Wednesday, September 30, 2015

A500.8.3.RB_MalvoisinLeon


A good presentation design should grab its audience attention in the first couple slides. Therefore, there is no point doing good work if others don’t know about it or can’t understand what the presentation is about. Just like most things in life, first impressions matter! So, when creating a presentation with supporting visual aids, we should keep in mind the way the audience will process the information and take advantage of that leverage.
              If using PowerPoint to display graphical information to support the speaker, keep the presentation simple.  Do not cluster information on the PowerPoint, the slide should have lot of negative spaces.  Keep away from using Microsoft templates as most audience has seen most of them.  Keep away from using PowerPoint Clip Art or other cartoonish line art. Use high-quality graphics including photographs, if you have some high quality photos. Use bullet points, and not every slide should be animated.  Synchronize your speaking with the slides and transitions.  Feel free to use video and audio when appropriate, and do your best to limit your ideas to one main idea per slide (Reynolds, n.d.).  Indeed, even though PowerPoint is getting lots of negative feedbacks as a presentation tool, it is still a descent tool to use for presentation.  The presenter just has to avoid some of PowerPoint’s most common pitfalls.

Furthermore, if you’re presenting in person, connect with your audience and move around on the podium.  Use the “B” key if you want to focus attention on you rather then what’s showing on the slide.  You may use a remote to help you navigate through the slides and make good eye contact with your audience. Speak at a normal tone of voice and keep the lights on so the audience can focus on you during the presentation (Reynolds, n.d.).  Certainly, a presentation done in person will required more perfection, as an in person presentation the audience will focus on the presenter more in an attempt to comprehend the information being shared. Therefore, the presenter must connect with his or her audience.

            In addition, below are few supplemental media tools that can help design an impressive presentation other then PowerPoint.  Below is a list of suggested visual media tools.

Visual Media Tool
What it does
Creates screen captures
Allows instant sharing of screen captures
Records screen activity (audio narration and/or video); creates captions manually (Links to an external site.) or via speech-to-text (Links to an external site.) function
2GB of FREE server space for SnagIt, Jing, and/or Camtasia projects
One-click screen capture recording for Windows or Mac computers with no install for FREE!
Creates collaborative multimedia slideshows; includes hosting
Creates "zooming" presentations; includes free hosting
Tool for usability testing; captures user activity and offers tools for analysis and reporting

             Hence, when it comes to make an impressive presentation I also like to approach it with these words in mind, “be bright, be brief, and be gone”.

Reference
Reynolds. G (n.d). Presentation Zen: How to Design& Deliver Presentations Like a Pro. ERAU.     Retrieved from https://erau.instructure.com/courses/19283/pages/a500-dot-7-1-dot-cr readings?module_item_id=586162

 

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