Presentation Skills

Presentation skills

Hugh Shanahan [email protected] @hughshanahan Royal Holloway, University of London 17/11/15 Questions and comments?

Raise your hand, but you can also go to http://bit.ly/1kC3fwr Outline

• Death, Taxes and Presentations

• Preparation, preparation, preparation

• Make pretty

• In the zone

• Workshop ! This is not the greatest presentation ever. This is a tribute to the greatest presentation ever. Why do I need to learn about presentations?

I’m super clever

Anybody who doesn’t understand what I’m saying is an idiot

I’ll just write papers/write code OR…..

Presentations scare the s*** out of me. OR…..

Presentations scare the s*** out of me. Death, taxes and presentations Death, taxes and presentations

Presentations are inevitable Death, taxes and presentations

Presentations are inevitable

No matter what you do in life* Death, taxes and presentations

Presentations are inevitable

No matter what you do in life* Research Teaching Industry

* maybe not if you become a shepherd or monk Presentation = Multiplier Presentation = Multiplier

Especially true in a mixed economy Hugh’s Ethos

It’s a privilege for you to give a presentation to the audience, NOT the other way around. Consequences Consequences

Get balance right between being clear and not being pedantic. Consequences

Get balance right between being clear and not being pedantic.

Keep to time (more important than you think). Consequences

Get balance right between being clear and not being pedantic.

Keep to time (more important than you think).

Be gracious under questioning. Prepare, prepare, prepare

To get the above right.

To deal with the fear.

Presentation are little like performances. No artist ever performs entirely off the cuff. When, who, etc.

Find out When, who, etc.

Find out

When - put it into your calendar. When, who, etc.

Find out

When - put it into your calendar.

Who is the audience - what is the level? When, who, etc.

Find out

When - put it into your calendar.

Who is the audience - what is the level?

Where is it going to be held? When, who, etc.

Find out

When - put it into your calendar.

Who is the audience - what is the level?

Where is it going to be held?

How long is it going to be? More questions to ask More questions to ask

Clarify the topic that you’ll be talking about ! More questions to ask

Clarify the topic that you’ll be talking about !

Roughly how many people will be attending? Conference speciﬁc points Conference speciﬁc points

Talk with the chair of the session. Conference speciﬁc points

Talk with the chair of the session.

Check how much time will be allocated for questions. Conference speciﬁc points

Talk with the chair of the session.

Check how much time will be allocated for questions.

What signals will be applied to indicate time up? Conference speciﬁc points

Talk with the chair of the session.

Check how much time will be allocated for questions.

What signals will be applied to indicate time up?

Are devices being shared? How many and length - your career progresses… Location, location, location

Have a look at the place where you’re going to give your talk. Location, location, location

Have a look at the place where you’re going to give your talk.

Find out where the projector is. Location, location, location

Have a look at the place where you’re going to give your talk.

Find out where the projector is.

Does my presentation work? Location, location, location

Have a look at the place where you’re going to give your talk.

Find out where the projector is.

Does my presentation work?

Do you need to bring the screen down? Location, location, location

Have a look at the place where you’re going to give your talk.

Find out where the projector is.

Does my presentation work?

Do you need to bring the screen down?

Do this well in advance ! Audience size Audience size

Less than 5 - can work with white/chalk board Audience size

Less than 5 - can work with white/chalk board

5-20 - Hand outs for more informal settings use projection software Audience size

Less than 5 - can work with white/chalk board

5-20 - Hand outs for more informal settings use projection software

Greater than 20 - think carefully about font size Audience size

Less than 5 - can work with white/chalk board

5-20 - Hand outs for more informal settings use projection software

Greater than 20 - think carefully about font size

Greater than a few hundred - High resolution Technologies Technologies

White/Chalk board Technologies

White/Chalk board

Fantastic for for small groups and neat writers! Technologies

White/Chalk board

Fantastic for for small groups and neat writers!

If you can’t explain your idea with a piece of chalk then it’s not worth explaining… Overhead transparencies Overhead transparencies Overhead transparencies

Good if you are conﬁdent with hand writing and working with large audiences. Overhead transparencies

Good if you are conﬁdent with hand writing and working with large audiences.

Otherwise very fussy. Powerpoint Powerpoint

Fine for text/images/video (same true for Keynote) Powerpoint

Fine for text/images/video (same true for Keynote)

BUT - some terrible backgrounds Powerpoint

Fine for text/images/video (same true for Keynote)

BUT - some terrible backgrounds Powerpoint

Fine for text/images/video (same true for Keynote)

BUT - some terrible backgrounds

Even more horrendous animations Powerpoint

Fine for text/images/video (same true for Keynote)

BUT - some terrible backgrounds

Even more horrendous animations

Stick with solid dark or light coloured backgrounds LaTeX LaTeX LaTeX

Usually beamer style ﬁle but also powerdot LaTeX

Usually beamer style ﬁle but also powerdot

Enormous amount of control of Text/Math LaTeX

Usually beamer style ﬁle but also powerdot

Enormous amount of control of Text/Math

Simple clear style about it LaTeX

Usually beamer style ﬁle but also powerdot

Enormous amount of control of Text/Math

Simple clear style about it

Background styles a bit “samey" now LaTeX

Usually beamer style ﬁle but also powerdot

Enormous amount of control of Text/Math

Simple clear style about it

Background styles a bit “samey" now

LaTeX itself perhaps showing its age… Other options Other options

Prezi - one large screen - zoom in/out. Other options

Prezi - one large screen - zoom in/out.

