{"id":142,"date":"2015-08-14T17:44:17","date_gmt":"2015-08-14T17:44:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.candelalearning.com\/standupspeakoutxmaster\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=142"},"modified":"2015-08-14T17:44:17","modified_gmt":"2015-08-14T17:44:17","slug":"tips-for-preparing-presentation-aids","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-standupspeakout\/chapter\/tips-for-preparing-presentation-aids\/","title":{"raw":"Tips for Preparing Presentation Aids","rendered":"Tips for Preparing Presentation Aids"},"content":{"raw":"<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-highlight\">\r\n<h3 class=\"im_title\">Learning Objectives<\/h3>\r\n<ul id=\"wrench_1.0-ch15_s04_l01\" class=\"im_orderedlist\">\r\n\t<li>Understand why it is important to keep presentation aids organized and simple.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Explain how to make presentation aids easy to see, hear, and understand.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Make sure your presentation aids work together as a cohesive set.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\nAs we\u2019ve seen earlier in this chapter, impressive presentation aids do not take the place of a well-prepared speech. Although your presentation aids should be able to stand on their own in delivering information, do not count on them to do so. Work toward that goal, but also plan on explaining your presentation aids so that your audience will know why you\u2019re using them.\r\n\r\nOne mistake you should avoid is putting too much information on an aid. You have to narrow the topic of your speech, and likewise, you must narrow the content of your presentation aids to match your speech. Your presentation aids should not represent every idea in your speech. Whatever presentation aids you choose to use, they should fulfill one or more of the functions described at the beginning of this chapter: to clarify or emphasize a point, to enhance retention and recall of your message, to add variety and interest to your speech, and to enhance your credibility as a speaker.\r\n\r\nAs a practical matter in terms of producing presentation aids, you may not be aware that many college campuses have a copy service or multimedia lab available to students for making copies, enlargements, slides, and other presentation aids. Find out from your instructor or a librarian what the resources on your campus are. In the rest of this section, we will offer some tips for designing good-quality presentation aids.\r\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch15_s04_s01\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Easily Seen or Heard by Your Audience<\/h2>\r\nThe first rule of presentation aids is that they must be accessible for every audience member. If those in the back of the room cannot see, hear, or otherwise experience a presentation aid, then it is counterproductive to use it. Graphic elements in your presentation aids must be large enough to read. Audio must be loud enough to hear. If you are passing out samples of a food item for audience members to taste, you must bring enough for everyone.\r\n\r\nDo not attempt to show your audience a picture by holding up a book open to the page with the photograph. Nobody will be able to see it. It will be too small for your listeners in the back of the room, and the light will glare off of the glossy paper usually used in books with color pictures so that the listeners in front won\u2019t be able to see it either.\r\n\r\nText-based visuals, charts, and graphs need to be executed with strong, clean lines and blocks of color. Weak lines in a graph or illustration do not get stronger with magnification. You must either strengthen those lines by hand or choose another graphic element that has stronger lines. On a poster or a slide, a graphic element should take up about a third of the area. This leaves room for a small amount of text, rendered in a large, simple font. The textual elements should be located closest to the part of your graphic element that they are about.\r\n\r\nCarefully limit the amount of text on a presentation aid. If a great deal of text is absolutely necessary, try to divide it between two slides or posters. Many students believe that even small text will magnify amply when it\u2019s projected, but we find that this is rarely the case. We can\u2019t recommend a specific point size because that refers to the distance between the baselines of two lines of text, not to the size of the type itself.\r\n\r\nWe recommend two things: First, use a simple, easy-to-read type style. It doesn\u2019t have to be utterly devoid of style, but it should be readable and not distracting. Second, we recommend that you print your text in three or four sizes on a sheet of paper. Place the printed sheet on the floor and stand up. When you look at your printed sheet, you should be able to make a choice based on which clusters of type you are able to read from that distance.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch15_s04_s02\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Easily Handled<\/h2>\r\nYou should be able to carry your presentation aids into the room by yourself. In addition, you should be skilled in using the equipment you will use to present them. Your presentation aids should not distract you from the delivery of your speech.