Advice needed on creating a presentation for a conference- help!

Tools
#1

Hello,

As some of you know I’m speaking at World IA Day next month here in Canberra (Australia) and it’s my first ever solo presentation at a conference! With actual slides.

I’m starting to assemble my slides and I have no idea which program I should use. When I’m at a conference, I’m usually rifling through my backpack for a pen when the speaker is getting set up and not really paying attention to what program is being opened. What’s considered normal in this case?

PowerPoint? PDF? something else?

Help!

Ashlea :slight_smile:

#2

Are you on a Mac? Keynote…

#3

I wish :frowning: but no, I’m not on a Mac

#4

Bugger. I’m afraid I’m not of much help to you then. Hopefully someone else will jump in.

#5

All good - I emailed Ruth and powerpoint is preferred! :slight_smile:

Crisis averted :slight_smile:

#6

I think best and important is to prepare different versions. And from them one on a computer and one on a stick

Go with an powerpoint and and pdf version of your powerpoint if you get any problem with your presentation.
Based on experiences you should alway have a plan b if something happens :slight_smile:

Don´t forget … have fun with the presentation :slight_smile: you´ll succeed for sure just show your passion about UX whatever topic you are talking about.

The better you are prepared, the more you will relax on that day :wink:

#7

Thanks Georg! :slight_smile:

#8

I concur. My biggest fear is to go blank in the middle of my talk, and so I minimise the possibility of that happening by over-preparing. I actually write my presentation out and read it verbatim a few times, then rehearse how much I can remember based on using each slide as a prompt with presenter notes hidden, then I do it again a few times by using the “next slide” presenter view as my prompt. I then rehearse my presentation to the cat, a plant, and finally to a couple of trusted colleagues. By the time I get up on stage I’ve rehearsed the whole bloody thing so many times that it feels like it’s a talk I’ve given several times already, when it’s actually the first time.

At least, when I have enough time, that’s my ideal preparation. Sometimes I have to skip parts of that process, and luckily I’ve given enough talks that I can improvise based on experience if required. But for my first talk, that would be my recommended approach!

Good luck! I’ll be thinking of you on the day—World IA day is my birthday this year, and I’ll be in Wellington attending the festivities there. :slight_smile: