DESIGNING PRESENTATIONS
Mike DePalma
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction ........................................................... 1 Information Gathering ............................................ 5 Visual Presentation ................................................. 3 Handout Construction ............................................. 4 Spoken Presentation ............................................... 5 Stage Preparation .................................................. 6 Presentation Delivery ..............................................7 Conclusion ............................................................. 8
Conclusion
Presentation Delivery
Stage Preparation Spoken Presentation Handout Construction
Visual Presentation
Information Gathering Introduction
Introduction
The Art of Presentation
‣______________________________ ‣______________________________ ‣______________________________
‣______________________________
Now name the topic of the excellent presentation. ‣______________________________ Did you remember the excellent presentation? Chances are you not only remembered the topic; you also learned something!
Stage Preparation
‣______________________________
‣______________________________
Spoken Presentation
Now do the same with an excellent presentation, listing all of the aspects that made it so memorable. ‣______________________________
Name the topic of the poor presentation.
Conclusion
People’s number one fear is public speaking. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy! -Jerry Seinfeld
Presentation Delivery
‣______________________________ ‣______________________________
Handout Construction
Try to remember a time in your life when you experienced a poor presentation. It could be a university speaker, student presentation, or maybe some of your former teachers and professors! Imagine the scene, recreating the slides, body behaviors of the presenter, the words they used,
‣______________________________
Excellent! Was it easier to remember the good presentation? Let’s try one more exercise.
Visual Presentation
Some individuals manage to make it through their entire educational careers without ever having to stand in front of a group of people and present information. Unfortunately, if you’re reading this, you’re probably not one of those people! Here’s the good news: presentation experience is one of the most valuable skills you can gain during your educational career. Public speaking and presentation design skills can impact many facets of your life, from your grades, to your future career, and even wedding toasts.
and their tone of voice. Now, list five things that come to mind whenever you remember the poor presentation: ‣______________________________
Information Gathering
Introduction
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Introduction Information Gathering Visual Presentation Handout Construction Spoken Presentation Stage Preparation Presentation Delivery Conclusion 2
Presentation Road Map Several steps are required to develop a successful presentation. Currently, you are reading the Introduction chapter. Notice the bar on the edges of the book? That’s a quick reference indicating which chapter we’re currently working through (indicated by the darker shading), as well as a marker of progress throughout this guide. You will also find the image below at the beginning of each chapter. Our presentation road map will guide the overall path of the presentation process. Each building on our road-trip is a crucial step towards our destination...fantastic presentations!
Key Icons You’ll want to remember what each of the following icons represent, as they’ll appear throughout the rest of the guide. Activity: Complete activities to improve understanding and demonstrate examples.
Key Fact: Watch for this i c o n ! Yo u ’ l l f i n d explanations of important ideas and information. Stop!: Highlights information that you never do during the presentation process ...ever!
O n l i n e Re s o u r c e : L i s t s resources for reference and further exploration.
Quiz Yourself: Use the short practice quizzes to test your understanding of key ideas.
Spoken Presentation Stage Preparation Presentation Delivery
internet?
Handout Construction
There are a few things we must cover before beginning the presentation process. First, do you have what it takes? No, I don’t mean patience, endurance, or creativity
Do you have the DESIGNING ☑PRESENTATIONS guide? ☐Can you operate a computer? Do you know how to use your ☐choice of presentation software? Do you know how to operate a ☐word processing program? ☐Can you operate a projector? Can you identify confident body ☐behaviors? Can you identify the location of ☐your presentation? Can you identify the participants of ☐your presentation? Can you identify available ☐resources? Can you identify the time you have ☐available for the presentation? Do you know how to locate ☐information and images on the
Visual Presentation
Before We Start
Presentation Checklist
Information Gathering
It is very important to follow each of the chapters within this packet in the order in which they are presented. Some sections will require you to have a piece of paper and a writing utensil in order to complete certain activities. Most importantly, this guide works best if you achieve total mastery of all items on each chapter test before continuing on to the next chapter. Try your best; you can always refer back to the chapter content if you feel unsure of your mastery of the material. Finally, be sure to refer to the online resources for additional information. They are a wonderful way to learn the finer points of presentation design!
(although they would definitely help!), I mean some basic tools and information required in order to design and develop presentations. It’s critical to have all the supplies you need to complete the presentation process. Make sure you’ve got all the essentials by completing the checklist to the right.
Introduction
How to Use the Packet
Conclusion 3
4
Conclusion
Presentation Delivery
Stage Preparation Spoken Presentation Handout Construction
Visual Presentation
Information Gathering Introduction
Handout Construction Spoken Presentation Stage Preparation Presentation Delivery Conclusion
The very first step in information gathering is to define your target audience. You must define your target audience even before selecting a topic; you won’t be able to teach five year old children molecular physics, for instance, no matter how wonderful the presentation.
Identify who will attend your presentation before choosing a topic because your target audience may not possess the prior knowledge necessary to understand an advanced topic.
