How NOT 2 Suck at Presenting Your Work (for students)

how not 2 suck at

PRESENTING YOUR WORK(for students & young designers)

HOW NOT 2 SUCK @HN2S | NOT2SUCK.COM | by MEGAN MEAD

· Scholar: BFA in Comm Design, minors in Theatre & Marketing

· Drama Nerd: 15 yrs of theatrical training/experience

· Designer: AT&T, 7-11, FedEx, The Long Center, & Visa

· Speaker: SXSWi 2013, AIGA Design: Big Week, DSVC National

Student Show, & coming up... HOW Design Live

MEGAN MEADart director | designer | educational speaker


WHAT WE WILL TALK ABOUT TODAY

• WHY presenting well is a big deal

• WHAT a good presentation is

• HOW all this relates to you


WHY IS PRESENTING WELL IMPORTANT?

• Creative directors and teachers don’t always separate a

good idea from a poor presentation

• Avoid singing a good song badly

because bad presentations kill good ideas



• Stand out

• Be better

• Practice now

in school...



• Megg’s Salary Saga: how I talked my way into a job

• Presenting well can have an effect on your career path

• Age is relative—skills are not

in real life...


A GOOD PRESENTATION IS...

• 1 : an activity in which someone shows, describes, or

explains something to a group of people

• 2 : a descriptive or persuasive account

dictionary definition of presentation



• Writing a paper

• Explaining things to your parents

• Defending a design choice to a professor

• Showing your portfolio

everyday examples



• Telling the story of your idea in an organized, engaging and

persuasive way

my definition


A GOOD PRESENTATION IS ORGANIZED

• Plan

• Prepare

• Practice

the 3 ‘P’s of presenting



• Be able to explain your concepts quickly and concisely

• Tell a persuasive, but well-structured story

the 1st ‘P’ : plan



This is a (project type) I made for (client). They are a (describe what

they do) that cares about (what their focus is).

I chose (describe visual direction or idea) because (explain how this

choice ties directly into the client).

So, (closing sentence that points out anything else that is pertinent or

supports your earlier statements).

the 1st ‘P’ : plan | story structure


A GOOD PRESENTATION IS ORGANIZEDthe 1st ‘P’ : plan | story structure



• Tailor your presentation to your audience and your surroundings

(a professor will require delivery differently from a friend)

• Vocal warm-ups: prep it up to step it up

the 2nd ‘P’ : prepare



• Preps: your voice is your #1 tool

• Relaxes: a warm voice is a confident voice

• Focuses: take a minute for yourself

the 2nd ‘P’ : vocal warm ups | why?



• Shake it out: get loose and get silly to get ready

• BDGD: warm up your vocal muscles

• Tongue Twisters: get your mouth ready for any sound, any

sentence—anything

the 2nd ‘P’ : vocal warm ups | how?



• Unique New York. You need New York. You know you need

unique New York.

• Toy boat, toy boat, toy boat…

the 2nd ‘P’ : tongue twisters



• Do not memorize a script, but do NOT “wing it”

• Practice in a way that works for you

• If you practice well, you will present well

the 3rd ‘P’ : practice, practice, practice


A GOOD PRESENTATION IS ENGAGING

• Speak with certainty and with no question in your voice

• Do NOT dismiss your choices. Explain them

• Fake it ‘til you make it

be confident



• Things rarely go by script—practice extemporaneous speaking

• How: grab a magazine, pick a page at random, and speak

about its contents for 60 seconds non-stop

• Why?: doing this helps you practice speaking on the fly,

as well as the ability to think on your feet

improv exercise #1 : speak on the fly




• Practice drawing positive attention to yourself

• How: be an audience volunteer, read out loud to your pet, make

announcements at work

• Why?: practice creates confidence & confidence is more engaging

improv exercise #2 : be in the spotlight



• If you aren’t excited, they won’t be either

• Channel your nervous energy. Make it work for you

• Smile

show some enthusiasm



• Stay Open: don’t cross your arms or slump your shoulders

• Stay Respectful: stay interested and listen with your body

• Stay Strong: sit/stand with confidence, do NOT fidget or shrink

have good stage presence



• Practice being comfortable in uncomfortable situations

• How: stand the opposite direction as everyone else in the elevator

• Why?: if you can do this confidently, you can sit or stand

confidently just about anywhere

improv exercise #3 : awkward elevator


HOW TO USE THIS INFO

• Use today as practice — treat it like a very short interview

• Practice but don’t sound robotic — try out that template I gave you

• Do not blame anything on the parameters of the project

• Be persuasive — logically argue rather than personally assert

• Get their business cards and follow up

helpful tips for portfolio review


TO SUMMARIZE

• Plan, prepare & practice

• Try out some of these tips & tricks to improve your performance

• A good presentation is a genuine presentation

• Above all, remember bad presentations kill good ideas

presenting well is kind of a big deal


QUESTIONS?

• EMAIL : [email protected]

• TWITTER : @HN2S | #not2suck

• INTER-WEBS : not2suck.com

contact info

THANKS FOR HAVING ME(and I hope this didn’t suck)