COMM 100 Ch.13

Why are visual aids important?

can help increase clarity and retention, increases effectiveness in both the speaker and the presentation because people learn far more by hearing and seeing than through hearing or seeing alone

What are complementary colors?

colors opposite each other on the color wheel and used to create contrast

When should you use slide animations?

only when needed to reinforce a message

What can help tie your slides/handouts together?

repetition of color, font, images, and layout

How can you allow your audience time to read your slide during your presentation?

talk, advance to your next slide, wait for them to read the slide, and resume talking.

What are the best fonts to use in slide presentations?

the serif fonts Times New Roman, Georgia, and Palatino, and the sansserif fonts Ariel, Helvetica, Tahoma, and Veranda because they work well with the limitations of computer screens and are legible from a distance if sized appropriately.

What is the point of visual aids?

to enhance your message, clarify the meaning of your words, target the emotions of your audience, and/or show what words fail to clearly describe.

What is a slide deck?

A term that refers to all the slides in a slideware presentation. It is a more generic term for PowerPoint slides.

How should you implement quotes into your slide presentation?

Stop and read it out loud or allow time for it to be read silently. If the quote is important enough for you to include it in the talk, the quote deserves the audience's time to read and think about it. Alternately, use a photo of the speaker or of the subject with a phrase from the quote you will be reading them, making the slide enhance the point of the quote.

What is a color palette?

The selection of colors that are used throughout a single project.

Explain the different purposes and content of handouts as compared to slide shows.

While slides present the more simple relevant visuals to go with your speech, handouts allow you to explain the visuals/topic further for more understanding.

How can you make sure your slides are nice and simple?

1) Include only one concept or idea per slide. If you need more than one slide, use it, but don't cram more than one idea on a slide. 2) Use only the number of slides necessary to communicate your message, and make sure the number of slides corresponds to the amount of time allotted for your speech. 3) Eliminate any unnecessary information not contributing the particular slide's focus 4) Don't abbreviate your message, try to turn concepts into images instead 5) Reserve bulleted lists for specifications or explaining the order of processes. In all other cases, look for ways to use images, a short phrase, or even no visual at all.

How can you create visual cues for your viewers?

1) Mess around with the placement of objects in your slide so that your point is front and center along with other elements 2) Make your text animation move 3) Use an arrow

What are the two types of slideware?

1) Pecha Kucha - A presentation format that uses exactly 20 slides, and each slide is only viewed for 20 seconds. This format focuses on timing, brevity, and practice. 2) Prezi - a digital presentation software that breaks away from the standard slide deck presentation. It requires users to plot out their themes before adding primarily image-focused content. Instead of flipping through the slide deck, the presenter zooms in and out of the presentation to visually demonstrate connections not available in other slideware.This helps to keep the viewer engaged but also lends itself to over-populating the blank canvas with images. Prezi's fast moving images and, at times, unusual movement can make users dizzy or disoriented. Careful work is needed during planning and practice so that the point of the talk isn't the wow factor of the Prezi software, but that your visuals enhance your presentation.

Other than slides and handouts, list the types of visual aids that can be used in a presentation and give an example of each.

1) Personal Appearance - A speaker may choose to wear a handmade sweater in a talk about knitting in order to inspire others to begin the hobby, appearance must pertain to the topic/setting for speech 2) Objects and Props - A bicycle helmet for a speech on bike safety or a sample of a product you are trying to sell. To make the most effective use of props in your presentation, carefully consider how the object will be visible to your entire audience when you are speaking about it, and make sure it is out of sight when you are not. 3) Demonstration - Showing off the features of a product or showing how to do something. Should not attract publicity or be the main point, but rather add value to what you're trying to say. Be prepared for the demonstration to fail and have a back-up plan in place. It is better to move forward with your presentation than to fret with trying to get your demonstration perfect or fixed. However, if you are providing a demonstration of your new product, make sure it is as error free as possible. If you can't be positive the product will perform as expected, it is better to skip the demonstration. 4) Posters - Poster on water cycle. Should not be handwritten. More suited for speeches with small audiences, should help support your core message and can be left behind to remind those in attendance of your presentation after you have left. 5) White boards and flip charts - Explaining math problem, just as they sound, can be used to write or draw on during the presentation. Also more suited for smaller audiences. Writing during your presentation takes away from speaking time, so make sure to factor this into your speaking time. Make sure your writing is legible and that you don't turn away from the audience much, as it will make it harder for them to hear you. 6) Audio and video - shows a short clip related to topic like a quote, make sure to cue the clip to start at exactly where you want it to begin playing and that your file format can be played on the computer you are using. Once more, be sure to test playability and audio volume before your presentation. If you encounter technical failures, move on rather than attempt to correct the issue.

What are the main types of charts/graphs used in slide presentations?

