Need thursday @ 7:30 pm week 3 discussion: designing your presentation

**** Please Read Instructions******

Objective:

• Identify company-specific brand elements and guidelines that will be important to designing the student’s final presentation
• Create an elevator pitch that explains the proposal idea in 1 – 2 sentences
• Explain the strategy the presenters will use to create an emotional connection with their audience
• Identify team member expertise and roles for presentation day
•  
• Instruduction:

For this discussion, students will be refreshing their understanding of branding elements and effective presentation elements. In addition, students will identify their areas of expertise, the roles they will play in developing the presentation and for the Q&A session on presentation day, and identify a professional environment for their virtual presentation.

Tips for Finding Brand Guidelines

This video will give you some guidance on how to find brand and style guides for companies. Even if you can’t find specific guidelines for the company, a review of the company’s website and advertising style will tell you a lot about the company.  

****Watch Video**

Brand Guide Resources

In addition, below are some great resources for finding and understanding brand and style guides for companies.  Look here, because many of the companies you are choosing to pitch to might be represented here:

36 Great Brand Guidelines Examples

100 Brand Style Guides You Should See Before Designing Yours

21 Brand Style Guide Examples for Visual Inspiration

FindGuidelines

Research Tips

As you conduct research on your company’s brand, look for keywords on their website such as usage guide, style guide, brand guide, media kit, press room or newsroom.  As you review, pay attention to how they regularly represent their company through both inward and outward facing content. You may find slide decks and presentations that currently exist for your company (often under Investor Relations). 

For example, Disney has specific presentation guidelines and slide decks that are approved for presentations. They typically include use of the Disney font, bright colors and heavy branded imagery. On the contrary, Apple doesn’t follow a specific deck, but rather a pattern of very clean slides with basic imagery or very few words.

Recall back to the early classes in your degree program when you learned to developing  creative presentations.  You are likely familiar with the books Slide:ology and Resonate.  You can refresh your memory of them here:  Slide Design Playlist. 

Review the following article: Google’s CEO Doesn’t Use Bullet Points and Neither Should You.  This is a great reminder of how to create impactful slides with minimal design.

Then, watch this short video to remind you of the components that will help you give an awesome presentation…… https://youtu.be/i68a6M5FFBc

Building An Emotional Connection

Review the article The Five Key Tips for Building More Emotional Presentations.  These are great practical tips for engaging your audience.

Watch the first 10 minutes of the following Google presentation (skip to the 3:30 mark if you want to go straight to the meat of the presentation). Pay particular attention to how engaged the crowd is, the humor the presenter uses, and the simple, clean, and clear design of his slide show. This is a great review for how to design your presentation to get your point across and engage the audience with simple yet meaningful slides and statements…. https://youtu.be/Y2VF8tmLFHw

And lastly, watch the following video. Pay particular attention to the passion of his presentation and emotional engagement he’s created with his storytelling….. https://youtu.be/i4hOFYH8t5k

******Instructions****

1. Branding and Design Considerations:

• List three words that describe your company and your idea.
• Much like the presentation examples, explain the common themes you see represented in your company’s presentations/marketing materials.

2. Presentation Introduction:

• Create your elevator pitch that you will use to introduce and describe the challenge identified and solution in 1 – 2 sentences.

3. Engaging Your Audience:

• Review this article: Presentation Tips From Nancy Duarte’s Slide:ology
• Select at least three of the elements discussed in the article and explain how you will use these concepts in your slide design.
• Consider how you will engage your audience from an emotional level. How will you hook their attention and keep the presentation passionate and engaging?

***SECOND POST DUE SUNDAY*****

This is an individual post. Each student will complete this on their own.

For many of you, this may be your first time attending a virtual presentation in a professional setting.  Often, we don’t think of the barriers that distance can create in building rapport and being effective in our message.  Review the following:

A Video Conference Call in Real Life

5 Do’s and Don’ts of Webcam Etiquette

The 7 Rules of Virtual Meeting Etiquette Every Professional Should Know

1. Where will you be logging into your presentation from?  Identify what may create a barrier to success in presenting yourself professionally.  Then, explain what you will do to avoid those challenges.

2. Professionalism isn’t just about your slide presentation or setting.  It’s also about how you present yourself in that setting.  Describe what dressing appropriately for this setting means to you.  

3.  Everyone in the group will play a role in the final presentation.  Think about your expertise in regard to your project and what you will take ownership of for your presentation and during the Q&A session. 

Grading Rubric

This discussion assignment will be graded using the corresponding rubric. To earn full credit, posts must address ALL of the questions or challenges above. Discussion posts should be detailed and in-depth, demonstrating knowledge of the course materials.

Please do not post initial and response posts on the same day. Posts made after the discussion board closes will not be accepted. ***See Attachment**