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch15_s04_s03\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Aesthetically Pleasing<\/h2>\r\nFor our purposes, <span class=\"im_margin_term\"><span class=\"im_glossterm\">aesthetics<\/span><\/span> refers to the beauty or good taste of a presentation aid. Earlier we mentioned the universal principles of good design: unity, emphasis or focal point, scale and proportion, balance, and rhythm. Because of wide differences in taste, not everyone will agree on what is aesthetically pleasing, and you may be someone who does not think of yourself as having much artistic talent. Still, if you keep these principles in mind, they will help you to create attractive, professional-looking visuals.\r\n\r\nThe other aesthetic principle to keep in mind is that your presentation aids are intended to support your speech, not the other way around. The decisions you make in designing your visuals should be dictated by the content of your speech. If you use color, use it for a clear reason. If you use a border, keep it simple. Whatever you do, make certain that your presentation aids will be perceived as carefully planned and executed elements of your speech.\r\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch15_s04_s03_s01\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Tips for Text Aids<\/h2>\r\nUse text only when you must. For example, if you\u2019re presenting an analysis of the First Amendment, it is permissible to display the text of the First Amendment, but not your entire analysis. The type must be big, simple, and bold. It needs white space around it to separate it from another graphic element or cluster of text that might be on the same presentation aid. When you display text, you must read it out loud before you go on to talk about it. That way, you won\u2019t expect your listeners to read one thing while trying to listen to something else. However, under no circumstances should you merely read what\u2019s on your text aids and consider that a speech.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch15_s04_s03_s02\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Tips for Graphic Aids<\/h2>\r\nIf you create your graphic images, you will have control over their size and the visible strength of the lines. However, you might want to show your listeners an illustration that you can\u2019t create yourself. For instance, you might want to display a photograph of a portion of the Dead Sea Scrolls. First, find a way to enlarge the photograph. Then, to show integrity, cite your source. You should cite your source with an added caption, and you should also cite the source out loud as you display the graphic, even if your photograph is considered to be in the public domain. The NASA photograph \u201cSpaceship Earth\u201d is such an example. Many people use it without citing the source, but citing the source boosts your credibility as a speaker, and we strongly recommend doing so.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch15_s04_s03_s03\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Rules for Computer Presentations<\/h2>\r\nMark Stoner, a professor in the Department of Communication Studies at California State University, Sacramento, has written a useful assessment of the uses and abuses of PowerPoint. Stoner observes that\r\n<blockquote>PowerPoint is a hybrid between the visual and the written. When we pay attention to the design of our writing\u2014to whether we are putting key word at the beginning or end of a sentence, for instance\u2014we are likely to communicate more effectively. In the same way, it makes sense to understand the impact that PowerPoint\u2019s design has on our ability to communicate ideas to an audience.<span id=\"wrench_1.0-fn15_007\" class=\"im_footnote\">[footnote]Stoner, M. (2007). Uncovering the powers within PowerPoint. <em class=\"im_emphasis\">Communication Currents<\/em>, <em class=\"im_emphasis\">2<\/em>(4). Retrieved from <a class=\"im_link\" href=\"http:\/\/www.natcom.org\/CommCurrentsArticle.aspx?id=819\" target=\"_blank\">http:\/\/www.natcom.org\/CommCurrentsArticle.aspx?id=819<\/a>[\/footnote]<\/span><\/blockquote>\r\nWhile this article is specifically about PowerPoint, Stoner\u2019s advice works for all presentation software formats. Presentation aids should deliver information that is important or is difficult to present with spoken words only. Although many speakers attempt to put their entire speech on PowerPoint slides or other visual aids, this is a bad idea for several reasons. First, if you try to put your entire speech on PowerPoint, you will lose contact with your audience. Speakers often end up looking at the projected words or directly at the computer screen instead of at their audience. Second, your vocal delivery is likely to suffer, and you will end up giving a boring reading, not a dynamic speech. Third, you will lose credibility, as your listeners question how well you really know your topic. Fourth, you are not using the presentation aids to clarify or emphasize your message, so all the information may come across as equally important.\r\n\r\nNo matter what presentation software package you decide to utilize, there are some general guidelines you\u2019ll need to follow.