Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Individual Slides
Each slide should have a heading and be fairly self-contained; don't rely on the
audience remembering complex details or notation introduced elsewhere. Before
including elements such as equation numbers, consider whether they will be of value
to listeners. A slide is unlikely to be entirely self-contained; the audience expects it
to be explained by the speaker and to be based on material introduced earlier. But
take the effort to make the slide reasonably complete.
Aim for about one slide per minute or so—too few is dull and too many is bewil-
dering. It is a mistake to design a talk so that rapid back-and-forth switching between
slides is required. Consider instead repeating crucial information. For instance, show
a whole algorithm, then on successive slides show each step with an example.
Slide Tools
The tools for making and presenting slides continue to develop. Those in wide use—
such as Microsoft
R
PowerPoint and L
A
T
E
X—provide excellent environments for writ-
ing slides, and include a range of elaborate features. Each tool has different strengths;
for example, Microsoft
R
PowerPoint allows rapid drafting and easy layout of images,
while L
A
T
E
X supports talk structure well and is preferable for maths and tables. Even
an inexperienced speaker can use these tools to produce a professional-looking talk.
Slide tools are an effective way of drafting talks, once the content has been iden-
tified. My approach is to create a series of empty slides with indicative headings,
bring in the images and tables that I want to use, start to add text (which might at
this early stage be editorial remarks, such as “discuss initial method here”), and use
many-slides-on-a-page output to get a sense of how the structure is developing.
The fact that an authoring tool provides features does not mean that the features
have to be used—ease of use and necessity of use are not the same thing. The
principles of a good presentation have not changed since the era of handwritten
overheads: legibility, simplicity, and relevance. In too many talks, the speaker has
decided to use some element of the software that neither amuses the audience nor
helps them to learn. The goal of a well-written talk is for the audience to listen to the
speaker; distractions, no matter how nifty, should be eliminated.
The need to avoid distractions is particularly acute with presentation tools that
have mechanisms for animating the flow of the talk. They can be entertaining, but
do they educate? Do they help create an understanding, or are they just flashy? A
straightforward, elegant slide design may be less dramatic than the alternatives, but
does not annoy; and experienced listeners are unlikely to be excited by your ability
to use the latest software.
