Presentations are a cornerstone of art and design practice. Whether you're showcasing portfolios, individual works, or concepts, the ability to present effectively is crucial. This guide offers insights and tips to help you craft compelling and well-delivered presentations.
Thorough preparation lays the foundation for a successful presentation. Before you even think about your slides or what you'll say, consider the logistical and technical aspects:
- Communicate with the host well in advance to understand the available and required technology. This includes:
- Audio: Inquire about connector types, speaker setup, and potential latency issues.
- Projector: Determine the connector type (HDMI, DVI, Display Port, USB-C), available resolution, and any potential latency. Also, test your visual material on projectors beforehand, as contrast can differ significantly from screens, and light colours might vanish. If using HDMI, be aware that it can sometimes capture audio, so ensure your audio output is correctly configured.
- Lighting: Understand the lighting situation to plan your visuals accordingly.
- Network: If you need internet access or specific ports, clarify the available network infrastructure.
- Rehearse your presentation at least once and record yourself (with audio and/or video). This allows you to identify areas for improvement and gauge your timing.
- When presenting volatile artifacts (electronic, digital, or mechanical), pre-record a backup video in case of failure during the presentation.
- Remember to get something to drink beforehand, just in case.
- Crucially, turn off all notifications on your mobile phone and laptop to avoid distractions. macOS users can utilise the "Do Not Disturb" feature, and similar features likely exist on other operating systems.
- Test your audio and ensure your presentation displays in fullscreen before you begin.
- Clean up your desktop and check open documents and applications before connecting to a public projector or screen to avoid any unintended disclosures.
- After your presentation, don't forget to take your power supply and display adapters with you.
The content of your presentation will vary depending on its purpose, which might include portfolio presentations, showcasing individual or studio work, or delivering a lecture. Regardless, consider how to make "the thing you want to present" presentable.
Think about the dramaturgy of your presentation. Just like a story adapted for the stage, your presentation can benefit from structure and pacing. Consider elements like a beginning, middle, and end, and even techniques like plot twists or comedic relief. Explore different dramatic structures:
- Traditional narrative: Beginning, Middle, and End.
- Kwik Kwak: Engaging the audience with riddles, followed by the audience acting as a chorus.
- Griot: An African storytelling structure starting with jokes and riddles, a solemn beginning, a narrative body with audience participation, and a conclusive moral.
- Kishōtenketsu (起承転結): This structure, originating in China and adapted in Korea and Japan, involves an introduction (ki), development (shō), a twist (ten), and a conclusion (ketsu). This structure can be applied to narratives and even arguments.
- Chiastic structure: Presenting ideas in a mirrored pattern (A, B, B', A').
When dealing with complex works, think about different steps of explanation to make them accessible. For example, when presenting videogames, long movies, or apps, consider how to reduce their complexity for the presentation format.
Consider the length of your presentation. While there's no ideal length, be mindful of your audience's attention span. Guy Kawasaki’s 10-20-30 rule (10 slides, 20 minutes, 30-point font) is one technique to consider. If the host has defined a time limit, inquire about it ASAP. Be aware that exceeding the allocated time can have different connotations depending on the context. If you run out of time, you might need to talk faster or skip content gracefully.
Think about what image you want to convey as a presenter. Consider the cultural biases that might be present in your audience and in your own presentation style.
Don't underestimate the power of non-information. Appreciate uncomfortable silences, consider briefly leaving the stage, or even ending on a question to leave a lasting impression.
Structure your presentation logically. A common structure includes an introduction phase (with a table of contents or something to lighten the atmosphere), a main phase, and an end phase (with a resume and follow-up information). When presenting a portfolio, consider structuring it chronologically, by category, by topic, or by a leitmotif.
Your physical presence and voice play a significant role in how your presentation is received. Consider whether you will stand, sit, walk, or crouch, and if you will use props or prototypes. Work on your voice to sound convincing.
Think about your speaking style. There are pros and cons to both impromptu speaking and pre-written texts. Impromptu speaking offers flexibility but might lead to forgetting key points. Pre-written texts help with memory and timing but can sometimes seem stiff. A balance might be ideal – using cards with highlights to remember important points while allowing for improvisation. If speaking impromptu, consider adding estimated intermediate times to your presenter notes.
Consider how you want to interact with your audience. Should you ask questions or encourage interruptions? While a Q&A at the end is common, think about ways to engage those who might be less confident to speak up, perhaps through a workshop-style interaction. Avoid talking over audio in films or other media unless you have a clear artistic intention. Also, do not stand in the projection ray.
Many tools are available for creating presentations, most of which organise content in slides with text, images, and videos. These include Microsoft PowerPoint, Apple Keynote, Google Slides, Marp, iA Presenter, Figma, and revealjs. Even macOS Finder can be used in a somewhat unconventional way. Consider using your iPhone as a remote control for Keynote. Non-presentation tools like Resolume, OBS, Processing.org, and Touchdesigner can also be creatively misused for presentations.
By considering these points, you can craft and deliver presentations that are not only informative but also engaging and reflective of your artistic or design sensibilities.
This document is available as a public document at Directions for Presentations.