Making Effective Visual Aids

• Use visual aids (text, graphs, charts, tables, illustrations, etc.) to clarify your presentation, not as a basis for it.
• Keep visual aids uncluttered. Research shows that people cannot listen to a presentation and process visual aids that are too heavy with text or data.
  • a. use bulleted text
  • b. use simple layout/design
  • c. keep graphs, charts, and tables easy to “read” and interpret

• Use titles on each visual aid to guide the audience.
• Make sure that the font size is legible from all seats.
• Have paper copies of slides or transparencies to distribute in the event of a technical difficulty.
• Make sure that every slide or transparency can stand on its own (i.e., out of context with the other slides/transparencies and the presentation itself).