The document provides tips for presenting data and highlights the importance of using the right tools to simplify information and highlight what is most important. It suggests using visuals like pie charts, bar charts and line charts to present data and breaking information into simple sections. An example is given of tracking presentation quality over months to show variations and the impact of training. The key message is that 99% of technical presentations can be improved by focusing on these tips.
This is a follow up to the presentation thoughts from a couple of months ago. Happy to see this is having an effect! Communication is very important We are a technical department, so often we have to present technical information – often involving data. And this is perhaps even more important that the previous presentation because....
It is even worse in technical presentations! Why is this? Maybe because often people don’t really think about how to present data. This is a real shame as communication of technical data with people is very important. But, help is at hand! There are some simple things you can consider to help here.
But first – stop! You need to think about whether a presentation is the best method to communicate!
First of all – should this be a presentation? Slides are to communicate conclusions and insight, not present large amounts of data – if this is the case then give out a document Don’t try and go half way and have a slidument or teleprompter You have to decide what insight or conclusion you are trying to get across to the audience and then use different display tools depending on what you are trying to show, and if necessary combine the presentation with a handout of the full data set. So how do we avoid pants presentations and create splendid ones? This is a large subject, but I will just concentrate on three tips
Keep it simple.
Pie – useful for comparing percentages, showing how much of the whole
Bar chart – more precise, can have a larger data set and can overlay series of data
Line chart showing trends, multiple data sets – also allows comparisons between trends for data sets
Keep it simple.
We go out an have some research which supports our views. Don’t want lots of text, so lets display it graphically
Quick 1 minute to produce this. Not really clear
Simplify, emphesise Don’t manipulate! Just a few minutes extra work makes lot clearer. But if the purpose is to highight the conclusion in support of work then….
Conclusion – maybe just a picture…… Use the power of images!
Keep it simple.
Here we have a classic case. Based on a standard template slide from powerpoint....... This has both a table and a graph repeating the same things – this is rarely necessary and does not help your audience 3D graphs rarely (or never) provide additional clarity. They make it more difficult to interpret the data. And as for the bullet points – well.... So, how do we improve this? Think SIMPLE SIMPLE SIMPLE! Well, what is the one important thing we want people to take away from this? You would not have a chance of remembering it from here. SO lets simplify it