This document provides a practical guide to using visuals to enhance oral presentations in an academic context. It discusses when visuals are appropriate and how to design them effectively. The key points are:
1) Visuals should support and enhance the presentation, not distract from it. They should synchronize closely with the spoken content.
2) Bullet point lists have become overused due to presentation software templates, but are not always the best format and can distort arguments.
3) Effective visuals clarify, magnify, and reinforce the speaker's message through summarization, visualization, symbolization or illustration. Distracting elements or those providing excess details should be avoided.
MEDIA AND INFORMATION LITERACY Week 7 F2F.pptxMa Balingit
The document provides guidelines for staying safe and healthy. It instructs the reader to wear a mask at all times, maintain safe distancing, sanitize hands, and report any symptoms of coughs, colds or flu. It concludes by wishing the reader to stay safe and healthy, and be attentive.
This document discusses multimedia presentations. It defines multimedia as the seamless integration of text, graphics, audio, images and video to provide users high levels of control and interaction. Multimedia presentations can include different media like photographs, videos and audio to engage multiple senses. The document outlines different types of multimedia presentations like slideshows, audiovisual presentations, overhead projectors and smart boards. It also discusses characteristics, uses, users, evaluation, advantages and limitations of multimedia presentations.
The document discusses informative presentations and their goals, types, and best practices. The key goals of an informative presentation are to enhance and maintain audience understanding and interest while helping the audience remember the information. Effective techniques include choosing a relevant and timely topic, using visual aids, repetition of main points, and amplification through microphones. The document provides an example of North Sentinel Island as an informative topic that could interest students.
Oral presentations involve communicating information verbally to an audience. They require preparation, practice in delivery, and tailoring the presentation based on the audience. Visual aids are an essential part of oral presentations, as they engage the audience and emphasize key points. Effective presentations are organized, have a strong opening and conclusion, and use visual aids appropriately. Electronic communication refers to transmitting information using technology like computers, email, videoconferencing. It provides advantages like speed, low cost, and overcoming distance barriers, but also disadvantages such as dependency on technology and security risks.
Visual aids like handouts, whiteboards, and PowerPoint slides can enhance presentations by reinforcing ideas and making them more memorable. Effective visual aids are simple, with large clear text and limited colors and fonts. Presenters should introduce visual aids only when relevant and keep the focus on their speech. PowerPoint slides specifically should have minimal text and bullet points to avoid boring audiences. The slides supplement the presenter's words rather than acting as the main focus.
Visual aids can enhance presentations by making them more persuasive, interesting, credible, and effective. When using visual aids, focus on simplicity and clarity. Limit information on each slide and use large, easy-to-read fonts. PowerPoint presentations should keep bullet points and text to a minimum so the audience focuses on the speaker rather than the slides. Effective visual aids reinforce the speaker's message and help the audience follow their arguments.
MEDIA AND INFORMATION LITERACY Week 7 F2F.pptxMa Balingit
The document provides guidelines for staying safe and healthy. It instructs the reader to wear a mask at all times, maintain safe distancing, sanitize hands, and report any symptoms of coughs, colds or flu. It concludes by wishing the reader to stay safe and healthy, and be attentive.
This document discusses multimedia presentations. It defines multimedia as the seamless integration of text, graphics, audio, images and video to provide users high levels of control and interaction. Multimedia presentations can include different media like photographs, videos and audio to engage multiple senses. The document outlines different types of multimedia presentations like slideshows, audiovisual presentations, overhead projectors and smart boards. It also discusses characteristics, uses, users, evaluation, advantages and limitations of multimedia presentations.
The document discusses informative presentations and their goals, types, and best practices. The key goals of an informative presentation are to enhance and maintain audience understanding and interest while helping the audience remember the information. Effective techniques include choosing a relevant and timely topic, using visual aids, repetition of main points, and amplification through microphones. The document provides an example of North Sentinel Island as an informative topic that could interest students.
Oral presentations involve communicating information verbally to an audience. They require preparation, practice in delivery, and tailoring the presentation based on the audience. Visual aids are an essential part of oral presentations, as they engage the audience and emphasize key points. Effective presentations are organized, have a strong opening and conclusion, and use visual aids appropriately. Electronic communication refers to transmitting information using technology like computers, email, videoconferencing. It provides advantages like speed, low cost, and overcoming distance barriers, but also disadvantages such as dependency on technology and security risks.