Visual Presentation
The Who
On your paper, write down some key characteristics about your presentation attendees. This could be their age groups, gender, income level, interests, or any other broad topic that will pertain to most of your participants. Turn to the next page to view my list for a fictional presentation about video games, given to college students.
Information Gathering
Imagine you are planning a road trip. Would you just hop in your car and start driving? No! You’d need to spend time preparing a map, perhaps packing a cooler, and most importantly, choosing your destinations. The process is the same for a presentation. By first answering a few questions about who your audience, where you will be presenting, and what you will be discussing, you will save yourself huge amounts of time while designing the presentation. Grab yourself a piece or two of paper; you’ll need it!
• Identifying Attendees and their knowledge of your presentation subject • Describing resource, time, and location limitations • Selecting a topic and theme
Introduction
Information Gathering
Chapter Highlights
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Introduction Information Gathering Visual Presentation Handout Construction Spoken Presentation Stage Preparation Presentation Delivery Conclusion 6
Video Games Age Group: 18-22 Gender: male Education: Some college Income: < $20,000 Interests: video games (obviously), computers, the internet, electronics, fast cars, sports Notice that I did not write down characteristics of all video game players. Surely there are women who play video games, have a Ph.D. and make over 100,000 dollars a year but they are not the average person who will attend your presentation. Now that you have a general idea of who is coming to your presentation, we now have to find their background knowledge of the subject. Below the demographics, rate the proficiency of the attendees in the subject on a scale of one to ten, one being they have never heard of the subject before, while ten meaning they are on the cutting edge of the subject and
understand the entire field. For college students attending a video game presentation, I would place their proficiency level at six or seven. This number will help us later whenever we select a topic. Finally, why are people attending your presentation? This one might be easy; it’s a class requirement. In the corporate world, they may attend your presentation because you’re training them on a new product, or you’re a speaker at a conference. Write at least two reasons for attendance below the proficiency level. Let’s pretend I am giving a presentation on video games as part of a campus-wide speaker series. I would list interest in video games and class requirement for my reasons. Did you come up with two reasons? Great job! Hopefully your list is beginning to look like the one on the right. Now, let’s continue on to the location.
Do not identify demographics, background in topic, and reasons for attendance for every person interested in your subject, only people who are actually coming to your presentation!
Video Games Age Group: 18-22 Gender: male Education: Some college Income: < $20,000 Interests: video games (obviously), computers, the internet, electronics, fast cars, sports Proficiency Level: 6-7 Attendance reasons? Interest in video games Class requirement
• Choose a topic that is appropriate for the average proficiency level of your learners. Do not choose something that is basic if they are very proficient in the topic, and do not select a topic that is too difficult for a group new to the subject. • Try to select a topic that is exciting for both the attendees and for you.
Presentation Delivery
My topic is..
Stage Preparation
• Know your topic before competing this guide! If you need to brush up on the content, research some more and then come back to this section.
Spoken Presentation
• If you can, select a topic that is slightly above the average knowledge level of your audience; they will appreciate the new knowledge.
Handout Construction Conclusion
Number of seats: Size of room: Size of stage: Is there a(n): computer available? Mac or PC? projector? internet connection? wireless presenter (used to change slides)? podium? smartboard? whiteboard? laser pointer? flip chart?
Finally, the fun part! Until now we’ve used a broad subject for our attendee and location analysis. That is about to change. Using all of the information gathered in the previous steps, identify a topic that you will present. It should not be the same as the subject; you cannot give a presentation on the entire subject of video games in only one hour. Also, your topic should be something that will interest your attendees; if their proficiency level is 6, don’t choose, for example, “What are video games?”. Besides being too broad, it is also far below their proficiency level. Use the tips in the sidebar for extra help, and then write your topic to the right.
• Select a narrow topic that you can complete in the amount of time you have available - it is much easier to expand a narrow topic than to shrink a large one.
Visual Presentation
Location List
The What
Topic Selection
Information Gathering
Now that we know who will attend the presentation, we must identify where they will see it. This is a two-step process: first we must list everything we know about the location, and then we will describe the time constraints. To begin, we will list as much as we know about the location, and the items present for our use.
Were you able to complete all of the sections? If not, be sure to find out before we continue. Next, we can define how much time is available for the presentation. It is important to find out how much time is available to you in order to build a presentation that isn’t too long...or short! Below the location list, write how much time is available to present.
