How to effectively use visuals in your presentation — Transcript

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1. 0:06If you could wave a magic wand,
2. 0:08what’s the one idea you’d most love to spread to other people’s minds?
3. 0:13Through the power of language— carefully used— we can do just that.
4. 0:18But what’s the most direct way of gifting an idea to an audience?
5. 0:22Simply show it.
6. 0:23Incorporating visuals can make a talk more powerful and convincing.
7. 0:28Assuming you have your throughline and talk content,
8. 0:31it's time to get this show on the road.
9. 0:34In the 21st century, we can add to the spoken word with many technologies—
10. 0:38pictures, illustrations, graphs, charts, animation, video, audio, and data.
11. 0:45All can help explain your idea and make your talk visually interesting.
12. 0:49But first, ask yourself whether you actually need visuals.
13. 0:54At least a third of TED’s most-viewed talks don’t use slides at all.
14. 0:58Slides move attention away from the speaker.
15. 1:01If your talk relies on personal connection, humor, or stories,
16. 1:05you may be better off speaking directly to the audience.
17. 1:09For every speaker, the rule is simple:
18. 1:11having no slides is better than having bad slides.
19. 1:15But many talks benefit from strong visuals.
20. 1:18Sometimes, the visuals make the talk a success.
21. 1:23Key components of strong visuals fall into three categories:
22. 1:27revelation, explanatory power, and aesthetic appeal.
23. 1:33Revelation: The most obvious reason to use visuals is to show something
24. 1:38hard to describe.
25. 1:39Edith Widder was part of the team that first captured the giant squid on video.
26. 1:45Her talk was built around that moment of revelation.
27. 1:48When the creature appeared on screen,
28. 1:51the audience nearly jumped out of its skin.
29. 1:54Revelation doesn't have to be dramatic.
30. 1:57Explain any background, prime the audience,
31. 2:00and then let the visuals do their work.
32. 2:03Run them full screen without adding anything.
33. 2:07Explanatory power: Words and images often explain best together.
34. 2:13Much of our world is imagined visually.
35. 2:16To explain something new, showing and telling often works best.
36. 2:21But the visual must fit the spoken message.
37. 2:25Complicated slides can distract an audience.
38. 2:28Limit each slide to one core idea.
39. 2:31Multiple streams of information require mental energy to process.
40. 2:35A speaker must direct attention so slides support,
41. 2:42For graphs and charts, highlight the relevant parts.
42. 2:45If comparing February and October rainfall, use colors to show the months.
43. 2:50Don't cram everything onto one slide.
44. 2:53Headlines with long bullet points often lose attention—
45. 2:57turn bullets into separate slides, reduce phrases,
46. 3:02or replace them with images.
47. 3:04Even simple slides may steal your thunder.
48. 3:08Instead of “A black hole is an object so massive that no light can escape,”
49. 3:13try: “How black is a black hole?”
50. 3:17Then deliver the information through speech;
51. 3:20The slide teases curiosity and makes words more compelling.
52. 3:26Visuals shouldn't communicate words your mouth can easily say.
53. 3:30Use them to share what speech can’t:
54. 3:33photographs, video, animation, or data.
55. 3:37Screens can explain instantly what might take hours to describe.
56. 3:42Aesthetic appeal: Nice-looking slides add power.
57. 3:48Visually appealing slides can amplify a talk's impact.
58. 3:52Hans Rosling is a TED speaker who excelled at this.
59. 3:55“Here we go. Can you see there? It’s China.
60. 3:57They’re moving — better health. They are improving.
61. 4:00There, all the green Latin American countries.
62. 4:02They are moving towards smaller families.”
63. 4:04Not everyone can be a Hans Rosling, but every speaker can ask:
64. 4:08are visuals essential for explaining my idea?
65. 4:12And how can I combine them effectively with words?
66. 4:16Once you plan your visuals, revisit your words
67. 4:19and figure out how to turn them into a rewarding presentation.
68. 4:23All these lessons should put you on your way to delivering a powerful talk—
69. 4:29one that inspires, delights, and may even change the world.