Visual aids like handouts, whiteboards, and PowerPoint slides can enhance presentations by reinforcing ideas and making them more memorable. Effective visual aids are simple, with large clear text and limited colors and fonts. Presenters should introduce visual aids only when relevant and keep the focus on their speech. PowerPoint slides specifically should have minimal text and bullet points to avoid boring audiences. The slides supplement the presenter's words rather than acting as the main focus.
Visual aids can enhance presentations by making them more persuasive, interesting, credible, and effective. When using visual aids, focus on simplicity and clarity. Limit information on each slide and use large, easy-to-read fonts. PowerPoint presentations should keep bullet points and text to a minimum so the audience focuses on the speaker rather than the slides. Effective visual aids reinforce the speaker's message and help the audience follow their arguments.
The document discusses the role of visuals and graphics in communication. It describes how visual aids can enhance verbal presentations by completing them with examples and interactive elements. Visual aids also support different learning styles and bridge diversity among audiences. They encourage participation and help with comprehension by matching verbal content with images and activities. Graphics designers can contribute to educational multimedia projects by developing visual concepts, effective visual communication, and conceptual design ideas.
The document discusses various presentation aids that can be used independently or together when giving a presentation. It identifies some common aids like flip charts, handouts, overhead transparencies, and posters. The document then examines four of these aids in more detail, outlining their advantages and disadvantages. For each aid, it provides examples of how they can be used and prepared. In conclusion, it stresses the importance of evaluating which aids are most appropriate and designing the presentation to allow for questions and review.
Graphic materials are visual images used to inform, illustrate or entertain. They include photographs, drawings, diagrams, graphs and more. There are several types of graphics commonly used for instruction like drawings, charts, diagrams and graphs. Audiovisual materials refer to works with both sound and visual components, and are widely used in education. Examples include PowerPoint presentations, videos, and interactive whiteboards. Audiovisual materials are important teaching tools as they help arouse learner interest, provide a clear view of concepts, guide learning, and enhance comprehension compared to only verbal instruction.
This document summarizes key points from a presentation on improving business presentations by applying concepts from Zen. The presentation argues that most PowerPoint presentations overload audiences with too much text-heavy slides. Following Zen principles like simplicity, focus on the audience, and minimizing text on slides can make presentations more effective. Specific tips include using high-quality graphics and videos, limiting each slide to one main idea, practicing with a remote clicker, and making eye contact with the audience. Suggested readings and websites for further learning are provided.
1. The document discusses various communication aids and strategies for using technology in presentations, including traditional tools like overhead transparencies, flip charts, whiteboards, and document cameras as well as digital tools like PowerPoint, videos, and real-time web access.
2. It provides tips for effective multimedia presentations including keeping it simple, emphasizing key ideas, showing what can't be said, using images, and combining variety with coherence.
3. The document also covers strategies for using presentation media and tips for PowerPoint presentations focusing on elements like creativity, colors, fonts, images, and information graphics.
Visual aids are effective tools for communication as they help audiences retain information, stay engaged, and better understand concepts. Some key benefits of visual aids include improving memory retention of information by up to six times compared to verbal communication alone, maintaining audience attention spans, organizing presentations into easier to remember chunks, and aiding comprehension for different learning styles. Common types of visual aids include posters, slideshows, models, videos, presentation software, handouts, and transparencies. Effective use of visual aids requires preparation and choosing aids appropriate for the audience size and demographics.
The document discusses why organizing messages is important and provides tips for doing so effectively. It notes that organizing allows the speaker to detect flaws, identify the best sequence, and present ideas clearly while improving their ability to handle questions. The document recommends formulating a core statement, main points, and sub-points to support the core statement. It also discusses using illustrations, statistics, expert testimony, analogies and other forms of evidence to strengthen arguments. Finally, it covers selecting appropriate visual aids and holding question-and-answer sessions after presentations.
The document provides guidance on using nonprojected visuals effectively in the classroom. It recommends using large visuals that everyone can see, avoiding cluttered details, covering irrelevant material, holding visuals steady, and limiting the number used. It also suggests providing cues to help students learn from visuals.
ROLE OF AUDIO-VISUAL AIDS AND COMPUTERS IN ORAL PRESENTATIONCHINTHUVINAYAKS
The document discusses the role of audio-visual aids and computers in oral presentations. It covers various audio aids like radio, tape recorders, and projected aids. It discusses the advantages and disadvantages of different audio aids. It also discusses visual aids and their importance in oral presentations. It provides examples of different types of visual aids like photographs, tables, graphs, and charts. It discusses the benefits of using visual aids and provides tips for making visual aids more effective. Finally, it discusses the role of computers in oral presentations and the advantages and disadvantages of using computers.
