Reading Response: I Do Declare, Be Selfish, TED Talks

I Do Declare began with this opening statement is particularly encouraging: "You don’t have to be a good speaker to make a good presentation, so long as it is well designed." It stated that in order to have a well-designed presentation, the presenter should show the invisible and engage the audience by showing them a brief outline of the order (simple, logical and categorical). The audience needs to be able to follow the outline. The article likened this tip to reading a road map before a trip, program before a play or the table of contents before reading a book. The second rule is to design to my strengths and don't set myself up for failure. "You're speaking about something you've earned the right to talk about." In that, implant brilliant design moments and "confidence will be gained through an excitement in offering your know-how." It is also a good idea to outwit and keep the audience guessing by being unpredictable through motion, gesture, graphics, and navigation of the space. Digress from academic language into conversational dialogue--share parenthetical thoughts. Edit the presentation to find the right balance of content and length. Adding comic relief in the presentation can have a profound effect of humor on learning. Create suspense through the realization that Literary Devices Work. ("Now, I shouldn't tell you this but..."). Activate the Audience by asking them questions to keep them mentally awake and engaged in the subject. Reading is chancy so it is a good idea to speak, never read. The audience will respond and comprehend in a much better manner. In addition to that, if there is text that should be read on the screen, it is a good idea to force the awkward silence. This action demands that they participate in the presentation and read the text. The End shouldn't be endured so let the audience know how long they have to sit. Create folios that let the viewer know the duration of the presentation. Most of all, always keep the audience in mind.


The article, Be Selfish, outlined keys to developing a successful presentation. Beginning with knowing and understanding the audience. It stated that it is important to understand where they come from in order to properly develop or explain the terminology that is used. Hierarchy also becomes an important aspect of the presentation as the viewer sees and listens. The relationship between the verbal and written communication "should support each other..." It is better to see simple, key points on screen and to listen to the explanation simultaneously, than to give a large paragraph for them to read and listen to. To allow the audience to understand the presentation, using reoccurring information within the design is helpful. This allows them to, not only visually engage the audience in the presentation, but can also be used to break up thoughts and teach the audience where to look. The article also gave post presentation advice that included; guiding the feedback you receive from your audience by reviewing the outline or key points from the presentation, have a friend take notes or record the presentation and write a reflection after the presentation as well as pursuing direct conversation with a member from the audience. Consider context, practice, loosen up (nervous vs. excited)!

From the website, Ted Talks, I chose three of the 18 interesting speeches to watch and analyze.
Dan Phillips: Creative Houses from Reclaimed Stuff was infused with humor and used simple slide images (no text) along with an interesting narration by Dan Phillips. He spoke comfortably and stayed in the moment and engaged the audience. At the mid point of the presentation, he stopped to give parenthetical thoughts about his work as well as explanation to some of the terminology he used. I also watched, Emily Pilloton: Teaching design for change. In this, Emily spoke efficiently and gave examples through images that supported her speech. When giving statistics, she gave basic text that was easy to read on the screen while she seamlessly worked this into her verbal presentation. Zainab Salb: Women, wartime and the dream of peace was a personal story that relied solely on verbal communication. She connected with her audience by opening with an emotional account of her experience and sprinkled other ideas in as the presentation progressed.