Creating Effective Visual Aids for Public Speaking
Experienced public speakers know that planning a presentation can be a time-consuming endeavor. Researching your topic, condensing what you have learned into two or three key points, and coming up with examples that illustrate your topic’s relevance is an ambitious undertaking. However, it is important to consider how to structure your presentation to best capture the attention of your audience. Using visual aids is a great way to add interest to any public speaking activity.
Types of Visual Aids
There are many different types of visual aids you can use to enhance your presentation. Do not be afraid to use your creativity to come up with the best visual aid for your presentation. However, it is important to select visual aids that add to the message of your presentation. If you create a stunning visual aid with no visible connection to your topic, it will only detract from your overall message.
Many public speaking events involve presenting numerical data to the audience. If your speech includes many statistics, graphs can make these numbers easier to comprehend. Pie charts compare different parts of the same whole and are an effective way to display percentages. Line graphs comparing two variables are an excellent way to allow audience members to make predictions about the future of each variable. Bar graphs can be used to show trends in data. Scatter plots show the correlation between two variables.
If you are planning a presentation that includes no numerical data, it can be more difficult to determine which visual aids will capture your audience’s attention. If your presentation involves the description of a place or person, a photo of your subject makes an effective visual aid. You may also want to consider adding a memorable quote from your introduction or an unusual fact to your visual aid.
While posters, slides, flip charts, and overhead transparencies are the most popular types of visual aids for public speaking, props are an innovative way to capture your audience’s attention. If you are using Aesop’s fable of the tortoise and the hare to illustrate the power of perseverance, you can use small stuffed animals to add interest and humor to your presentation.
If your speech involves several different types of information, it may be appropriate to have different types of visual aids. However, it is a good idea to keep your number of visual aids to a minimum. You do not want to spend your entire presentation flipping through posters or slides. The purpose of visual aids is to simply reinforce the message of your presentation.
Creating Visual Aids
Computers make it easy to create visual aids for public speaking. Desktop publishing programs such as Microsoft Word and Adobe PageMaker make it easy to produce professional looking posters, transparencies, and handouts. If you are creating a slideshow, Microsoft PowerPoint includes templates to help you design your visual aids. If you are searching for graphics, the Internet is full of websites with royalty-free photos and clip art that are suited to nearly every topic.
When it comes to creating visual aids, it is a good idea to use a simple design. Do not try to overload your visual aids with unnecessary information; your slides or posters should have plenty of white space. Only use photos or clip art that have a meaningful connection to your topic. Make sure your visual aids are large enough to be seen by every member of the audience, even those in the back of the room.
Text is often the predominant element in visual aids for public speaking, so readability should be your primary concern as you are creating your posters or slides. Type your text in Arial, Times New Roman, or another easy-to-read font choice. Use boldfaced type to indicate headings and italics to emphasize important words. Bullets can be used to separate items in a list.
Colors have subliminal meanings, so you will want to use caution when choosing which colors to include in your visual aids. For example, red is often used in the corporate world to indicate a loss of money. This makes red an inappropriate choice for a presentation about your company’s glowing financial future. However, the color green inspires action and would be an excellent choice for a visual aid discussing the benefits of organizational change.
Using Statistics Successfully
Inexperienced speakers often believe that filling their presentations full of numbers will increase their credibility. However, this tactic often has the opposite effect. Many people find numbers difficult to interpret and will start to lose focus when a presentation is packed with statistical data.
Successful speakers use numbers sparingly in their presentations. Even if you have compiled a long list of statistics, you do not need to include all of this research into your presentation. For example, dates are unnecessary unless the date indicates one of your presentation’s key points. It is also a good idea to avoid including numbers that duplicate information. If you are telling the audience that your company increased earnings by 75 percent last year, you do not need to mention that last year’s earnings were $2,689,456,888.
Since it is often necessary to include numbers in your presentation, it is a good idea to learn how to effectively use statistics to support your conclusions. Any statistic that you choose to use in your presentation should support your goal of conveying useful and accurate information. For example, if you are discussing the need for increased physical education in your local public school’s curriculum, it is not helpful to say that children in the United States see over 200,000 commercials by the time they reach the age of 18. In any public speaking activity, your responsibility is to be clear, relevant, and meaningful.
Successful presentations use numbers ethically. Contrary to popular belief, statistics are not black and white. For example, whenever unemployment statistics are released, you can expect to hear opposing political parties give completely opposite interpretations of the same data. When negotiating salaries with workers, employers may use average industry salaries that are skewed by the earnings of top executives instead of median salaries that reflect the true earning potential of the average employee. When you are using statistics in your presentations, do not use them as a way to obscure the truth.
Successful presentations choose accurate data from unbiased and reliable sources. A study examining whether or not over-consumption of junk food leads to obesity is not reliable if a manufacturer of sugary snacks and treats conducted the study. Statistics from the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, or the American Medical Association would be much more reliable choices for this type of presentation. Since research in many fields changes on a regular basis, it is also a good idea to use the most current statistics you can find to support your conclusions. If you are not certain a statistic is accurate, verify the information before using it in your presentation.
Successful presentations use numbers in a clear and easy-to-understand manner. Instead of saying that employee retention rates increased by 46 percent from 2000-2005, they say that retention rates rose by approximately 50 percent in a five year time period. Instead of saying that the company earned a $1,001,789 profit from the sale of Product X, they tell the audience that last year’s profit for Product X was over $1,000,000. Simplifying your data in this manner makes it easier for your audience to comprehend your message without sacrificing overall accuracy.
Successful presentations use numbers clearly. A person with extensive public speaking experience knows that audiences need assistance comprehending the meaning of statistical data. They use theme and repetition to draw attention to numbers that are key components of the presentation. For example, while giving a presentation celebrating the 25th anniversary of a local charitable organization, they frequently emphasize this number with phrases such as “Our group started with fewer than 25 volunteers” or “We’ve seen many changes in the last 25 years.”
Successful presentations use statistics in a visually appealing way. The average adult finds it difficult to remember numbers that are part of a verbal presentation. Visual aids for public speaking are crucial if you plan to include statistical data in your presentation. Pie charts, bar graphs, line graphs, and scatter plots can help your audience comprehend the key concepts of your speech. These types of visual aids can be quickly created with Microsoft Word or PowerPoint software. Color and attractive font choices can be used to add additional impact to your message.