RISE: Home

10 Steps to make your RISE presentation

1. Download the template from RISE's website.
2. Open the template in PowerPoint.
   If you don't already have access to PowerPoint, you can get it through Northeastern's Office 365 Subscription.
3. Fill out your title slide.
   • Replace "Project Title" with a concise title. 
     Choose a title for your presentation that is short and easy for someone to understand. It doesn't have to be rigidly formal. For example, instead of "The effects of CO₂ Levels on the Protein, Micronutrient, and Vitamin Content of Triticum Aestivum," your title could be "Climate Change is Decreasing Wheat Nutrition."
   • Replace "Presenter Name(s)" with your name.
   • Add the category you selected for your Abstract after "Category:".
   • Replace "Undergraduate/Graduate" with "Undergraduate" or "Graduate" depending on your status.
   
    
4. Turn on gridlines so that you can align everything to a grid as you are working.
   Arranging your text and images on a grid will make your slides neater and easier for your audience to scan. This trick is similar to writing on lined paper to keep your handwriting tidy.  This function is called "gridlines" on Windows and "guidelines" on a Mac. Try to leave at least:
   • 1/2 inch border around the edge of your slide
   • 1 inch space between major elements (ex. images, textboxes)
   • 1/4 inch between images and their captions
   
    
5. Add images to you content slides.
   If you have any images that will help you explain your point such as graphs or photographs, start by adding these to your slides. Don't be tempted to add too many. For inspiration on creating minimal but powerful presentations, consider searching YouTube for presentations from the Three-Minute Thesis competition, where presenters are only allowed one slide!
   
6. Add text only if you need it.
   Try to keep text to a minimum, keeping in mind that your audience can't read and listen effectively at the same time. The less text you have, the sooner your audience can finish reading it and return to listening to you effectively.
   
7. Add a little style.
   Your content is the most important part of your presentation, but adding a little style can enhance your slides. Consider doing some of the following:
   • replace the default black text color with a dark color related to your project (ex. a dark green for agriculture or a dark blue for water conservation)
   • if you have a graph, use a highlight color to emphasize key data
     
   • if you have a plain slide with just bullet points, try replacing them with colored text boxes
     
8. Double-check your work.
   Check your presentation for the following:
   • Review spelling and grammar
   • Make sure you have properly cited your work and images
   • Remove all RISE template placeholders such as example images and green/yellow note boxes
9. Record your presentation in Zoom.
   See RISE's guide to recording your presentation under "7. Prepare Presentation."
10. Log in to the RISE website and submit your recording by April 1, 2021.

Need more help with your presentation design?

Check out these resources:

• RISE's website with information for presenters.
• Attend official RISE events to learn more information.
• "How do I design a better virtual presentation?" webinar.
• Book a one-on-one consult Monday March 22 or Monday March 29 to discuss your presentation.