1. Essentials of Public Speaking
Preparing
Effective
Visual Aids
Chapter 10
Essentials of Public Speaking
Cheryl Hamilton
5th Edition
Cheryl Hamilton, Ph.D.
Chapter 10– Preparing Effective Visual Aids

2. Chapter 10– Preparing Effective Visual Aids
Key Ideas
The benefits of visual aids
Types of visual aids
General visual aid design principles
Designing computer-generated slides
Designing text and graphic visuals
Customizing computer slides
Chapter 10– Preparing Effective Visual Aids

3. Chapter 10– Preparing Effective Visual Aids
Flashback . . .
Aristotle knew that audiences paid more attention to and were more persuaded by visual images. In his Rhetoric, he says:
“Words and graphic metaphors should “set the scene before our eyes.” He defines graphic as “making your hearers see things.”
(W. Rhys Roberts, trans., in The Works of Aristotle, Vol. II [London: Oxford University Press, 1971], pp. 663, 664)
Chapter 10– Preparing Effective Visual Aids

4. Benefits of Visual Aids
Speed comprehension & add interest
Improve audience memory and recall
Pictures or images produce better recall
Color pictures produce the best recall
70%
72%
85%
Recall After 3 hours
Verbal
only
Visual
and
10%
20%
65%
Recall After 3 days
Chapter 10– Preparing Effective Visual Aids

5. Benefits of Visual Aids
Decrease presentation time
Meetings take less time when visuals are used
University of Minnesota and 3M study found visuals reduce average business meeting by 28%
Improve speaker credibility
Chapter 10– Preparing Effective Visual Aids

6. Chapter 10– Preparing Effective Visual Aids
Types of Visual Aids
Objects, Models and Handouts
Flip Charts and Posters
Marker boards and Chalkboards
Audiovisual aids
Computer-Generates Slides
Text slides
Graphic slides
Graphs
Chapter 10– Preparing Effective Visual Aids

7. Chapter 10– Preparing Effective Visual Aids
Planning Visuals
Begin with audience in mind
Design the visual from the perceptive of the audience
Well designed visuals create audience interest and involvement
Use both text and graphic visuals
Consider the benefits of color
Color visuals are more persuasive
Color advertisements are more persuasive
Colors add spatial dimensions
Colors produce emotional response
Chapter 10– Preparing Effective Visual Aids

8. Planning Visuals Length of speech + 1 = maximum # of visuals 2
Determine the number of visuals
Length of speech + 1 = maximum # of visuals 2
Example:
10 minute speech =
maximum of 6 visuals
Chapter 10– Preparing Effective Visual Aids

9. Chapter 11– Preparing Effective Visual Aids
Planning Visuals
Avoid PowerPoint Poisoning
Too many PowerPoint slides
Too many bullets
Confusing slides
Chapter 11– Preparing Effective Visual Aids

10. Basic Design Principles
Contrast – avoid similar elements
Repetition – repeat visual elements of the design
Alignment – elements are visually connected
Proximity – group related elements close together
Chapter 10– Preparing Effective Visual Aids

11. Choosing a Day Care Location Outside appearance Interior
Not enough contrast
Bullets too light
Type sizes similar
Not enough repetition
Title need to be repeated
Bullets need to be filled in
Alignment – title and underline
need connection
Proximity is weak
Equal space between title
and main points
Bulleted points too far
apart
Location
Outside appearance
Interior
Directors and teachers
Chapter 10– Preparing Effective Visual Aids

12. Chapter 10– Preparing Effective Visual Aids
Choosing a Day Care
Why is this
visual more
powerful?
(What else is needed?)
Location
Outside Appearance
Interior
Directors and Teachers
Chapter 10– Preparing Effective Visual Aids

13. General Design Principles
(817)
Used Cars
Connor Blake
6195 Del Ln.
Mansfield, Tx.
How could design principles
help this business card?
Chapter 10– Preparing Effective Visual Aids

14. General Design Principles
Connor Blake
Used Cars
6195 Del Lane
Mansfield, Texas
(817)
Redesigned business card
Chapter 10– Preparing Effective Visual Aids

15. Chapter 10– Preparing Effective Visual Aids
Designing Visuals
Tip #1: Use the Font Size
Title
Subtitle
Text
Posters, flipcharts, Chalkboards,
Markerboards
3 in. high
2-2½ in. high
1½ in. high
Computer –Generated
Slides
30-36 pt
24 pt
18 pt (24 if no subtitle)
Chapter 10– Preparing Effective Visual Aids

