A presentation about presentations

1. A presentation about presentations Mariana Kersh January 28, 2009 ME/BME 6XX

2. Overview • Introduction • Methods • Results • Discussion • Summary

3. Topics to be covered • The slides • General content and layout • Presenting data • Formatting • The presentation itself • Speaking • Handling mishaps

4. Layout and content • Learn the tools • Use the 1 minute/slide rule • Modify the default/master slide • Nothing important too low • Consider a status bar Layout Data Format Speaking Mishaps 4/XX

5. Layout and content • Learn the tools • Use the 1 minute/slide rule • Modify the default/master slide • Consider a status bar • Introduce content as needed • Animation use sparingly • Keep it simple • Less words/equations • More pictures/symbols

6. Formatting • Be consistent • Avoid changing layout, fonts, animation styles • Font • Stand 6 feet back from monitor and check the size • Use sans-serif fonts (Arial or Helvetica) • Use high contrast colors • avoid gradient backgrounds • Include a thank you/questions/blank slide at the end

7. …clean graphics here… Presenting data: Use a descriptive title here… • …then 1-3 succinct “take-home messages” / conclusions from the slide here • see the difference in the next two slides… Slide courtesy of Scott Sanders

8. Data, continued • The below shows some data we recorded in our laboratory on 11/17/2003. The engine is operating at an equivalence ratio of 0.16. The humidity seen at early crank angle degrees is just the ambient humidity, then the water produced near -28 CAD aTDC and near -15 CAD aTDC represents water produced in combustion. These results represent an important step toward understanding low-temperature chemical reactions: Slide courtesy of Scott Sanders

9. Measured evolution of H2O in a piston engine f = 0.16 • Simulation under-predicts the H2O content in the engine Slide courtesy of Scott Sanders

10. Don’t use legends… Slide courtesy of Scott Sanders

11. … label curves directly! • viewer doesn’t have to spend time matching curves to the legend • usually results in less wasted “white space” in plots Slide courtesy of Scott Sanders

12. … label curves directly! • viewer doesn’t have to spend time matching curves to the legend • usually results in less wasted “white space” in plots Slide courtesy of Scott Sanders

13. Lots of numbers on plot axes are distracting… Slide courtesy of Scott Sanders

14. … this is much better! Slide courtesy of Scott Sanders

15. Avoid small plots or plots with small fonts • note that the right plot above has essentially the default setting in Microcal Origin, maybe OK for a document but unacceptable when projected Slide courtesy of Scott Sanders

16. Manage the units on your plots • use a consistent convention • beware of [m] x 10-9 • consider [atm], [bar], [Pa] Slide courtesy of Scott Sanders

17. Avoid un-framed plots • figures require effort to change so try to get them correct the first time Slide courtesy of Scott Sanders

18. What’s wrong with this slide? • conditions: uniform n-heptane / air charge, f = 0.35, 600 rpm, optical engine • gas spectra measured every 5 ms = 0.09 CAD @ 600 rpm • gas temperature history inferred from the spectrogram Slide courtesy of Scott Sanders

19. The Presentation • Slides = outline • Avoid reading the slides or your notes • Speak slowly • Remember ~ 1 min/slide • Make eye contact • Have confidence! • “I don’t know” is an acceptable answer

20. Preventing mishaps • Keep the file size down • Compress pictures, e.g. • Use the existing tools • Draw arrows,boxes, etc. in PPT • Save as power point show (.pps) • Test it • on another computer • on another operating system http://www.microsoft.com/atwork/getworkdone/presentations.mspx

21. References/Tips • http://www.microsoft.com/atwork/getworkdone/presentations.mspx • Use align/distribute tools • Use grids and guides to align and space objects • http://www.pcworld.com/article/9084/powerpoint_layout_tips.html • Use the alt key to align objects • You can make a perfect circle or square in PowerPoint by selecting the appropriate tool, then holding down Shift while you draw the object. But what do you do if you've already made the drawing, and now you want to make it perfect? Select the object and hold down Ctrl while you double-click the corner sizing handles.

22. http://cit.information.unl.edu/tips/ppt-creating.htm • All images must be inserted directly into PowerPoint through the Insert > Picture command. If you use copy-and-paste to add an image, you may corrupt your file. The corruption may not be seen immediately. • If you have two or more slides that will look very similar (same kind of graph but different data points, same table but different numbers, etc.), make one exactly how you want it to look. In the Slide Sorter view, select the slide and choose Edit > Duplicate from the menu. Next edit the new slide to change the information while the “look” remains the same.