Introduction
The Where
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Introduction Information Gathering Visual Presentation Handout Construction Spoken Presentation Stage Preparation Presentation Delivery Conclusion 8
I have hundreds of topics to select concerning video games. By analyzing my audience, I know they are primarily Constructivism male college students who enjoy video Indirect Learning Benefits games, and I can safely assume they Constructivist are interested in education (after all, Learning through they are in college). A good topic to Simulation Video Expensive Online Games choose would be video games in Games education. However, this topic is still too broad for a 30 minute Simulation Emerging Trends Examples presentation. By narrowing the topic to “constructivist learning through Does your idea cluster look like the simulation video games”, I have a specific topic which will interest my example above? Great! If you’re having difficulty coming up with target demographic. After narrowing your topic, enough items, you may want to revise your topic. Now that you have your we must generate an idea cluster to help us decide on list, select at least three but no more the information we will than five key points. Which points you choose depends in several factors: cover in the presentation. how much time you have for the We can also use this step to make sure presentation, how much information our topic is not too expansive, or too you have about each point, and how narrow. Create an idea cluster by writing your topic in the middle of a each point correlates with the others. As an example, I know that I can piece of paper, and then writing key combine constructivism and indirect points of information about your topic learning from my idea cluster, so I around it. Connect lines from the key would only need to select one. points to the topic. See the example above. Try to come up with at least
From the above list, I would select constructivism, benefits, simulation examples, and emerging trends. Expensive is too specific to fulfill part of the presentation, online games is too vague and only slightly related to the main topic, and we can combine indirect learning into constructivism. Now narrow your list to three to five key points, and list them below your idea cluster. Excellent job! Now we must create an outline to help organize our presentation. Start by listing each of the main points in an outline format, and then write three sub-points underneath each of your key points. I’ll do an example of my first point below. I. Constructivism A. Definition B. Indirect Learning C. Example Complete the rest of your outline, and then turn to the next page.
Stage Preparation
Did you pass? Check your answers below. Congratulations, you’ve made it to the second destination on our presentation road map: Visual Presentation. Turn the page to begin!
Spoken Presentation
NEXT WEEK ONLY!
1. True or False: When defining your target audience, make sure you select c haracteristics represent ever y presenter. 2. True or False: The topic you select will never have less than three key points 3. What does ‘prof iciency level of attendees’ mean? 4. Describe the process of selecting key points. 5. Define two reasons for defining a theme.
Handout Construction Presentation Delivery
1. False, you should select characteristics of the majority. 2. True. 3. The average knowledge level of attendees in your subject. 4. See Page 8. 5. See left column.
Nice work! Are you ready for chapter two? Take the quiz to find out.
Conclusion
...I doubt I would attend the presentation. Defining a theme is important for two reasons. First, it gives you, the presenter, a common element to tie your presentation together. Also, for the participant, it gives a powerful reminder of the content of the presentation and the main idea.
There, isn’t that better? Not only is it catchy, but we now have a theme that ties the whole presentation together, and distills our most important message into two short lines. Try it for your own topic below.
Give these few short questions a shot. If you don’t correctly answer all of the questions, be sure to refer back to the appropriate section to brush up before continuing on.
Visual Presentation
NEXT WEEK ONLY! Constructivist Learning through Simulation Video Games
NEXT WEEK ONLY! Playing with Toys: Learning by Doing with SimGames
Quiz
Information Gathering
We have reached the final part in the information gathering chapter, and it is a critical step. Take a close look at the name of your topic. What do you want your attendees to take away from your presentation? If you saw the title of your presentation on an advertisement, would you be interested? I know if I saw this sign...
Taking our example, by adding a catchy title and a sub-header we can transform it into an exciting theme.
Introduction
The Theme
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10
Conclusion
Presentation Delivery
Stage Preparation Spoken Presentation Handout Construction
Visual Presentation
Information Gathering Introduction
Stage Preparation
purpose of your presentation is to convey information to your audience, not amaze them with your taste in elaborate fonts!
Conclusion
the fancy fonts you may have found in your word processing software. There is only one point to remember about font selection: always choose a san-serif font. They are the easiest to read at a distance (the serif fonts actually appear blurry from far away), and are not distracting. The
Presentation Delivery
Can you spot the difference? Serif fonts have extra details around the edges of the letters. Compare the serif font to the san-serif font. Notice the
Spoken Presentation
serif, san-serif, and script.
Handout Construction
There are three basic font types:
Visual Presentation
Font
lack of details around the bottom of the letters R, I, and F? The final font, script, is actually the name for any of
Information Gathering
The visual portion of a presentation is the most misunderstood and errorprone piece of presentation design. Many of the rules that some consider common knowledge are now viewed as incredibly detrimental to your presentation. For instance, many believe that elaborate text builds grab the audience’s attention, and help encourage participation - the opposite is true! Now that you have selected content for your presentation we can begin with our first step, font selection. Open up your favorite presentation software and let’s begin!
• Selecting a color scheme • Constructing transitions • Selecting media content • Conducting practice visual presentations
Introduction
Visual Presentation
Chapter Highlights
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Introduction Information Gathering Visual Presentation Handout Construction Spoken Presentation Stage Preparation Presentation Delivery Conclusion
The color selection process is confusing to many people, but there are really only two rules. 1. Understand the impact contrast has on your presentation. 2. Use no more than 4 colors for text (including black or white) on your slides. Point 1 Contrast is the amount of difference between two colors. Selecting two colors with low contrast will make your text hard to read; the opposite is also true, two colors with very high contrast will make your text hard to read. Select a color scheme that contains some contrast, but do not make it so high that it is difficult to read. Black on white and blue on silver are safe bets. If in doubt, always choose either light text on a dark background, or dark text on a light background. If you wish to explore some additional color alternatives, try the tools at www.colorblender.com.
