Posters

I sometimes create scientific poster layouts in PPT (using a supplied template), an approach that seems to be increasingly common.

Mike Morrison has some excellent ideas on simplified poster design, but they’re slow to catch on in practice. Posters are often content heavy; I can help to reduce clutter.

slide decks

Editing in PowerPoint presents special challenges, not least because there is no Track Changes function.

My usual approach is to create a detailed style sheet listing the conventions followed for internal consistency, to save you wading through hundreds of comments about trivial amends. That way, if you’d rather anything was done differently, it’s easily reversed with a global find/replace. Specific edits affecting content on individual slides are then flagged up with comments.

I tidy up slides while editing them, but please note that my skills stop short of redrawing graphic elements.

When briefing me, please remember to specify:

• Spelling preferences (e.g., US or UK)?

• Notes sections: Edit, ignore, delete?

• Abbreviations: Define on each slide, or just at first mention? (This depends on factors such as target audience, but also whether the deck will be reshuffled or some slides hidden.) In some cases, a glossary of terms might be a good solution?

• Companion materials: If the slides are for a meeting presentation, is there an agenda or abstract book to check against (names, titles, times)?