Developing and Using Audio-visual Support.
· Guidelines when designing visual aids
- Unity – Use only one idea for each visual aid and include a headline.
- Simplicity – Make ideas and relationships simple and memorable and avoid cluttering a visual with too many words, numbers, or graphics. The audience should be able to grasp the concept in 10 to 15 seconds.
- Legibility – Make letters big and readable for all in the audience.
- Consistency – Use the same type style and art style.
- Clarity – Avoid type that is too small to read; avoid all caps.
- Quality – Make it neat and professional, and remember to proofread.
· Using Colors
- Be aware that various types of equipment interpret colors and show them differently.
- The primary concern in color usage is visibility.
- Use sufficient contrast between foreground and background items.
- If you use a dark background, use very light colors for lines and text.
- If you use light background, use very dark colors for lines and text.
- Color is excellent to explain or emphasize a single point.
- Keep colors to 3 or 4 per visual or per presentation.
- Do not use the following combinations of colors:
o Red and green
o Red and orange
o Green and yellow
- Do not change colors with each slide – consistency is the key.
- Highlight the information you want to feature and lowlight the secondary elements.
- Use a build series to reveal new material as you talk about it. Each new line added appears in a highlighted color while the previous line drops to a darker or subdued color.
· Formatting Text
- Keep the content of the VA’s to a minimum using as few words and lines as possible without degrading the intent of the words.
- One main point per slide
- No more than five words per line
- No more than five lines total per visual aid.
- Avoid using punctuations.
- Ideas should be grouped and arranged visually.
- The overall formatting of text should reveal the organization and emphasis.
- Bullets should have only the first word and proper names capitalized. All other words should be lowercase.
- Type should be readable and easily comprehended.
- It is recommended that you use Sans serif or Ariel fonts.
- Use script or fancy type fonts only for special design.
- Avoid cartoonish fonts
- Use no more than 2 or 3 different fonts in a presentation.
- Text should be large enough to read without effort
- Titles should be 36-48 points.
- Text should be 24-36 points.
- The most important text should be placed at the top and in the brightest color.
- Use uppercase and lowercase letter.
- Proofread your visuals and then gave someone else proofread them for you.
· Charts and Graphs
- Data elements should be the thickest and the brightest colors.
- Place legends on the bars, lines or wedges of a pie rather than having an actual legends to allow for faster comprehension since the eyes don’t have to bounce back and forth from the legend to the data element.
- Use solid colored lines, solid colored bars in a graph and solid colored wedges in a pie chart (reserve hatched patterns for black/white handouts).
- The most important data should be depicted in brighter colors.
- Don’t put up an entire complicated chart or graph (provide handouts of the whole chart so the audience can follow).
- In table charts, line up decimal places, and highlight important numbers or words by changing color or size.
- In bar graphs, use as few bars as necessary with a maximum of six different bars.
- In line graphs, use no more than 3 lines per chart, using thick, solid, colored lines instead of patterned lines.
- In pie charts, use a maximum number of 6 slices.
o If you need more, group smaller slices into one groups titled “Miscellaneous” or “other” and pull this group out into another chart.
o Order slices beginning with the largest slice or the most important data starting at 12:00 position and arranging subsequent slices clockwise.
o Emphasize one slice by moving it out of the circle.
o Label slices on or next to the slice.
o Use whole numbers as much as possible.
· Final Tips for Using Visual Aids
- Remember that Murphy's Law is always ready to strike (if something can go wrong, it will, at the most inconvenient time).
- Always set up any audiovisual aids well in advance and always test them before the lecture.
- Be prepared to carry on if there is a breakdown (use the board instead).
- When using audiovisual aids, be sure to "mark-up" our notes so you know when to display them.
- Remember the reason for visuals is to explain a complex idea concisely and focus your audience on your logical conclusion.
- Display props only large enough to be seen by everyone
- Choose the right number and type of visual - enough to support and not distract
- Consider distributing handouts before you begin to speak
- Display props for inspection, do not pass them around the audience (It can be distracting)
- Avoid turning out all lights for use of visuals, ask someone to control this for you
- Use sound and special effects sparingly. Remember, all items on a visual aid should be for the purpose of direct support to the main point you are presenting.
TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR USING VISUAL AIDSI / Thou shalt ensure visual aids enhance, support, exemplify and/or facilitate understanding of material covered in thy presentation.
II / Thou shalt ensure all information presented visually is brief and concise, is presented in the most comprehensible format, and is edited to the minimum number of words possible.
III / Thou shalt ensure visual aids always are legible and clearly visible to all in attendance.
IV / Thou shalt not have more than two or three facts or information points per image; six are allowed as a maximum if thou must digress.
V / Thou shalt not load too much visual material into thy talk.
VI / Thou shalt use color for emphasis, distinction, and clarity only.
VII / Thou shalt not read visual aids to the audience in place of giving thy talk.
VIII / Thou shalt be aware of the "life span" of each visual piece.
IX / Thou shalt rehearse thy talk with thy visual aids.
X / Thou shalt prepare visual aids that can be accommodated by the technology on hand and the speaking environment.
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