Point 2 The more text colors used in your presentation, the more distracting the slides will become. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do a disservice to your presentation topic! If you do wish to highlight a word or phrase, change the font type to bold or italic. If you absolutely do not wish to use a font style, then select a color that is a few shades away from the original text color. Compare the slides to the right, and circle the slides which contain all of the characteristics that we have discussed so far in this chapter.
Slide!
Slide! 3
Slide! 4
Slide! 5
Slide! 1
6
Slide!
Slide! 2
7 Correct Answers: Slide 1 and Slide 7 Slides 5 and 6 use a script font, while slide 2 uses a serif font. Slides 3 and 4 have too low of contrast, while slides 5 and 6 are using a very high contrast that is difficult to read.
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Color
Stage Preparation Presentation Delivery Conclusion
Slide Builds Slide builds can be used to great effect when you wish to demonstrate a change in pace or topic within your presentation. If you wish to use slide builds, use simple fades and wipes, and never use audio with your build!
Spoken Presentation
Text Builds If you are planning to use any bulleted text in your presentation, you must include text builds that only release one bullet at a time. This allows you to focus on one specific point, and it prevents the audience from reading ahead and missing important verbal information.
Handout Construction
Once you have your slides assembled you should create the text and slide builds. Builds are used slow the speed in which text is added to the slide, as well as to change the way the next slide is added to the presentation. Builds are not meant to be flashy. Instead, builds are added to text and slides to focus the attention of the attendee on you!
Visual Presentation
university, and finally the title of your presentation. The second slide should always contain your theme. It is an excellent idea to give your attendees an idea of the path you are taking with your presentation. It helps direct their attention to the key points, and it will make you more comfortable during the presentation because the first slide is an easy one! The remaining slides will contain your key points from the outline. The order in which you present the information is your choice, but most great presentations build up to the largest point on the second to last slide. And the last slide? This is where you provide a conclusion, either summing up your points, drawing counterpoints, or creating some other form of an ending.
Information Gathering
Finally, a chance to actually create a slide! Remember the outline you made in chapter 1? Pull it out, because weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be using it to create our slides. A presentation should not be overweighted with information on your slides. Remember, the attendees have come to hear you and your ideas, not to see your slides! Slides are above all an emphasis of key ideas and a visual aid to explain difficult concepts. How many slides should your presentation contain? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good idea to allow one to two minutes per each slide, and each point have no more than three separate slides. Using those guidelines, calculate the amount of slides by dividing the total amount of time you have to present by two. For a thirty minute presentation, this means you should have no more than fifteen slides. For a ten minute presentation? No more than five! So what do you put on those slides? Well your first slide should always contain information about you and your presentation. Include your name, any affiliations such as class or
Builds
Introduction
Slide Assembly
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Introduction Information Gathering Visual Presentation Handout Construction Spoken Presentation Stage Preparation Presentation Delivery Conclusion 14
Practice!
Media Selection
After adding the builds it is always a good idea to do a practice runthrough of your presentation. While previewing the slides, keep a few points in mind. 1. Did I choose a font that attendees in the back row can read clearly? 2. Is the color scheme visible and non-distracting? 3. Does the order of my content make sense? 4. Do I have builds on all of my bullet points? 5. Are my text/slide builds distracting?
You should have a complete presentation. Congratulations! While you were completing a run-through of the presentation, you probably noticed something...it’s a little bland. A surefire way to spice up your presentation is to add rich media such as photographs, charts; even movies and sounds!
If you find any problems, be sure to repair them before continuing. Also take this opportunity to revise your content and add or subtract material as you see fit. Remember, don’t clutter your slides! Slides are used as a visual aid, not a replacement for your presentation.
Identify Media Locations Perform your presentation again, noting any areas where you can add media items. The key to identifying media locations is to find places where your presentation will become more meaningful by adding media. Do not select a slide just because it is all text; try to identify locations that will enhance the content.
A slide on medieval art would be an excellent place to add some pictures, but a medieval soundtrack will in all but the most extreme examples just distract the audience. Once you’ve selected the type of media, you must select the media itself. Again, for medieval art you should use examples of the medieval art you are discussing - don’t add pictures a 1950’s painting! Also, select media that you are familiar with and can tie into your presentation. Knowing the background of the image, and using it to enhance the presentation can leave a lasting impact on your audience.
Selecting Media Selecting media for your presentation depends on two items: type and characteristics. Sometimes a certain part of your presentation lends itself well to a specific type of media.
Not an appropriate selection of media for this packet.
Perform another run-through of the presentation, focusing on the media and how well it blends with the rest of your presentation. Use the same rules as before, except now focus on the media. Make changes to the display of the content or the media in order to develop a presentation that flows well from slide to slide.
