Technical presentations are difficult - let's make them easier!

Abstract

Delivering technical presentations is difficult - whether you’re explaining statistical concepts, mathematical equations, or code you’ve developed. It’s also hard to define exactly what makes a presentation good. We’ll discuss practical tips to avoid common pitfalls (the “what not to do”), and simple changes to improve your presentations (the “what to do instead”). You’ll take away a check list that you can use when developing your next presentation to make it easier for you and your audience!

What makes a good presentation?

During the workshop, we crowd-sourced some ideas about what makes a good presentation. These are the responses from attendees:

• Slides with less bullet points, large font, less text

• Simplicity

• Showing enthusiasm for your topic

• Audience participation

• Use your slides as prompts, not a script

• Showing clearly how to use the new method in practice. I really like talks that make it clear how the method works, but if others don’t know how/when to use it, it may not prove useful to the statistical community.

• Good timing and pace, engaging voice tone, interactivity, not too much information, avoid reading off slides and keep slides minimal, tailor to your audience, not too long!

• Open body language and movement makes it more engaging

• Include NOTHING on the slide that you won’t explain

• Engaging the audience (tone of voice, lay and clear language)

• Well designed slides (not too much text) Clear structure: beginning, middle, end.

• Simple slides

• Enthusiastic delivery

• Interactivity, storytelling

• Understood by all listeners

• Not too much detail on the slides

• ENERGY!

• Clear, logical and informative

• Enthusiasm for the topic

• Engaging