Overview
This lecture covers how to create effective visual aids for presentations, focusing on clarity, audience awareness, design quality, and creativity.
Purpose of Visual Aids
- Visual aids should support the speaker, not distract from them.
- Avoid reading full sentences from slides or displaying large text blocks.
- Use concise bullet points and keywords instead of paragraphs.
Design Principles
- "Less is more": keep visuals simple and uncluttered.
- Use visuals (images, graphs) to enhance engagement and understanding.
- Avoid distracting transitions, excessive images, or too much data.
- Prioritize high-quality, relevant images over clip-art or generic stock photos.
Audience Considerations
- Match visuals to your audience’s knowledge, expectations, and formality needs.
- Adapt humor, references, and content based on who is watching.
- Review assignment guidelines for intended audience and topic focus.
Theming and Cohesion
- Use cohesive themes: consistent color schemes, font choices, and complementary images.
- Customize themes rather than relying on standard PowerPoint templates.
- Cohesive design makes presentations look polished and professional.
Practice and Preparation
- Practice with your visual aids in the actual presentation space.
- Use the visual aid to reinforce your understanding; do not depend on it to mask lack of preparation.
- Seek feedback and rehearse, ideally in a realistic setting.
Creativity and Alternatives
- Explore creative options beyond PowerPoint, such as physical objects or unique visuals.
- Effort and originality in visual aids make presentations memorable.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Visual Aid — any visual material (slides, images, graphs) used to support a presentation.
- Cohesive Theme — consistent design elements (color, font, imagery) used throughout a presentation.
- Audience Analysis — assessing the knowledge, expectations, and attitudes of your presentation viewers.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Click "Next" in Canvas to view examples of strong visual aids.
- Practice your presentation with your completed visual aids.