Online Resources
http://www.writing.eng.vt.edu/slides.html
http://tinyurl.com/yo3jyl
Stage Preparation
http://www.presentationzen.com/
Spoken Presentation Presentation Delivery Conclusion
1. Serif, san-serif, and script. Always choose a san-serif font. 2. True. 3. See page 14. 4. False.
We have now finished your visual presentation! If you are happy with all of your design choices, then we are ready to continue on to the construction of the handout. Take the short quiz to the right, and then proceed to the next section. If you have any questions, be sure to review the items in the chapter. The presentation process is one which builds in each prior step, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best to make changes now, while we are in the design stage.
1. What are the three different types of fonts? Which should you use in your presentation? 2. True or False: You should always use text builds in your presentation. 3. Name one thing you should watch for during your practice presentation. 4. True or False: Clip-art is an excellent choice for presentation graphics.
Handout Construction
This is a much better choice!
Practice Makes Perfect
Visual Presentation
Finally, place the media on the slide you identified. Remember the rules for designing slides. If you wish, you can place the media on a separate slide following your content. This works especially well for charts and movies, which are far easier to
Tr y to answer each of the questions below. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re having difficulty, be sure to refer to the section in this chapter for help.
Information Gathering
Positioning Media
Quiz
view when they take up the entire slide.
Introduction
Do not use clip-art or stock images inside of Powerpoint. The images are overused, and do not add any substance to the presentation. Photorealistic media is interesting, and can serve as a talking point for the presentation.
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Conclusion
Presentation Delivery
Stage Preparation Spoken Presentation Handout Construction
Visual Presentation
Information Gathering Introduction
Distilling Content
Stage Preparation Presentation Delivery Conclusion
A well-designed handout leaves a lasting impression on your presentation attendees... and if in the right hands could even land you a job someday!
Spoken Presentation
First, we must select key information from our content. What
Handout Construction
We must begin by first referring back to our content outline and visual presentation. A handout contains two main parts: a summary of your key
are the most important parts of your presentation? Do you have any examples which you can explain further? Difficult subjects that a greater explanation could help answer any lingering questions? This is the kind of information that you should include on a handout. Read over your content and select three main ideas that you wish to include on your handout. Have your information? Great! Let’s proceed to the next section.
Visual Presentation
Papers, Please!
presentation information, and additional resources the attendees can explore to learn more about your topic. A handout should not be a copy of all of your slides, or a list of your bullet points during the presentation. Your attendees will already see your presentation; take this opportunity to give them something fresh.
Information Gathering
Creating a handout is easy, but it is an often overlooked addition to presentations. Many view it as extra work, and, done incorrectly, can distract the attendants, violating presentation rule number one: don’t take the focus off of your content.
• Choosing supplementary presentation resources • Constructing presentation handout
Introduction
Handout Construction
Chapter Highlights
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Introduction Information Gathering Visual Presentation Handout Construction Spoken Presentation Stage Preparation Presentation Delivery Conclusion 18
Summarize! Take your key points and write a summary of each. Do not write more than 5 sentences for each key point; all of your content must fit on one page. It is only okay to use bullets on a handout if you are listing examples or other short information. Never use bullets for key ideas! A written summary will provide both context and analysis of the key point. See the sidebar for acceptable bullet usage.
A short scenario is a great way to convey important information, and can be fun to write. Mix it up, and be creative!
Extras Supplemental resources are an often requested item following a presentation, and they also are an excellent way to encourage further exploration of your topic. Try to list at least three additional resources that
your attendees can access. Provide a short synopsis of the resource, listing items to focus on and how it is helpful for your topic.
Layout Now that you’ve created the summary information for the handout and selected supplemental resources, we can focus on the creation of the handout itself. While graphic design is outside of the scope of this manual, there are a few tips which will help in any situation. First, make sure you include the same title on your handout that you used for the presentation. Also, try to replicate the color scheme - it helps create consistency. If you have images, be sure to include a short summary of what the image depicts. Even better, select the same images from the actual presentation. Be creative! This is an opportunity to create a lasting bond with your audience.
Okay Video Game Types • Simulation • Shooters • Role-Playing
Not Okay Simulation games help people learn in three ways • Discovery • Practicality • Authenticity
Bullet Bullet Bullet Bullet
HEADER
HEADER
• • • •
Bullet Bullet Bullet Bullet
• • • •
Bullet Bullet Bullet Bullet
1. True or False: Bulleted lists are used to list the main ideas. 2. What are supplemental resources? 3. Describe the process for writing summary information.
HEADER
Paragraphs containing scenarios or the key point summaries.
Handout Construction
Bullet Bullet Bullet Bullet
Extras
Spoken Presentation
Paragraphs containing scenarios or the key point summaries.
Extras
Bullet Bullet Bullet Bullet
Stage Preparation
• • • •
Visual Presentation
Extras
Extras
• • • •
Tr y to answer each of the questions below. If you’re having difficulty, be sure to refer to the section in this chapter for help.