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This document provides guidance on presenting a body of work. It discusses that presenting work is an important graphic design skill, as it shows work to potential clients or employers. A body of work is a collection of pieces that tell a story, such as a design portfolio or client presentation. The document outlines the steps to take in developing an effective presentation, including establishing a concept, choosing a delivery format, selecting relevant content, and designing the presentation. Examples of presentation formats like posters, books, and digital magazines are also provided.
Aquesta ponència, impartida a la Facultat de Ciències Polítiques i Sociologia de la UAB el 26.09.2017, en un seminari organitzat pel Grup ISOR (Investigacions en Sociologia de la Religió) tenia per objectiu mostrar recursos relacionats amb el web i els mitjans socials, destinats a incrementar la difusió, la visibilitat i l’impacte de la recerca del grup, així com a millorar la identitat digital del grup i dels investigadors que en formen part.
The document discusses presentation skills and personal presentation. It covers how to prepare a presentation, including structuring material, organizing content into introduction, body, and conclusion sections, and using audiovisual aids. Effective presentation requires considering factors like objectives, audience, and venue. Presenters should maintain eye contact, use gestures, avoid distractions, and engage the audience. Being well-prepared, confident, and practicing helps strengthen presentation skills.
Module 15 Multimedia Information and Media.pptxJanetPalma4
Multimedia refers to the digital integration of various media types like text, graphics, audio, images and video. There are different types of multimedia presentations including slideshow presentations made using software like PowerPoint, audiovisual presentations containing both visual and audio elements, and overhead projector presentations which project images onto a screen. Effective multimedia presentations are interactive, dynamic in that they can be accessed through different technologies, and contain appropriate content tailored for the topic and audience. Teachers, speakers and salespeople commonly use multimedia to engage and inform their audiences.
The document provides tips for creating effective technology-integrated presentations for 21st century learners. It recommends maintaining consistency by following a logical sequence from outline to summary. Presentations should keep it simple and use technology sparingly to emphasize content over effects. Know your audience and tailor the presentation to their background and needs. Engage the audience with visual aids, interactions, and addressing specific interests. Incorporate graphs and visuals to grab attention and aid retention, especially for statistics. Ensure visuals are large enough for all to see clearly.
The document discusses the importance and effectiveness of using audiovisual aids in presentations and training. It notes that retention of information is 6 times greater when combining visual and oral presentation compared to spoken word alone. Using visual aids like graphs, diagrams and videos can help explain information quickly and engage learners. While live speakers are ideal, prerecorded audio can lack interactivity. Handouts reinforce and provide details for visual and oral content. Involving participants through activities improves learning and skills retention. A variety of aids exist to meet different needs, abilities and learning styles.
This document provides guidance on how to give effective scientific presentations. It discusses preparing the presentation by using the right tools to tell a story and communicate the big idea. Presentations should incorporate story elements like a beginning, middle and end, and use techniques like analogies to persuade the audience. The document also recommends including a memorable "STAR moment" and valuing brevity by reducing excessive content on slides. An example discussed is Steve Jobs introducing the Macbook Air by surprising the audience by pulling it out of an envelope on stage.
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2. Complete a 10-minute order form providing instructions, sources, deadline, and attaching a sample if wanting the writer to imitate your style.
3. Review bids from writers and choose one based on qualifications, history, and feedback, then pay a deposit to start the assignment.
4. Review the completed paper and authorize full payment if pleased, or request free revisions. Multiple revisions are allowed to ensure satisfaction. Plagiarized work results in a full refund.
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A review of the growth of the Israel Genealogy Research Association Database Collection for the last 12 months. Our collection is now passed the 3 million mark and still growing. See which archives have contributed the most. See the different types of records we have, and which years have had records added. You can also see what we have for the future.
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3. Using visuals to enhance oral presentations in an academic context 227
A practical guide to using visuals to enhance oral
presentations in an academic context
François Heinderyckx
Abstract
An oral presentation in front of an audience remains the most common way
to share ideas, arguments and research results. Recent technological develop-
ments offer a range of exciting possibilities to enhance one’s oral presentation
with visuals. Lately, audiences have grown so used to speakers using visuals
aids that it has become almost a requirement. This chapter offers guidance in
deciding whether or not a presentation should be accompanied by visual aids
before detailing strategies to design effective visuals that will serve and en-
hance a talk while avoiding to divert the attention of the audience. The chapter
also argues against the tyranny of the bulleted lists that have come to dominate
visuals as a result of docile submission to poorly designed templates that al-
most impose these lists as the standard format. Cognitive and technical consid-
erations are discussed. The chapter recommends caution when sharing visuals
after a presentation as they usually don’t constitute an autonomous narration
and could therefore be misunderstood when considered by themselves, without
the accompanying talk that it merely illustrates.
