Slides that support a speaker
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| bullet points | 要点 | yào diǎn |
| contrast | 对比度 | duì bǐ dù |
| sans-serif | 无衬线 | wú chèn xiàn |
| reference list | 参考文献列表 | cān kǎo wén xiàn liè biǎo |
A slide is not a document
- The most common presentation mistake is putting the talk on the slide and then reading it out.
- A slide the audience is reading is a slide they are not listening to.
- Slides support a speaker. If the slides work without you, you are not needed.
One message per slide
- If a slide needs two sentences to summarise, it is two slides.
- Bullet points 要点 are prompts, not a script. Five or six words each.
- The title should state the message, not the topic: Bus routes now feed the metro beats Bus routes.
A slide needs two sentences to summarise. What does that mean?
One message per slide. Shrinking the font hides the problem instead of fixing it.
Rewrite the slide title "Bus routes" so that it states a message instead of a topic.
A title that states the message means the audience gets the point even if they look up late.
The back row decides your font size
- Contrast 对比度 and size are what make a slide readable: dark text on light, at least 24 point.
- A sans-serif 无衬线 typeface is easier to read at a distance and on a projector.
- Check it from the back of the room, not from your laptop.
What makes a slide readable from the back of the room? Choose all that apply.
More text is the opposite of readable — it makes the audience read instead of listen.
The same data, twice.
A table of eight rows and four columns — accurate, and unreadable in six seconds.
A bar chart of the four biggest values, with the number you care about labelled — the shape is the point, and the audience gets it before you finish the sentence.
Use a chart when the shape of the data is the point, and a table when the exact values are.
When should you use a chart rather than a table?
A chart shows a shape in a second; a table gives precision. Pick by what the audience needs.
Cite on the slide
- Put the source on the slide where the material appears, and keep a full reference list at the end.
- An image, a chart or a figure taken from the web needs its source and a licence that permits reuse.
- ⚠ Academic integrity applies to media exactly as it applies to text.
Every chart needs axis labels and units. A chart without them is decoration, and it will be marked as decoration. This is the cheapest presentation mark there is and the one most often lost.
A chart on a slide can leave out axis labels if you explain them aloud.
Labels and units are a marked criterion, and the audience reads the chart before you reach that sentence.
Do not animate the bullets in one at a time out of habit. Animation has one legitimate use — revealing a complex diagram part by part — and every other use makes the audience wait for you instead of thinking about the point.