Visual Presentations Humans Are Very Visual Creatures,

Visual Presentations

Humans are very visual creatures, and most of us have learned to comprehend a picture or graphic faster than words or mathematical symbols. Of course, different topics have different needs, but if we consider looking at a spreadsheet with hundreds of cells of data vs. A stacked graph, it is easy to see how visual presentations benefit both the presenter (in terms of time) and the audience (in terms of understanding) (NAPSI, 2011). This is evident too, when using a picture to describe an event or object or a pie chart instead of a long statistical explanation. Designing an effective presentation, however, is the same whether visual or aural -- establish the objectives, plan the material, and then organize and present using appropriate levels of visual aids (Designing the Presentation, 1996).

Using visual aids in the presentation make the presentation come alive. They help the audience understand your objectives by clearly communicating data, and by emphasizing whatever is being said. The clearer the graph or visual, the more the message is communicated and excitement built. Visual presentations require the audience to move from hearing to seeing, which encourages attention, and allows for greater explanations from the presenter. They add impact and interest to the presentation, and appeal to more than one sense at a time, so the audience is involved in the process. Research, in fact, shows that information is retained far more and longer when both hearing and seeing than in another other format. These same studies show that about 83% of human learning occurs visually, making it essential to use graphics in presentations of all types (Pettersson, 1993).

Keys to the Effective Presentation- Any type of illustration, graph, or picture can be used in business writing, but to be most effective, the following general guidelines are often useful:

Design and Layout -- The operative rule is CCC -- clear, crisp, concise. In business writing or presentations (e.g. PowerPoint), the information must be readily available.

Templates -- Templates are useful when designing a spreadsheet or graphic presentation, but should follow the thesis of the information.

Fonts -- 12 point Times Roman or Arial are the accepted standards. While it is tempting to use many different fonts, it is more confusing to the reader. Use of bold, underline, or italics for emphasis is acceptable, as long as not overused.

Colors -- Black with the occasional red for emphasis in text, primary colors for graphs -- again, just because it can be done, does not mean it should be done -- the key is to develop the presentation so it reads well.

Graphics -- Graphs and tables are quite appropriate in business writing and often communicate information easier. Be wary of their overuse -- use when needed, again, not "just because." If a point needs visual emphasis, that is the time for a graph. If information needs to be easily compared, that's the time for a table or chart.