AUDIO AND VISUAL AIDS
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AUDIO ANDanything
VISUALtheAaudience
IDS
Visual Aids—include
can
see
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Photographs
Cartoons
Color slides
Videotapes/DVDs
Posters
Transparencies
Whiteboard drawings, etc.
Audio Aids—include anything the audience can
hear
Music
 Sound effects
 Recorded conversations
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AUDIO AND VISUAL AIDS
WHY USE THEM?
Can make the difference between a good speech
and an exceptional speech
 Research shows that speakers who used
audio/visual aids were generally more convincing
than those who only spoke
 Visual aids can help a speaker make a lasting
point because vision is our most dominant sense
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We pay 25 times as much attention to visual info as we
do to audio info
Regardless, visual aids enhance, not replace, a
well-constructed speech
TWO-DIMENSIONAL VISUAL AIDS
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Two-dimension aids—illustrations that can be
represented on a flat surface
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Ex: charts, diagrams, maps, drawings, photographs,
etc.
These can be displayed on
classroom whiteboard—either drawn there or held up
with tape or magnet
 on a flipchart—a large pad of paper mounted on an
easel
 Projected on a screen
 Held up by hand
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If the speaker can show the visual without having
to hold it, he will be free to use a pointer to
describe particular features
TWO-DIMENSIONAL VISUAL AIDS
PHOTOGRAPHS
“A picture is worth a thousand words”
 Photos allow you to make people see things that
you can’t easily explain
 Using photos in a speech
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They need to be easy to handle
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Mount them on heavy construction paper or art boards
Need to be easy to see
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Photos should be at least 8 x 10 inches (preferably larger)
Hide or cover the photos until you are ready to use
them
 Put them out of sight again when you are done
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TWO-DIMENSIONAL VISUAL AIDS
DRAWINGS AND CARTOONS
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Drawings are easy to prepare
If you can use a compass and a straightedge, you can
draw well enough for most speeches
 If too complicated to draw, find an art student who
can help
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Cartoons use humor or satire to make a point
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The editorial page of a newspaper can be a good place
to get ideas for your own cartoons
TWO-DIMENSIONAL VISUAL AIDS
GRAPHIC REPRESENTATIONS
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Maps
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Best way to show a geographical relationship
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Diagrams
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Useful when you want to explain a process
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Ex: showing the route of the Appalachian Trail from Georgia
to Maine
Ex: showing how an internal combustion engine works
Graphs or Infographics (short for information
graphic)
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Turns numbers into pictures
Can be as simple as a pizza divided into slices or as
complicated as a diagram of the human eye
All graphs communicate a message at a single glance
TWO-DIMENSIONAL VISUAL AIDS
GRAPHIC REPRESENTATIONS (CONTINUED)
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Three main types of graphs
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Line chart (aka: fever chart)
Resembles the pattern you might find if you recorded the
varying temperatures of someone with a fever by plotting
points and connecting the dots
 Use to illustrate questions about money or things that have
changed over time
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Pie chart
Looks like a circle with individual wedges, each
representing a different component
 Can be made from drawings or photos
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Bar graph
Consists of parallel bars whose lengths represent different
quantities
 Use to make comparisons
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#1
Examples of Infographics
1. Line Chart
2. Pie Chart
3. Bar Graph
#2
#3
TWO-DIMENSIONAL VISUAL AIDS
GRAPHIC REPRESENTATIONS (CONTINUED)
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No matter what your topic, each graph or
infographic must contain the following five items:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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Headline—The headline is usually an easy-to-read
label
Body—The body consists of the raw data or
numbers
Credits—The person or persons who created the
graphic should be identified
Explainer—A short sentence should explain what
the infographic is about and why it might be
important
Source—Where did the information come from
Whatever type of graph you use, be sure to make
it interesting
#2
#3 & 5
#1
THE WASHINGTON METRO SUBWAY MAP
#4
Essential
Component
s of an
Infographic
1. Headline
2. Body
3. Credits
4. Explaine
r
5. Source
TWO-DIMENSIONAL VISUAL AIDS
WHITEBOARD AIDS
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Whiteboards (or chalkboards) are one of the easiest
visual aids to use
You can put info up as you need it and erase material that
is no longer needed
 No one expects whiteboard work to be beautiful
 Just make sure drawing or writing is large and clear
 Of all visual aids, it provides most flexibility and
spontaneity
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However, there are a few obstacles
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How can you use it without turning your back to the
audience?
