This document provides tips and tools for creating and using visuals effectively in presentations. It discusses finding and using existing visuals such as photos, graphics and videos. It also provides tips for creating visuals using tools like online chart builders and photo editors. Guidelines are given for designing visuals with considerations for layout, color, font and keeping the visuals simple and clear. The document also discusses using visuals appropriately for different audiences and topics. Overall presentation tips are provided such as including an agenda, title slide and contact information.

1. PRESENTATION VISUALS
Tips & tools for creating and using visuals effectively
Illinois Central College

2. Agenda
1. Using & Finding Visuals
2. Tips for Using Visuals
3. Tools for Creating Visuals
4. Tips for Creating Visuals
5. Presentation Tips
6. Presentation Tools

3. Visual Ideas
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Photos
Graphics
Animations
Infographics
Diagrams
Charts
 Audio
 Video

4. The supply-demand model is one of the
fundamental concepts of economics.
The price level of a good essentially is determined
by the point at which quantity supplied equals
quantity demand. This point is called equilibrium.
If the quantity supplied is greater than the quantity
demanded, then there is a surplus of goods. If the
quantity supplied is less than the quantity
demanded, the there is a shortage of goods.

6. FAIR USE
 principle based on belief that public is entitled use
portions of copyrighted materials for commentary,
criticism and parody

Tricky – lots of “gray” when it comes to what is fair use and
what is an infringement
 also allows special guidelines for use of copyrighted
material for educational purposes
The 4 factors considered are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
the purpose and character of your use
the nature of the copyrighted work
the amount and substantiality of the portion taken
**the effect of the use upon the potential market.

7. Creative Commons
 A structured system for creators to share
their works for free but still have some
protections.
 http://search.creativecommons.org/

8. Graphics & Photos
 Public domain icons and symbols


http://thenounproject.com/
http://www.iconarchive.com/
 Public domain photos
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
http://morguefile.com/
http://pixabay.com/
 Government websites often have photo
galleries of images that can be used

http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/graphics/photos/

9. Data Sources
 http://www.google.com/publicdata/directory
 http://getthedata.org/
 http://www.numberof.net/
 http://www.gallup.com/
 http://datamarket.com/
 http://www.pewinternet.org/
 http://data.worldbank.org/

10. Infographics
 Data visualizations that present complex
information quickly and clearly.
 Great way to present data during a
presentation
 Examples:
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

http://www.mint.com/blog/
trends/hamburger-10122010/
http://visual.ly/can-socialmedia-predict-electionoutcomes
http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/
2010/06/google-voice-for-everyone.html

11. 8 SOURCES FOR FINDING INFOGRAPHICS
1. http://visual.ly/
2. http://infographixdirectory.com/
3. http://www.mashable.com/follow/topics/mash
able-infographics/
4. http://www.infographicsarchive.com/
5. http://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/insights/libra
ry/infographics/
6. http://pewinternet.org/Data-Tools/Get-theLatest-Statistics/Infographics.aspx
7. http://www.educause.edu/library/infographics
8. http://igad.onlearning.us/

12. Online Multimedia Posters
 Search http://www.glogster.com/
 Examples:
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

http://www.glogster.com/macyaurora/to-kill-a-mockingbird/g6lgt3794q6inf6q7m0esma0
http://www.glogster.com/calistaw1195774/2012-presidentialelection/g-6l65mpk43dh7q7f3he8gca0
http://www.glogster.com/reready/indian-economy-andculture/g-6l68uts4ps5f9r1vq7anoa0

13. Glogster
 http://edu.glogster.com/
 Online multimedia poster


Insert text, photos, videos, graphics, sounds,
drawings, attach files
http://resources.edu.glogster.com/

14. Video
 Consider how relative it is (what purpose or
point does it make)
 Does it “steal the show”
 Youtube.com
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

http://www.splicd.com/ - show only a portion of a
video clip
Insert the clip directly onto your presentation slide
(must have internet connection)
Have a back-up:
 Any Video Converter (free version) –http://www.any-videoconverter.com/products/for_video_free/
capture a YouTube video, convert a video, edit a video

