Using Visual Aids
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Why Use Visual Aids
Helps the audience remember the
information
Makes the speech more interesting
Makes the speaker come across as
better prepared
Can help the speaker combat stage
fright
Heighten audience’s attention
Kinds of Visual Aids
Objects and models
Photographs and drawings
Graphs
A visual aid used to show statistical trends
and patterns
Charts
Video
The speaker
Use own body as a visual aid (sign
language, clothes etc.)
Line Graphs
A graph that use
one or more lines
to show changes in
statistics over the
time or space
Source Google
images
Pie Chart
A graph that
highlights segments
of a circle to show
simple distribution
patterns
Bar Graph
A graph that uses
vertical or
horizontal bars to
show comparisons
among two or
more items
Charts
A visual aid that summarizes a large
block of information, usually in list
form
Source Google images
Guidelines for Preparing Visual Aids
Prepare visual aids well in advance
Keep visual aids simple
Make sure visual aids are large
enough
Use color effectively
Light against dark and vice versa
Avoid red and green together (hard for
color blind people to see)
Don’t use similar colors together like blue
and purple
This text is hard to read because it is too small and the
font color is similar to the background color
THIS TEXT IS HARD TO READ
BECAUSE OF THE FONT STYLE
AND IT IS IN ALL CAPS
Guidelines for Preparing Visual Aids
Use fonts effectively
Choose fonts that are clear and easy to read
Avoid using ALL CAPS because they are hard
to read
Don’t use more than two fonts in a single
slide, one for the title or major heading and
another for subtitles or other text
Use same fonts on all slides
Put titles and major headings in at least 36-
44 point type. Make subheadings and other
text 24-30 point
Guidelines for Preparing Visual Aids
Use images strategically
Make sure images are large enough to be
seen clearly
Choose high-resolution images that will
project without blurring
Keep graphs and charts clear and simple
In most cases include a title above charts
and graphs so the audience knows what
they are viewing
Edit video so it is integrated seamlessly
into your slides
Guidelines for Presenting Visual Aids
Display visual aids where listeners
can see them
Avoid passing visual aids among the
audience
Explain visual aids clearly and
concisely
Talk to your audience, not to your
visual aid
Practice with your visual aids
Check the room and equipment