Paragraphs containing scenarios or the key point summaries.
Information Gathering
Extras
HEADER
Extras
Presentation Delivery
Paragraphs containing scenarios or the key point summaries. • • • •
Bullet • Bullet • Bullet • Bullet HEADER •
Bullet Bullet Bullet Bullet
Conclusion
Paragraphs containing scenarios or the key point summaries.
1. False, your main ideas should be written in a paragraph form with explanations. 2. See page 18. 3. See page 18.
An excellent way to test the layout of your document is to hold the handout far enough away from you that you can see all of the key sections. Look at the examples on this page, selecting layout choices that you like. Once you’ve finished viewing the examples, use the space below to create your own handout layout.
• • • •
Paragraphs containing scenarios or the key point summaries.
Introduction
Visualize!
Quiz HEADER
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Conclusion
Presentation Delivery
Stage Preparation Spoken Presentation Handout Construction
Visual Presentation
Information Gathering Introduction
Stage Preparation Presentation Delivery Conclusion
It is important to prepare slides notes to practice your presentation and
Spoken Presentation
Prepare Slide Notes
Now is the time to spice up your presentation! Do you have any interesting facts, figures, or other information that you can use as an example? Put all points of interest on your cards, and make sure you
Handout Construction
Using a piece of paper, draw a horizontal line and label the start and end points with the beginning time and end time of your presentation. Now draw a line indicating when your presentation will end, leaving 1/4th for a summative discussion. Now, identify the point where you plan to transition from each of your key points. This timeline will act a guide for your timing, and will help us create slide notes. Great job!
POIs
Visual Presentation
Plot Timeline
to give you a visual guide of each part of your presentation. They should be simple, sometimes only a list of your key points. Remember, the slide notes are not for you to read during the presentation! You should have the notes as a study tool, and none of your participants will know about them. Make sure you include some time indicators (from the previous step) in order to gauge your timing. Remember, you should always stay under your set time limit!
Information Gathering
The process of designing the spoken presentation should all fall into place at this point in the packet. By using all of the information gathered from your handout and presentation, we can distill those facts into notes, or expand them into example scenarios. Be creative!
• Preparing slide notes • Constructing flair elements • Demonstrating confident body behaviors • Conducting practice spoken presentations
Introduction
Spoken Presentation
Chapter Highlights
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Introduction Information Gathering Visual Presentation Handout Construction Spoken Presentation Stage Preparation Presentation Delivery Conclusion 22
remember them! Refer to them for filler in your presentation and to keep the audience’s attention. Some examples include statistics, quotes, or other factual content.
Flair Elements Flair elements are very similar to points of interest in that they help carry your presentation, except flair elements are not facts or figures. They are typically stories that you tell the audience to help them relate to you and your topic, but flair elements can also come in the form of jokes, scenarios, or even group activities! Some of the best presentations incorporate the audience into the topic, even making them part of the story. Try to add at least one flair element to your presentation.
Body Behaviors The final preparation step for the spoken presentation involves not what you will say, but how you will carry your body and other physical mannerisms. There are many body behaviors that are distracting to the audience.
Never distract the audience! Anything that is distracting takes away from your content, and that’s why everyone came to see you in the first place.
Can you think of distracting body behaviors? Some examples would be putting your hand in your pockets, or crossing your arms. Try to come up with at least five additional distracting behaviors and list them below. ‣______________________________ ‣______________________________ ‣______________________________ ‣______________________________ ‣______________________________ Nice work! Some additional distracting body behaviors are maintaining eye contact for too long (or not at all!), standing in one place for the entire presentation, and turning your back to the audience.
As you can see, it is pretty easy to name distracting body behaviors, but the same is not true for actually demonstrating confident body behaviors. Many times, you can become so caught up in the content of your presentation that you forget all about carrying your body in a certain way. In order to remember to demonstrate confident body behaviors, learn the following acronym - HEAPS.
H E A P S
-
Hands Eyes Audience Posture Slow
Hands, to keep your hands at your sides unless emphasizing key points. Eyes, to remember to look out - not down or backwards at the screen. Audience, to keep your attention on them and their reaction to your presentation. Posture, to stand up straight, and not shift your body from side to side. Finally, slow; don’t rush through the presentation, take the time to emphasize the important content.
Spoken Presentation Stage Preparation
Online Resources http://tinyurl.com/2elz3b
http://tinyurl.com/242n5k
Conclusion
1. False, notecards are crucial to plan all parts of the spoken presentation. 2. Points of interest 3. Answers vary, see page 22. 4. Answers vary, see page 22. 5. Hands, Eyes, Audience, Posture, Slow
http://www.toastmasters.org
Presentation Delivery
Handout Construction
1. True or False: Notecards are not needed if you already know the content. 2. Define POI. 3. Write two examples of a flair element. 4. List at least three confident body behaviors. 5. What does HEAPS stand for?
