Rethinking the Design
of Presentation Slides
Fillets reduce leading edge vortices in nature
and in engineering
Fillet
Fillet on dorsal fin
of shark
Michael Alley
[Rader, 1997]
College of Engineering
Penn State
Fillet
Fillet on Seawolf
submarine
[Devenport et al., 1991]
[Zess and Thole, 2001]
Templates: http://writing.eng.vt.edu/slides.html
This presentation presents a slide design that is
more effective than PowerPoint’s default design
We propose to test a fillet design for turbine
blades and vanes downstream of the combustor
Combustor
Is grasped
more readily
[Pratt&Whitney, 2000]
This presentation
compares
several
Three
classes of methods
exist
for methods
reducing
emissions
of sulfur
dioxide
for reducing
emissions
of sulfur
dioxide
The purpose of the fillet design is to reduce vortices
that disrupt the film cooling of the blades and vanes
pre-combustion methods
Is more
memorable
combustion
methods
Power passive modules perform the same functions
as discrete circuits but with smaller volumes
post-combustion
methods
Passive module
82 cm3
Is more
persuasive
168 cm3
Discrete Components
[Gottlieb, 2002]
[Alley, 2003]
The total volume is cut by more than half
For a slide to be effective, the audience has
to be able to grasp its content quickly
ds
r
o
w
y
• Hefner developed a dynamic electro-thermal model for IGBT, from of the
temperature-dependent IGBT silicon chip, packages and heat sinks. The temperaturedependent IGBT electrical model describes the instantaneous electrical behavior in
terms of the instantaneous temperature of the IGBT silicon chip surface. The
instantaneous power dissipated in the IGBT is calculated using the electrical model
and determines the instantaneous heat rate that is applied to the surface of the silicon
chip thermal model. Hefner incorporated this methodology into the SABER circuit
simulator.
n
a
om
• Adams, Joshi and Blackburn considered thermal interactions between the heat
sources, substrate, and encloses walls as affected by the thermal conductance of the
walls and substrate with the intent of determining which physical effects and level of
detail are necessary to accurately predict thermal behavior of discretely heated
enclosures.
To
•
Chen, Wu and Borojevich are modeling of thermal and electrical behavior using
several commercial softwares (I-DEAS, Maxwell, Flotherm and Saber) and 3-D,
transient approaches.
3
For a slide to be effective, the audience has
to be able to grasp its content quickly
Observations
d
a
e
r
Segment C (not on the 520 Main St. Property)
represents the dominant feature
The characteristics of Segment C are vastly
different than those of Segments A and B (which
are located on the subject property)
The characteristics of the dominant portion of the
system (Segment C) are suggestive of a perennial
stream
Direct observations are needed
A detailed technical analysis is needed by a
qualified, independent hydrologist.
to
e
om
s
e
Tir
3
For a slide to be effective, the audience has
to be able to grasp its content quickly
We propose to test a fillet design for turbine
blades and vanes downstream of the combustor
Sentence
headline
Observations
Combustor
• HefnerSegment
developed a C
dynamic
for IGBT,
from of the
(notelectro-thermal
on the 520model
Main
St. Property)
temperature-dependent
IGBTdominant
silicon chip, packages
and heat sinks. The temperaturerepresents the
feature
dependent IGBT electrical model describes the instantaneous electrical behavior in
terms of
the instantaneous
temperature
the IGBT silicon
chip surface.
The
characteristics
ofofSegment
C are
vastlyThe
instantaneous power dissipated in the IGBT is calculated using the electrical model
different
than
those
of
Segments
A
and
B (which
and determines the instantaneous heat rate that is applied to the surface of the silicon
are located
onincorporated
the subject
property)
chip thermal
model. Hefner
this methodology
into the SABER circuit
simulator.
