Apart from lots of writing tasks, you will also have to present your material in front of others. Your professors might have told you about the key elements of an oral presentation. But the main question that students often ask themselves is “How to make my presentation interesting?” After all, you are presenting to real people, and what you really need is to gain their attention. Now, there are some tips for a visual presentation that will help you do your best.
1. Color Your Slides
It plays a great role in attracting your listeners’ attention to what’s on the screen. However, overusing it will result in a catastrophe. You can use either light background with dark text or vise versa. Make sure that your text is contrasting with your background, but avoid bright colors.
2. Pick the Right Font Size
The best tip here will be to use large fonts. Obviously, your headers must be larger than the text. For the latter, the 24 sans serif font would be a nice option. Make sure that everybody can see what’s on your screen, no matter where they sit in the audience.
3. Use Interesting Facts
Rather than repeating the text of your speech on the screen, put some interesting facts or stats there. This will make the audience curious, and, to hear an explanation, they will listen to you more carefully.
4. Provide Examples
Real-life examples will make your presentation more vivid and exciting. You can tell an anecdote from your own experience or share some interesting information from someone else’s life. Always illustrate your point of view.
5. Images
Another great way to illustrate your point is to include images in your presentation. With the help of photos, you can both provide examples of your topic and explain a new idea or a concept. After all, there is no better way to understand what a fractal is, than to see a photo of broccoli.
6. The F-Pattern
There is a secret used by marketers and advertisers — the F-pattern. It is the scheme, according to which we scan the screen for information. The most important or eye-catching elements should be on the top and left, while the bottom is good for all the extra information.
7. Go Easy
The way you behave in front of the audience plays a great role. Your body should also be a part of your presentation. Use the body language to highlight the point, maintain eye contact with almost everyone in the room. Play with the tone of your voice — raise it a bit when you are pointing out the most important things, or lower it to add some intrigue. All in all, be easy and casual.
See? To make your presentation catchy and interesting, that’s enough to put some tricks into use. Remember that everything on your screen will play a certain role in grabbing your audience’s attention. Large font, contrast but no-so-bright colors, vivid images, facts and stats — all this is crucial to remember. However, the icing on the cake should be your body language. Use it smartly, and the audience is captured!