1

Presentation Techniques

Course units accompanyingBachelor-, Master- and Seminar-Projects at the ICG

Markus Oberwegeroberweger@icg.tugraz.at

Slide credits to V. Lepetit, S. Hauswiesner, M. Streit, H. Grabner, D. Schmalstieg

2

Agenda

● Organizational issues

● Planning a presentation: Topic, audience, structure

● Preparing a presentation: Text and slides● Giving a presentation: Skills, style, Q&A

3

Schedule

● Scientific working● Presentation techniques

– Part I: Mon, 02.05.2016 (10:00- 12:00) in the ICG Seminar room

– Part II: Mon, 09.05.2016 (10:00- 12:00) in the ICG Seminar room

● Final talks– Computer Vision: 20./21.06.2016

– Computer Graphics: 20./21.06.2016

– See: http://www.icg.tugraz.at/courses/project

– Email me to register (after OK from supervisor): oberweger@icg.tugraz.at

● These units are mandatory!– Attendance list – please remind me :)

4

Task for Presentation Techniques II

● Prepare short presentation– Max. 3 min

– Introduce your project

– English

● Test talk for final presentation● Feedback afterward● Bring USB-stick or send me the slides

5

Grading Final Presentation

● Evaluation criteria– Content (!)

– Presentation style

– Slides

– Enthusiasm

● Audience– Colleagues

– Project supervisor

– Professors

6

Planning a Presentation

7

Purpose of a Presentation

Optimal communicationof information andscientific results

8

Planning a Presentation

● Focus on the topic (What?)

● Analyze the audience (Who?)

● Structure the talk (How?)

9

What: Focus on the Topic

● Main idea or message of the presentation

→ continuous chain of reasoning

● Should be possible to formulate as sentence

● Which sub-items should be covered?

● Which information is essential, and what can be omitted?

10

Who: Analyze the Audience

● Who is my audience?

11

Who: Analyze the Audience

● Job, education, motivation (!)

● What is the general background knowledge of the audience?

● What is the specific knowledge about the topic?

● What language does the audience speak?

12

How: Stages of Planning 1/2

● Idea● First decisions

– Analyze the audience, aim of talk, choice of media

● Concept– Collect material, visualizations, structure

● Production– Write text and notes, conduct experiments (in

time!), create slides, (handouts)

13

How: Stages of Planning 2/2

● Check– Room, projector, where to stand

● Personal preparation– Train critical phrases, check length

– Turn nervousness into positive energy

● Know how to handle media● Practice with projector● Strategy for interaction

– Think about possible questions and answers

14

Time Management

Plan 30 minutes preparation time for each minute of presentation!

Rule of thumb:

15

Structure of a Presentation

● Classical formula– Tell the audience what you want to tell

– Tell them

– Tell them what you told

● Structure similar to a scientific work– Introduction (context, questions answered)

– Related work

– Main part / method

– Results

– Conclusion

16

Outline

● Content, Agenda, Overview, …

● No must have → matter of taste, but if your talk is straight forward, I do not recommend it

● Do not discuss in detail!

● As guidance for the talk (over ~20 minutes)

17

Introduction/Motivation

● Put the presentation in context to problems or needs of the audience

● Raise the attention (now or never)– Address the curiosity, tell some surprising facts, tell

an anecdote

– Give an interesting example

– Show an interesting image related to topic

– Start with good results

18

19

20

21

Related Work

● Can be useful to show that problem is important (many related works)

● or problem is new/exotic (not many references)

● Do not waste time here, your talk is about your work!

22

23

Main Part of the Presentation

● Main part contains the main idea and its sub-items

● Important: Make connection between individual items

● Transitions should be logical

● Create thread, i.e. „Roter Faden“

● Use words as signposts: “So far ...”, “Now concerning the third item ...”

24

End the Presentation

● Prepare the audience for the end

● Short conclusion of the main idea

● Last sentence should have a positive statement and should be remembered → „end with a smile“

● „Thanks for your attention!“

● Important: Do not exceed time limit!