1) Pie Charts - show how the parts relate to the whole 2) Line Graphs - show trends over time or how data relates or interacts. 3) Bar Charts - good for showing comparisons of size or magnitude and for showing precise comparisons

All of your images in the slide should be professional meaning that they shouldn't be:

1) Pixelated, which is caused when the resolution of your image is too low for your output device 2) Watermarked, which is text or a logo that is placed in a digital image to prevent people from re-using it unless they pay for the image 3) The same picture over and over again, as it can be distracting and doesn't add much to the presentation

Other than photographs, what are the other kinds of images that can be put in a slide presentation?

1) Silhouettes - simplified images of a people or objects created from the outline of the image and filled in with a solid color, usually black 2) Line Art - Simplified drawings made only of solid lines without color or shading. They are useful for showing the basic shape and construction of complicated objects. 3) Diagrams - Graphs, statistics, etc... 4) Enlargements - an overly sized image to highlight the important aspects of the picture 5) Exploded Views - pictures or diagrams where objects appear disassembled so the viewer can see the component parts in proper relationship to each other. They are used to show how things fit together and how parts interact to make a whole.

Where can you find copy-right free images for slide presentations?

1) The Creative Commons database, because its license allows others to use their work, but with specific restrictions. What is and isn't allowed is described in the license for each image. 2) U.S. government or agency images, because they are copyright free and can be used at no cost.

List and explain two considerations when using color in your slides.

1) Use contrasting colors so they can be easily distinguished from each other and allow for improved visibility 2) Use the color theory and online sources to make sure your colors are distinguishable for everyone, as some of your audience may be color blind.

What are the rules for using fonts in slide presentations?

1) Use serif or sans serifs fonts 2) If you must use more than one font, have one be in serif and the other be in sans serif 3) Use an appropriate font size for everyone in your audience to be able to read 4) Don't use decorative, script, or visually complex fonts. 5) Use the same font(s) and size(s) consistently throughout your presentation. 6) Don't use all upper case or all bold. 7) Avoid small caps and all word art, shadows, outlines, stretching text, and other visual effects unless necessary to highlight a point 8) Use italics and underlines only for their intended purposes, not for design.

What are the rules of using charts and graphs in slide presentations?

1) Use the appropriate type of graph/chart for your numerical data 2) Minimize the amount of information and focus instead on the simple and clear conclusion, because you can include the complete data set in your handout if you feel it is necessary 3) Use easily distinguishable colors with clear labels and be consistent with your colors and data groupings 4) Avoid using 3-D graphs and charts, and remove as much background noise (lines, shading, etc.) as possible 5) All components of your graph must be distinct from any background color

When should visual aids be used in a presentation?

1) speeches about processes, products, or demonstrations of how to do something 2) when you need to explain things you cannot see because they are hidden or abstract, like a model of your internal organs in a speech about gastric bypass surgery 3) Use them when you need to grab your audience's attention or stir their emotions. 4) When talking about numbers or statistics, use visuals to provide context, comparison, and to help your audience understand the meaning of data.

What is the rule of thirds?

A layout design grid that divides a page into nine equal squares. Placing or aligning content along the grid lines creates a more powerful image.

What is greyscale?

An image that has all the color information removed and replaced with appropriate shades of grey. These images are sometimes referred to as black-and-white.

What are the ways that visual aids can benefit a presentation? Harm a presentation?

Benefits: spark interest, build emotional connections, clarify your words, explain abstract ideas, help draw conclusions, or increase understanding. Harm: distracts from point, makes the presentation unnecessarily long

What are analogous colors?

Colors found side by side on the color wheel

Describe the benefits of white space in design.

Empty space in your design that helps direct the viewers' attention to the parts of the slide that really matter. Use of white space can help reduce clutter on your slide and makes slide look more elegant and professional

What are serif fonts?

Have "feet" extensions on feet and bottom, mostly used for body text. -includes "times" and "Garamond".

How can you test font size visibility?

Measure your monitor diagonally in inches, display your slides, then step back the same number of feet as you measured on your monitor in inches. If you have a 17 inch screen, step back 17 feet to see what is legible.

Do you have to cite props used as visual aid?

Only if you borrowed them from someone or an organization

Discuss the pros and cons of having a large amount of text on a slide.

Pros: Allows the audience to correlate the points of the slide further Cons: Audience will try to read the slide and won't listen to you (or vice-versa and the slide will be of no contribution), and the audience won't find the main message

What kind of backgrounds should you stick to with powerpoints?

Simple white or colored, try not to use distracting images as your background unless it's really necessary. If you choose to use a colored background, stick to black or non-bright colors and make sure that all slides use the same color background.

What is the Z pattern?

The natural tendency of people from English-speaking countries, among others, to view images in the same way that they read text, that is, left to right, top to bottom. This results in the eye tracking along a Z-shaped path through the image.

What is slideware?

The software used to display digital slide shows.

What are sans serif fonts?

They don't have that extra stroke-- hence the name which is french for without serif

When should handouts be passed out during a presentation?

Unless having the documents in front of your audience is absolutely critical to the success of the presentation, handouts should be distributed at the end of the presentation.

How should you highlight the message of your slides?

Use contrast to highlight your message. Contrast should not be subtle. Make type sizes, fonts, or colors significantly different.

How should you cite images used in slide presentations?

at the end of the slide show