The biggest oral presentation project for DP1 was the 3 Minute Thesis (3MT) in which each individual is required to articulate the impact and breadth of their project 3 minutes. The only visual aid provided was the slide deck. This is a big challenge to me since I was always scripting when doing presentations in high school. Another challenge I faced was to summarize our design and its impact in a three-minute speech.
<aside> 💡 Nevertheless, I managed to present a good speech through countless rehearsals. For my 3MT speech, I mentioned the form and function of each components while emphasizing the durability and comfortability of the design as a whole. After the 3MT, I grew more and more confident when presenting and began to use various techniques to add enthusiasm and humour to my speech when appropriate.
</aside>
For DP2 we were required to give a poster presentation. Just like the 3MT in DP1, we have a time limit of 6 minutes. Since we were presenting as a team, a smooth flow and proper transitions between team members were also important. In addition, the judges (TAs and professors) would ask questions regarding the from and material selection of our design.
<aside> 💡 For me, the biggest challenge was to defend our design in front of the judges, This requires me to be profoundly familiar with our design and be able to explain the details in a concise and professional way. Thanks to all the research I have done and the rehearsal our team did before the presentation, we managed to explain our design and answer all the questions with confidence and high clarity.
</aside>
*Image obtained from the University of York website: https://www.york.ac.uk/research/events/three-minute-thesis/