16. Selecting and Designing Visuals
Tip #2: Use typefaces with care
San serif–great for titles
and subtitles.
Serif–readable when
small.
Typefaces project a
tone or image.
Official
Times Roman
Sophisticated
Garamond
Playful
Bodoni Black
Trendy
Bodoni
Professional
Arial
Friendly
Century
Young
Verdana
Urban
Tahoma
Chapter 10– Preparing Effective Visual Aids

17. Tip#3: Design Tips for Text Slides
YOU SHOULD USE ONLY FOUR TO SIX LINES OF TYPE PER VISUAL.
BE SURE TO LIMIT EACH LINE TO NOT MORE THAN FORTY CHARACTERS.
IT IS BEST TO USE PHRASES RATHER THAN SENTENCES.
USING A SIMPLE TYPEFACE IS EASIER TO READ AND DOES NOT
DETRACT FROM YOUR PRESENTATION.
IF YOU ALLOW THE SAME AMOUNT OF SPACE AT THE TOP OF EACH
VISUAL, YOU MAKE IT EASIER FOR YOUR LISTENERS TO FOLLOW YOU.
YOU CAN EMPHASIZE YOUR MAIN POINTS WITH COLOR AND
LARGE TYPE.
IF YOU USE UPPER- AND LOWER CASE TYPE, IT IS EASIER TO READ
(How many rule violations can you find?)
Chapter 10– Preparing Effective Visual Aids

18. Tip#3: Design Tips for Text Slides
4 to 6 lines of text
40 characters wide
Phrases not sentences
Same space at the top and bottom of visuals
Simple typeface
Use photos/clip art, larger type and color for emphasis
Upper/lowercase type
Chapter 10– Preparing Effective Visual Aids

19. Tip #4: Design Tips for Graphic Slides
Limit data to what is absolutely necessary
Keep background lines and data points to a minimum
Not This
This
Sales plummeted in 2005 2 4 6 8 1
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
Sales
Earnings
Dividends
(In thousands)
‘04
‘03
‘05
‘06
‘07
‘08
2008
Chapter 10– Preparing Effective Visual Aids

20. Tip #4: Group Data When Possible
Energy Costs
Other Expenses
$ 1.2 million
Energy costs
$ 3.6 Million
Not This
Profits
Energy Costs
This
Profits
Raw materials
Energy costs
$ 3.6 Million
Consulting
Advertising
Debt interest
Administrative
Salaries
Chapter 10– Preparing Effective Visual Aids

21. Tip #4: Make bars Wider than Spaces Between
This
Not This
Surfsailors Beat Competition
in 2005
Surfsailors
Boardbees
Sandbaggers
Sunscouts
Chapter 10– Preparing Effective Visual Aids

22. Tip #5: Use Color with Extra Care
Use the same color scheme for all visuals in speech
Know the difference between hue and saturation
Hue is an actual color
Saturation is the amount of color for a selected hue
Use different hues for unrelated items and a single hue for related items
Chapter 10– Preparing Effective Visual Aids

23. Tip #5: Use Color with Extra Care
Use fully saturated hues for graphs and charts
Use low saturated hues for backgrounds and texts
Contrast text and figures with background
Chapter 10– Preparing Effective Visual Aids

24. Tip #5: Use Color with Extra Care
Avoid using colors that look the same at a distance
Limit the number of colors you use
Avoid using opposites on the color wheel next to each other
Project slides to ensure effective color choices
Twelve-Hue Color Wheel
Chapter 10– Preparing Effective Visual Aids

25. Using powerpoint to customize visuals
Type speech outline into Speech Template or design template
Turn off rulers and guides
Turn off snap to grid feature
Download PowerPoint Speaker’s Guide
Use a design template or customize text, bullets, clip art, color, sound and movement
Save presentation to CD or thumb drive and test
Chapter 10 – Preparing Effective Visual Aids

26. Essentials of Public Speaking
Preparing
Effective
Visual Aids
Chapter 10
Essentials of Public Speaking
Cheryl Hamilton
5th Edition
Cheryl Hamilton, Ph.D.
Chapter 10 – Preparing Effective Visual Aids