Concise. Clear.

 

Two pillars of good scientific presentation.

 

To practice this, we did a little exercise as part of the Science Communication course at MPŠ.

 

One person was describing to their partner what they had drawn, using only shapes, numbers and positions, without actively guiding them.

 

What can you notice if you compare the original to the recreation?

 

First of all, they are quite good and the big picture is more or less there (let’s ignore the sausage turning into a cupcake :D).

 

But if you focus on the smaller details, you can see differences – from the positioning of the paper itself, to the position of the objects on the figure, their size, and the number of elements.

 

This is a reminder that just because something is clear in our heads, it does not mean it is clear to our audience.

 

And this is precisely why we have to try to put ourselves in their shoes when we prepare and deliver a talk.

 

That is not an easy thing to do, but it is necessary.

 

Concise and clear beats overcomplicated and messy any day.