Pros and Cons of Visual Aids

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             Appear to some as an outdated presentation method.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.