How to do presentations that don't induce suicide

HOW TO DO
PRESENTATIONS
THAT DON’T INDUCE

SUICIDE
Friday, 10 August 12

HOW TO DO
PRESENTATIONS
THAT DON’T INDUCE

SUICIDE ected title
#1 Pi ck an unexp


HOW TO DO
PRESENTATIONS
THAT DON’T INDUCE

SUICIDE ected title
#1 Pi ck an unexp
#2 Use type confidently - don
’t be a pussy


IN SHORT: NO ONE WANTS
THEIR AUDIENCE TO DO THIS



#3 Dramatise the essence of
the presentation



#3 Dramatise the essence of
the presentation

4 Show that your ‘edgy’ title was no accident
#

#5 context: why are we here?



• YOU WANT TO GET BETTER
AT CREATING PRESENTATIONS

• I’M GOING TO HELP YOU





• IT WILL TAKE 5 MINUTES
(WHICH IS ABOUT THE SAME
AMOUNT OF TIME MICROSOFT
SPENT DESIGNING POWERPOINT)





• IT WILL TAKE 5 MINUTES
(WHICH IS ABOUT THE SAME
AMOUNT OF TIME MICROSOFT
SPENT DESIGNING POWERPOINT)
#6 set exp ectations
#7 show yo u’re ‘fun’


#8 but don’t be too ‘fun’



#8b Seriously. Eye-rolling is up there with suicide.



#8b Seriously. Eye-rolling is up there with suicide.

#8c I’m not kidding. NO images like this.


#9 Demystify things by turning your entire
presentation into a single, simple lesson...


#9 Demystify things by turning your entire
presentation into a single, simple lesson...

A GOOD PRESENTATION IS A
SIMPLE STORY, TOLD FROM A
PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE


#10 Use a quote if it adds something

“Everyone who is honest is interesting”

~ Stefan Sagmeister


#10 Use a quote if it adds something

“Everyone who is honest is interesting”

~ Stefan Sagmeister
t’s a credible
b It helps if i back story
#10
source with a nice

tory
read the back s
C lick this to person, the
, in ly)
(of course ould do this verbal
w
presenter


#11 Extrapolate your story into easy steps


#11 Extrapolate your story into easy steps


1. Background - paint the picture (contextualise)

2. Main character - who’s involved, and how?

3. Event - what happened?

4. Lessons - what can we learn from it?




2. Main character - who’s involved, and how?




BACKGROUND
THE WORLD IS LITTERED WITH
AWFUL PRESENTATIONS

SOME CHARTS THAT I
SMASHED TOGETHER
10 ways to use the words WITHOUT EDITING 6
How to maximise the
Social Media in casual 100 99
103
6 43
chances of slow,
75
conversation! 50
32 32

2134
32
corporate suffering
25 99 2134

0
2007 2008 2009 2010

(you may have seen some of them)


BACKGROUND
THE WORLD IS LITTERED WITH
AWFUL PRESENTATIONS

SOME CHARTS THAT I
SMASHED TOGETHER
10 ways to use the words WITHOUT EDITING 6
How to maximise the
Social Media in casual 100 99
103
6 43
chances of slow,
75
conversation! 50
32 32

2134
32
corporate suffering
25 99 2134

0
2007 2008 2009 2010

#12 If you want to avoid pickin
(youp g on
may have seen some of them) real
peo le, dramatise problems in
stead




2. Main character - who’s involved and how?




THE GUILTY PARTY IS THE
GENERAL POWERPOINT USER



image courtesy

nice: link to sources
# 13 P.s. be borrowed
for im ages you



BUT IT’S NOT THEIR FAULT...


THEY’RE PROBABLY REALLY
FUN & NORMAL IN REAL LIFE:

“hahahahahahaha”


BUT THEN THEY SEE THESE...



AND
THIS



AND
THIS!
AND
THIS



AND
THIS!
AND
THIS

#14 Put us in their shoes


SUDDENLY, THEY’RE THINKING:

That must be what
‘presentations’ are
supposed to be like


IT NOT MUCH DIFFERENT FROM:

That must be what
‘music’ is supposed
to be like


ONE DAY, I ‘NEARLY’ DID THIS:


ONE DAY, I ‘NEARLY’ DID THIS:

#15 Looping back to the open
er
really helps gel things togeth
er

ENOUGH WAS ENOUGH...

ENOUGH 26

19.5

13
ENOUGH ENOUGH
6.5

0
TIME


ENOUGH WAS ENOUGH...

ENOUGH 26

19.5

13
ENOUGH ENOUGH
6.5

0
TIME

#16 Everyone like s an ‘amusing’ chart


ALMOST EVERYONE IS CAPABLE
OF COMMUNICATING WELL...

...IF THEY STOP
LETTING
EXTERNAL
EXPECTATIONS
GET IN THE WAY.


AND INSTEAD BEGIN WITH
WHAT THEY FIND INTERESTING.

#17 If you use a ‘cute kid’ pictu
re,
find one with charm - it’ a fine
line

SO... I DECIDED TO PUT THIS
PRESENTATION TOGETHER

TO TELL PEOPLE
ONE SIMPLE THING:


FILTER THE WORLD THROUGH
YOUR OWN PERSONALITY
1. thing s you see

ity
2. your personal

v iew of the world
3. your unique


FILTER THE WORLD THROUGH
YOUR OWN PERSONALITY
1. thing s you see

ity
2. your personal

#18 A visual metaphor can m
ake
points more palpable and me
mo rable

v iew of the world
3. your unique


FILTERING THINGS THROUGH
YOUR PERSONALITY...

• Makes presentations more interesting
• Makes you more interesting
• Makes you take more care
• Gives your content a better chance
• Sets an informal, conversational tone
• Makes it more memorable
• Makes people more likely to talk about it


NO ONE NEEDS
TO DIE TODAY


HERE COMES THE RECAP SLIDE


HERE COMES THE RECAP SLIDE

#19 Recap slides prevent peo
ple from having to think
back - and they force you to h
ave a simple point...


RECAP

10 ways to use the
words Social Media in
casual conversation!

1. NO ONE 2. BE CAREFUL 3. SAY IT
WANTS THIS WHAT YOU COPY YOUR WAY


AND SOME LESSONS FOR ME

1. It’s dangerous doing a presentation about how to do
presentations (hope no one thinks i’m a total wanker.)

2. You can’t really explain exactly how to do something
when the point is not to follow a format.

3. Clearly this level of silliness isn’t appropriate in all cases,
but the core point remains: humanise it.


THIS WAS FUN

@andywhitlock


#20 Don’t write ‘thanks’ on th
e last page. It’s weird.

THIS WAS FUN

@andywhitlock


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