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Effective Technical Presentations

Why focus on presentations?

First impressions are important

Effective presentations are an “edge” in hiring and promotion decisions

Lack of effective presentations limits job assignments

The satisfaction of a job well done

A process that yields an effective presentation

Step 1: Plan

Step 2: Organize

Step 3: Prepare the Content

Step 4: Practice

Step 5: Get there

Step 6: Speak to the audience

Step 1: Plan

• Who is the audience?– Make the level of the material

appropriate to the audience• What is the message?

– Have a clear point that you want to convey

Step 2: Organize

• How long is the presentation?– Present enough material to convey the

message– Leave time for questions

• Follow the golden rule

The Golden Rule

1) Tell the audience what you’re going to tell them

2) Convey the information

3) Tell the the audience what you’ve told them

An Introduction vs. an Outline

An outline presents a list of topics that the presentation will cover

An outline does not give the audience a reason to listen to you

An INTRODUCTION

Who has done this work?

What work has preceded this? What is the context?

When was the work done?

But most importantly,

Why is this work important?

Give the audience a reason to listen!

Step 3: Prepare the Content

• Where will the presentation be given?– How large is the room?

• Determines minimum font size– What presentation equipment is

available?• Use generally available technology• Take your own equipment

Content: A presentation is NOT:

a technical journal paper

a final report

a book chapter

a medium for conveying fine details

Content:

• A presentation is effective when it uses the visual impact to

• Convey the message

• Keep the audience’s attention

Content: Keep it simple

• A presentation is not effective when slides are verbose and filled with lots and lots of text for the viewer to read. This type of presentation is better suited for publishing a paper or journal article and is not desirable for an oral presentation. Remember what a presentation is and what it is not. This type of slide is a real attention-killer and very difficult for the audience to follow.

Content: Only 2-3 Points per slide

• Avoid clutter

• Emphasize the points you want to make

Content: Present ideas, not details

Applies to• Text• Equations• Graphs, not tables

How many times have you seen this?

Content: Make it readable

12 point 18 point 24 point

32 point 44 point

Match the font size to the presentation room

Content: Appropriate to the medium

Light letters on a dark background are best for projected images

Dark letters on a light background are best for opaque imagesDark letters on a light background are best for opaque images

Technology: ColorAvoid low contrast or dark-on-dark combinations

Avoid the UM red and blue

Avoid the UM red and blue

Light letters on a dark background are best for projected images

Dark letters on a light background are best for opaque images

Ideas, not details:Equations

v

Natural Response of an Unforced Parallel RLC Circuit

“Busy” Equationsv

Natural Response of an Unforced Parallel RLC Circuit

LC

LC

LC

eAeAvt

LCRCRCt

LCRCRC

12RC

1 :dunderdampe

12RC

1 :damped critically

12RC

1 :overdamped

2

2

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

1

22

Equations that convey ideasv

Natural Response of an Unforced Parallel RLC Circuit

damping of degree thedetermines ratio LC toRC the

12

12

1s

distinct andcomplex are and :dunderdampe

equal and real are and :damped critically

distinct and real are and :overdamped

2

1,2

21

21

21

2121

LCRCRC

ss

ss

ss

eAeAv tsts

Conveying resultsGraphs, not tables

vi

V(0)=5v, i(0)=-6 mA

Critical Damping: R= 10, L=0.4 mH, C = 1 F

Underdamping: R= 20, L=0.4 mH, C = 1 F

Overdamping: R= 5, L=0.4 mH, C = 1 F

t*e-4 critical under over 0 5.0000 5.0000 5.0000 0.0000 2.9008 3.7579 1.7268 0.0000 1.4955 2.5801 0.4826 0.0000 0.5774 1.5198 0.0167 0.0000 -0.0018 0.6116 -0.1510 0.0000 -0.3486 -0.1264 -0.2050 0.0000 -0.5384 -0.6902 -0.2160 0.0000 -0.6245 -1.0866 -0.2111 0.0000 -0.6442 -1.3308 -0.2007 0.0000 -0.6230 -1.4429 -0.1888 0.0001 -0.5784 -1.4465 -0.1768 0.0001 -0.5221 -1.3658 -0.1652 0.0001 -0.4617 -1.2246 -0.1543 0.0001 -0.4019 -1.0447 -0.1441 0.0001 -0.3456 -0.8453 -0.1346 0.0001 -0.2941 -0.6422 -0.1256 0.0001 -0.2483 -0.4480 -0.1173 0.0001 -0.2081 -0.2718 -0.1095 0.0001 -0.1734 -0.1199 -0.1022 0.0001 -0.1438 0.0046 -0.0954

t *e-4 critical under over

0.0001 -0.1187 0.1007 -0.0891 0.0001 -0.0976 0.1692 -0.0832 0.0001 -0.0800 0.2125 -0.0777 0.0001 -0.0653 0.2338 -0.0725 0.0001 -0.0532 0.2367 -0.0677 0.0001 -0.0432 0.2253 -0.0632 0.0001 -0.0350 0.2035 -0.0590 0.0001 -0.0283 0.1749 -0.0551 0.0001 -0.0229 0.1427 -0.0514 0.0001 -0.0185 0.1095 -0.0480 0.0002 -0.0148 0.0776 -0.0448 0.0002 -0.0119 0.0483 -0.0419 0.0002 -0.0096 0.0229 -0.0391 0.0002 -0.0077 0.0020 -0.0365 0.0002 -0.0061 -0.0144 -0.0341 0.0002 -0.0049 -0.0262 -0.0318 0.0002 -0.0039 -0.0338 -0.0297 0.0002 -0.0031 -0.0378 -0.0277 0.0002 -0.0025 -0.0387 -0.0259 0.0002 -0.0020 -0.0371 -0.0242

Graphs:

•Label Axes, including units

•Use color and symbol to differentiate plots

•Include a legend

Each graph should be as complete and self-explanatory as possible

vi

Time (0.1 msec)

Nod

e V

olta

ge (

Vol

ts)

Natural Response of a Parallel RLC Circuit

Step 4: Step 4: PRACTICE!PRACTICE!

Practice so that you are comfortable with the equipment

Practice so that the timing is correct

The first time you try something is never your best performance:– Sports– Music– Speaking

PRACTICE!PRACTICE!

Practice as if the result is important:

• Aloud

• Standing

• With the equipment

• Before a friend or colleague

• In the presentation room

Step 5: Get There

• What computer is available?• What projection device?• From here to there

– “Direct cable connection”– Network (HTML?)– Parallel port Zip drive– CD ROM– Notebook computer

Delivery: Computer-based

• Use current technology

• “Just-in-time” presentations

Step 6: Speak to the Audience

Three rules:

Speak to the audience

Speak Audibly

Speak Intelligibly

Summary

• Follow the Golden Rule• Think visually--it’s a presentation• 2-3 points per slide• Concepts, not details• Speak audibly, intelligibly, to the audience• Slides are readable

• PRACTICE!

Web-consciousness

• This presentation is also available at

www.olemiss.edu/courses/EE/ENGR695/Oralpres2000/