A Primer: DrupalCon Presentation Training

As part of the amazing support in the Drupal Community, all presenters have been requested to attend (or watch recordings of) webinars on how to give good presentations, led by Emma Jane Hogbin of Design to Theme.

Below is a summary of the two hour-long videos, which I initially intended as personal notes, but later realized others might find useful as well.

Audience and Message

• Talk to your session chairs about your audience
• Start with the question: What's the point of your presentation?

Pick a Style

• Kawasaki Style (using the 10/20/30 rule of PowerPoint)
• Takahashi Style (king-sized text as a visual)
• Steve Jobs Style (Minimal graphics and using slides to emphasize his key points) 
• at least have a style!

Context, Content, Conclusion and Action

• Know your audience (let them know what to expect)
• Know your content
• Have a passion for your story
• Have a hook to remember the presentation
• Have at most three things people must remember
• Ask people to take an action based on your presentation

What

about your presentation?

Resources

• Beyond Bullet Points (How to craft stories and work out timings)

Format and Style

• Slides support your story
• Slides are not the story

Now, for Every Slide, Ask Yourself:

• What's the point of this slide?
• How does this slide and its imagery support my story?
• Can someone at the back of the room read this slide?
• Is it high enough in contrast that people will be able to perceive the content? (Are you sure?)

Content of Slides

• Do put important information in the center
• Do use the largest possible font
• Do provide focus within the slide itself
• Do embed videos, instead of using live demos
• Do use images to support your message
• Do ensure everyone can participate

Delivery of Slides

• Not everyone in your audience will be able to see or read your slides
• Always describe the content of the slide as best you can without interrupting the flow
• Ensure "jokes" are accessible to everyone

Design Inspiration

In Summary

• Ensure your presentation has message or story for the audience to take home and share with others
• Ensure every slide supports your message
• Ensure every slide can be "perceived" by the audience
• Use any format you like, but be consistent
• Use the intro/outro slides provided by DrupalCon for video editing purposes

One Last Thing

• Don't forget your presentation deck is due on March 1