How to Give a Good Presentation
Why it Matters
- First impressions are important.
- It gives you the opportunity to share and explain the great work you are doing to others.
- It provides good practice for your future career.
- Helps you to better understand your project and what you've accomplished.
- Learning to express yourself technically will help you make and use processional connections wisely.
Pointers for a Good Presentation
- Avoid over crowding your slides.
- Be brief and use keywords rather than long sentences.
- Use a readable font type and size.
- Use color for emphasis.
- Use media to illustrate key concepts.
- Make eye contact
- Be prepared to adjust the presentation due to time constraints.
- Practice.
Project Presentation Outline
- Title/Author/Affiliation (1 slide) - Who Am I?
- Forecast (1 slide) - What is the problem?
- Outline (1 slide) - What this presentation will include
- Background
- Motivation and Problem Statement(1-2 slides) - Why is it important?
- Related Work (0-1 slides) - What have others done?
- Methods (1-3 slides) - What was my approach?
- Results (2-6 slides) - What were some key results/key insights
- Summary (1 slide) - Wrap up
- Future Work (0-1 slide) - Future plans
- Q&A (0-2 slides) - Consider adding some backup slides that may help answer expected questions.
Other Things to Keep in Mind
- Oral communication is different than written communication.
- Focus on key points and repeat key insights.
- Know your audience.
- The same talk may need to be adjusted for a different audience.
- Make the presentation engaging so the audience wants to learn more.
- Handling the Q&A Portion is as important to prepare for as the formal talk.
Improve your Presentation Skills
- Practice by yourself
- Practice in front of friends
- Practice in front of a webcam
- Watch effective speakers and emulate their habits.