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CMNS 101 Fundamentals of Communication

Public Speaking Research Guide

Visual Aids for Your Speech

Adding a visual aid can emphasize a main point and maintain the audience’s attention during your presentation. Visual aids can also adapt to the audience’s learning styles by providing visual representations of information, which increases the comprehension and retention of key items in your speech. This section will focus on designing electronic visual aids, such as a PowerPoint presentation.

Types of Visual Aids

  • Online visual aids:
    • Images you create or find online
    • Infographic, graphs, or charts
    • PowerPoint, Prezi, Google Slides, or other slide software
  • Physical visual aids, some which may be adapted for a recorded speech:
    • Demonstration activity
    • Handouts 
    • Physical object as a prop - use actively or passively (keep on display)

- Adapted from "Types of Visual Aids" in Messages that Matter: Public Speaking in the Information Age - Third Edition Copyright © 2023 by North Idaho College is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.