Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Most importantly, remember that the audience wants to enjoy your talk—their
attitude is positive. People don't attend talks with the intention of being bored, and
welcome any sign that the talk is interesting. The need to build on this initial goodwill
is why opening well is so important.
Question Time
Question time at the end of a talk is used to clarify misunderstandings and to amplify
any points that listeners want discussed in more detail. Five or ten minutes is too
brief for serious discussion: you need to keep answers short and avoid debating with
an audience member, because it is annoying for everyone else. Some questions can't
be answered on the spot: they are too complex, or the questioner has misunderstood
a fundamental issue, or you simply don't know the answer.
Involve the audience in question time. Repeat the question in your own words and
talk to the whole audience, not just the questioner, in your reply. Respond positively
and honestly to all questions. Never try to bluff when you don't know—doing so can
only look stupid. It is far better to be frank and admit ignorance. It is equally important
to never be rude to audience members or dismissive of their questions. Questions can
be misguided, irrelevant, or amazingly inane, but more than one audience member
may think such a question to be reasonable, and the only appropriate response is to
answer as politely and accurately as the question permits.
Slides
Slides are a point of focus for the attention of the audience. Text on slides is a
visual guide to what the speaker is saying. Figures—graphs, images, diagrams, or
tables—show results or illustrate a point.
However, keep in mind that the focus of the talk is you, not the slides. What you
are saying, rather than the sketchy content of a slide, should be the centre of attention.
That is, you shouldn't use slides as a way of avoiding contact with the audience.
Some principles to keep in mind when developing a deck of slides are discussed
below. This is not an exhaustive list, so use it to guide your own sense of what is appro-
priate.
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Further issues are considered later, in the context of particular kinds of slides.
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Earlier editions of this topic included examples that illustrated positives and failings in slide design.
As technology for presentations has developed and diversified, and a wide range of templates has
emerged, it cannot be argued that there is a single “good” style. Moreover, elements such as dynamic
images and animation are not easily captured in a printed book, and thus illustrations printed here
would inevitably seem (no pun intended) unilluminating.
Curiously, some of the slide decks on the topic of “how to present well” seem to me to be chaotic,
crude, or unpolished. It is clear that there is little consistency as to what is regarded as good taste
and good style.
