CS101 Introduction to ComputingLecture 31Developing Presentations

Focus of the 22th Lecture was on SpreadsheetsSecond among the four lectures that we plan to have on productivity software

We learnt about what we mean by spreadsheets

We discussed the usage of various functions provided by common spreadsheets

SpreadsheetsElectronic replacement for ledgers

Used for automating engineering, scientific, but in majority of cases, business calculations

A spreadsheet - VisiCalc - was the first popular application on PCs.

What Can They Do? (1)Can perform calculations repeatedly, accurately, rapidly

Can handle a large number of parameters, variables

Make it easy to analyze what-if scenarios for determining changes in forecasts w.r.t. change in parameters

What Can They Do? (2)Are easy to interface with other productivity SW packages

Easy to store, recall, modify

Make it is easy to produce graphs:

The Structure of A SpreadsheetCollection of cells arranged in rows and columns

Each cell can contain one of the following:NumbersTextFormulas

These cells display either the number or text that was entered in them or the value that is found by executing the formula

Connecting Two CellsAnd this one, A2Lets call this cell A1=A1 + 4

Todays Lecture:Developing PresentationThird among the four lectures that we plan to have on productivity software

We will discuss several design guidelines for making effective multimedia presentations

We will become able to develop simple presentation with the help of presentation making software

Presentations (1)I used to use transparencies in conjunction with overhead projectors for making presentations

Some time back, I used to write on transparencies with felt-tip markers

Then I moved on to developing presentations on a PC, and printing the final version on transparencies with a laser printer

Presentations (2)Some of my contemporaries used color inkjet printers instead of the laser printer

Another option was to develop them on a computer and then transfer to 35mm slides using a camera, and display it using a slide projector

Problems With All Those ModesIt was difficult and often costly to make changes, especially last minute changes

No sound, no animation, no video

Electronic transmission, in some cases, was not easy

It was difficult keeping track of old ones and making sure of their proper storage

Solution: Multimedia Presentations (1)Great tool for effectively communicating ideas to an audience

All electronic

Easy to make last minute changes

The undo feature encourages experimentation

Solution: Multimedia Presentations (2)More attractive; commanded more interest

May include animations, sound, video

Easy to catalog, store, and recall

Great tool for making presenter-free interactive material (e.g. self-learning tutorials)

The Presentation ScenarioPresenterPresentation screenAudienceInfoInfo

The Goal of the PresenterMaximize the (sum of the 2 types of) info that needs to be transferred to the audience

Recommended ApproachPut together a presentation that is:

simpleclear consistent

design guidelinesfor simplicity, clarity, consistency

Layout Guidelines (1)Keep layouts simple

Vary the look of successive slides. Mix up graphics with bulleted lists with animations

Avoid cluttering the slides with too much text or graphics. Your audience should hear what you have to say and not be distracted by a busy layout

Layout Guidelines (2)Put a title on each slide. As soon as the audience see the slide, the title should make it clear as to the point of that slide

Slide BackgroundKeep the backgrounds simple. You want a background that shows off your info, not one that makes it illegible

Avoid bright background colors. Light colored text against a dark background works best

Keep colors, patterns, and text styles consistent (not necessarily the same) for all slides in a presentation

Color Usage Guidelines (1)Use color sparingly to to highlight a point, but don't get carried away

Choose them with care; at times, the wrong choice may convey an unintended message

Color Usage Guidelines (2)Select background colors that are easy on the eye for several minutes of viewing, e.g. dont go for a bright yellow or red or other warm colors for background

Instead, use cool colors like blues and greens as backgrounds

Writing TextLimit text to a few phrases on a screen. A good rule of thumb is 52 lines on a slide

Write short phrases - not sentences - in the form of bulleted points: if you display sentences on your slides, you have nothing to add!

