Presentation on Presenting by Irene Terpstra July 30th, 2025-EDW
Text edited by Otter.ai and Chat GPT
Avoid overloading your slides with text during presentations.
When you're presenting, the audience should be focused on you, not reading slides full of text. A cluttered slide draws attention away from the speaker. It’s fine to use slides as a reference, but what you say should be more important than what’s on the screen. Use slides to hint at your topics and keep titles meaningful, but avoid using them as a script.
Use structural elements like slide numbers to improve navigation.
One small but impactful tip is to include slide numbers. This helps during Q&A when someone wants to refer to a specific slide. Without them, you waste time playing guessing games: “Was it this one? Or that one?” Adding slide numbers is an easy fix that adds clarity and saves time.
Design your final slides to support Q&A, not end the conversation.
Instead of ending with a big “Thank You” slide that stays up during Q&A, include a slide with visual reminders of your key points. You’ve already thanked the audience—now use that screen real estate to reinforce your message. Include a relevant image, a summary graphic, or even a cool detail from your project. This gives people something to look at while you're answering questions.
Introduce your teammates and transition clearly between speakers.
Structure your presentation with smooth transitions between team members. At the beginning, introduce yourselves briefly. During the presentation, hand off by saying something like, “Now Irene will show you an example,” which keeps the flow natural and reinforces names throughout.
Design your slides to support your speech, not replace it.
Slides should highlight your main ideas without duplicating your speech. Use minimal text—just enough to guide the audience and help them follow along. If you’re showing math, don’t display an entire derivation; show a visual or key expression, then explain it aloud.
Example presentations can demonstrate these principles.
In one example, the speaker used a clean visual overview on the first slide, followed by concise, visual-focused slides. Toward the end, the “Thank You” slide also included a robot image and algorithm diagram to reinforce key accomplishments and keep the audience engaged during Q&A.
Speak to the entire audience, and project your voice.
It’s important to speak loudly enough for the back of the room and make eye contact with people throughout the space. Pick a person in the back and speak to them—that’ll naturally project your voice. If you wear glasses and feel nervous, taking them off can help reduce anxiety about the crowd.
Presentations and projects are not separate—they work together.
Think of your project and your presentation as one unified experience. The project provides the tangible result; the presentation shares your journey, process, and design thinking. If something can be demonstrated live, it’s often better than putting it on a slide. Use your slides to show visuals or context that can’t be conveyed through the physical demo alone.
You’re the reason the audience is there—enjoy it.
The audience came to see you, not just your slides. Don’t worry too much about making mistakes; they’re often endearing and relatable. Your audience wants you to succeed. Even the parts of your project that went wrong are worth sharing—they’re part of the story.
Minimize distractions and avoid reading from your slides.
Too many bullet points can distract from your speaking. Use visuals or short phrases to support your message. If you need help remembering points, use speaker notes on your phone rather than reading off the screen. Avoid turning your back to the audience, as that affects your voice projection.
Your journey is more important than technical details.
These presentations are not meant to be technical reports. They’re a chance to share what you learned, why you pursued the project, and how you grew. If you want to share detailed code or schematics, put them in a document or a YouTube link—not in the main presentation. Let your passion and process come through instead.
Human connection matters more than perfection.
People care about your excitement, your struggles, and your triumphs—not just the polished result. Don’t make it a data dump. Share the emotional parts, the real moments, the bugs that wouldn’t go away. That’s what makes your story engaging and relatable.
Most people are too nervous themselves to judge your mistakes.
When you’re presenting, remember that others are likely more focused on their own upcoming presentation than on your small missteps. That perspective can help reduce anxiety. Most mistakes you notice will go unnoticed by others.
Presentations can benefit from a conversational approach.
If two presenters are speaking together, introduce both speakers at the start of a slide. For example: “Now, I and [Name] will walk you through…” This makes the flow feel more like a conversation and prepares the audience to hear from both of you.
Final announcements: you are part of something bigger.
The workshop is part of a larger research project happening in Italy, Spain, Hong Kong, and elsewhere. The organizers would like to include your voices in that effort. To do this, they’ll need consent forms signed by you and your parents. These will be distributed tomorrow, and they’re hoping everyone participates.
Celebrate the diversity and collaboration of this group.
This is a uniquely international group, with participants from Armenia, Barcelona, Ferrara, Boston, Peru, and more. The mix of cultures and perspectives makes this a special opportunity, and sharing your experiences could lead to something valuable and lasting.
No comments:
Post a Comment