Types of Presentation Aids

What is the goal? Is the goal to inform, persuade, explain, raise awareness? Having an obvious goal allows the speaker to determine the medium for the visual aid, whether it is an object, video, or infographic.


Attire: YOU are a visual aid! Audience members will immediately assess speaker credibility based on appearance. What you choose to wear, or your attire, should be appropriate for the audience and occasion.


Presentation Software: Technology tools have given public speakers presentation software to create engaging slide shows for their audiences. Examples of online presentation software include Microsoft PowerPoint, Keynote for Apple, Google Slides, Prezi and Adobe Spark.

  • The slide layout, colors, and fonts should be uniform. Simplicity ensures that the audience focuses on the speaker. The presentation software aids in communicating the message rather than detracting. Word clouds, photos, and icons bring variety and enhance audience engagement.

  • Be sure to back up the digital elements in multiple formats. Test your presentation to be sure it will load prior to the presentation. A technology check and getting the slide show cued up will allow you to focus on the oral advocacy of the speech. Update permissions if necessary to include public viewing.

  • Always face the audience. When speakers turn away from the audience, they break the connection with listeners. Interpret the visual aid. What this means is do not just point to the presentation. Instead, explain what each element of the slide show means and how it relates to the presentation topic.


Video: Be sure to have video clips cued before the presentation. Since there are often loading errors from PowerPoint, it is more reliable to have a YouTube clip in a separate window ready to play. A video clip should only be 30 seconds for speeches under seven minutes:

  1. Introduce why the clip will be played.

  2. Play the video file.

  3. Relay the relevance of the video imagery in terms of the overall theme.

Sound Clips: Using audio segments selectively in slide shows can be highly effective. Overuse of audio distracts listeners from the message. Perform a technology check to make sure the sounds will play before beginning the presentation. If possible, trim the sound clips to only the segment needed to support your point. We can select musical inserts. Voice clips from speeches, films, and music provide clarity or tone for our audience. Be sure to introduce why sound clips are being used. Play the audio file. Then, relay the relevance of the audio file in terms of the overall theme.


Diagrams: Diagrams are illustrations that represent 3-dimensional objects. If we wanted to show the anatomy of the human heart, a visual depiction of the heart with labels pointing to each significant component would increase audience awareness and understanding.