Visualisation guide The goal of this document is to help you design and use excellent visual aids in your presentations. “Visual aid” refers to the physical presentation support, such as an OHP slide, a Powerpoint or Impress presentation or a blackboard layout.
Step 1:
Raising awareness
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Think about the worst presentations you've seen so far. What was the problem, how could they be improved? In the past, what went wrong in your own presentations?
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What is the purpose of a presentation? In conclusion, what is the purpose of the visual aid? What are the advantages/disadvantages of text and graphic representation? In conclusion, what are they best used for? Find examples where people use text while they should be using visuals, and examples where visuals are used when actually text would be better. What are reasons why people use a lot of text in presentations? Do they have the audience in mind?
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What is the difference between a presentation and a text book? What possibilities do you have as a presenter compared to an author? What is the effect if you don't use these possibilies? •
Step 2:
You, the readers of this guide, are detached from me, the author, in time and space. This means that I am forced to put most information into printed words. With a presentation, the situation is different: The presenter can use plenty of communication channels, and the handout or slide-presentation is only supplementary. So if your visual aid can stand for itself, there is no point in personally presenting it (if you still try, you'll deliver a bad presentation). What communication channels are there, how should they be used? How can you interact? What happens if you don't interact with your visual aid or the audience? Keep thinking about the differences of a handout and a real-life presentation. How much time do you have to understand it? What organisational limits are there?
Content & Structure
Before thinking about “How”, think about “What” you want to present: • What is your goal, why are you delivering the presentation? • •
Identify key questions & answer them on paper Find a title that gets the gist of it
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Distinguish relevant from irrelevant information
Consider this “contradiction”: We think in networks: Get the bits & pieces of information together and reorganise them until you see the connections clearly. Does it form a whole?
But a presentation is linear: Try to find a logical sequence for your pieces of information. Can you see the red thread? Will everybody be able to follow this sequence?
Visualisation Guide by AlexanderMueller1986@gmail.com for Prof. Dr. Andreas Marschollek, TU Dresden, 2011.
Feedback appreciated!
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