Be a Better Speaker: Learn to Sketchnote

We all know that public speaking helps with personal and professional growth. But public speaking can bring its own share of challenges. How do you pick a topic? How do you apply to a CFP (and increase the chances of being accepted)? And most importantly – how do you then craft the talk for diverse audiences, talk times and topics? In this talk I’ll share my perspectives on how sketch-noting has helped me become a better speaker, and how it can help you jumpstart a speaking career, or add new tools to your speaker toolkit if you are already an experienced presenter.

Transcript

1. #BitsOfBuild / @nitya
   #BitsOfBuild / @nitya
   Be a Better Speaker
   Learn to
   Sketchnote
   Nitya Narasimhan, PhD https://talks.nityan.me
   

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2. #BitsOfBuild / @nitya
   Credit: Unsplash
   ABOUT ME
   PhD & Polyglot
   Researcher & Developer
   Community & Conf Org
   Mom & DevRel @Microsoft
   Passionate about translating tech
   awareness into actionable learning
   

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3. #BitsOfBuild / @nitya
   How many of
   you fear public
   speaking?
   

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4. #BitsOfBuild / @nitya Image Credit: Washington Post / Oct 2014
   You’re not alone!
   25-80% agree..
   Glossophobia
   Glossophobia or speech anxiety is the fear of public speaking.[1]
   The word glossophobia derives from the Greek γλῶσσα glōssa,
   meaning tongue, and φόβος phobos, fear or dread.
   Wikipedia / May 2019
   

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5. #BitsOfBuild / @nitya
   Why
   Are we afraid?
   Physiology
   We feel threatened
   Psychology
   We feel unworthy
   Context
   We feel unsure
   

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6. #BitsOfBuild / @nitya
   That’s easy
   for you to say
   No. I’m just like you
   Check out my heart rate
   when I get on stage at a
   conference ..
   Yes, It’s scary.
   Yes, You can do it!
   Yes, It feels amazing after!
   

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7. #BitsOfBuild / @nitya
   #BitsOfBuild / @nitya
   Why What How
   Icons Credit: Noun Project
   

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8. #BitsOfBuild / @nitya
   Why do public speaking?
   

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9. #BitsOfBuild / @nitya
   Do it for you
   Professional Growth
   Image Credit: WOCInTechChat
   ● Visible Achievement
   ● Clarity Of Thought
   ● Knowledge Transfer
   

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10. #BitsOfBuild / @nitya
    Do it for us
    Representation Matters
    Image Credit: Unsplash / @ethicaleffort
    ● Visible Role Models
    ● Diversity Of Thought
    ● Authentic Stories
    

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11. #BitsOfBuild / @nitya
    How do I get
    started?
    #GDCFPDay
    Find a conference or
    meetup in your topic.
    Submit a CFP proposal
    

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12. #BitsOfBuild / @nitya
    #BitsOfBuild / @nitya
    Audience
    Think Reviewer,
    Not Attendee
    Applicability
    Does it meet
    conference guidelines?
    Authenticity
    Does your unique
    voice come through?
    Assiduity
    Submit once. Submit often.
    Revise & Recycle.
    Abstract
    Less is more.
    Retain flexibility.
    #MakeTheTalkHappen
    Icons Credit: Noun Project
    

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13. #BitsOfBuild / @nitya
    But why
    sketchnote?
    A picture is worth a
    thousand words..
    Icons Credit: Noun Project
    

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14. #BitsOfBuild / @nitya
    Clarify
    Your thinking
    Construct
    Your workflow
    Icons Credit: Noun Project
    Before During After
    

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15. #BitsOfBuild / @nitya
    Build
    Your brand
    Distill
    For Brevity
    Icons Credit: Noun Project
    Before During After
    

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16. #BitsOfBuild / @nitya
    Unleash
    Your creativity
    Improve
    Your recall
    Icons Credit: Noun Project
    Before During After
    

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17. #BitsOfBuild / @nitya
    Let’s Look at Some Examples..
    

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18. #BitsOfBuild / @nitya
    #BitsOfBuild / @nitya
    Book
    Reviews
    

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19. #BitsOfBuild / @nitya
    #BitsOfBuild / @nitya
    Conference
    Live Tweets
    

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20. #BitsOfBuild / @nitya
    #BitsOfBuild / @nitya
    Course
    Recaps
    

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21. #BitsOfBuild / @nitya
    #BitsOfBuild / @nitya
    Technology
    Learning
    

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22. #BitsOfBuild / @nitya
    #BitsOfBuild / @nitya
    When
    timing
    What
    content
    How
    tools
    Icons Credit: Noun Project
    Tips & Tricks for Getting Started ..
    

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23. #BitsOfBuild / @nitya
    Fonts
    Change up size/type to
    create interest, focus
    Use font types to create interest
    Italics, Bold, 2D/3D
    Use size to create focus
    Heading vs. subtext
    

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24. #BitsOfBuild / @nitya
    Navigation
    Provide easy guidance
    within space constraint
    Use Signposts & paths
    For whimsy and direction
    Use Spacing and Borders
    To plan for future content, create clarity
    

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25. #BitsOfBuild / @nitya
    Colors
    Can be done later.
    Bring the sketch to life
    Highlight connections
    Similar colors for similar topics
    Shading for Focus
    Create separations between topics
    

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26. #BitsOfBuild / @nitya
    Icons
    Invoke familiar symbols
    for clarity
    Plan for adding in later
    Spacing for symbols
    Make cheat sheets for speed
    Frequently used symbols for context
    

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27. #BitsOfBuild / @nitya
    Quotes
    Listen for the signature
    statement or takeaway
    

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28. #BitsOfBuild / @nitya
    Personal
    What makes your voice
    or perspective unique?
    

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29. #BitsOfBuild / @nitya
    Practice
    Doodle everything, have
    fun, keep a journal ..
    

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30. #BitsOfBuild / @nitya
    Summary
    Speak. Sketch. Share.
    

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31. #BitsOfBuild / @nitya
    Thank You!
    Twitter | @nitya
    Discussion | #bitsofbuild
    Slides |
    https://aka.ms/bitsofbuild-2019-sketchnote
    

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32. #BitsOfBuild / @nitya
    #BitsOfBuild / @nitya
    Be a Better Speaker
    Learn to
    Sketchnote
    Nitya Narasimhan, PhD https://talks.nityan.me
    Emojis from Emojipedia
    Art from Unsplash, Nitya
    Fonts from Google Fonts
    Icons from NounProject (Pro)
    Additional attributions in notes, slides
    

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