The characteristics of the dominant portion of the
[Pratt&Whitney, 2000]
• Adams, Joshi and Blackburn considered thermal interactions between the heat
C)asare
suggestive
ofconductance
a perennial
sources,system
substrate, (Segment
and encloses walls
affected
by the thermal
of the
walls and
substrate with the intent of determining which physical effects and level of
stream
detail are necessary to accurately predict thermal behavior of discretely heated
Directofobservations
are needed
Theenclosures.
purpose
the fillet design
is to reduce vortices
Visual
evidence
No bullet lists
Chen,
and
are modeling
thermal
electrical
behavior
AWudetailed
technical
analysis
isandneeded
a using
that• disrupt
theBorojevich
film
cooling
ofofthe
blades
andby
vanes
several commercial softwares (I-DEAS, Maxwell, Flotherm and Saber) and 3-D,
qualified, independent hydrologist.
transient approaches.
[Zess and Thole, 2001]
3
We propose to test a fillet design for turbine
blades and vanes downstream of the combustor
Combustor
[Pratt&Whitney, 2000]
The purpose of the fillet design is to reduce vortices
that disrupt the film cooling of the blades and vanes
4
Fillets reduce leading edge vortices in nature
and in engineering
Fillet
Fillet on dorsal fin
of shark
[Rader, 1997]
Fillet on Seawolf
submarine
Fillet
[Devenport et al., 1991]
5
The sentence headline should state succinctly
the purpose or assertion of the slide
Sentences orient the audience
much better than phrases do
Sentences force the presenter
to wrestle with the argument
Computations show that the fillet prevents the
leading edge vortex and delays the passage vortex
Tinf– Taw
Tinf– Tslot
0.5
0.4
0.3
6
0.2
Computations show that the fillet prevents the
leading edge vortex and delays the passage vortex
Tinf– Taw
Tinf– Tslot
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
Passage
vortex
0
-0.1
Leading edge
vortex
-0.2
-0.3
Without Fillet
With Fillet
-0.4
-0.5
7
The
body of a slide
should
support
the headline
Measurements
show
that the
fillet prevents
with
visualof
evidence
rather
than
bullet lists
formation
the leading
edge
vortex
0.25
0.25
0.20
0.20
0.15
0.15
z/S
z/S
z/S
0.10
0.10
0.05
0.05
Leading edge
vortex
00
-0.25 -0.20 -0.15 -0.10 -0.05
x/C
Velocity profile:
vane without fillet
8
0
0
-0.25 -0.20 -0.15 -0.10 -0.05
x/C
Velocity profile:
vane with fillet
0
To make slides memorable, you have to consider
what to include and what to exclude
Presentation Outline
• Introduction
• Background
• Pre-Combustion Methods
le
b
ra
o
em
m
t
–coal switching
–coal cleaning
•Combustion Method
–atmospheric fluidized bed
• Post-Combustion Methods
–adsorption
–absorption
•Conclusions
• Questions?
No
9
To make slides memorable, you have to consider
what to include and what to exclude
Three
classes of methods
formethods
This presentation
comparesexist
several
reducing
emissions
of of
sulfur
for reducing
emissions
sulfurdioxide
dioxide
What to include
pre-combustion methods
combustion
methods
What to exclude
post-combustion
methods
9
[Schmidt, 1989]
Bullets are not memorable, because bullets do
not show the connections
ƒ Accelerometer outputs an analog voltage
ƒ Hardware converts analog signal to digital
ƒ Computer samples a number of points
ƒ Data is exported to popular applications
10
[Shaw and others, 1998]
Audiences can remember more when details
are presented visually
Accelerometer outputs
an output voltage
Hardware converts
analog signal to digital
Computer samples a
number of points
Data is exported to
popular applications
11
[Robertshaw, 2004]
In a pilot study, we tested this new design in the
teaching slides of a large geology course
Message delivered with
typical slide design
Comparison:
Test scores on
same questions
Students: Fall 2004
Same message delivered
with new slide design
Students: Fall 2005
[Alley et al., 2006]
When the tested assertion was in the sentence
headline, students performed significantly better
Q: How abundant is iron in the earth’s crust?