\r\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch15_s04_s03_s03_s01\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Watch Your Font<\/h2>\r\nOne of the biggest mistakes novice users of presentational software make is thinking that if you can read it on the screen, your audience will be able to read it in their seats. While this may be the case if you\u2019re in a close, intimate conference room, most of us will be speaking in situations where audience members are fifteen feet away or more. Make sure each slide is legible from the back of the room where you will be speaking.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch15_s04_s03_s03_s02\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Don\u2019t Write Everything Out<\/h2>\r\nIn addition to watching your font size, you also need to watch how you use words on the screen. Do not try to put too much information on a slide. Make sure that your slide has the appropriate information to support the point you are making and no more. We strongly recommend avoiding complete sentences on a slide unless you need to display a very important direct quotation.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch15_s04_s03_s03_s03\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Don\u2019t Bow Down to the Software<\/h2>\r\nRemember, presentation software is an aid, so it should aid and not hinder your presentation. We have seen too many students who only end up reading the slides right off the screen instead of using the slides to enhance their presentations. When you read your slides right off the projector screen, you\u2019re killing your eye contact. As a general word of advice, if you ever find yourself being forced to turn your back to the audience to read the screen, then you are not effectively using the technology. On the flip side, you also shouldn\u2019t need to hide behind a computer monitor to see what\u2019s being projected.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch15_s04_s03_s03_s04\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Slide Color<\/h2>\r\nColor is very important and can definitely make a strong impact on an audience. However, don\u2019t go overboard or decide to use unappealing combinations of color. For example, you should never use a light font color (like yellow) on a solid white background because it\u2019s hard for the eye to read.\r\n\r\nYou should also realize that while colors may be rich and vibrant on your computer screen at home, they may be distorted by a different monitor. While we definitely are in favor of experimenting with various color schemes, always check your presentation out on multiple computers to see if the slide color is being distorted in a way that makes it hard to read.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch15_s04_s03_s03_s05\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Slide Movement<\/h2>\r\nEveryone who has had an opportunity to experiment with PowerPoint knows that animation in transitions between slides or even on a single slide can be fun, but often people do not realize that too much movement can actually distract audience members. While all presentation software packages offer you very cool slide movements and other bells and whistles, they are not always very helpful for your presentation. If you\u2019re going to utilize slide transitions or word animation, stick to only three or four different types of transitions in your whole presentation. Furthermore, do not have more than one type of movement on a given slide. If you\u2019re going to have all your text come from the right side of the screen in a bulleted list, make sure that all the items on the bulleted list come from the right side of the screen.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch15_s04_s03_s03_s06\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Practice, Practice, Practice<\/h2>\r\nIt is vital to practice using the technology. Nothing is worse than watching a speaker stand up and not know how to turn on the computer, access the software, or launch his or her presentation. When you use technology, audiences can quickly see if you know what you are doing, so don\u2019t give them the opportunity to devalue your credibility because you can\u2019t even get the show going.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch15_s04_s04\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Always Have a Backup Plan<\/h2>\r\nLastly, always have a backup plan. Unfortunately, things often go wrong. One of the parts of being a professional is keeping the speech moving in spite of unexpected problems. Decide in advance what you will do if things break down or disappear right when you need them. Don\u2019t count on your instructor to solve such predicaments; it is your responsibility. If you take this responsibility seriously and check the room where you will be presenting early, you will have time to adapt. If the computer or audiovisual setup does not work on the first try, you will need time to troubleshoot and solve the problem. If an easel is missing, you will need time to experiment with using a lectern or a chair to support your flip chart. If you forgot to bring your violin for a speech about music\u2014don\u2019t laugh, this actually happened to a friend of ours!\u2014you will need time to think through how to adapt your speech so that it will still be effective.\r\n<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-success\">\r\n<h3>Key Takeaways<\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>Presentation aids must be organized and simple. The universal principles of good design can be a useful guide.