Advice for COS 333 Project Demos
Wed May 1 08:35:45 EDT 2013
The schedule for demos on May 8-10 is here.
We will be in Friend 008 on all three days.
Check out your equipment and make sure things work in that
room -- don't leave anything to the last minute.
Don't forget that the projector only does 1024x768; size your
slides, demos, etc., for that resolution.
No matter what you plan, be able to keep talking even if something breaks.
As to content, the "trade show" metaphor is useful, but you should
aim for more than just a glitzy demo. We're really looking for
evidence that you accomplished something, that you learned something,
and that you can present something clearly. The details of your
presentation are entirely up to you; one plan might be
- a short introduction to what your system is supposed to do
- a quick summary of major features
- a demo of a small number (two or three?) of features; glitzy is
fine but pick features known to work
- a brief overview of architecture, implementation, or how it works
- something that worked well or failed to work out
or that you might explore if there were more time
You have 30 minutes. Plan on using about 25 minutes, to leave time
for questions, setup and teardown, and other delays.
Here are some minor suggestions that might help things go smoothly.
- Rehearse! Most groups in previous years have done well on timing;
keep the streak alive.
- Don't do a demo that requires a lot of typing or mousing. As you've
seen in class, things sometimes go awry and audiences get restless while
you poke around, so set things up ahead of time. Don't use the blackboard.
- Focus on a few representative things, whether features or details
or interesting topics; don't get too wrapped up in trivia.
- Have fun. These projects are really interesting, and the enthusiasm
of their presenters helps make that evident.
- Come to other presentations too (cf. fun, above), and bring friends
and family; all are welcome.
Grading criteria include the following:
- good organization of material
- clear overview, motivation
- good examples to illustrate the system
- system apparently works most of the time
- smooth presentation, with evidence of rehearsal
- stays within allotted time