Voltaire, apparently, popularised this aphorism: “The enemy of good is perfect.” As with all good philospophy, the longer one thinks about such a concept, the deeper the understanding becomes. It is useful to consider this in the preparation, delivery and…
What should I do watching a bad presentation? Sadly, with the desire to improve one’s presentations comes the realisation of how poor many presentations really are. With the connection that Twitter brings and the ability to receive wisdom from conferences far…
When constructing a slide use only a single image. The image should add to the message that is being delivered but not be the message itself. A few words can add meaning but there is no need for a title.…
You don’t need a script to give a great presentation. Many people use a script and that significantly impairs their delivery. Many people feel they need a script and that impairs their delivery. A script is for preparation and rehearsal…
“Busy slides” happen for many reasons; the script, something to read, the handout, what everyone does, “because of learning styles”, ”academic” and because it is quick and easy. They are not effective, they limit the message, they are not only…
Presentations are your responsibility. Presentation skills are not innate. Like all other professional skills, they require education, example and feedback to develop. Unfortunately, there is little education, the standard achieved is at best mediocrity and feedback for those delivering presentations is seldom…
A simple question that belies a lack of understanding of the value of a presentation. “Could you email me your presentation please?” A presentation is the product of the story (p1), the media (p2) and its delivery (p3). A presentation…
Generic slides are designed so that “anyone can give the same presentation and everyone receive the same information.” Few great presentations are given using generic slidesand many good presentations are made worse using generic slides. Education is not simply about…
It is always encouraging to engage with colleagues in social media and I try to answer questions from there. Thanks to Jennifer Wyman for raising the idea of creativity in presentations. Data slides (2) via @ffolliet Check out the P3…
Data slides must be easily interpreted, memorable and clear. They will support the message, not distract, cannot be taken directly from a scientific document and are best if their theme, font colour fit with the other slides in the presentation.This…