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Material in presentation aids must be limited in quantity. Remember, presentation aids are supposed to aid a speech, not become the speech itself.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Presentation aids must visually look like they were designed as a set. When presentation aids look unprofessional, they can decrease a speaker\u2019s credibility.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Always practice with your presentation aids, and be prepared for unexpected problems.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-info\">\r\n<h3>Exercises<\/h3>\r\n<ol>\r\n\t<li>Examine Figure 15.14 \"World Populations\" in this chapter. How could you go about making this visual aid more understandable?<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Create a new presentation aid for a previous speech given in your public speaking class. How could that aid have helped your overall speech?<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Take some time to explore the presentation software packages discussed in Table 15.1 \"Presentation Software Packages\" What do you see as some of the advantages and disadvantages of the different software packages?<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n","rendered":"<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-highlight\">\n<h3 class=\"im_title\">Learning Objectives<\/h3>\n<ul id=\"wrench_1.0-ch15_s04_l01\" class=\"im_orderedlist\">\n<li>Understand why it is important to keep presentation aids organized and simple.<\/li>\n<li>Explain how to make presentation aids easy to see, hear, and understand.<\/li>\n<li>Make sure your presentation aids work together as a cohesive set.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>As we\u2019ve seen earlier in this chapter, impressive presentation aids do not take the place of a well-prepared speech. Although your presentation aids should be able to stand on their own in delivering information, do not count on them to do so. Work toward that goal, but also plan on explaining your presentation aids so that your audience will know why you\u2019re using them.<\/p>\n<p>One mistake you should avoid is putting too much information on an aid. You have to narrow the topic of your speech, and likewise, you must narrow the content of your presentation aids to match your speech. Your presentation aids should not represent every idea in your speech. Whatever presentation aids you choose to use, they should fulfill one or more of the functions described at the beginning of this chapter: to clarify or emphasize a point, to enhance retention and recall of your message, to add variety and interest to your speech, and to enhance your credibility as a speaker.<\/p>\n<p>As a practical matter in terms of producing presentation aids, you may not be aware that many college campuses have a copy service or multimedia lab available to students for making copies, enlargements, slides, and other presentation aids. Find out from your instructor or a librarian what the resources on your campus are. In the rest of this section, we will offer some tips for designing good-quality presentation aids.<\/p>\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch15_s04_s01\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Easily Seen or Heard by Your Audience<\/h2>\n<p>The first rule of presentation aids is that they must be accessible for every audience member. If those in the back of the room cannot see, hear, or otherwise experience a presentation aid, then it is counterproductive to use it. Graphic elements in your presentation aids must be large enough to read. Audio must be loud enough to hear. If you are passing out samples of a food item for audience members to taste, you must bring enough for everyone.<\/p>\n<p>Do not attempt to show your audience a picture by holding up a book open to the page with the photograph. Nobody will be able to see it. It will be too small for your listeners in the back of the room, and the light will glare off of the glossy paper usually used in books with color pictures so that the listeners in front won\u2019t be able to see it either.<\/p>\n<p>Text-based visuals, charts, and graphs need to be executed with strong, clean lines and blocks of color. Weak lines in a graph or illustration do not get stronger with magnification. You must either strengthen those lines by hand or choose another graphic element that has stronger lines. On a poster or a slide, a graphic element should take up about a third of the area. This leaves room for a small amount of text, rendered in a large, simple font. The textual elements should be located closest to the part of your graphic element that they are about.<\/p>\n<p>Carefully limit the amount of text on a presentation aid. If a great deal of text is absolutely necessary, try to divide it between two slides or posters. Many students believe that even small text will magnify amply when it\u2019s projected, but we find that this is rarely the case. We can\u2019t recommend a specific point size because that refers to the distance between the baselines of two lines of text, not to the size of the type itself.