Pointers on Giving a Talk Basic outline Slide

Pointers on Giving a Talk • Basic outline • Slide format • Presentation style How to Give a Talk, Larry Murdoch, 25 April, 2013

Basic Outline • Title slide – Title, author, date, interesting picture • Introduction, purpose, objective – Show why the topic is important early in the talk. This will get the audience interested. – Start by saying what you are going to do. This could be a slide with “Outline” title, or it could be more creative. • Main body of the talk in logical order – Observations analysis • Conclusions – List the main points the audience should take home and remember. Should give closure to objective. Make sure the ending is strong. How to Give a Talk, Larry Murdoch, 25 April, 2013

Slide Format • Use high contrast color scheme – Light background with dark text (this is what I prefer) – Dark background with light text (sometimes better for pictures) • OK to use design template, but avoid distracting complexity. • Use Master slide with footer containing title, date, author, location • Design slide so it is readable – Large font, figures with thick lines and large symbols – Modest amount of text • Avoid red on blue, and other obnoxious color combinations. See following slide for example of what not to do How to Give a Talk, Larry Murdoch, 25 April, 2013

Yikes! Slide Format • Use high contrast color scheme – Light background with dark text – Dark background with light text (better for pictures) • OK to use design template, but avoid distracting complexity • Use Master slide with footer containing title, date, author, location • Design slide so it is readable – Large font, figures with thick lines and large symbols – Modest amount of text • Avoid red on blue, and other obnoxious color combinations How to Give a Talk, Larry Murdoch, 25 April, 2013

Slide Format • Animation – Use it to make a point – Never use it just because it is there this is distracting and irritating • Use pictures/graphs as much as possible – Text-only slides are OK, but always can be improved with pix • Avoid spelling or grammar mistakes How to Give a Talk, Larry Murdoch, 25 April, 2013

Presentation • Speak clearly, no mumbling • Make eye contact with audience • Use a pointer to highlight important parts of the slide • Finish the talk on time. – It takes roughly 1 minute/slide unless there a lot of animations, which can take longer • Practice the talk – Get the words together – Check the time How to Give a Talk, Larry Murdoch, 25 April, 2013

Presentation • Use the slide as a cue for what to say, but don’t read it. • Don’t apologise for small errors – Most of the time the audience will not realize the problem, and in any case it is probably not worth calling attention to. • Give slides as handouts when appropriate • Use other talks you have seen for reference—what to do, what to avoid How to Give a Talk, Larry Murdoch, 25 April, 2013