57
Appendix
Guide to Effective Presentations
Electronic presentations are one of the most effective
tools presenters can use to persuade an audience.
There are several ways to enhance your presentation
and maximise your effectiveness. The following are
guidelines to help you create and deliver a dynamic
presentation.
Yellow
on Black
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
a. Types of Presentations
Computer Presentations
• To present basic information such as graphs, spreadsheets,
documents and images, use word processing and spreadsheet
applications.
• To convey more complex information and create more dynamic
presentations which allow you to control the pace of your delivery,
utilise software such as Astound
®
, Freelance
®
, Persuasion
®
or
PowerPoint
®
.
• For high-end multimedia and interactive presentations, use software
such as Macromedia Director
®
.
• Astound
®
, Freelance
®
, Persuasion
®
, PowerPoint
®
and Macromedia
Director
®
are trademarks of their respective companies.
Video Presentations
Use of video equipment, such as a VCR, DVD player and laser disc
player, can be effective for delivering instructional or illustrative
information that is difficult to present.
Digital Cameras and Personal Digital Assistants
(PDAs)
For highly compact and portable presentations, digital still cameras,
digital video cameras, document cameras and PDAs are ideal for
transferring data without cumbersome conversions.
Multimedia Presentations
You can integrate all of the above methods for a full multimedia
presentation including video, audio, computer applications and World
Wide Web information.
b. Creative Presentations
Oftentimes presenters do not take advantage of the many
subtle ways they can manipulate their electronic slides to more
effectively persuade the audience.
Colour has a great effect on the audience during a
presentation. When used correctly and legibly, studies show
that background and foreground colours establish an
emotional tone for a presentation, help viewers understand
and retain information, and influence an audience to take a
desired course of action.
Colour Considerations
• Choose legible colours.
• Text and graphics colours need sufficient contrast.
• Use darker colours for the background since a lighter background
can create uncomfortable glare. (Yellow on black creates an ideal
contrast.)