Keywords: oral presentation; visuals; visual aids; slide show; bulleted list
Heinderyckx, F. (2015) ‘A practical guide to using visuals to enhance oral presentations in an aca-
demic context’, pp. 227-237 in L. Kramp/N. Carpentier/A. Hepp/I. Tomanić Trivundža/H. Niemi-
nen/R. Kunelius/T. Olsson/E. Sundin/R. Kilborn (eds.) Journalism, Representation and the Public
Sphere. Bremen: edition lumière.
4. 228 François Heinderyckx
1. Introduction
One of the most common ways to share one’s scholarly work with peers is still
the traditional oral presentation. Even in the age of teleconferencing and dig-
ital collaborative platforms, conferences, workshops, lectures, and presenta-
tions are still predominantly consisting of one person addressing an audience
to convey a number of ideas, facts, and arguments. A range of technologies has
become standard equipment in lecture halls and conference centres to facilitate
and enhance the act of addressing an audience. Some of these technologies are
related to sound: microphones, ampliiers and speakers make it easier for the
audience to hear the speaker and allow the use of other sounds as required;
wireless microphones allow speakers to enjoy voice ampliication even while
moving around.
Yet the most signiicant set of innovations was developed to allow the
use of visuals to accompany speeches: slide projectors could display static
photographic images on a screen; overhead projectors could project images
from transparencies that could be pre-printed or written upon by the speaker
during the presentation; movie projectors could show moving images using
reels of cellulose ilm. Then along came digital display technologies: screens,
data-projectors and computer-generated graphics. In principle, digital display
technology (i.e., a computer and a display device) offers a wide range of pos-
sibilities to show still and moving images. However, sophisticated technolo-
gies are only as useful as the skills and talent of their users. In the absence of
structured teaching of such skills in schools or universities, the experience will
range from dazzling all the way down to appalling, from powerful enhance-
ment down to a noisy distraction. This chapter aims to understand how visuals
can contribute to the clarity of an oral presentation and to the credibility of the
presenter, and how applying a few simple principles can improve this type of
communication signiicantly.
2. What visuals (if any) can do to an oral presentation
An oral presentation is a performance.Although what a speaker will say should
be centre-stage, a number of other factors will be decisive in the impression
left by the presentation: eloquence, body language, eye contact, staging, and
visuals. Visuals can take many forms: the speaker can write and draw on a
blackboard or a whiteboard or a lip chart; or project and draw on transparen-
cies using an overhead projector; or project a ilm or photographic slides with
ilm or slide projectors. Increasingly however, speakers are expected to project
computer-generated images and animations on one or several screens visible
to the audience. In recent times, the use of such visuals has become a standard
5. Using visuals to enhance oral presentations in an academic context 229
feature, and the absence of any kind of illustration is too often perceived as a
shortcoming, a missed opportunity and a sign of dullness. The urgency to add
visuals to oral presentations is reinforced by the aesthetics of contemporary
media. On television, if an anchor-person or a politician is shown talking, mo-
tionless, behind a desk or a lectern more than a few seconds, moving pictures
of something vaguely related to the topic will be shown either in full screen or
at least in a split-screen. On the web, sophisticated illustrations are common-
place, whatever the topic. Likewise, when we attend a lecture, we expect to
be entertained with eye candy, or at least something to look at other than the
speaker, sadly enough.
Although the abundance of tools and technologies used to create and
share visuals should be seen as a positive development, it would be a mistake
to consider visuals are a requirement. Visuals can be of little value to the audi-
ence, and all too easily, they can become a liability or even a nuisance. When
preparing an oral presentation, the beneit of using visuals must be carefully
assessed. Visuals are typically valuable when discussing topics that are es-
sentially visual (photography, cinema, visual arts), but also topics involving
complex results requiring data visualization (graphs, maps or tables), or when
the presentation includes long quotes (seeing the text of the quote and the full
reference will be appreciated by the audience) or when the complexity of the
argument can be made more accessible by visual representations.
If no visuals seem necessary or desirable, then the presentation should be
prepared without visuals, or with minimalist visuals, i.e. a title slide (showing
the title of the talk, along with the name, afiliation, and contact details of the
speaker), and possibly an additional slide showing the structure or the out-
line of the talk. Such bare visuals as a visual backdrop will be preferable to
the desktop of the computer, the last slide of the previous speaker or the blue
screen projected by the data-projector in the absence of input.
