How do you customize your visuals for different settings and audiences?

The most interesting thing about visuals is that they can easily replace any long, boring piece of text that you might have on a slide. And they also encourage people to use a different part of their brains, resulting in higher engagement with your content. Win-win.

Visuals are powerful tools used in presentations to enhance understanding, engage audiences, and evoke emotions. They include images, charts, graphs, videos, and slides. Their purpose is to support the speaker's message, simplify complex information, visualize data, and create an emotional impact. Well-designed visuals aid in storytelling, provide context, and highlight comparisons. Keeping visuals simple, relevant, and consistent in style helps maintain audience attention and reinforces the spoken content, resulting in a compelling and impactful presentation.

When I’m creating visuals to go with a presentation I try to choose images and graphics that complement what the presentation is all about. You don’t want to write out everything that you’re saying, you do want to complement the verbal part of your presentation.

Choose images to help make your point because: The human brain processes images 60,000 times faster than text. People retain 20% of what they read but 80% of what they see.

Visuals aren't just graphs, charts and slides anymore. Videos, pictures and other multi-media options are ways to make presentations more interactive than just a person standing in front of a room and lecturing. People learn differently now, and as presenters we have to adjust to the times.

Understanding your audience is essential for effective communication. It involves knowing their demographics, interests, knowledge level, and expectations. By empathizing with your audience, you can tailor your message to resonate with them. Consider their cultural background and preferences to avoid misunderstandings. Knowing your audience helps you choose appropriate language, examples, and humor that connect with them. Engaging with your listeners through eye contact and addressing their concerns fosters a sense of connection and trust. Adapting your content to their needs ensures that your communication is relevant, relatable, and leaves a lasting impact.

When presenting data, make sure you’re not simply sharing numbers. It’s never the numbers themselves that the audience is interested in (especially in a business meeting). Be sure you’re relaying what the data represents and what the implications might be moving forward. Lastly, be prepared with a point of view or recommendation about what the next step needs to be based on the data. This might be the only advice that’s consistent no matter who your audience is. Laypeople need the simplicity, and experts and executives don’t usually have the time for anything else. You can always get into the weeds… IF the presentation becomes a discussion.

I always subscribe to K.I.S.S. Make sure you communicate to people in a language they understand, whether they are experts or not...but always presume you will have people in the room who are "new".

When giving a presentation it’s good to engage the audience initially to see where their understanding is. If you are the expert in the room you need to bring terms down to the lowest common denominator so the audience can understand and stay engaged. It’s the presenters job to simplify things for the audience not confuse them with high level talk. If the audience was already at a high level they wouldn’t need you to present to them.

Understanding your setting is crucial for delivering a successful presentation. It involves familiarizing yourself with the physical environment, such as the venue's layout, size, and acoustics. Assess the available equipment, like microphones, projectors, and screens, to ensure your visuals and audio can be presented effectively. Adjust your content and visuals to suit the setting's limitations and maximize engagement. Consider the seating arrangement and how it may affect audience interaction. Practice in the actual setting or a similar one to adapt your delivery to the space. Being aware of the setting allows you to anticipate potential technical issues and have backup plans ready.

Scale is important. Larger simpler visuals for larger rooms. Contrast is also important. I would not recommend using different shades of the same color (like dark blue with or on light blue). Contrasting colors in graphs and charts makes them easier to read and understand.

I've been blessed with a loud voice (really!) but there are even times when I need a microphone. Don't be afraid to use one so everyone can hear your message. Sound is just as important; I incorporate music as a part of my presentations, and having a solid sound system so my music can fill the room, is just as important as the information I'm giving.

If your audience is unable to read or to understand your slides, what’s the point of having them? Why put all the work into the slides? Make sure visually you can see everything clearly before you present.

Know your visual presentation materials inside and out during your speech so you are not turning your head to see what slides are up once you are on stage. This takes a lot of prep and practice of course. If you don’t know the material well enough to do that, practice some more. Being prepared also helps calm any nerves you may experience.

Whenever the images can have a greater impact than words, use them. Utilize the majority of your words speaking, complimenting and reinforcing the message with short quotes, bullet points, and key takeaways in slides. Let the visual presentation tell a story rather than bog down your audience with trying to capture loads of words in notes. Allow your audience to fill their own voids and discover solutions by relating themselves to situations in the presentation. Know your slides! Every single one so well that you could give the presentation in your sleep.

When preparing presentations, so many people begin in PowerPoint (or any slide software) and start with the visuals. This is backwards. As impactful as they are during the presentation, they are secondary to crafting the story your audience needs to hear. If you must open PowerPoint first, start in the notes section, not the slides. Jot down all the key points that support the narrative you to tell, a narrative that drives the listener to take some kind of action afterwards. AFTER your story is written, consider what visuals will support the message, help the audience to understand something complex, reinforce a concept that really critical, etc. The visuals are in service of the story!

A good picture is worth thousand of words. A picture compliments the articulation. More illustrative a thought, more assimilative it is for the audience. Thanks

Never forget as much as we all love visuals, occasionally they can be distracting. A great video or photo has impact - and sometimes it takes the viewer a moment or two to catch their breath after that impact hits. To make room for this, it's always great to pause to allow any points to resonate, or if you notice someone visibly moved. It's also important to make sure you have detailed notes corresponding to your photos and videos in case you must repeat a key message later. Send out bullet points after a presentation ends. When possible, use accessibility features such as subtitles over your photos and videos. Lastly, make room for people to verbally share their own examples or feelings about your visuals when time allows.