What do you do if your visual aids for presentations lack creativity?

Here's some unconventional wisdom for my clients regarding visual aids in a talk: *get rid of them.* All of them, preferably. You want to have as direct and unimpeded a relationship with your audience as possible. As such, the last thing you want is a giant image behind you that distracts your audience from the message you're trying to convey. Why upstage yourself with something that's more interesting than you? The presence of the visuals also makes speakers turn away from their audience -- a HUGE no-no -- and fiddle with their clickers. No slides also means not dealing with A/V tech that always malfunctions. Instead, tell good stories. Look your audience in the eye. Be fully present. Your presentation will thank you for it.

Yes enhacing images by using tools in now a days the tools are much Just decide the best tool & begin practice & practice & practice....

Do not rely on search engines to find images or photos for your presentation and explore other Image Sources. Be mindful of copyright infringement! Know why exactly you are adding the images: to engage the audience? To reinforce the message? To complement written content? Based on your objective, choose images that align with and enhance your goal.

I like to take photos from Pexels (free) and edit them in Canva (more affordable creative tool). Depending on the needs, I'll use Adobe Lightroom to ensure image stays with branding :)

Don't rely on anyone other than visual designers to 'make' you presentation images that make your points for you... The key is to understand the goal of your images. Is it to augment your spoken points (please, for the love of all that is alive, please STOP READING YOUR SLIDES --say it OR write it, not both) or to illustrate the story? Those are very different tasks, as anyone who has seen the difference between an illustrated children's book and a medical textbook will clearly see. If you think 'aren't I supposed to use images?' just don't. Pick a background you like, and use it for all of your slides. If you don't know why it's on the screen, no one in your audience will guess. That's a distraction from your presentation.

Books like 'The Back of a Napkin' by Dan Roam focus on simplicity - can you draw it quickly, can anyone interpret what you mean, is it compelling? I always have a preference for simple analogies and simple bold graphics, starting from geometric shapes and stick-people.

These days are lots of AI tools who can take content and design it effortlessly. Also use tools like Canva that come with excellent design templates

Ensure the balance of the visual elements in your presentation and avoid overcrowding the slide or distracting from the main message. Do not mix graphics, photos, and charts on the same slide! Keep it simple and add one idea per slide.

When visual aids lack creativity for a presentation, consider brainstorming alternative formats or styles, seeking inspiration from similar presentations, or collaborating with colleagues for fresh ideas. Creative visual aids can enhance engagement and understanding for your audience.

Ein Bild sagt mehr als 1000 Worte - so sagt man jedenfalls. Nicht jede Folie braucht Text. Mit einem Bild, das emotional berührt, kann man eine Botschaft sehr einfach vermitteln und zugleich sorgt die Emotionalisierung dafür, dass der Inhalt nicht so leicht vergessen wird. Mach es dir nicht zu schwer, wenn es ums Design geht. Manchmal genügt ein einziges Bild, um die innere Welt des Publikums in Bewegung zu versetzen.

Bildsprache ist sehr m?chtig. Da wir aber gelernt haben, vor allem analytisch zu denken, f?llt es uns oft schwer, unsere Botschaften in Bilder zu verpacken. Ich selbst nutze dafür eine ganz einfache Technik: Ich sage mir: "Diese Sache ist wie..." Das l?sst sich sogar wunderbar trainieren. Und mit der Zeit fallen dir immer mehr Parallelen ein. Für die Metapher musst du dann nur noch das "wie" weglassen und voilà: Du hast ein passendes Bild gefunden!

Learning to be a storyteller versus a data dumper is a very important thing when presenting. Data without a good story to support. It is just more data. Learning the story helps put everything into a context, raises the emotional connection to the listeners. And helps people take action and catch a vision of what is really needing to be done or what has been done

Au delà des classiques significations des couleurs dont on peut en ignorer la véracité pour le moment, il faut que vous soyiez reconnaissable, que votre "patte" transparaisse dans vos visuels. Pour ma part, j'utilise les doodles et un bleu et orange bien particuliers, ainsi que des pointes d'humour dans mes visuels, ?a fait partie de mon image de marque et ?a se doit d'être visible dans vos visuels !

