Presentation Guidelines

• Introduce a technology
• Teach
• Contrast & compare

Calibrate the presentation for the technical ability of the audience

Use a predefined style

• Stick to the style's color palate for diagrams
• Use the recommended font size
• Avoid colored or complex backgrounds

If you stray from a style, do test slides in a presentation environment

Organize logically

Provide an outline

Provide title slides to delimit presentation sections corresponding to the outline

Avoid small font sizes

• Typical header size: 44pt
• Bullet sizes: 32pt - 20pt (20 is getting small)
• Pictures and diagrams: 24 - 16pt

Prefer diagrams or pictures to convey complex ideas

Vary slide formats judiciously

• If it improves clarity

Use animation to depict dynamic concepts

Use animation and transitions judiciously

• Be sure they enhance, rather than detract from presentation

Avoid wrapping text

onsider a slide to introduce yourself and your background, especially as pertains to the presentation

Your first few slides should grab the audience's attention

Avoid using more than 6 bullets per slide

Use sub-bullets judiciously

• Avoid more than one sub-level of bullets
• Used to organize information into sub-ideas or lists

Consider summarizing your presentation

• State the major take aways
• What do you want the audience to do with the information you presented?
• Is there a call to action?
• Consider a final wrap up statement or quote

Include a Q & A slide

Consider including backup slides at the end in anticipation of the need to explain complex concepts in the Q & A period

Spell check

Allow about 1 to 1.5 minutes per slide on average.

Avoid switching out of the presentation as it disrupts the flow

• Except to start a demo or similar

Avoid interactive editing of code, etc

• Unless you can increase the font sufficiently
• And if you believe you can keep the audience's interest

Prefer to display code within your presentation where it is more readable

• Adhere to the font guidelines for code too
• Show snippets that focus on the point

Avoid product pitches and self-promotion

Presenter Guidelines

Practice your presentation

• Preferably with an audience who will provide feedback
• Get your timing right
• Leave room for about five minutes of questions

As you present, be conscious of your pace; the tendency is to go too fast

Relax, the first 5 - 10 minutes are the hardest

• You will get more comfortable
• Work through the initial anxiety
• Seek eye contact with friendly and interested people to increase confidence

Leave questions to the end unless you are comfortable fielding them during the presentation and you can stay on schedule

Begin with a strong opening statement

Consider using a laser pointer

Talk to the slides, but don't just read them

• Each bullet is a potential talking point
• Avoid drifting too far from the slides
• Find a balance

Speak to your audience

• Make occasional eye contact
• Distribute your attention across the audience
• Don't be afraid to look an the slides occasionally
  

Be aware of what you are doing with your body

• Avoid fidgeting

Avoid colloquialisms or cultural references a broad audience may not understand

Use good grammar

Avoid those words people use when they don't know what to say

• "I was able to write this in LIKE 20 minutes." It was LIKE really easy.
• "The code was buggy, U-KNOW. And the guy well, U-KNOW, he didn't want to fix it."
• "The runtime uses UM...annotations...UM...and reflects on that to...UM...figure out the...UM...persistence strategy....YEAH"

Use the stage

• Avoid being a statue
• Move about in a measured fashion
• Use movement to relate to the entire audience

Speak clearly and at an understandable pace

Breathe

Pause occasionally

• After an important point
• At the end of a slide
• To collect your thoughts
• To reflect upon your pace
• To look at the clock
• To gauge the audience's ingagement
• Instead of using LIKE, U-KNOW, and UM, when you have to think of  what to say next.

Be aware of time distortion

• When presenting, time may appear to contract

Avoid saying things that might get you in trouble

• Be clear and careful about opinions vs. facts
• Avoid preaching
• Avoid denigrating other technologies or individuals when contrasting or commenting
• Try to stick to what you know

Show a willingness to answer all questions

• Be honest; say "I don't know - I'll get back to you."
• Listen carefully to questions and don't interrupt
• Consider repeating or summarizing the question for clarification and to ensure everyone hears

Try to be appropriately and genuinely enthusiastic

Be judicious with the use of humor