Presentation Skills In order to deliver my presentation in the best way possible, I researched a few tips and skills that would help me do this. 1. Practise & preparation - I have put this tip at the top as I feel it would be the most beneficial. If I practise my presentation then I will know exactly what I am talking about in each slide. It would also help if I made key cards so I can prompt myself if the nerves make me forget my lines. 2. Smile and make eye contact - I feel this is a huge point to stress. If I look like I am enjoying my presentation and looking at my audience, they will be able to connect with what I’m saying and be more interested. 3. Project voice and precise articulation - This is a very big point to make; if my audience can’t hear or understand what I’m saying then the whole presentation is pointless. Take your time and don’t rush. 4. Start strong - Apparently the first 2-3 minutes of a presentation are the most important. This is because people make snap judgements about whether the visuals and speaker are interesting enough to keep watching and listening. 5. Keep it short - If there is a maximum time limit for the presentation, aim to go a few minutes under. This is because humans have short attention spans; they would also rather a presentation be shorter than longer than the time frame. 6. Text point size - There is no general set rule for this. There are some people who say a point size of 30pt is a good gauge, but it does depend on how the presentation is being displayed (on a TV, via projector, etc). 7. Positivity - Don’t make excuses, avoid any negativity as the audience will not openly respond well to your characteristics during the presentation. 8. Be open - Body language is important here. Don’t fold your arms. Use hand gestures; move around (but not too much!) and stand up straight. You want the audience to buy into you and your presentation, not feel like you don’t want to be there. 9. Dress appropriately - Don’t turn up in yesterday’s clothes. Look presentable and professional. This will show people you are professional and mean business. 10. Speech - Take your time and don’t rush. Take a breath, a drink of water. Avoid speaking too fast when you become nervous.
Welcome to my presentation on Unit 40. The aim was to produce a magazine and show that we could understand typography and layout design. 1st Slide •
Alex Trochut - his work with realistic materials such as gels and paints influenced my use of ink.
2nd Slide •
Creating a list of typographic terminology allowed me to understand the elements that build up a successful typeface.
•
I created this type using a bold, digital typeface. By combining it with ink splatters I made myself I used Pathfinder tools in Illustrator to experiment with many variations of the combination. I ended up choosing THIS typeface as it allowed me to play with negative space for the DPS I had in mind.
3rd Slide •
By creating this table I could identify key elements of magazine layouts. This helped me to think about how I would layout my own magazine. I learnt about images and bleeds, internal and external margins, and widows and orphans.
4th Slide •
By creating grid layouts of existing magazines, I could correctly identify correct terminology and typical magazine layout conventions. This is an example of a grid I made for an Eden magazine. It helped me think about my external margins and internal margins. I feel white space was an important element so my article didn’t feel overcrowded.
5th Slide •
My first DPS was about the Rorschach Test. I wanted my design to tie in with the ink elements of the test. I did like the old-fashioned style of my first DPS as it would have been a very unique style. However, I realised half way through I would have preferred a slightly more modern style to reflect the issues within the article about modern medicine.
6th Slide •
Using my experimental type from earlier I created this new DPS. The type I chose for this allowed me to use negative space and block colour to the bleed of the pages. I was much happier with this style, and the unconventional use of the page numbers.
7th Slide •
I wanted to create an interview DPS too, but to ensure that it tied in with the theme of my first one. I used similar Illustrator techniques and different ink splatters I had turned into brushes. By using the blue text on a white background it stopped my magazine from becoming too dark and condensed.
8th Slide •
Researching from covers was vital for me if I was going to create a front cover with an impact. I analysed the covers of Time, Empire, and GQ Magazines. All of which featured elements of brand confidence, and article teasers to get people to buy the magazine. The Empire magazine didn’t feature any teasers, it was the image that was supposed to grab attention, and I wanted to go choose this more professional, cleaner style for my own.
9th Slide •
Based off of a discarded illustration from my first DPS, I tried to use it as a front cover. This didn’t work and made the whole magazine seem too black & white. It also wouldn’t have worked to be eye catching and get people to buy it. So, I created something new using experimental paper cutting techniques, layering, and textures. This created a much more interesting design.
10th Slide •
By creating an advert that filled the whole page it allowed me to create it in whatever style I wanted to, without worrying it wouldn’t tie in with the style of my DPS. I tried to create a small advert within one of the DPS’s but it looked out of place and ruined the professional quality.
11th Slide •
Overall, I am really happy with my magazine. It features some traditional yet not boring elements of layout. This is combined with some non-conventional features too such as folios, and page numbers.
•
Does anyone have any questions?
•
Thank you.
Unit 40 Presentation April Williams
Initial Research - Typography Typography – the art of arranging type. Influencing text to portray character, style, and pace. ▪ Wim Crouwel – designer of the new alphabet type. ▪ Craig Ward – author, and advertising designer. ▪ Alex Trochut – experimental and digital type designer.
Table of Type Terminology Understanding the elements that build up a typeface helped me to design my own for my first double page spread about the Rorschach Test. I created this type using a bold digital type, and combined it with traditional ink splats that I created myself. By using Pathfinder tools in Illustrator I was able to experiment with different variations of the combination.
This was the type I ended up using.
Magazine Layout Research
By creating this table I could identify key elements of magazine layouts.
Magazine Layout Research By creating grid layouts of existing magazines, I could correctly define terminology and typical magazine conventions.
First DPS My first double-page spread was about the Rorschach Test. I wanted my design to tie in the ink elements of the test itself. I liked the old-fashioned style, but realised I wanted a more modern style.
First DPS Using my experimental type from earlier, I created this double page spread finally.
Second DPS I wanted to do an interview DPS too, but too keep the spread in a similar theme from my first one.
Front Cover Research Researching front covers was vital for me if I was going to create a cover with an impact. I analysed the covers of Time, Empire, and GQ magazines.
Front Cover Research Based off of a discarded illustration from my first DPS, I tried to use it as a front cover instead. This didn’t work, so I created something new using experimental paper cutting techniques, and layering. 1
2
Adding an advert By creating a whole page advert it allowed me to create in whatever style I wanted, without worrying it would ruin the look of a DPS.
Conclusion Overall, I am really happy with my magazine. It features some traditional, yet not boring, elements of layout. This is combined with some non-conventional features too, such as the folio and page numbers.
Post Presentation Reflection What went well? I think my slides accurately portrayed what I was talking about. And due to lots of practice, I knew how to talk more about each slide - prompted by my notes. I think I was loud enough so that people could hear what I was saying, which is very important. What didn’t go so well, why? I don’t think I was confident enough in myself, and to me my voice sounded a bit monotone. This could have made people feel less invested and interested in my presentation. It’s not that I was proud to show my presentation, but I think I got a bit too nervous. What did I learn? I learnt that I should try to tame my nerves so my audience can be excited by my presentation. But I also learnt that if you are proud of your work then other people will be more likely to listen. How will this help me in the future? Strangely, by being so nervous, I feel it has boosted my confidence. If I believe my work is good, then I should be proud so other people will want to see it. What am I still worried about? What if my work isn’t as good as I think it is? How can I overcome this? I suppose this will come with practice. If I present my work more, then I will get more feedback. The feedback will tell me what is good and bad about my work, so I can try to focus on improving.