2.1 What visuals should not be
If visuals seem worthwhile, they should be designed following general guide-
lines as to what they should and should not be. Visuals are too easily a diver-
sion, an invitation to split the audience’s attention. This can be caused by an
element of distraction, which is typically any visual element that is signiicant-
ly disconnected from what the speaker says at that particular point. A common
source of distraction is found in touches of visual humour. While humour is
generally welcome in a talk, it should not be conveyed only by a visual that is
superimposed on the talk, for it will, like all other sources of distraction, split
the attention of the audience. A sure sign of the presence of an element of dis-
traction on visuals is when audience members make comments among them-
6. 230 François Heinderyckx
selves while pointing at the screen. The divided attention can also result from
visuals that are an addition to the talk. This happens when the speaker provides
signiicantly more details on the visual than in the talk, almost like footnotes
or, in extreme cases, like an annex to the talk. If the audience is interested in
those details, a signiicant amount of attention will be diverted towards the
visuals, at the expense of the talk. The visuals can even constitute a rival to the
speech. This will happen when the speaker mentions, in passing, a notion or a
study that will not be developed in the talk (for lack of time), but is somewhat
detailed in a slide for those who might be interested. These tentative extensions
usually result from dificulties in time-management, i.e. when a speaker wants
to squeeze more into the presentation than time allows.
In every one of these cases, the speaker is not supporting, but sabotaging
his or her own presentation by offering audience members opportunities, in-
vitations even, to branch out and divert their attention from the words spoken
and towards stimuli which, because they are visual, will easily appeal to the
senses. Even if the audience resists the temptation and remains focused on the
talk, the diversions will at least create discomfort and require additional efforts
of concentration.
Visuals that consist in literal transcriptions of the talk should also be
avoided, except in speciic cases of a deicit in language skills among the audi-
ence (and even in this case, it is preferable to show the main points in the lan-
guage of the audience to help them bridge the gap). Full-text slides will inevi-
tably catch the eye of the audience which will then lose visual contact with the
speaker, thus transforming the presentation into a kind of academic karaoke.
2.2 What visuals should be
Effective visuals support the presentation. Whether they summarize, visualize,
symbolize or merely illustrate, they must enhance the talk by clarifying, mag-
nifying and reinforcing the meaning of the words of the speaker. The enhance-
ment requires a strict synchronization between text and visuals: at any point
of the presentation, what is shown must match what is said. Yet, not every part
of the speech requires visuals. All too often, presenters laboriously develop
visuals so that every idea, argument or paragraph can be matched on the dis-
play, resulting in a large proportion of weak visuals, with little or no added
value. Instead, speakers should not hesitate to insert blank visuals (a simple
uniform black will minimize distraction) to be shown between two segments
that require visuals. Each of the visuals-free segments will return attention
to the speaker while providing a welcome alternation. When visuals are next
used, they will draw all gazes back to the screens with renewed attention and
anticipation.
7. Using visuals to enhance oral presentations in an academic context 231
The speech and the visuals must blend into one integrated presentation.
Any disjunction between the two or any sources of divergence (see above) will
split the performance into two distinct presentations, one visual, the other oral,
both of which will run in parallel, competing for attention instead of enhancing
each another.
3. Creating effective visuals
When preparing an oral presentation, the development of the structure, of the
arguments, and even of the full text will usually precede any consideration of
the accompanying visuals (provided that the use of visuals is deemed worth-
while). One easy way to start the creative process is to irst identify the parts of
the texts which can be enhanced with visuals, then sketch a simple storyboard
showing roughly which succession of visuals might best serve which sections
of the speech. It is important to determine which visuals would be static, and
which animated. If illustrations are considered, it is best to start collecting the
necessary material as soon as possible.
3.1 Choice of formats and tools
On the basis of the storyboard or any other rough sketch of which visuals are
being contemplated, a format and a platform will have to be selected. The
choice must take into account which technologies and skills are available. As
much as possible, technologies should be selected to best serve the project.
This might require the acquisition of new technologies and new skills, within
reason, obviously. If we limit ourselves to computer-generated visuals, there
are a number of options. Mind-maps are quite eficient at showing structures
that can be unfolded gradually, thus guiding the audience through a complex
description or argument. Yet, such visuals will be better received by those who
are used to mind-maps; others might ind them distracting or even confusing.
