Bruce Scharlau, University of Aberdeen, 2011 Creating Presentations A presentation of two halves Bruce Scharlau Computing Science Department

Outline Need a message Need a message Focus on the message Focus on the message Follow the rules Follow the rules Avoid the pain Avoid the pain

The message Each presentation should have one message to convey to the audience Each presentation should have one message to convey to the audience This is the same as for an essay This is the same as for an essay

Templates Templates get you started quickly Templates get you started quickly Templates need to be modified to work with your theme Templates need to be modified to work with your theme

Look and Feel Templates focus on look and feel of your presentation Templates focus on look and feel of your presentation You need to make them work with the content too You need to make them work with the content too

The message Your templates should support the message youre presenting Your templates should support the message youre presenting The message has to be clear and not cluttered The message has to be clear and not cluttered

Rules to follow There are three rules to follow for good presentations There are three rules to follow for good presentations Introduce your topic Introduce your topic Explain your topic Explain your topic Review your topic Review your topic

Controversy Some say that PowerPoint is useless Some say that PowerPoint is useless Others say it puts people to sleep Others say it puts people to sleep

Summary Following the rules should keep your audience awake and guide you to a successul presentation Following the rules should keep your audience awake and guide you to a successul presentation

Bruce Scharlau, University of Aberdeen, 2011 And now for something completely different…

Bruce Scharlau, University of Aberdeen, 2011 A presentation should have one message Get the Ark, or save the kids, or find the Grail - not all at once

Bruce Scharlau, University of Aberdeen, 2011 The PowerPoint templates don t ensure a consistent message

Bruce Scharlau, University of Aberdeen, 2011 The templates focus on look and feel, but not the message

Bruce Scharlau, University of Aberdeen, 2011 You need to keep the message clear

Bruce Scharlau, University of Aberdeen, 2011 There are some basic rules to follow for good presentations It may look hard, but its not really

Bruce Scharlau, University of Aberdeen, 2011 First, use complete sentences as titles Full sentences force you to clarify your ideas Right, Steve, and it makes it easier for others too

Bruce Scharlau, University of Aberdeen, 2011 Sentences force the author to clarify ideas Headings leave room to waffle

Bruce Scharlau, University of Aberdeen, 2011 Sentences as titles will still work on their own Headings are ambiguous

Bruce Scharlau, University of Aberdeen, 2011 Sentences make the storyboard clearer Sentences develop the plot

Bruce Scharlau, University of Aberdeen, 2011 Second, add an appropriate image to reinforce the message I can do anything with a greenscreen

Bruce Scharlau, University of Aberdeen, 2011 An image should illustrate the point of the slide

Bruce Scharlau, University of Aberdeen, 2011 Try different images to set the correct tone of the presentation

Bruce Scharlau, University of Aberdeen, 2011 Mixing images with words makes the slide more memorable

Bruce Scharlau, University of Aberdeen, 2011 Third, use the notes to explain your slides

Bruce Scharlau, University of Aberdeen, 2011 Notes help you remember the words you will say for that slide

Bruce Scharlau, University of Aberdeen, 2011 Notes also provide a handout

Bruce Scharlau, University of Aberdeen, 2011 Notes provide a presentation for when you re not there

Bruce Scharlau, University of Aberdeen, 2011 Fourth, use a rule of three s to support your message 1.Point 1.Sub-point 2.Sub-point 3.Sub-point 2.Point 1.Sub-point 2.Sub-point 3.Sub-point 3.Point 1.Sub-point 2.Sub-point 3.Sub-point

Bruce Scharlau, University of Aberdeen, 2011 Your presentation has three acts (just like a movie)

Bruce Scharlau, University of Aberdeen, 2011 The second act needs supporting evidence to develop the argument of the plot

Bruce Scharlau, University of Aberdeen, 2011 PowerPoint presentations don t have to be painful Pain, what pain?

Bruce Scharlau, University of Aberdeen, 2011 You can also add extra dimensions to make the presentation stick Simple Unexpected Concrete Stories Credible Emotional

Bruce Scharlau, University of Aberdeen, 2011 Remember to deliver one message and you ll do fine Escape the ball, find the treasure, save the girl, not all at once

Bruce Scharlau, University of Aberdeen, 2011 Resources to support this presentation Royalty Free Images (creative commons tagged photos) More about presentations and learning Examples using this approach: Why mobile matters Agile Games for Software Development Agile at the University