<\/p>\n<p>We recommend two things: First, use a simple, easy-to-read type style. It doesn\u2019t have to be utterly devoid of style, but it should be readable and not distracting. Second, we recommend that you print your text in three or four sizes on a sheet of paper. Place the printed sheet on the floor and stand up. When you look at your printed sheet, you should be able to make a choice based on which clusters of type you are able to read from that distance.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch15_s04_s02\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Easily Handled<\/h2>\n<p>You should be able to carry your presentation aids into the room by yourself. In addition, you should be skilled in using the equipment you will use to present them. Your presentation aids should not distract you from the delivery of your speech.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch15_s04_s03\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Aesthetically Pleasing<\/h2>\n<p>For our purposes, <span class=\"im_margin_term\"><span class=\"im_glossterm\">aesthetics<\/span><\/span> refers to the beauty or good taste of a presentation aid. Earlier we mentioned the universal principles of good design: unity, emphasis or focal point, scale and proportion, balance, and rhythm. Because of wide differences in taste, not everyone will agree on what is aesthetically pleasing, and you may be someone who does not think of yourself as having much artistic talent. Still, if you keep these principles in mind, they will help you to create attractive, professional-looking visuals.<\/p>\n<p>The other aesthetic principle to keep in mind is that your presentation aids are intended to support your speech, not the other way around. The decisions you make in designing your visuals should be dictated by the content of your speech. If you use color, use it for a clear reason. If you use a border, keep it simple. Whatever you do, make certain that your presentation aids will be perceived as carefully planned and executed elements of your speech.<\/p>\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch15_s04_s03_s01\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Tips for Text Aids<\/h2>\n<p>Use text only when you must. For example, if you\u2019re presenting an analysis of the First Amendment, it is permissible to display the text of the First Amendment, but not your entire analysis. The type must be big, simple, and bold. It needs white space around it to separate it from another graphic element or cluster of text that might be on the same presentation aid. When you display text, you must read it out loud before you go on to talk about it. That way, you won\u2019t expect your listeners to read one thing while trying to listen to something else. However, under no circumstances should you merely read what\u2019s on your text aids and consider that a speech.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch15_s04_s03_s02\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Tips for Graphic Aids<\/h2>\n<p>If you create your graphic images, you will have control over their size and the visible strength of the lines. However, you might want to show your listeners an illustration that you can\u2019t create yourself. For instance, you might want to display a photograph of a portion of the Dead Sea Scrolls. First, find a way to enlarge the photograph. Then, to show integrity, cite your source. You should cite your source with an added caption, and you should also cite the source out loud as you display the graphic, even if your photograph is considered to be in the public domain. The NASA photograph \u201cSpaceship Earth\u201d is such an example. Many people use it without citing the source, but citing the source boosts your credibility as a speaker, and we strongly recommend doing so.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch15_s04_s03_s03\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Rules for Computer Presentations<\/h2>\n<p>Mark Stoner, a professor in the Department of Communication Studies at California State University, Sacramento, has written a useful assessment of the uses and abuses of PowerPoint. Stoner observes that<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>PowerPoint is a hybrid between the visual and the written. When we pay attention to the design of our writing\u2014to whether we are putting key word at the beginning or end of a sentence, for instance\u2014we are likely to communicate more effectively. In the same way, it makes sense to understand the impact that PowerPoint\u2019s design has on our ability to communicate ideas to an audience.<span id=\"wrench_1.0-fn15_007\" class=\"im_footnote\"><a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Stoner, M. (2007). Uncovering the powers within PowerPoint. Communication Currents, 2(4). Retrieved from http:\/\/www.natcom.org\/CommCurrentsArticle.aspx?id=819\" id=\"return-footnote-142-1\" href=\"#footnote-142-1\" aria-label=\"Footnote 1\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[1]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>While this article is specifically about PowerPoint, Stoner\u2019s advice works for all presentation software formats. Presentation aids should deliver information that is important or is difficult to present with spoken words only. Although many speakers attempt to put their entire speech on PowerPoint slides or other visual aids, this is a bad idea for several reasons. First, if you try to put your entire speech on PowerPoint, you will lose contact with your audience. Speakers often end up looking at the projected words or directly at the computer screen instead of at their audience. Second, your vocal delivery is likely to suffer, and you will end up giving a boring reading, not a dynamic speech. Third, you will lose credibility, as your listeners question how well you really know your topic. Fourth, you are not using the presentation aids to clarify or emphasize your message, so all the information may come across as equally important.