Eye contact with audience is lost
Provides the opportunity for the listener’s mind to wander
TWO-DIMENSIONAL VISUAL AIDS
WHITEBOARD AIDS (CONTINUED)
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Overcoming the drawbacks
Write out most of what you think you need ahead of
time and cover it
 Stick to very short messages
 If you do write while talking, stand to the side so that
the audience will focus its attention on the words as
they appear
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TWO-DIMENSIONAL VISUAL AIDS
HANDOUTS
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Handouts include any flyers, brochures, or
information sheets that you prepare ahead of time
Duplicates must be made so each member of the
audience can have a copy
Plus side:
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Negative side:
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They look professional
People can take them home after your speech
They can create distractions
Takes time and trouble to distribute handouts
Audience may study them instead of making eye contact
with you
Overcoming obstacles:
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Pass out handouts at the end so as not to interrupt the
speech itself
THREE-DIMENSIONAL VISUAL AIDS
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Sometimes an actual object—with height, width,
and depth—can make a greater impression than a
picture or projection
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Ex: a speech on porcelain dolls
In some cases, it may be possible to let the
audience handle the objects
Make sure the object is not delicate or, if it is, you
wouldn’t mind if it is damaged
 Be aware, you will lose the attention of each listener
while he/she examines the object
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There are two types of three-dimensional visual
aids
Models
 Cutaways
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THREE-DIMENSIONAL VISUAL AIDS
MODELS AND CUTAWAYS
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Models—use a scale model when an object is too large to
bring to a speech
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You can purchase one
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You can build your own
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Ex: a model of a camera using a large box (to represent the body of the
camera) and a piece of tinfoil over an opening in the box (to show how
the leans and shutter work)
Both allow you to show the features of the object in an
informative way
Cutaways—a variation of the model idea, which is
essentially a model sliced in two
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Ex: a plastic model of the space shuttle Discovery
Ex: the space shuttle model may have a removable side panel that
would allow the audience to look inside to examine the flight deck or
crew’s quarters
Models and cutaways must be:
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Large enough to be seen
Clearly relevant to the speech
Carefully handled so as not to drop or fumble them
AUDIO AIDS
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Sound recordings, or audio aids, may be more
useful to you than a visual aid
Ex: demonstrate the sounds whales make for a
speech on animal communication
 Ex: an audiotape of informal conversation might be
helpful in a speech on regional dialects
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When using an audio aid, be sure
It is clear
 It is loud enough for all to hear
 To practice using it
 It is cued to the correct position before beginning
your speech
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VISUAL AND AUDIO AIDS
MULTIMEDIA PRESENTATIONS
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A multimedia presentation uses computer software to
combine several kinds of visual and/or audio aids into one
presentation.
Advantages:
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Combining media allows you to appeal to more than one of your
audience’s senses and learning styles.
Can serve as an outline for both you and your audience
Professional appearance (not hand-drawn or handwritten)
Allows for quick insertions of new data (such as tables or charts)
Can be easily updated or changed, unlike permanent media such
as flip charts
The audience is more stimulated and therefore more interested
in what you have to say
Disadvantage—Takes a great deal of time to learn how to:
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use the software
design graphs and charts
edit sounds and video clips
organize and rehearse a presentation
MULTIMEDIA PRESENTATIONS
GUIDELINES FOR PREPARATION
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Know what you are presenting
Have a good research base
 Knowing the material well can give you confidence
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Know your audience
Find out who they are, their level of interest,
knowledge, and experience.
 Anticipate questions and build their answers into
your presentation
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Use an outline
Prepare your script in advance.
 An outline presented on a slide orients the audience
and helps keep you on track
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MULTIMEDIA PRESENTATIONS
GUIDELINES FOR PREPARATION
(CONTINUED)
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Develop a format
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Typeface, type alignment, size, and graphic elements
should all be part of an overall plan.
Make it easy to read
Slides must be sharply focused and have good
contrast
 Limit each slide to a maximum of seven lines of text.
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Do not use paragraphs
 Do not write down everything you plan to say
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Use large type and set off each point with a bullet or
number.
Proofread for typographical errors, punctuation
problems, and misspellings
MULTIMEDIA PRESENTATIONS
GUIDELINES FOR PREPARATION
(CONTINUED)
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Avoid distractions
Only use sound effects if they are pertinent to your speech
 Avoid setting a timer for your slides, unless you are very
well-prepared and rehearsed
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Rehearse
Set up the presentation and go through it just as if an
audience were there
 Do not overuse or depend too much on your slides
 Keep eye contact with your audience
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Do not read directly from your slide
Do not turn your back to the audience to look at your slide
show
Arrive early
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On presentation day, arrive early and test everything
AUDIO AND VISUAL AIDS
GUIDELINES FOR USING AIDS
Be sure the aid is large enough to be seen or loud
enough to be heard.
 Be sure the aid contributes to the idea being
presented. If you can get along without it, don’t
use it. It takes time away from the rest of your
presentation.
 Don’t stand in front of the aid.
 Talk to your listeners, not to the visual aid.
 Keep any visual aid out of sight until you are
ready to use it, and then put it away again when
you have finished.
 Don’t overdo a good thing. A long succession of
slides or charts can become boring.
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AUDIO AND VISUAL AIDS
GUIDELINES FOR USING AIDS
(CONTINUED)
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Remember Murphy’s Law—if something can go
wrong, it will.
Have a backup plan in case your equipment fails.
 Be prepared to give your speech even if your
audio/visual aid doesn’t work.
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Practice, practice, practice.
 Finally, visual or audio aids are only a means to
an end.
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Do not use them if they draw undue attention away
from you as the speaker
Don’t forget that you yourself are a visual aid
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Consider whether the clothing you plan to wear will
contribute or detract from your message