These are tips for creating poser boards and powerpoint presentations in advance of the 2012 SBCC Competition being held in Prince Edward Island, Canada on April 19th, 2012

1. SBCC 2011-12 Presentation

Opening Q&A on SBCC event

Poster Board Presentation

Power Point Oral Presentation

2. Opening Q &A

April 19th Event Agenda...

Judging Guidelines...
– Judged twice
– Oral 10-12 min, poster boards
– Value 100% (incl lab journal 10%)

Mentor Declaration...

Abstract – 250 Words...

Lab Journal...10%

Poster and PowerPoint Requirements...

SBCC Website – News/Regional/PEI –
http://www.sanofibiotalentchallenge.ca
Presentation Resources 2011-122

3. Poster Requirements

Regional/National Competition Backboards are
provided...

Posters, if possible, should be printed on one
large sheet (preferably laminated) that can be
rolled up for easier transportation. It then can be
attached in a temporary fashion to the
backboard...

All exhibits, including all accessories, must be
confined to a table or floor space not to exceed
0.8 metres, front to back; 1.2 metres side to
side; and 3.5 metres maximum height from the
floor...
3

4. Poster Requirements

The best way is to do your poster is in
PowerPoint, or similar, and then have it printed
at a print shop. It should be printed on a large
sheet, (e.g. 90 cm. x 120 cm).

Make sure that your Mentor has reviewed your
poster before you have it printed.
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5. Poster Presentations

Grab Attention!

Title should be readable 6-7 m away

Deliver your message quickly

Viewers must grab the “science” in 2-3 min

Write a concise abstract

Transmit the important point of your poster

Consider the viewer who may only read the
abstract
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6. Poster Presentations
...be effective!

Keep text to an absolute minimum

Tell your story with graphics as much as
possible

Make your poster easy on the eyes

Use dark type on pale background

Design simple flow paths

Double space text

Use easy to read fonts at 18pt minimum
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7. Poster Presentations
...remember!

What hooked me?

What did I get from a good presentation?

Could I have gotten the basic message if the
presenter had not been there?
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8. Example of a “poor” poster
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9. Example of a “good” poster
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10. Poster Boards
10

11. Poster Boards
11

12. Poster Boards
12

13. Poster Boards
13

14. Poster Boards
14

15. Poster Boards
15

16. Making PowerPoint Slides
Avoiding the Pitfalls of Bad Slides
16

17. Tips to be Covered
 Outlines
 Slide Structure
 Fonts
 Colour
 Background
 Graphs
 Spelling and Grammar
 Conclusions
 Questions
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18. Outline
 Make your 1st or 2nd slide an outline of your
presentation
– Ex: previous slide
 Follow the order of your outline for the rest of the
presentation
 Only place main points on the outline slide
– Ex: Use the titles of each slide as main points
18

19. Slide Structure – Good
 Use 1-2 slides per minute of your presentation
 Write in point form, not complete sentences
 Include 4-5 points per slide
 Avoid wordiness: use key words and phrases only
19

20. Slide Structure - Bad
 This page contains too many words for a
presentation slide. It is not written in point form,
making it difficult both for your audience to read
and for you to present each point. Although there
are exactly the same number of points on this slide
as the previous slide, it looks much more
complicated. In short, your audience will spend
too much time trying to read this paragraph instead
of listening to you.
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21. Slide Structure – Good
 Show one point at a time:
» Will help audience concentrate on what you are
saying
» Will prevent audience from reading ahead
» Will help you keep your presentation focused
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22. Slide Structure - Bad
 Do not use distracting animation
 Do not go overboard with the animation
 Be consistent with the animation that you use
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23. Fonts - Good
 Use at least an 18-point font
 Use different size fonts for main points and
secondary points
– Main pt is 26, and the this font is 22
 Use a standard font like Times New Roman or Arial
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24. Fonts - Bad
 If you use a small font, your audience won’t be able to read what you have written
 CAPITALIZE ONLY WHEN
NECESSARY. IT IS DIFFICULT TO
READ
 Don’t use a complicated font
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25. Colour - Good
 Use a colour of font that contrasts sharply with the
background
– Ex: blue font on white background
 Use colour to reinforce the logic of your structure
– Ex: bold blue title and dark blue text
 Use colour to emphasize a point
– But only use this occasionally
25

26. Colour - Bad
 Using a font colour that does not contrast with the
background colour is hard to read
 Using colour for decoration is distracting and
annoying.
 Using a different colour for each point is
unnecessary
– Using a different colour for secondary points is
also unnecessary
 Trying to be creative can also be bad
26

27. Background - Good
 Use backgrounds such as this one that are
attractive but simple
 Use backgrounds which are light
 Use the same background consistently throughout
your presentation
27

28. Background – Bad
 Avoid backgrounds that are distracting or difficult
to read from
 Always be consistent with the background that you
use
28

29. Graphs - Good
 Use graphs rather than just charts and words
– Data in graphs is easier to comprehend & retain
than is raw data
– Trends are easier to visualize in graph form
 Always title your graphs
29

30. Graphs - Bad
January February March April
Blue Balls 20.4 27.4 90 20.4
Red Balls 30.6 38.6 34.6 31.6
30

31. Graphs - Good
Items Sold in First Quarter of 2002
100
90
80
70
60
Blue Balls
50
Red Balls
40
30
20
10
0
January February March April
31

32. Graphs - Bad
100
90
90
80
70
60
Blue Balls
50
Red Balls
40 38.6
34.6
30.6 31.6
30 27.4
20.4 20.4
20
10
0
January February March April
32

33. Graphs - Bad
 Minor gridlines are unnecessary
 Font is too small
 Colours are illogical
 Title is missing
 Shading is distracting
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34. Spelling and Grammar
 Proof your slides for:
– speling mistakes
– the use of of repeated words
– grammatical errors you might have make
 If English is not your first language, please have
someone else check your presentation!
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35. Conclusion
 Use an effective and strong closing
– Your audience is likely to remember your last
words
 Use a conclusion slide to:
– Summarize the main points of your presentation
– Suggest future avenues of research
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36. Questions??
 End your presentation with a simple question slide
to:
– Invite your audience to ask questions
– Provide a visual aid during question period
– Avoid ending a presentation abruptly
36

37. Example “poor” or “good” slide
37

38. Example “poor or good” slide
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39. Oral Presentation
 Consider
– Posture
– What are your hands doing?
– Are you smiling?
 Speaking
– Point to the screen, speak to your
audience
 Dress
– Business casual
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40. Oral Presentation
 Preparation
– You want to hold the judges attention and
share your knowledge
 Audience
– Judges are experts, try to excite them with
your knowledge and enthusiasm
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41. Oral Presentation
 Content
– Define your purpose, topic and scope
 Clarity
– Introduction, body and conclusion
 Showcase
– Use simple, direct, active words
– Keep your language at a level you are
comfortable with
– Try to summarize facts and data
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42. Oral Presentation
 Timelines
– 10 minutes and 5 minutes for questions
– Be sure to summarize and conclude
 Practice, Practice and Practice
– Use friends and family
– Use your visual aids to rehearse
– Try not to use notes
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43. Thank You and good luck!
Questions and Comments...
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