Visuals improve the effectiveness of communication when used appropriately.  When used in a presentation, they keep the audience interested and serve as a focus beyond the printed and spoken elements.  Keep in mind:

• Use only visuals that support your message.  Pictures or graphics that are out of context can be confusing and cause the audience to lose the oral thread of the presentation.  Does every graphic have a clear purpose?

• In general, be conservative in the use of graphics and styles including colors and fonts.

• Make sure the tone of all of your visual elements is consistent with your message,  your organization, and the other elements of the presentation.

• Slides of bulleted points should be easy to read by everyone in the audience.

• Avoid unnecessary, distracting effects such as animations and transitions unless they provide a necessary emphasis.

• Use highly contrasting combinations of colors to make it easy for your audience to see the visuals.