Presentation Methods

5 Elements of a Good Presentation:

1. Key message — one clear takeaway

2. Comprehensive structure/storyline — logical flow

3. Good preparation & technical setup — be ready

4. Consistent and appealing slide design — visual coherence

5. Appealing presentation style — loud, positioned well, engaging

First Step — Before building slides, answer:

• What information do you want to communicate?
• What do you want to achieve?
• Who is your audience?
• What is the frame?

3 Types of Presentations:

Presentation Structure — Time Proportions:

• Introduction: 10%
• Methods + Results + Discussion: 80%
• Conclusion: 10%

How to Start a Presentation:

• Start with content (NOT an outline slide)
• First 60 seconds are the most important
• Do NOT repeat what the person who introduced you said
• No outline at the beginning!

Introduction — Inverted Triangle (Problem → Gap → Hook):

    Problem (broad context)
       ↓
    Gap (what is missing in the literature)
       ↓
    Hook (your hypothesis/solution)

Structure Templates by Goal:

5 Steps to Build a Presentation:

1. Write down cornerstones (e.g., research questions)

2. Add required elements (literature, methods, results…)

3. Think of a story / red thread to connect

4. Sketch slides

5. Make them pretty / fine touch

Slide Design Principles (3 rules):

Reading direction: Information perceived from top left → bottom right

Layout Rules:

• Max 20 words per slide (exceptions: 30)
• NO full sentences → keywords only
• Line breaks reduce readability
• Max 2 minutes per slide
• Practice and speak free (not read from slides)
• Be consistent: background, colors, fonts, margins, icon style

Typography:

• Simple font: Arial or FAUSans
• Min size: 16pt, preferred: 18pt, headers: 24pt
• Bold preferred for highlighting (over italic or underline)
• Avoid all-caps words

Colors:

• Max 3 colors per slide (excluding black, grey, white)
• Must work in black & white / greyscale
• Color blind friendly (vary lightness and saturation)
• Consistent meaning for colors across all slides

Transitions & Animations:

• Transitions (between slides): keep simple → None, Morph, or Fade
• Animations (within slides): use to guide audience, use carefully

AI-generated images — risks:

• May look realistic but contain weird/wrongly spelled details
• Always check carefully before using