25

Preparing a Presentation

26

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

● Computer Graphics & Vision → no problem

27

Slides – General Notes 1/2

● Slides are only an aid to support the talk● No full sentences● Text should be self-explanatory● (Almost) every slide has a short and concise

title● Do not overload slides: One idea per slide

28

Slides – General Notes 2/2

● Proof-read slides, use spell-checker

● Put references where they are used – E.g. [Doe/Smith ICCV'15], [Smith et al. CVPR'16]

● Use animations wisely, e.g. for sequences or algorithms

29

Formulas

● Mathematical formulas only if– Absolutely necessary

– Really explained in detail

● Introduce all terms, which are known/unknown

● Use symbols consistently over slides, reintroduce them if used later

30

31

Graphs

● Describe axes

● Bold lines

● Distinguishable colors

● Make sure audience can identify the curves

32

33

Font

● Sans-serif for text● Serif for math symbols● Mono-spaced for code parts● Minimal text size 18pt, title 32pt● Examples

– The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

– The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.– The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

– a²+b²=c²

34

Colors

● Important: High contrast!● Max. 3 colors per slide● Be consistent

The quickbrown fox...

The quickbrown fox...

The quickbrown fox...

The quickbrown fox...

The quickbrown fox...

35

Colors

● Important: High contrast!● Max. 3 colors per slide● Be consistent

The quickbrown fox...

The quickbrown fox...

The quickbrown fox...

The quickbrown fox...

The quickbrown fox...

36

Number of Slides

● Depends on – Experience of speaker

– Content of the slide

● Guideline– Lower boundary: ½ minute per slide

– More realistic: ~2 minutes per slide

● Keep slides hidden in reserve

37

Common Mistakes

● Too much information– Too much text, long sentences, too much numbers,

too much slides

● Too small font– No more than 15 lines per slide

● Too thin lines in plots● No color or too much colors● Only a 1:1 copy from the scientific work

– E.g. huge tables with results

38

Advice

● Use MS PowerPoint or OO Impress, unless you have lots of math– Easily draw figures

– Do last-minute changes

– See the script during presentation

● Do not use fancy effects● Constructing slides progressively can be helpful

39

Giving a Presentation

40

Giving a Presentation 1/2

● Familiarize yourself with the environment– Choose position, be familiar with equipment, do not

block view on slides

● Use your voice to transport the message– Talk to whole room in a loud voice

– Emphasize important parts

– Use voice to structure sentences, separate thoughts by pauses

– Speak more slowly than usually (stage fright)

– Avoid fillers (ehm, äh, … → well)

41

Giving a Presentation 2/2

● Use body language to transport the message – Avoid nervous behavior

– Use supportive gestures

– Hands out of the pockets

– Keep eye contact

– Do not pace up and down or stand tight

– Speak as freely as possible

● Practice!– Friends / family

– Video camera

42

What makes a good speaker?

● Experienced speaker talk freely, only peer on the notes sometimes

● Inexperienced speakers learn phrases by heart– Sounds unnatural and hard to understand

● Weak speakers read from the paper or slides– Strenuous for the audience

● Full audience feels concerned● Be careful with jokes: Cultural differences

43

Handling Slides

● Show slides long enough● Coordinate the transitions ● (Content of next slide)● Render content in your own words● Use laser-pointer to highlight certain parts (do

not overuse)● Do not talk to the slides, but to the audience!

44

Personal Well-being

● Why not nervous?– Everybody is ...

– Audience most likely does not notice

– Too much self-confidence appears arrogant

– Flow of words reduces stage fright

– Script first sentences; or if timing is very strict, script everything

● Clothing– Important to feel well

– Formal attire: Only for Diploma/Master/PhD defense

45

What to do in case of a disaster?

● Only 15 instead of 45 minutes time– Remove slides

– Better: Hierarchically structured talk

● Someone asks question for a topic which will be covered later– Shortly answer question and refer to later

● Lose the plot in middle of sentence– Excuse and restart sentence

– Continue (audience most likely does not register)

● Several persons start a collateral discussion– Ask if there are any questions

– Make a short break

46

Q&A

● Usually at the end of a talk: 2 – 10 min., fill time slot● Reasons

– Clarify: Second chance to explain a point

– Give additional information

– Possibility for interaction with audience

● Listen to full question attentively● Repeat question● (Compliment question and questioner)● Highlight positive aspects for difficult or controversial

questions● Reformulate uncomfortable questions

47

Questioner

● Normal– Short question

– Short answer

● But (observation Prof. Schmalstieg)– The nerd

– The rival

– The fool

48

Chairman

● Welcomes the audience● Introduces the speaker and the topic

→ “Thanks for the introduction.”

● Checks the time limit● Asks the audience to ask questions● Leads the discussion (and stops if necessary)

49

Summary

● Prepare the presentation in good times

● Practice the talk, check setup

● Time the talk

→ Successfully complete your final talks

50

Further Dates

Presentation Techniques II:Next week, 09.05.2016

51

Questions?

ISBN 0-387-95555-0 ISBN 0-123-69452-3

Good luck for your presentation!Attendance list!