be highlighted? Slide cntents shuld be self evident Yur slides/verheads shuld highlight imprtant pints. D nt duplicate yur entire presentatin. Avid "mega data" slides If yu put t much n a slide, yu will lse yur audience. Use numbers with nly a few significant digits, rund up if necessary. Seven wrds per line, seven lines per slide Graphics Present infrmatin graphically Is there a graphical way t present the infrmatin? If presented graphically, the audience will be mre likely t understand infrmatin in the shrt perid f time that it is n the screen. Clip art r scanned art can be useful in illustrating a pint D nt use art fr the sake f art. Art shuld serve a direct purpse r functin. Graphic devises are helpful in separating elements r directing attentin Brders, bxes, shadws, lines, arrws, symbls, and blank spaces are helpful in separating elements r directing attentin. Graphics need t be fairly big and bld t stand ut and t be seen Thin lines and small graphics may be mre distracting than helpful. Page 3 f 9

4 Graphs, Diagrams, and Tables Graphs, diagrams, and tables shw relatinships, cmparisns, and changes Graphs shuld nt cntain much detail and shuld be cncise Graphs shuld be used nly t prtray cncepts. Different graphs serve different purpses A pie graph divides a whle int cmpnent parts. Bar graphs shw relatinships between tw r mre things. Line graphs shw trends. Remember, lines need t be bld! Diagrams are used t demnstrate Diagrams demnstrate ideas, facts, plans, cncepts, prcesses, and sequences. Examples include: Organizatinal charts Flw charts Gantt charts Critical path netwrks Time lines N mre than tw graphics r diagrams per slide Mre than tw per slide wuld be WAY t much infrmatin and inundate yur audience. When using graphs and diagrams, remember the basics Select apprpriate type. Illustrate abstract cncepts rather than detailed facts. If pssible, read frm left t right label directly t avid a legend. Use scale values in runded elements. In bar graphs place time scales n the hrizntal line and ther infrmatin n the left. Page 4 f 9

5 General Slide Layut Hints and Tips Arrangement The English language is read left t right, The arrangement shuld generally read left t right. Eyes tend t land in the ptical center f the screen When a visual is first shwn, the eyes tend t land in the ptical center f the screen. The ptical center is a spt slightly abve and t the left f center. Create a visual balance between all the text and graphic cmpnents Withut this visual balance, the text and graphic cmpnents may run tgether and make it difficult fr the audience t cmprehend the pint yu are trying t make. Dn t crwd yur infrmatin t clse t the edges Infrmatin t clse t the edge is a sure sign f t much infrmatin n a slide. Sme verhead systems may nt shw infrmatin t clse t the edge f a slide. Leave space between lines f type Space between the lines f type ensures legibility. Page 5 f 9

6 Templates Use a template fr yur slides Templates create a theme r sense f unity thrughut yur presentatin. The audience will "learn" the template, and thus nt be distracted by a changing envirnment. Templates include a backgrund design and clr scheme The backgrund design may vary thrughut the presentatin. Only vary it t the extent f shwing different cncepts r fr graphics readability. The clr scheme shuld stay cnsistent thrughut the presentatin. Standardize psitins, clrs, and styles fr cmmn elements Thrughut the presentatin, titles and subtitles shuld appear in the: same lcatin; same clr; and same fnt. A lg r ther identifying infrmatin may be incrprated int the template. The template is a gd place t advertise: yur institutin; yur department; r the cnference at which yu are presenting. The bttm right crner is the best place fr the lg The eye travels t the bttm right crner as a visual is being changed. This spt may be a gd place fr the lg r infrmatin. Page 6 f 9

7 Clrs Limit the use f clr Unless yu are using a full-clr phtgraph r picture, yu shuld use n mre than three r fur cntrasting clrs. Use clrs that cntrast Optimal clr chices shuld cmplement the human visin and perceptin physilgy rather than just being yur wn favrite. Stick with cntrasting cmbinatins f red, green, blue, yellw, black, and white whenever pssible. Beware f certain cmbinatins Red letters n a blue backgrund causes "sterepsis." Red and green cmbinatins dn t wrk because many peple are red/green clrblind. Dark backgrund with light text and images is best Gd backgrund clrs include dark blues and greens. Gd text clrs are white and pale yellws. Page 7 f 9

8 Fnt Basics The fnt size shuld cmmunicate the relative imprtance f the text cntent n the slide. Heading shuld be larger than main bdy text entries Main bdy text entries shuld be larger than any sub-entries Fters and graphics captins shuld be the smallest text f all Fnt sizes shuld range between 18 and 48 pints Main bdy text shuld generally be pt. When in dubt, use a bigger fnt size. Illegible fnts detract frm the message While a legible fnt des nthing t add t the presentatin s message, an illegible fnt detracts frm the message by requiring the bserver t expend energy merely reading the text. Legibility f fnt face is determined by tw factrs: the thickness f the strkes which make up the characters and the "penness" f the characters. The best fnts have strkes f equal width. A variety f widths within the strkes f characters may be artistically pleasing, but make the characters mre difficult t recgnize. If using a cmputer fr the presentatin, use "system" fnts If using a cmputer t prepare and "shw" the presentatin, it is best t use fnts that are "system" fnts. This is especially imprtant if the presentatin is being prepared n ne cmputer but will be "shwn" n anther. The "shw" cmputer may nt have the same fnts available as the cmputer used t prepare the presentatin. Times New Rman and Arial fr Windws-PCs and Times and Helvetica fr Macintsh are gd chices. Page 8 f 9

9 Type Basics ALL CAPITAL LETTERS are hard t read. Capital letters lack ascenders and descenders making them less distinctive. Over 95% f all printed material is lwercase letters. Because f this, peple tend t be slwer readers when wrds are in uppercase r capital letters. Use uppercase letters fr the first letter f all main wrds Use capital letters (uppercase) fr the first letter f all the main wrds (all but prepsitins and cnjunctins). Avid abbreviatins Abbreviatins shuld be avided unless yu are sure that the audience will be familiar with the material. Punctuatin marks can usually be mitted Usually punctuatin marks (especially cmmas and perids) serve n functin and can be mitted. Laser Basics Use laser pinters sparingly Highlight nly what yur talk is fcused n and be sure t mve the pinter slwly. Once yu have drawn the attentin t the given pint, turn the pinter ff t remve the distractin. Guide the audience with verbal instructins Fr example, "As yu see in the lwer left panel f the slide..." Avid laser light shws The laser detracts frm the imprtant matter -- yur presentatin. Page 9 f 9