Academic Presentation
Academic Presentation #3: Design Slides People Can Read
Design Slides People Can Read
Let the slide show the evidence while your voice explains why it matters.
LESSON 03 OF 08 · READ + PRACTISEA slide is a shared view, not a page from your report. People need to look at it and listen at the same time. Give each slide one main purpose. Use a short sentence as the title when it helps state the point.
THE IDEA IN ONE PICTURE
Swipe across the diagram to see the full picture.
Replace a topic with a message
“Temperature results” names a topic. “The wider channel stayed cooler in this test” gives a message. Below the title, show the evidence needed to judge that statement. A photograph may explain a device better than a paragraph. A labelled diagram may explain a process better than a photograph.
Remove work from the reader
Put labels beside the lines or objects they describe. Use strong contrast, generous empty space, and consistent positions for titles and captions. Do not depend on red and green alone: add words, symbols, or different line styles. Explain every symbol that matters. Small citations can be shorter on the slide, but they must remain readable.
Test the real viewing conditions
Read the slide from the back of a room, or ask someone to view your shared screen on a laptop. Can they read axis labels and units? If not, enlarge them or split the slide. There is no font size that works in every room. Avoid shrinking a whole table just to fit it. Show the important rows and keep the full table as backup.
WATCH A REAL EXAMPLE · VISUAL RESEARCH TALK EXCERPT
Let the visual carry the explanation
This imaging researcher uses photographs and slow-motion visualisations to explain a difficult idea. The full talk is about eleven minutes; this task uses only the opening section.
Use the YouTube link if the player does not load. Turn on English captions in the player settings when available; automatic captions may contain errors.
What to notice
- 0:16–1:15: Look at how the first image introduces the research idea.
- 2:50–3:25: Notice how attention is directed to different parts of one visual.
- 5:03–5:35: Listen for the explanation of how repeated measurements are combined.
Try it: Choose one visual from your own research. Write a sentence title and a 30-second explanation that guides the eye.
Check your viewing task
Name the object or axes first, point out the important feature, then state what it means. Keep secondary details in notes rather than covering the visual with text.
This is a public science talk, not a slide template. Study the visual explanation; you do not need expensive animation. Stop at 5:35 on YouTube.
Video credit: Ramesh Raskar · TED · Imaging at a trillion frames per second. Source and attribution ↗
Your turn · 2-minute practice
You have a slide with six bullet points, a device photo, and two graphs. Its message is “Design B used less power.” What would you keep?
See a model answer or self-check
Keep a clear power comparison and the conditions needed to interpret it. Use a small device image only if it explains the comparison. Move the other information to later or backup slides.
Further reading: Assertion–Evidence slide tutorial.
Explore all eight lessons
Academic Presentation · Science & Engineering · Original teaching examples. Numerical examples are illustrative, not published research results.
同じコースの他のレッスン
Academic Presentation中級 / Intermediate
Academic Presentation #1: Start with One Clear Message
ACADEMIC PRESENTATION / PLAN YOUR TALKStart with One Clear MessageA good research talk giv…
Academic Presentation中級 / Intermediate
Academic Presentation #2: Open Clearly and Guide Your Audience
ACADEMIC PRESENTATION / MAKE THE PATH VISIBLEOpen Clearly and Guide Your AudienceHelp list…
Academic Presentation中級 / Intermediate
Academic Presentation #4: Explain Graphs and Uncertainty
ACADEMIC PRESENTATION / MAKE EVIDENCE READABLEExplain Graphs and UncertaintyGuide the eye …