Presenter Guidelines

Keep text minimal.

One sentence summarising each point you make. Maximum 7 words for each line. This will increase readability. And keeping the text to a minimum allows audience to follow the speaker, not the slide.

Consider people who photograph slides to digest later: make sure points make sense out of context of the spoken content.

Keep bullet points short.

Bullet points are not universally agreed to be user-friendly for presentations.

Make sure they at least follow the same rules as your other slide content: no more than 7 words on each line and large font. Consider presenting 1 concept on each slide.

Use good visual contrast. Think about the cool kids sitting in the back of the ballroom – will they be able to see what you’re showcasing? As your presenting, please summarize any relevant visuals to help provide context. 

Use captions for video content.

We will be providing your slide deck for our Community’s viewing pleasure on Sched. This allows deaf or hard of hearing attendees to access the information provided through video, if they are able to read.

Having explanations of video content ready also helps you as a presenter, if they do not load or play properly.

Repeat questions from the audience.
Take audience questions using a microphone, so that everyone can hear.

Even with a microphone, it’s possible not everyone will hear or understand the question. This could be because the question is phrased in a complex way. Or the person has a strong accent, or is not speaking loudly and clearly enough for everyone to understand, even with the microphone.

When asking for people to raise their hands, describe the reaction. For example, “Ahh, we have about 5 people with their hands up. Let’s start with the person at the back in the green jumper.”