<\/p>\n<p>No matter what presentation software package you decide to utilize, there are some general guidelines you\u2019ll need to follow.<\/p>\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch15_s04_s03_s03_s01\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Watch Your Font<\/h2>\n<p>One of the biggest mistakes novice users of presentational software make is thinking that if you can read it on the screen, your audience will be able to read it in their seats. While this may be the case if you\u2019re in a close, intimate conference room, most of us will be speaking in situations where audience members are fifteen feet away or more. Make sure each slide is legible from the back of the room where you will be speaking.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch15_s04_s03_s03_s02\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Don\u2019t Write Everything Out<\/h2>\n<p>In addition to watching your font size, you also need to watch how you use words on the screen. Do not try to put too much information on a slide. Make sure that your slide has the appropriate information to support the point you are making and no more. We strongly recommend avoiding complete sentences on a slide unless you need to display a very important direct quotation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch15_s04_s03_s03_s03\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Don\u2019t Bow Down to the Software<\/h2>\n<p>Remember, presentation software is an aid, so it should aid and not hinder your presentation. We have seen too many students who only end up reading the slides right off the screen instead of using the slides to enhance their presentations. When you read your slides right off the projector screen, you\u2019re killing your eye contact. As a general word of advice, if you ever find yourself being forced to turn your back to the audience to read the screen, then you are not effectively using the technology. On the flip side, you also shouldn\u2019t need to hide behind a computer monitor to see what\u2019s being projected.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch15_s04_s03_s03_s04\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Slide Color<\/h2>\n<p>Color is very important and can definitely make a strong impact on an audience. However, don\u2019t go overboard or decide to use unappealing combinations of color. For example, you should never use a light font color (like yellow) on a solid white background because it\u2019s hard for the eye to read.<\/p>\n<p>You should also realize that while colors may be rich and vibrant on your computer screen at home, they may be distorted by a different monitor. While we definitely are in favor of experimenting with various color schemes, always check your presentation out on multiple computers to see if the slide color is being distorted in a way that makes it hard to read.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch15_s04_s03_s03_s05\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Slide Movement<\/h2>\n<p>Everyone who has had an opportunity to experiment with PowerPoint knows that animation in transitions between slides or even on a single slide can be fun, but often people do not realize that too much movement can actually distract audience members. While all presentation software packages offer you very cool slide movements and other bells and whistles, they are not always very helpful for your presentation. If you\u2019re going to utilize slide transitions or word animation, stick to only three or four different types of transitions in your whole presentation. Furthermore, do not have more than one type of movement on a given slide. If you\u2019re going to have all your text come from the right side of the screen in a bulleted list, make sure that all the items on the bulleted list come from the right side of the screen.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch15_s04_s03_s03_s06\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Practice, Practice, Practice<\/h2>\n<p>It is vital to practice using the technology. Nothing is worse than watching a speaker stand up and not know how to turn on the computer, access the software, or launch his or her presentation. When you use technology, audiences can quickly see if you know what you are doing, so don\u2019t give them the opportunity to devalue your credibility because you can\u2019t even get the show going.