Another possibility lies in technologies creating sophisticated transitions that
are variations of zoom in or out and rotation to present a succession of visuals
that are all embedded in one large vectorized image. The likes of Prezi are
popular because they produce spectacular animations and intriguing effects
of embedding and tree structures. The use of such formats should be strictly
limited to visualizations where the representation as a uniied structure, within
which the audience will navigate as the argument unfolds, is meaningful. In
other words, if the result is just a succession of frames with dazzling transitions
combining rotations and strong zoom effects, the visuals will create a distrac-
tion (and possibly induce bouts of nausea). In some cases, the presentation
8. 232 François Heinderyckx
will just require an excerpt from audio-visual material. In that case, it is best
to have that extract ready as a stand-alone computer ile (to avoid having to
browse media to the right segment). If the extract is required alongside other
visual material, it is recommended to embed it in the main presentation so as
to avoid a discontinuity within the presentation (and the inevitable technical
glitches that come with switching from one to the other). Certain presentations
will require the use of a browser to navigate the web. This requires access to
the internet, which must be checked in advance. Should internet unexpectedly
not be available, it is best to prepare a few screen shots of the web sites that
were to be shown for minimum rendering.
3.2 The curse of the bulleted list
The most common technology used to prepare and show visuals during a pres-
entation is that of computer-generated slide shows. Generally referred to by
the genericised trademark “PowerPoint” or “PPT” (in reference to the soft-
ware that pioneered the genre and the sufix of the iles it produces), the slide
shows can be designed using a number of programmes (PowerPoint, OpenOf-
ice/LibreOfice Impress, Keynote, to name a few). The sophistication of these
programmes has evolved over time, but the possibilities they offer are still re-
markably limited. Because these programmes are relatively simple to use, they
are very popular as they allow very quick production of a set of simple visuals.
The widespread use of these programmes to create quick-and-dirty visuals has
fed a culture of poorly designed visuals.
Because these programmes emphasize ease of use, they strongly encour-
age users to work on the basis of pre-deined templates. Although these tem-
plates are convenient when they combine tasteful choices of fonts, colours,
and background, they force users into a very limited set of layouts that tend to
be accepted as the only possibilities. One of these layouts has become a signa-
ture feature of visuals developed using the programmes: the bulleted list. This
standard feature of the most popular slide show presentation programmes from
their earliest versions has imposed, as the default layout of slides, a centred
title followed by a list of words or short sentences each preceded by a bullet.
When required, the bulleted list can feature more than one level of bullets.
The title-and-bulleted-list format has become the unchallenged standard
format to present, visually, just about any kind of project, argument, or analy-
sis. The consequences of the bulleted-list conformism are daunting. The format
is so deeply ingrained that people don’t realize that not everything should be
reduced or bent into a bulleted list which will all too often distort the argument.
Bullet lists should, in principle, be used only to display enumerations, i.e. to
list items that constitute a series: variables, parameters, causes, steps, names,
9. Using visuals to enhance oral presentations in an academic context 233
companies, dates, etc. The bullet list is not suitable to summarize what would
be the successive paragraphs of the text of the talk or anything that would be
understood as an enumeration while it is not.
What is more, bulleted lists are a particularly poor form of visualization.
It often looks more like a set of poorly designed cheat sheets than like actual
visual aids. The cause of the persistent poor quality of most visuals lies in the
lack of skills. At best, users have followed training sessions or tutorials that,
unfortunately, tend to focus exclusively on how to use one particular software
package and all its fancy features, leaving aside even the most basic notions
of visualization, aesthetics, semiotics or sense-making. Education is techno-
logically centred, with a strong emphasis on software operation and features.
As a result, creating visual aids is seen as a process that starts from the tools,
from the programme that one uses and was trained for. Given that these tools
encourage a limited range of options within their default templates, the ten-
dency to use only these options is self-reinforced. Showing bulleted lists as
a backdrop of one’s oral presentation, though very ineficient —often even
counter-productive— has become standard. While preparing an oral presenta-
tion, people ask themselves “How can I make my talk into a PowerPoint?” i.e.
in most cases, obediently illing a template of bulleted lists. The creativity is so
constrained that it is dificult to produce anything but very common, unsophis-
ticated visuals that will rarely achieve the full potential of visual enhancement.
3.3 To design ad hoc visuals instead of illing up templates
The proper way to proceed is the exact opposite. Visuals should be what the
speaker wants them to be. Visuals must be conceived on the basis of what the
speaker would like to show at different points in the speech, not as a template
to be illed as best as possible. The tools must serve the presenter’s creativity,
not impede it. Choices should be made with one central aim in mind: visuals
should enhance the talk. Visuals must then be imagined with a very open mind,
not in terms of whatever the computer programme of choice does most easily,
but in terms of what the speaker wants to show the audience during the pres-
entation.
