How to make (and use) Visual Aids for Presentations

Top 3 Things to Avoid

• Too much text, including outlining/bullet points – it’s a sign that the slide is doing the work FOR you.
• Relying on the screen (or reading directly off of it instead of speaking to the crowd)
• Distracting, flashing, or illegible designs

What you should NOT do

A final note…

If the presenter is monotone,

didn’t practice,

does distracting fidgeting, goes too slowly,

or is a weak presenter for another reason,

the visual aid can’t completely save him/her.

You are still responsible for pulling off a great presentation!

Practice, confidence, and professionalism still matter.

The visual aid is only as good as the person using it.

Quiz! 

• List as many types of visual aids as you can.
• What factors might you consider when choosing a visual aid and/or type of slideshow?
• What are the three main philosophies on how to make a slideshow?
• What do modern audiences want from a slideshow? (What SHOULD you do?)
• What are the best things to do WITH your slideshow during a presentation?

Review

Follow-Up Reading

• 10 tips on how to make slides that communicate your idea, from TED’s in-house expert
• Create + Prepare Slides
• Creating Effective Presentation Visuals
• Visual Aids and Props
• Slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations
• 11 Awesome Slide Titles
• Top 9 Visual Slide Mistakes to Avoid
• 7 Tips to Beautiful PowerPoint

Interested? Need Help?

BONUS ACTIVITY

Let’s critique THIS slideshow.

• Which slide was your favorite, and why? What was good about it that makes it an example for us?
• Which slide was the most boring? Why? Was it the content, or was it something about the slide design?
• What would you rate it (scale of 1-5) in terms of…
• Level of Engagement – did it keep your attention?
• Memorable content – did you learn something? Why/not?
• Speaker vs. content vs. visuals – if it wasn’t effective, why?
• Challenge: Take ONE slide of your choosing and make it BETTER. How could improved content and/or design engage the audience better?