Visual Presentation
No matter how well you speak in public, your presentation will fail if you do not know your content. M a ke s u r e yo u c o m p l e t e l y understand the subject before presenting!
We’ve reached the end of the spoken presentation chapter. Before continuing on, be sure to take the short quiz to the right. Remember, if you’re confused at all you can always refer back to the prior sections to brush up on the main points.
Tr y to answer each of the questions below. If you’re having difficulty, be sure to refer to the section in this chapter for help.
Information Gathering
Practice makes perfect! Practice your presentation both with your slides and without, just in case something happens. Try not to use your notes. Make sure you’re working on your body behaviors the whole time! Be conscious of the way you are standing, carrying your hands, and other items. There are many ways to practice, and all of them will help you gain confidence for your presentation. Some people prefer to practice in front of a mirror, while others choose to videotape themselves in order to analyze their body behaviors. Still others choose to present in front of a few close friends in order to receive feedback from people who will be honest about their performance. If
Quiz
Introduction
Practice
possible, practice the presentation at the venue where you will be presenting. There is no correct answer, but be sure to practice your presentation many times in order to gain confidence with not only the way you carry yourself, but also with the content!
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24
Conclusion
Presentation Delivery
Stage Preparation Spoken Presentation Handout Construction
Visual Presentation
Information Gathering Introduction
Handout Location
Gather Em’ Up Preparing the stage and prepping the resources will make you much more comfortable before the presentation.
Presentation Delivery Conclusion
First, verify that you have all of the required resources. Hopefully you brought your presentation with you, but do you also have the other resources that you require, such as the computer, projector, wireless presenter, or laser pointer? Did you remember to make copies of your
Stage Preparation
you an ample opportunity to prepare each of your presentation items.
Spoken Presentation
Hopefully you were able to practice your presentation at the location where you will be presenting. If not, this will likely be the first opportunity you have to stand up on stage, and it is crucial to complete a few short steps before presenting. Try to arrive at least thirty minutes early! The more time you have before the presentation the more comfortable you will be with the venue, and it will give
Handout Construction
Stage Preparation
Take a quick look around the room, and try to identify suitable places for your handout. This should always be as close to the entrance as possible. There are two possible times to distribute the handout; well before the presentation begins, or immediately afterward.
Visual Presentation
handout? Each of these items are critical for your presentation.
Information Gathering
• Organizing presentation resources • Designating handout location
Introduction
Chapter Highlights
25
Where would you place the handout? Door
1
Introduction Information Gathering Visual Presentation Handout Construction Spoken Presentation Stage Preparation Conclusion
2
System Check You’re almost there! The most important preparation step is to verify that all of the resources you will use during the presentation function correctly. Turn on the computer, load your presentation, and do a runthrough of every slide. Turn on the projector and be sure that it works. If you’re using a wireless presenter, be sure to understand which buttons switch slides, and any of the extra functions you wish to use. If you’re going to write on a whiteboard, make sure the markers are dry and the board is free from markings. Check everything! You don’t want to be in the middle of your presentation when something doesn’t work; it will make your presentation look amateurish - not the professional style you’re striving toward. Take the quiz to the right and then continue to the last chapter, presentation delivery.
Tr y to answer each of the questions below. If you’re having difficulty, be sure to refer to the section in this chapter for help. 1. Where should you place the handout? 2. what are the two acceptable times for distributing the handout? 3. Fill in the blank: Content is _____.
3 Stage Location 2 is the correct answer. 3 is up front and will cause attendees to walk in front of you while you’re presenting, and 1 is too far from the entrance and attendees will not notice the location.
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Quiz
1. See page 25. 2. Well before the presentation, or immediately after. 3. King!
Presentation Delivery
Never pass out the handout during your presentation! If you pass out the handout during the presentation you’ll take the focus off of you and put it on the handout, which is not a replacement for the presentation. Remember, your content is king! While we are on the topic of handouts, you should not hand out a copy of your handout to each attendee. First, it is extra work that you’re doing in addition to prepping for the presentation, and it will actually add stress because you’re trying to make sure that each attendee has a handout. By selecting a location before the presentation the audience members can take a handout at their leisure...before or after your presentation. This is non-disruptive and gives you more time for the other presentation preparation items.
Introduction
Information Gathering
Visual Presentation
Handout Construction
Spoken Presentation
Stage Preparation
Presentation Delivery Conclusion 27
Introduction Information Gathering Visual Presentation Handout Construction Spoken Presentation Stage Preparation Presentation Delivery Conclusion 28
Presentation Delivery The lights are dimmed, your presentation is on the screen, and all eyes are on you. Presentation day has finally arrived! Stick close to each of the items covered in the previous chapters and you’re presentation will be a success.
Body Behaviors By now you understand the differences between distracting and confident body behaviors, and can
successfully demonstrate confident body behaviors throughout the presentation. Remember our acronym, HEAPS - Hands, Eyes, Audience, Posture, Slow! By demonstrating confident body behaviors from the moment the first audience member enters the room you’ll command respect and feel even more prepared.