15. http://www.authorstream.com/desktop/

16. iSpring Free
Presentation Tools
 http://www.ispringsolutions.com/free_powerpoi
nt_to_flash_converter.html
 Easily Insert YouTube videos and Flash files
on the slide

17. Audio
 http://www.jamendo.com/en/ - audio files
that can be downloaded or embedded
 http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ - free
software for editing audio
 http://www.brainybetty.com/soundsforpo
werpoint.htm - more free audio and
sound effects

18. Tips for Using Visuals
 Visuals should supplement what you are
saying, not take over the presentation.


Keep audio and video short and to the point
Keep It Simple is always a good guideline
 Know your Audience
 Plan your visuals and practice with them
before the presentation.

Make sure they work
 Have a back-up plan

20. Because the tool can do it…
doesn’t mean you
should!!!

21. Tools for Creating Visuals
 www.gliffy.com –create online charts and diagrams,
save them as an image file
 http://pixlr.com/ - online photos editor
 http://www.dipity.com/ - create an interactive online
timeline
 http://charts.hohli.com/ - online chart builder
 http://www958.ibm.com/software/data/cognos/manyeyes/ - build
charts and visualizations
 http://quizlet.com/ - create a quiz for the audience

22. Tips for Creating Visuals
 Technical
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

Decide on the best tool to use
File format, presentation mode, export
option, back up?
Know the limitations
 Design

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Font, color, style, empty/white space,
legibility
quality

23. Photos & Graphics
 Choose photos and graphics that work
well for your audience.


Consider the quality
Don’t scale out of proportion.
 If you are going to use them.
USE THEM BIG!
 Respect copyright.

24. Professional
Web Designers
Conference 2012
Software Techniques Conference
A presentation design for professional web designers.
Is the crayon clip art appropriate?
Is it dated?
Does it reflect the audience?
Is it relevant to the topic being presented?

25. American Institute of
Graphic Artists
Software Techniques Conference
2012
A presentation design for
professional web designers.
Yes the kitties are cute. Are they
appropriate?
Is it dated?
Does it reflect the audience?
Is it relevant to the topic being
presented?

26. Presentation Tips
 Content comes first!
 Be Consistent





choose an overall template/ background
color scheme
choose 1 font for body
1 font for headers
If using outline form with numbers, letters,
etc…
 choose one format and stick with it
 Include title slide, agenda slide, and a
closing slide (good for your contact info.)

27. General Design Guidelines
 Keep it Simple and Clear – if it doesn’t
support the message you want to give –
you probably don’t need it.
 Consider Layout – balance text and visuals,
utilize “white space.”
 Grab Their Attention – be intentional about
placing visuals that create contrast or
emphasis.

28. Choosing a Template/ Background
 Background design should be subordinate
to your content
 Background should be appropriate for
your audience
 Use 1 background throughout the
presentation

29. Bad Example of a Background
• Too much Contrast
• Your content is limited to 1/3 or 2/3 of the
slide
• Poor quality
• Eye is drawn to the background, too busy

30. Using Color in a Presentation
 Dark backgrounds with light text are usually
easiest to read. (if presented on a large screen in a
dark room)
 Light backgrounds with dark text work well
for distributing on the computer/printing. Work
well if you are in a large auditorium that is bright
or the fluorescent lights will be on.
 Be wary of combinations like Red/Green
 Be wary of combinations that are too close –
white background/yellow text

31. How much can you cram into one slide?

32. Slide Formatting Tips
 Text Sizes:

Title/ Headings - 36pt to 44 pt

Content/ Bullets – 24 pt to 36 pt

No smaller than 18pt to 20pt
 Lines per slide:


6 x 6 Rule: no more than 6 lines about 6
words per line
PowerPoint: Home Ribbon > Line Spacing…

33. ALL UPPERCASE IS HARD TO READ
ALL HUMAN SITUATIONS HAVE THEIR
INCONVENIENCES. WE FEEL THOSE
OF THE PRESENT BUT NEITHER SEE
NOR FEEL THOSE OF THE FUTURE;
AND HENCE WE OFTEN MAKE
TROUBLESOME CHANGES WITHOUT
AMENDMENT, AND FREQUENTLY FOR
THE WORSE.
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

