There is no presentation without visuals. Visuals help to deliver messages. Here I share with you few elements to strengthen your presentations by making a wise use of visuals. The slides are part of a course on Public Speaking, I just addedd few notes to help you to follow the thread and make sense of the whole slideshare. Glad for a feedback.

1. Adding visuals
make strong presentations

2. 3 PILLARS
WILL HELP YOU TO STRENGTHEN YOUR VISUALS
Clear structure
Less is more (keep it simple)
Wise use of images & objects

3. Without a well‐built skeleton
wven strong bodies,
with strong muscles,
do not move.
Your presentation will have a
clear and organic structure.
Make this structure clear to
the audience.

4. Our brain has load limitations
Per slide:
1 concept
4−5 items max load

5. Traditional slides, with text and
graphs, have proved to be less
effective than slides with sparse
text and more visuals.
Ultimately, you want to help your
audience to understand and
remember you and your
presentation.

9. Studies prove that audience retains
better the last format than the first.

10. My next slide is much too crowded

11. Elaborate a Narrative
•Chronological. Themes are arranged in time
sequence (history of a procedure).
•Spatial. Themes are arranged as they relate each
other (big picture and then detail).
•Cause and effect. Themes flow from a problem
(environmental issue and impact).
•Topical. Themes arranged in order of importance
(outlining priorities for nature conservation).
a Combination is possible.
Telling storiesstories is very effective
Jacopo Pasotti – ETH 2009

12. The next slide is an improvement

13. Elaborate a Narrative
Chronological
history of a procedure
Spatial
big picture and then detail
Cause and effect
environmental issue and impact
Topical
outlining priorities for
nature conservation

14. Wise use of images and objects
Promptness
Proportion
Proximity
Promotion
Consider avoiding bulletpoints

15. Wise use of images and objects
Promptness
The next slide shows you a way to
deliver messages in a short, clear,
effective way. A prompt message.

17. The next slide has an image (small)
and (much too much) text

18. Cretaceous-Tertiary Extinction
• Another mass extinction
happened 65 million years
ago
• Marked the end of the
Mesozoic Era and the
beginning of the Cenozoic
Era
• All of the dinosaurs and
half of the other animals &
plants went extinct
• Scientists think an asteroid
hit Earth, the dust clouds
blocked out the sun, plants
died, then herbivores, then
carnivores.

19. The next slide is a quick improvement

20. Cretaceous-Tertiary Extinction
65millions years ago
All dinosaurs and half of other animals
& plants went extinct

21. Wise use of images and objects
Promptness
Proportion

22. In my previous “Narrative” slide, I
respected some proportions that
respects prime elements in the
composition (the text and… a piano)

23. Elaborate a Narrative
Chronological
history of a procedure
Spatial
big picture and then detail
Cause and effect
environmental issue and impact
Topical
outlining priorities for
nature conservation

24. Wise use of images and objects
Promptness
Proportion
Proximity

25. Proximity means that our eyes build
relations among object (also) based on
their proximity.

26. The art and craft of
Science Communication
Guidelines to communicate
your science
by
Jacopo Pasotti
Promedia Agency
www.jacopopasotti.com

27. There are two elements, in this slide,
which are related to my address and
reference. I will place them closer to
each other and with more distance from
the title and the figure, which is tied to
the title.

28. The art and craft of
Science Communication
Guidelines to communicate
your science
Jacopo Pasotti
www.jacopopasotti.com

29. Wise use of images and objects
Promptness
Proportion
Proximity
Promotion

30. I can use a mummy’s eye to promote a
message

31. Find
Suitable
Audiences

32. Find
Suitable
Audiences

33. I want to show a trend, and a starting
and ending point. I can spare my
audience with all data in between.

34. Achieving Serious Impact
Southern Africa
Number of farmers benefiting from agroforestry
30,000
5 10 200 1,000 3,500
80,000
110,000
180,000
400,000
0
100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008

35. Achieving Serious Impact
1988 1998 2008
400000
0
5
400000
Number of farmers in agroforestry

36. Colors help a lot to emphasize
information. Colors must be used
wisely.
The next slide is confusing.

37. All material from Ed@clearpreso

38. The next slide is better.

39. All material from Ed@clearpreso

40. Wise use of images and objects
Promptness
Proportion
Proximity
Promotion
Consider avoiding bulletpoints

41. •Bullet points
•Are
•Overused
•and abused
•Overwhelmingly filling up our
slideshows
•Up to the point we are
•obviously getting sick
•Of them
•But still have them covering
our slides
•As a sort of
•violent
•And
•contagious
•Bullet points
•Epidemic
Are you absolutely sure you need them in your next slide?

42. Hope this helps.
Jacopo Pasotti
Science Communication Trainer
www.jacopopasotti.com
@medjaco