Have every bullet on a slide begin with a verb, or alternatively, have each begin with a noun

Text Usage Guidelines (1)Normal text is easier to read than ALL CAPS

Avoid ornate typefaces

Use a clean & readable typeface, e.g. sans serif ones (Arial, Verdana, Helvetica)

Use at least a 24-point size, with the normal text size being 28-32

Text Usage Guidelines (2)Be consistent in type size throughout the presentation

Keep text simple and easy to read by not using many different text styles (bold, italics, underline) different typefaces, different font sizes, varying font colors within a sentence

A Word of Caution on GuidelinesThese guidelines are not Laws of Nature

For example, if I keep on repeating the same type face and font size and background throughout a long presentation, Ill put the audience to sleep

At times, I use a warm background color or a very large (or small!) font size on a slide or two just to wake the audience up, or to make an important point

Graphics & ImagesUse simple graphics or images in place of text

Example:

Components of an OS diagram (lecture 11)

It not only listed the components in the form of colored discs, but also gave info visually about their interactions (through overlaps) and relative importance (through the size of each disc)

a graphic is worth

a thousand words (or numbers)

Sheet1

All currency figures are in thousands of US Dollars

1st Year2nd Year3rd Year4th Year5th Year

Billing Schedule

Lahore20x42x0.542030x962,88040x1696,76050x31715,85060x49029,400

Dubai60x15x0.545070x352,45080x453,60090x504,500

Islamabad40x25x0.570050x603,00060x1006,000

Karachi50x45x0.51,12560x1006,000

Total4203,3309,91023,57545,900

Costs for the Development Workforce

Lahore15x42x0.850417x961,63220x1693,38024x3157,60828x49013,720

Dubai48x15x0.857657x351,99566x452,97078x503,900

Islamabad20x35x0.856024x601,44028x1002,800

Karachi24x45x0.886428x1002,800

Total5042,2085,93512,88223,220

Costs for the Sales and Support Workforce

Singapore120x2240110x3390110x4440110x5550125x5625

Wash., DC200x3600180x101,800180x203,600180x305,400190x407,600

Chicago210x2420200x3630200x4800200x51,000

Total8402,6104,6706,7509,225

Costs for the Corporate Office

Corporate40x312042x416844x626446x836848x10480

Total120168264368480

Profit(1,044)(1,656)(959)3,57512,975

P/S-249%-50%-10%15%28%

NPV Discount Rate17%

NPV @ that Discount Rate5,125

IRR68%

Sheet2

Sheet3

Sales Forecast

Animations & TransitionsUse simple slide transitions. Too many different transitions are distractive

Animation is especially suitable for displaying:

Steps of a process: Waterfall model

Flow of info in a system: How does IM works?

The Structure of A PresentationTitle slideOverview slideMain bodySlide 1Slide 2Slide 3Summary slideDivide long presentations into sections, and have separate title, overview, summary, body slides for each section

Presentation Development SWOne can use a word processor to develop presentations of reasonable quality

However, using a SW package especially designed for developing presentation can:

Speed-up the task

Make available features not available in standard word processors

Presentation development SW lets users (1)Choose from a variety of ready-made presentation designs

Create original designs as well as change colors, background, fonts in ready-made designs

Add, delete, move slides within a presentation

Insert graphics & images, or create their own

Presentation development SW lets users (2)Import from other applications or create new tables/plots

Create simple animations

Incorporate sound and videos

Add hyperlinks, custom navigational controls

Save work in HTML, PDF, graphics formats

The Best Feature: UndoAllows you to recover from your mistakes

Allows you to experiment without risk

Popular SWMicrosoft PowerPoint

CA Harvard Graphics

Lotus Freelance Graphics

Corel Presentation

Lets now demonstrate the use of the presentation making SWWe will create a new presentation Enter textAdd, delete, and move slides View slide show

Assignment # 11Develop a business plan in the form of a presentation

It should be similar to the one discussed during the lecture, but does not have to focus on the same industry

It should consist of 6 slides, with the first one being the title slide

Further information on this assignment will be provide to you on the CS101 Web site

Todays Lecture was the Third among the four lectures that we plan to have on productivity software

We discussed several design guidelines for making effective multimedia presentations

We became able to develop simple presentation with the help of presentation software

Would you persuade,speak of interest,not of reason. Benjamin Franklin

Focus of the Final Productivity SW Lecture: Database SWTo become familiar with the basic functions and features of desktop data management software

To become able to build a small application with the help of database software