34. All Uppercase is Hard To Read
All human situations have their
All human situations have their
inconveniences. We feel those ofof the
inconveniences. We feel those the present
but neither see nor feel thosefeel those of
present but neither see nor of the future;
and hence we often make troublesome
the future; and hence we often make
changes without amendment, and frequently
troublesome changes without amendment,
for thefrequently for the worse.
and worse.
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin

35. Formatting Tips
 Font Choice is important.
This is a Script.
This is a Sans-serif.
This is a Serif.
This is a Decorative font.

36. Formatting Tips
• Use fonts sparingly – 1-2 per presentation
•Use Bold, Italic, etc… for contrast.
• Do Not use script or Decorative fonts for
large blocks of text.
• Sans-serif works well for presentations
• Serif works well for large bodies of text (printed
documents).

37. All human situations have their inconveniences. We feel
those of the present but neither see nor feel those of the
future; and hence we often make troublesome changes
without amendment, and frequently for the worse.
Benjamin Franklin
Sans-Serif
All human situations have their inconveniences. We feel those of the present but
neither see nor feel those of the future; and hence we often make troublesome changes
without amendment, and frequently for the worse.
Benjamin Franklin
Script
All human situations have their inconveniences. We feel those of the
present but neither see nor feel those of the future; and hence we
often make troublesome changes without amendment, and frequently
for the worse.
Benjamin franklin
Serif

38. Death by PowerPoint
http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/2010-02-22/
 Death by PowerPoint YouTube video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbSPPFYxx3o
 Life After PowerPoint YouTube video by Don McMillan
http://youtu.be/MjcO2ExtHso

39. Presentation Tools
 There are lots of them available online.
 Consider the technical aspects of them.




Some host a PowerPoint slide on the web.
Some allow you to build the entire
presentation on the web.
How will you present it?
Features needed? Does it need to support
audio and video?

40. Slideshare
 http://www.slideshare.net/
 Host PowerPoint presentations and documents
 Create narrated PowerPoint presentations

41. authorStream
http://www.authorstream.com/

42. sliderocket
 http://www.sliderocket.com/
 Free online presentation creation tool
 Works with Google Drive:
http://www.sliderocket.com/blog/2012/04/
google-drive-app/

43. Prezi U




http://edu.prezi.com/
Online presentation tool.
Create and host the presentation online.
Be careful of animation!

44. References
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Worcester Polytechnic Institute Best Practices for Presentation Design
http://www.wpi.edu/academics/ATC/Collaboratory/HowTo/PowerPoint/design.html
3 Steps to Choosing the Best Presentation Colors
http://www.presentationxpert.com/articles/3-steps-to-choosing-the-bestpresentation-colors
Choose the right colors for your PowerPoint Presentation
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/powerpoint-help/choose-the-right-colors-foryour-powerpoint-presentation-HA001012072.aspx
Tips for giving better presentations http://www.thinkoutsidetheslide.com/
Ellen Fikelstein PowerPoint Tips, Techniques and Tutorials
http://www.ellenfinkelstein.com/powerpoint_tips.html
Key Steps to an Effective Presentation
http://www.theegglestongroup.com/writing/keystep1.php
5 Rules for More Effective Presentations, Michael Hyatt http://michaelhyatt.com/5-rules-formore-effective-presentations.html
12 tips for creating better PowerPoint Presentations
http://www.microsoft.com/atwork/skills/presentations.aspx#fbid=UMGbQMh-GCK
Book: Beyond Bullet Points: Using Microsoft PowerPoint to Create Presentations That Inform,
Motivate, and Inspire by Cliff Atkinson http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0735620520

45. PRESENTATION VISUALS
Tips & tools for creating and using visuals effectively
Illinois Central College
Brandy Thatcher, Instructional Media Developer
Teaching & Learning Center
bhtatcher@icc.edu / @bthat (twitter)