Thursday, March 31, 2011

Pros and Cons of Visual Aid Options
Visual aids can be a great way of enhancing a presentation visually – when they are used sensibly and with a clear purpose. You need to relate your visual aids to your audience and to the type of presentation you are designing. It needs to be suited to that audience. For example, if it is just a small intimate presentation you might just want to use a few sheets on a flipchart and forget about using your PC and PowerPoint.  Obviously if it is a bigger more formal presentation then it’s probably expected that you’ll be using a software tool such as PowerPoint.  But remember it’s there to enhance your message – not just your prompts!

Mediums Used:


1.    Multimedia Slides
Pros:-
Create professional appearance with many color, art, graphic, and font options. Easy to use and transport via removable storage media, web download, or e-mail attachment. It is inexpensive to update.

           Cons:-
             Present potential incompatibility issues. Require costly projection  
             equipment and practice for smooth delivery. Tempt user to include razzle-dazzle  
             features that may fail to add value.



2.    Transparencies
Pros:-
            Give professional appearance with little practice. Easy to (a)  
            prepare,(b) update and maintain (c) locate reliable 
            equipment, and (d) limit information shown at one time.
            
             Cons:-
             Appear to some as an outdated presentation method. Hold
             speaker captive to the machine. Provide poor reproduction of 
             photos and some graphics.



3.    Handouts
Pros:-
            Encourage audience participation. Easy to maintain 
           and update. Enhance recall because audience keeps
           reference material.

     Cons:-
           Increase risk of unauthorized duplication of
             speaker’s materials. Can be difficult to transport.
             May cause speaker to lose audience’s attention.


4.    Flipcharts
Pros:-
            Provide inexpensive option available at most sites. Easy to
           (a) create,(b) modify on spot, (c) record comments from the
           audience, and (d) combine with more high-tech visuals in the
           same presentation.

             Cons:-
                        Require graphics talent. Difficult for larger audiences to see.
                        Prepared flipcharts are cumbersome to transport and easily
                       worn with use.



5.    Video
Pros:-
              Gives an accurate representation of the content;
              strong indication of forethought and preparation.

           Cons:-
                        Creates potential for compatibility issues related to
                        computer video formats. Expensive to create and
                        update.


6.    Props
Pros:-
             Offer a realistic reinforcement of message content.
             Increase audience participation with close
            observation.

Cons:-
             Lead to extra work and expense in transporting and
             replacing worn objects. Limited use with larger
            audiences.