Locked into proprietary format. Other options

Prezi - one large screen - zoom in/out.

Locked into proprietary format.

May induce sea-sickness ! Javascript/HTML 5 frameworks Javascript/HTML 5 frameworks

Multiple available Javascript/HTML 5 frameworks

Multiple available

reveal.js / slides.com (editor - with Math it seems) Javascript/HTML 5 frameworks

Multiple available

reveal.js / slides.com (editor - with Math it seems)

Review of resources at http://bit.ly/1S1De3X Features Features

Presentation are a set of web pages. Features

Presentation are a set of web pages.

Not necessarily linear order. Features

Presentation are a set of web pages.

Not necessarily linear order.

Multiple ideas to make it all look good. Features

Presentation are a set of web pages.

Not necessarily linear order.

Multiple ideas to make it all look good.

With great features comes great responsibility. Remember Remember

It will always be possible to make crap presentations with any technology. Few general points Few general points

Use text sparingly. Few general points

Use text sparingly.

Make sure you have high contrast. Few general points

Use text sparingly.

Make sure you have high contrast.

Use animations sparingly/consistently. Few general points

Use text sparingly.

Make sure you have high contrast.

Use animations sparingly/consistently.

Don’t copy and paste ﬁgure from journal. Check out “Death by Powerpoint” slideshare.

by Alexei Kapterev Content Content

Understand that concentration varies. Content

Understand that concentration varies.

Especially at the pinch points (just before coffee, end of the day) Technical talks Technical talks

What is the take home message? Technical talks

What is the take home message?

Take home message up front? Do a summary and conclusions. Pointers Pointers

Use a pointer if you can. Pointers

Use a pointer if you can.

Laser pointers are good, but they show fear.. Pointers

Use a pointer if you can.

Laser pointers are good, but they show fear..

Don’t use green lasers - you are not a Jedi. Pointers

Use a pointer if you can.

Laser pointers are good, but they show fear..

Don’t use green lasers - you are not a Jedi.

Make sure the red light laser is bright enough. Microphones Microphones

Ask audience if they can hear without a microphone. Microphones

Ask audience if they can hear without a microphone.

Clip on microphones are hell. Microphones

Ask audience if they can hear without a microphone.

Clip on microphones are hell.

Move whole body if you have one. Microphones

Ask audience if they can hear without a microphone.

Clip on microphones are hell.

Move whole body if you have one.

Head phones are neat. Microphones

Ask audience if they can hear without a microphone.

Clip on microphones are hell.

Move whole body if you have one.

Head phones are neat.

Hold a Mic like your Dad would at a Wedding. Timing is everything Timing is everything

Finish your talk on time. Timing is everything Timing is everything

No really - ﬁnish your talk on time. Timing is everything

No really - ﬁnish your talk on time.

If you have to speed up to get your 20 more slides in then you’ve blown it. Going horribly over Going horribly over

Nobody thinks you’re clever. Going horribly over

Nobody thinks you’re clever.

In a conference you are either gobbling up other people’s time. Going horribly over

Nobody thinks you’re clever.

In a conference you are either gobbling up other people’s time.

Or you are holding people back from coffee/tea/lunch/dinner/conference reception. Practice Practice

Particularly true for 15 minute slot talk. Practice

Particularly true for 15 minute slot talk.

Give your talk to friends/colleagues/ your Mum and get their feedback. Practice

Particularly true for 15 minute slot talk.

Give your talk to friends/colleagues/ your Mum and get their feedback.

Talk to yourself - really. Practice

Particularly true for 15 minute slot talk.

Give your talk to friends/colleagues/ your Mum and get their feedback.

Talk to yourself - really.

Moving from thought to memory. Fear Fear

Practice helps with fear. Fear

Practice helps with fear.

Cards or slide notes can help. Fear

Practice helps with fear.

Cards or slide notes can help.

But don’t become a recording. Fear

Practice helps with fear.

Cards or slide notes can help.

But don’t become a recording.

The worst bit is 10 minutes before. Just before Just before

Limber up a bit before if you can. Just before

Limber up a bit before if you can.

Make sure you have water with you. Just before

Limber up a bit before if you can.

Make sure you have water with you.

For God’s sake - just water… During During

Make eye contact. During

Make eye contact.

Slow down. During

Make eye contact.

Slow down.

Make sure you can be heard at the back. During

Make eye contact.

Slow down.

Make sure you can be heard at the back.

Ask people to sound/speed check you. During

Make eye contact.

Slow down.

Make sure you can be heard at the back.

Ask people to sound/speed check you.

Don’t move about too much. Questions Questions

Lots of questions are good. Questions

Lots of questions are good.

Most of the time the questions are pretty basic. Questions

Lots of questions are good.

Most of the time the questions are pretty basic.

Repeat question back to audience. Arseholes Arseholes

You probably won’t encounter arseholes, but… Arseholes

You probably won’t encounter arseholes, but…

Don’t take their bait - everybody knows they’re arseholes too. Conclusions Conclusions

Presentations are a craft. Conclusions

Presentations are a craft.

You get better with practice. Conclusions

Presentations are a craft.

You get better with practice.

So practice. Conclusions

Presentations are a craft.

You get better with practice.

So practice.

The fears abates, but remains.