Iron ores
Where
is the
make
largest
up 5.6%
concentration
of the earth’s
of iron
crustores
in North
and
account
America?
for 95% of the metals used
Iron
• An abundant metal, makes
up 5.6% of earth’s crust
• Properties:
Iron Ore Distribution
Iron Ore Distribution
Iron ore
– shaped, sharpened, welded
– strong, durable
• Accounts for >95% of
metals used
• Iron ores discovered in 1844
in Michigan’s Upper
Peninsula
• Soon found other ores in
upper Wisconsin and
Minnesota
[www.star-bits.com]
Is strong
and durable
Led to 59% recall
13
Can be shaped,
sharpened, and welded
Kesler 1994
[Kesler 1994]
Led to 77% recall
Level of significance < .001
[Alley et al., 2006]
When the tested assertion was in the sentence
headline, students performed significantly better
Score (Sentence) / Score (Traditional)
3.5
Statistically significant increase
No significant difference
Statistically significant decrease
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
Question
Overall percent correct (traditional headline):
Overall percent correct (sentence headline):
18
19
20
21
22
[Alley et al., 2006]
70%
82%
p < 0.001
The slide design presented here is more persuasive
than PowerPoint’s default design
Power passive modules perform the same functions
as discrete circuits but with smaller volumes
Sentence headline can
clarify assertions
Passive module
82 cm3
168 cm3
Images in body can
supply cogent evidence
Discrete Components
The total volume is cut by more than half
15
Design leads to fewer slides,
which can increase ethos
[Zhu, 2002]
Power passive modules perform the same functions
as discrete circuits but with smaller volumes
Passive module
82 cm3
168 cm3
Discrete Components
The total volume is cut by more than half
16
In summary, this slide design gives a much higher
starting point than PowerPoint’s default design
[Martin, 1999]
17
[Alley and Neeley, 2005]
In summary, this slide design gives a much higher
starting point than PowerPoint’s default design
Fillets reduce leading edge vortices in nature
and in engineering
Fillet
Fillet on dorsal fin
of shark
[Rader, 1997]
Fillet on Seawolf
submarine
more readily
understood
more memorable
Fillet
[Devenport et al., 1991]
more persuasive
[Zess and Thole, 2001]
Templates: http://writing.eng.vt.edu/slides.html
References
Alley, Michael, The Craft of Scientific Presentations (New York: Springer-Verlag, 2003), chap 4.
Alley, Michael, and Kathryn A. Neeley, "Rethinking the Design of Presentation Slides: A Case for Sentence Headlines and
Visual Evidence," Technical Communication, vol. 52, no. 4 (November 2005), pp. 417-426.
Alley, Michael, Madeline Schreiber, Katrina Ramsdell, and John Muffo, "How the Design of Headlines in Presentation
Slides Affects Audience Retention," Technical Communication, vol. 53, no. 2 (May 2006), pp. 225-234.
Gottlieb, Larry, “How I Leaped Almost Overnight from Traditional Tech Writer to Marcom Guy to Hybrid—in a Tad More
Than Four Decades," Proceedings of the 49th Annual Conference for the Society of Technical Communication
(Nashville, TN: Society for Technical Communication, 2002).
Robertshaw, Harry. 2004a. Class period 15: signals and systems. Classroom presentation in ME 4005, Blacksburg, VA,
Virginia Tech, 16 March.
Schmidt, Cynthia, 1989, Methods to Reduce Sulfur Dioxide Emissions from Coal-Fired Power Plants. Presentation at
University of Texas at Austin, December.
Shaw, Gordon, Robert Brown, and Philip Bromiley. 1998. Strategic stories: how 3M is rewriting business planning, Harvard
Business Review, May–June: 41–50.
Zess, Gary, and Karen Thole. 2001. Computational design and experimental evaluation of using a leading edge fillet on a gas
turbine vane, Proceedings of the ASME Turbo Exposition, 2001-GT-404. New Orleans: 5 June.
Zhu, Julie. 2003. IDEAS simulation of thermal stresses between substrate and copper stripes with different widths.
Presentation at Virginia Tech, 2 May.
18