The question must be “How can visuals help me get my point across?”
and not “How can I make that into a PowerPoint?” The approach must be
“What do I want to show or display?” and “How can I best achieve that?”, not
“How can I ill that template?” and “What words can I put in that bullet-point
list?”. Each slide is a blank canvas where one must decide to set-up a layout
that best serves the message.
10. 234 François Heinderyckx
Only once the wanted visuals have been conceptualized should the speak-
er seek the most appropriate way to produce those visuals. If working with
standard presentation software, it is best to start from a blank presentation and
build up the desired visuals gradually, importing pictures, inserting text, draw-
ing shapes as required; not obediently illing a template as imposed. Software
should serve a speaker’s ambitions, not dictate the terms and appearance of a
template-constrained, inevitably dumbed-down presentation.
4. Guidelines for eficient visuals
Once the idea that visuals can be something other than a bulleted list is accept-
ed, the range of possibilities is only limited by creativity and imagination (and
a bit of astuteness as required). Every part of the talk that has been identiied as
requiring visual aids must be treated individually. We could call them scenes.
Each scene will require a speciic set of visuals. The set can be just one static
slide, or it can be a succession of steps within one slide, or it can be a succes-
sion of slides. It is important to dose the amount of visuals in connection with
the corresponding part of the talk so as to ensure that the two blend into an
integrated presentation.
The layout of each slide must be designed with a very open mind (“What
do I want to show on the screen?”), yet a few principles should be considered.
These principles relate to cognitive and technical considerations.
4.1 Cognitive considerations
Every oral presentation we witness must contribute to our understanding of
what works and what doesn’t. When it comes to visuals, what doesn’t work
is quite obvious, and yet all too common, even among experienced speakers.
Often, the speakers themselves come to realize their mistakes as they speak
and bluntly rub it in when apologizing for the fact that “you can’t read the small
text” or “you cannot clearly see this graph because the colours don’t show well.”
The audience has cognitive capacities that are known to the speaker be-
cause they are his or her own. With just a bit of experience, it is quite simple
to avoid exceeding the cognitive comfort zone of the audience. The number of
slides should be kept to a minimum, dazzling an audience with a quick succes-
sion of visuals will only create confusion. What is shown on each slide must
be comfortably legible, even if the screen is much smaller than expected; text
that is too small, colour combinations that are insuficiently contrasted must be
avoided. What is shown on each slide must be effortlessly understood; cryptic
messages or unnecessarily complex visuals should be avoided. Slides must not
11. Using visuals to enhance oral presentations in an academic context 235
be overloaded; if a lot of content must be itted, it is best to use a succession
of slides rather than try to squeeze it all on what becomes a microilm-type of
visual. Animations and fancy transitions must be used scarcely, only if they
add or enhance meaning; the line-by-line animations are often a nuisance—
with the “slide-in” variation being a climax in annoyance—, even to the speak-
er who might have to wait until all is in place on the slide before continuing,
not to mention fancy transitions that are essentially a source of distraction and
mockery. Visual noise and interference must be muted and eliminated; most
templates include logos and background images that simply parasite the vis-
uals in ways that impede their perception by the audience by reducing the
signal-to-noise ratio. Each visual can be completely different from the others,
yet some stylistic consistency should run across the whole presentation; every-
one should develop their own style, and that style should be at least vaguely
recognizable.
In keeping with the central aim to enhance the talk (not disturb it or com-
pete with it), visuals must favour meaning, clarity, and concision. Visuals all
too easily create stress and irritation in the audience, when they should be
soothing and enlightening. One slide should not illustrate more than one idea
or one group of ideas (there is no point in piling up ideas on a single slide sim-
ply because there is room left—unlike paper, there is no cost-per-slide when
projecting visuals). It is also good practice to display, as a last slide, a summary
of the main argument of the presentation. This is particularly important if the
presentation is followed by a discussion. A summary (and possibly contact
details of the speaker) will be much more appropriate than the “Thank you for
your attention!” or “Questions?” that usually, and seemingly by mere conform-
ism, conclude most presentations.
