Saturday, April 27, 2013

Presentation Design

Many of us thought we knew how to design really awesome presentations, but look back at some of them.  Did they really keep you engaged, or would you have fallen asleep if it were showed to you?  If the point can be made with fewer words and pictures, take out all of the unnecessary information, it will only be distracting.  When reviewing key points using pictures is best to get your audience to remember the key concepts.  Although using big, bold photos is a good way to get your point across, blank space can be very powerful as well, drawing your attention to the words and pictures that are on the screen.  Use pictures to subtly draw the audience's eyes to the main point, chart, etc. Slides need to vary in design in terms of being symmetrical or asymmetrical so you are not looking at the same layout for the entire presentation.  Keeping the rule of thirds in mind is also helpful to make sure you can keep the attention of people during your presentation.  To help make sure the rule of thirds is being used, use a grid when designing the slide so you don't waste your time moving things aimlessly.  Having clear contrast on a slide really makes a statement and will quickly get the point across. Using repetition within your presentation is good but too much can be a bad thing.  Some of the same or similar elements throughout the presentation helps tie everything together.  Good, clean alignment makes slides look more professional, being too random or spontaneous can distract your audience or even completely lose their focus. Give your audience simple.  Group similar things together, making distinctions when needed.  Proximity can enhance or distract from the presentation depending on how you set things up.  If things can be grouped together but aren't, your audience will then be thinking about what is going on more than listening to what you have to say.  All of these elements are parts of a good presentation that I have heard of before, along with, short and sweet text.  Reading the article gave me clarification and good examples to really understand what a good presentation looks like.  All of this is good information so when presenting to students, you can keep them engaged and learning.  Again, modelling what a good presentation is like will help the students understand how to create their own.  Using slides to introduce a lesson, during a lesson, or to summarize would all be great times to use a presentation like this.  A good presentation can enhance any teaching instruction.  If your presentations are boring, you will lose your audience and ultimately just be talking to yourself, using these tips above students will stay engaged and involved in the lesson.  Compared to PowerPoints I have made in the past, my presentations would not quite make the cut, but they wouldn't be too far off either.  Being creative and simplifying big ideas can really help connect the information with your students.  I will definitely make my next presentation to go along with these tips.

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