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"wrench_1.0-ch15_s04_s04\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Always Have a Backup Plan<\/h2>\n<p>Lastly, always have a backup plan. Unfortunately, things often go wrong. One of the parts of being a professional is keeping the speech moving in spite of unexpected problems. Decide in advance what you will do if things break down or disappear right when you need them. Don\u2019t count on your instructor to solve such predicaments; it is your responsibility. If you take this responsibility seriously and check the room where you will be presenting early, you will have time to adapt. If the computer or audiovisual setup does not work on the first try, you will need time to troubleshoot and solve the problem. If an easel is missing, you will need time to experiment with using a lectern or a chair to support your flip chart. If you forgot to bring your violin for a speech about music\u2014don\u2019t laugh, this actually happened to a friend of ours!\u2014you will need time to think through how to adapt your speech so that it will still be effective.<\/p>\n<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-success\">\n<h3>Key Takeaways<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Presentation aids must be organized and simple. The universal principles of good design can be a useful guide.<\/li>\n<li>Material in presentation aids must be limited in quantity. Remember, presentation aids are supposed to aid a speech, not become the speech itself.<\/li>\n<li>Presentation aids must visually look like they were designed as a set. When presentation aids look unprofessional, they can decrease a speaker\u2019s credibility.<\/li>\n<li>Always practice with your presentation aids, and be prepared for unexpected problems.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-info\">\n<h3>Exercises<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li>Examine Figure 15.14 &#8220;World Populations&#8221; in this chapter. How could you go about making this visual aid more understandable?<\/li>\n<li>Create a new presentation aid for a previous speech given in your public speaking class. How could that aid have helped your overall speech?<\/li>\n<li>Take some time to explore the presentation software packages discussed in Table 15.1 &#8220;Presentation Software Packages&#8221; What do you see as some of the advantages and disadvantages of the different software packages?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t <section class=\"citations-section\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t <h3>Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t <div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <div id=\"citation-list-142\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div class=\"licensing\"><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Public Speaking: Practice and Ethics. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Anonymous. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Anonymous. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/2012books.lardbucket.org\/books\/public-speaking-practice-and-ethics\/\">http:\/\/2012books.lardbucket.org\/books\/public-speaking-practice-and-ethics\/<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section><hr class=\"before-footnotes clear\" \/><div class=\"footnotes\"><ol><li id=\"footnote-142-1\">Stoner, M. (2007). Uncovering the powers within PowerPoint. <em class=\"im_emphasis\">Communication Currents<\/em>, <em class=\"im_emphasis\">2<\/em>(4). Retrieved from <a class=\"im_link\" href=\"http:\/\/www.natcom.org\/CommCurrentsArticle.aspx?id=819\" target=\"_blank\">http:\/\/www.natcom.org\/CommCurrentsArticle.aspx?id=819<\/a> <a href=\"#return-footnote-142-1\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 1\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/div>","protected":false},"author":9,"menu_order":5,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Public Speaking: Practice and Ethics\",\"author\":\"Anonymous\",\"organization\":\"Anonymous\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/2012books.lardbucket.org\/books\/public-speaking-practice-and-ethics\/\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by-nc-sa\",\"license_terms\":\"\"}]","CANDELA_OUTCOMES_GUID":"","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-142","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":119,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-standupspeakout\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/142","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-standupspeakout\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-standupspeakout\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-standupspeakout\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-standupspeakout\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/142\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":514,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-standupspeakout\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/142\/revisions\/514"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-standupspeakout\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/119"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-standupspeakout\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/142\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-standupspeakout\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=142"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-standupspeakout\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=142"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-standupspeakout\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=142"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-fmcc-standupspeakout\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=142"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}