Using Visual Aids Appropriately And Effectively

Presenting Your Ideas

How to present an ideal 

            One way to make your presentation vivid and memorable is through the use of visual aids.  Although computer generated and projected visual—and presentation—aids are commonly used, it is still important to understand how to use them or any other type of visual aids in your presentation.  Here are some pointers for the effective use of visual aids:

·        Write your outline first, then design your visual aids.  Avoid reversing the process.

·        Select visual aids appropriate to the point you wish to illustrate or clarify.  Visual aids should support, clarify, and amplify, not repeat what you are saying.

·        Make sure that the intent of your visual aid is clear.

·        Use only important or memorable words or phrases: eliminate any unnecessary word slides.  Limit the number of words to what you could fit on a T-shirt.

·        Pictorial slides have the biggest payoff. 

·        Use color for impact.  When is the last time you saw a black-and-white television set?  Make sure that your visual can be seen and understood by the member of your audience who is farthest from the screen.

·        Practice with your visual aid.

·        Don’t begin or end your presentation with a visual aid.

·        Introduce visual aids so that they blend smoothly with your speech.

·        Maintain eye contact: talk to your audience, not the visual aid.  Touch the important point; turn to the audience, and talk.  Don’t read from your visual aid.

·        Display visual aids only when discussing them.

·        Avoid passing visual aids around the audience.