Chapter Highlights • Presenting information • Conducting a summative discussion
Introduction Begin the presentation by introducing yourself and your topic. Include all of the important information from the information gathering chapters, and be sure to introduce your theme! Spend some time explaining the purpose of your presentation, and laying out the main idea from the very beginning.
Tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them. Emphasize your key points!
Tr y to answer each of the questions below. If you’re having difficulty, be sure to refer to the section in this chapter for help.
http://tinyurl.com/2d8s7b
1. See page 28. 2. False, you should always introduce yourself. It’s an easy way to start the presentation. 3. Answers vary, see page 28.
Which presenter do you want to be?
Conclusion
You made it! The final part of your presentation is often the most exciting and engaging. At this point you should have sufficient time left over to have a summative discussion of your content
Presentation Delivery
Summative Discussion
#2: Presenter B concludes the presentation by repeating the theme and asking the audience for questions. Several audience members raise their hands, and presenter B happily calls on each attendee, and thanks them for their question after giving in a thoughtful answer. Presenter B thanks the audience for their time, and returns to her seat smiling.
http://www.garrreynolds.com/Presentation/
Stage Preparation
Confidence shows!
Spoken Presentation
Online Resources
Handout Construction
#1: Presenter A finishes the presentation by saying “that’s it” and then walking off of the stage. An audience member asks a question and the presenter give a short answer and returns to his seat. Other audience members who had questions put their hands down.
Visual Presentation
1. Describe how you would begin your presentation. 2. True or False: It is not necessary to introduce yourself if the audience members already know who you are. 3. Describe how you will demonstrate a confident body behavior during the presentation.
Information Gathering
In addition to the confident body behaviors discussed earlier, you must also focus on the speed and pronunciation of your spoken presentation. Go slow, and watch out for the ums and ahhs. Present each of your points while pulling in the points of interest and flair elements you constructed in the spoken presentation chapter. Be confident, and have fun! If your audience members have questions, direct them to the end of the presentation if they require more than a few word answer.
Quiz
with the audience. Field questions from the audience, and encourage participation by maintaining your confident body behaviors and thanking audience members for their questions. Let’s take a look at the following scenarios:
Introduction
Presentation
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30
Conclusion
Presentation Delivery
Stage Preparation Spoken Presentation Handout Construction
Visual Presentation
Information Gathering Introduction
Introduction
Information Gathering Generate an idea cluster and select key points about the topic in the space below.
Identify the theme of your presentation.
Visual Presentation Handout Construction Spoken Presentation Stage Preparation Presentation Delivery Conclusion
The road trip is over! Much like a road trip, it is amazing how much you can see and do in such a short amount of time. In just a few short chapters weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve covered the entire presentation process, from information gathering, to design, and presentation delivery. By this point you have all of the information required to design a presentation that will hopefully leave a lasting impression on your attendees. You have the information required to build a presentation, create a handout, and develop presentation notes. As youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re now well aware, there is a ton of planning required for presentations, but the process can also become fun and engaging for both you and your audience. In this final section, we are going to complete an activity reviewing the major steps of the presentation process. Our topic: you! Use the steps in this manual to prepare a mock presentation about yourself. Ready? Here we go!
Information Gathering
Conclusion
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Introduction Information Gathering
Spoken Presentation
Draw one slide of your presentation in the space below.
Describe how you would develop presentation notes.
Conclusion
Presentation Delivery
Stage Preparation
Spoken Presentation
Handout Construction
Visual Presentation
Visual Presentation
32
Name at least two different media types you would use in the presentation.
Handout Construction
Describe at least one point of interest and one flair element.
Name three confident body behaviors.
What supplementary resources would you include on a handout?
Stage Preparation Write summary information for one of your key points in the space below.
Describe the process of stage preparation.
Presentation Delivery What does HEAPS stand for?
How would you conduct a summative discussion for your presentation?
Conclusion Congratulations, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve made it! If you feel that you didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know the answer to one of the activity questions right away, be sure to review that chapter of this guide. On the next page you will find the website that accompanies this guide, which provides a wealth of information regarding presentation design and delivery. Thanks for reading, and good luck in all future presentations!
Introduction Information Gathering Handout Construction Spoken Presentation
Many additional tips, tricks, and extra resources are available at the website developed in conjunction with this guide, http://www.acaogi.com/projects/designingpresentations/ At this website, you will also find videos of excellent presentations to experience the methods well-known presenters use to deliver their content.
Visual Presentation
Additional Information
Stage Preparation Presentation Delivery Conclusion 33
DESIGNING PRESENTATIONS Discover the entire presentation design and delivery process, from information gathering to handout construction and developing the spoken presentation. Learn techniques for handling distracting body behaviors, methods of preparing slide notes, and how to leave a lasting impression on your audience members. Find out how to put your content first, and engage the audience through the use of points of interest and flair elements, complete with supplementary resources and engaging activities.
Mike DePalma