How long do you prepare for a presenation?
I usually like to start thinking about the presentation 1-2 weeks in advance. Hopefully, I have a decent slideshow prepared, but the details rarely come into focus until this 1-2 week period.
I’ve been thinking about the ExtJS conference that I am speaking at next Wednesday. I want to tie together UX principles with ExtJS specifics, probably by using the Marketo application as a case in point. The hard part is flipping between Powerpoint and the application. It’s one hour, so I need to choose which slides carefully. Right now, I have too many.
This time is really productive for me. I run through the ideas in mind, slowly assembling them like a WIndows 95 defrag program. The ideas are sorted and cleaned and put neatly in place. Questions slowly get answers:
- What is the best example of 5 pennies vs. 1 dime?
- What is the best example pretending to be the user? (Anti-spoon-bending)
- What about the Halloween Princple?
- Do some UX principles NOT have a direct example?
- How much do I borrow from my last presentation? How much is new?
When you have a presentation, you should also let yourself practice passively for a week or two. You will find that you are more comfortable and have more coherent thoughts. Don’t just wait until the last minute and wing it.
Whatya think?