Effective Presentations Addressing Audiences in an Age of Information Overload

Proposal Overview  Guidelines  3-4 slides  3-4 minutes  Practice!  1-2 minutes for questions  Organization  State the problem  Include relevant, reputable research  Present your design, solution, or “pitch”

Consider Your Audience Photo Credit: Seattle Municipal Archives. “Audience at Bumbershoot, 1974.” Photograph. Flickr. August Web. 11 April Some rights reserved.

Use Images Rather than Text If you encounter a mountain lion, please do the following things: 1. Face the mountain lion and back away as slowly as possible. 2. Make your body as large as you possibly can. Wave your hands and shout at the mountain lion. 3. Keep your children close to you because a mountain lion may find them tempting. 1. If you have to pick up your children, avoid bending over because that shows weakness. 4. If, after all of this, the mountain lion does attack you, fight back.

Use Images

Presentation Overview  Guidelines  4-5 slides  10 minutes (approximately 2 minutes per person)  Practice on your own and in a group.  Practice transitions.  Up to 10 minutes for questions.  Do you want to guide the questions/feedback?  Tips  Even though this is a “report,” you’re still making a “pitch”  How can you sell this idea?  How do you tap into the audience’s energy?

Presenting your Report What’s the problem? Why should we care? What’s your plan (in a nutshell)? Summary/Overview What have you learned from other people? Other schools or projects? People on campus? Relevant Research What is your vision for this project? What resources would it need to succeed? Consider specific, targeted info. for different audiences Your Solution/Design What needs to happen next? Who might be able to help? Next Steps/Call to Action

Summary  Consider your audience  Craft a story  Rely on images rather than words

Creating a Style Guide (mini)  Option 1: Use PowerPoint Slide Themes  Option 2: Begin with a Theme and Adapt  (Re)design your own master slides  You can change fonts, add images, etc. in the Slide Master View  Go to the VIEW tab and select SLIDE MASTER  Make all of your changes here  Make note of all changes (font, images, color, etc.) if you want other people or other groups to do the same.