How do you cater to diverse learning styles with visuals in your presentations?

1 Visual learners

Visual learners benefit from seeing information in the form of images, diagrams, charts, graphs, maps, and symbols. They can quickly comprehend spatial relationships, patterns, and colors. To best accommodate visual learners, use visuals that are clear, relevant, and consistent with the verbal content. Additionally, refrain from overcrowding slides with too much text or unnecessary details. Examples of visuals that work well for visual learners include infographics that summarize key facts or statistics in a visually attractive way, flowcharts that illustrate the steps or stages of a process or system, timelines that show the sequence or progression of events or milestones, icons that symbolize concepts or categories, and photos or illustrations that provoke emotions or stories.

2 Auditory learners

Auditory learners prefer to hear information in the form of speech, music, sounds, and rhythms. They can easily understand and remember verbal instructions, explanations, and stories. To cater to auditory learners, it is beneficial to use visuals that support or complement spoken words. Additionally, use a variety of vocal tones, pitches, and volumes to keep their attention and interest. Examples of visuals that work well for auditory learners include audio clips that demonstrate a point or provide an example; music or sound effects that create a mood or a context; podcasts or videos featuring interviews, testimonials, or narratives; quotes or slogans highlighting a key message or a theme; and mnemonics or acronyms that help them remember important information.

3 Reading/writing learners

Reading/writing learners prefer to read and write information in the form of text, notes, lists, and reports, allowing them to easily analyze and organize information in a structured and logical way. To cater to this type of learner, visuals should be used that provide or reinforce written information. Additionally, clear and concise language, proper grammar and punctuation, and consistent formatting should be employed. Examples of visuals that work well for reading/writing learners are bullet points or numbered lists outlining main points or steps, tables or matrices comparing and contrasting different options or criteria, quotes or citations supporting or validating arguments or sources, definitions or glossaries explaining technical terms or jargon, and handouts or slides summarizing key takeaways or action items.

4 Kinesthetic learners

Kinesthetic learners prefer to touch and move information in the form of physical objects, activities, and experiences. To engage these learners, visuals such as interactive elements, polls or quizzes, games or simulations, demonstrations or experiments, and physical objects or models are ideal. Using visuals that cater to different learning styles can make presentations more engaging and effective for the audience. It can also increase the speaker's credibility, clarity, and confidence. When selecting visuals, it's important to consider the purpose, audience, and message. Visuals should be used strategically and sparingly for maximum impact. Do you have any tips or examples of visuals that you've used in your presentations? We'd love to hear from you!

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?