4.2 Technical considerations
No matter how sophisticated the technologies available to prepare visuals, their
limitations (and the limited skills of their users) must be taken into consider-
ation. The most common computer programmes used to prepare visual aids
are ever more sophisticated, yet they are surprisingly limited when it comes
to anything out-of-the-box, i.e. going beyond the classic ways imposed by the
templates (bulleted lists, etc.). Animations (i.e. useful, meaningful animations)
are surprisingly dificult to implement. Yet, with a bit of imagination and per-
severance, the existing features can be gamed and bent to produce the intended
effect. The result can be impressively eficient at enhancing the talk, but the
time required to develop such sophisticated visuals might be considerable, as
is the risk that the actual presentation might not deliver as expected if, for
example, the computer used in the conference room has a different version of
12. 236 François Heinderyckx
the software that doesn’t support some or all of the required features. As a fold
back solution, should there be a real issue with software compatibility, it is also
good practice to bring the visuals in the form of aPDF ile (all programmes
used to prepare the visuals offer the possibility to “export” or “save as” in
this universal format). Displaying the PDF (in full screen mode) will limit the
visuals to static slides, with no transitions or animations, but it will at least pro-
vide a robust set of slides that will bring a fair level of enhancement to the talk.
One key technical reality to take into consideration is related to display
technology. The screens that we use on our personal computers, laptops and
tablets rely on extremely effective technologies providing excellent comfort
and rendering of colours. The equipment used to display visuals in conference
rooms and lecture halls relies on very differing, and much less effective tech-
nologies. In particular, data projectors are very problematic. The image they
produce is projected on a white screen, so that even a very powerful projector
can only do so much. The main weakness of the projection technology is the
lack of contrast of the resulting image. It is very simple to understand why:
on a computer screen, dark or black portions of an image are produced by
blocking the light on the corresponding spots of the screen. Blacks are more
or less […] black. Data projectors, by comparison, can only reduce or block
any projection on the corresponding portions of the screen, but because that
screen is naturally white, blacks are actually non-illuminated whites. Current
technology cannot project blackness. To fully understand the difference, sim-
ply compare the appearance of a computer screen when it is turned off with
the appearance of a white screen in a conference room while the data projector
is turned off. This is as black as it will get. Taking this difference into account
is crucial when preparing visuals. They will never look like they look on the
computer used to prepare them. They will necessarily be lighter and, most
importantly less contrasted. As a result, when preparing visuals, it is essential
to ensure ample contrast (particularly between text and background) so that it
will still be contrasted enough when projected. One eficient method to ensure
contrast is to select colours for text and background that, deined using the
RGB scales (a value between 0 and 255 for red, green, and blue), differ as
much as possible, especially on the green and red attributes¹. Some combina-
tions must be avoided altogether because they create visual discomfort (orange
and blue, red and green, red and blue).
5. Sharing visuals
One of the most common questions at the end of a dense presentation is “Can
we have a copy of your slides?” and the speakers usually gladly comply. Yet,
in most cases, they should politely decline. The best visuals are designed to
13. Using visuals to enhance oral presentations in an academic context 237
illustrate and enhance the speech that they accompany. As such, they do not
constitute an autonomous narration but only visual cues that are part of a larger
narration that encompasses the words spoken, the non-verbal communication
of the speaker (intonations and body language) and the broader context of the
presentation. So if the visuals are circulated on their own, isolated from the
other constituents of the presentation, there is a signiicant risk that they will
be misunderstood, misinterpreted and that the speaker might be misquoted.
It doesn’t mean that visuals cannot be shared. They can if they are de-
signed (or reworked) so as to be an autonomous text, a self-supporting narra-
tion. A similar argument seems more obvious when it comes to movies: would
anyone share a movie without its soundtrack? No, unless it is a silent movie,
i.e. a movie designed to convey its meaning without a soundtrack. When it
comes to a speech, the best way to share material is to produce a document
integrating both the text of the speech and the visuals (inserted in the right
places). It does require some additional work, but if the text has already been
written up, just inserting the visuals will easily produce a very rich document
that will be highly appreciated by those who found the speech inspiring, and
even for those who missed it.
Note
1 The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has developed a method to evaluate contrast based
on RGB attributes and a combined calculation of colour brightness and colour difference (see:
http://www.w3.org/TR/AERT#color-contrast). A number of user-friendly tools can be found
online by searching “colour contrast calculator” on any search engine.
Biography
François Heinderyckx (PhD) is professor at Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) where he teach-
es media sociology and political communication. He is also a Chang Jiang Scholar Professor at
Communication University of China (CUC, 2014-2018). He is the past-president of the European
Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA, 2005-2012) and of the Interna-
tional Communication Association (ICA, 2013-2014). His research interests include journalism,
news media, media audiences, election campaigns, and media literacy.
Contact: francois.heinderyckx@ulb.ac.be