Ein kleiner Trick, den ich manchmal verwende: Ich nutze einheitliche Farbkonzepte für eine bestimmte Pr?sentation. Alles wirkt harmonisch und ruhig. Und sehr professionell. Und dann, wenn es um die Hauptbotschaft geht, wenn ich Aufmerksamkeit wecken will, vielleicht sogar wachrütteln m?chte, dann kommt eine Folie, die aus dem Farbkonzept v?llig herausf?llt. Damit erhalte ich in der Regel die Aufmerksamkeit, die ich anstrebe. Mit nur ganz wenig Aufwand.

Interactive means very different things in-person or online. Think carefully about which style is relevant to you - perhaps use tools like 'Slido' for polls and questions online, versus hands-up and hands-down in a room. Two key elements to making these engaging are (1) have the attendees see the consensus and answers, and (2) keep momentum up. For example apply a 1-minute limit, or create a timed poll where the results are visible to everyone automatically.

Interactive elements can make a significant difference in presentations. Using polls to get audience participation and showing the results so the audience can immediacy see the diverse options. Transitions and animations in a presentation, when done well, can also bring your presentation to life and break up a monotonous presentation. Adding a miro or mural link where participants can participate to brainstorm particular section of the presentation can also make a large impact.

Um das Publikum wachzuhalten und einzubinden, lassen sich Fragen oder R?tsel nutzen. Man schreibt die Frage auf die Folie und l?sst die Menschen im Publikum die Frage beantworten. Das macht jeder still für sich oder man darf in den Raum hineinrufen oder stimmt per Handzeichen ab. Das spielt keine Rolle. Und danach pr?sentiert man die Antwort auf der Folie. Manche im Publikum werden sich wunderbar best?tigt fühlen, andere werden staunen - aber man hat sie in jedem Fall alle mitgenommen!

Almost all my presentations begin with a personal story. It helps to draw people in and gives them a chance to get it on me first before I teach lead or instruct. Usually, my story is not a hero story, but one of a challenge or an obstacle that I’ve had to face. Identifying with people and their points through the perks interest and hold peoples attention. Don’t be a superhero first, learn to be authentic through your opening story. And then take them on the journey and show them how to achieve great things.

Ce que je conseille aux personnes que je forme, c'est de créer un template qui leur ressemble et qui parle à leur cible. Le deuxième point est fondamental : il n'est pas question ici d'être fantasque uniquement pour l'être et para?tre original. Il faut que votre cible reconnaisse les codes que vous utilisez. Pensez à votre charte graphique, à votre identité de marque (qui est différente de votre image mais qui doit s'en rapprocher au mieux rappelez-vous) et établissez un template de deck de présentation qui permette de vous différentier au mieux, tout en restant pertinent ! Sur Canva Pro, ?a se fait très facilement ;)

There's nothing more powerful than expressing your personal story. It helps your audience connect on a more personal/human level. This leaves a long lasting impression

It's true that a visual enhances understanding, retention and impact. It's also true that storytelling does the same. Because of that I advocate for the use of a flipchart when teaching live and a whiteboard when you're virtual. Some of the best speakers I've ever seen didn't use Canva, Powerpoint, stock photos or any other professional media. Instead they MASTERED the whiteboard/flipchart and storytelling. Never underestimate the power of simplicity.

Novelty, uniqueness and originality go a long way in giving a memorable presentation. Consider how you might use tactile and physical props in a digital world. Consider how your clothes and accessories are visual aids. Consider aids placed within the audience to engage them too in the presentation

*** Creativity is the manifestation of an imaginative mind. You could start off with something like: “This may look like an ordinary bar chart to the untrained eye…..” It’s not so much that the visual aids lack creativity it’s that they are not decorated by the proper linguistic framework. Remember, the spoken word is like an intoxicating harmony that engages all the senses simultaneously. So if you’re presenting with visual aids that need some help, use your words!

Use Visuals Wisely: Your visuals are the secret sauce of a great presentation. Cherry-pick high-quality images, graphics, charts and videos that not only look good but also align with your message’s vibe. Each visual should have a purpose – they’re not just there for decoration. Utilize Visual Hierarchy: Employ design principles like contrast, alignment and proximity to make your key info stand out. Play around with fonts, colors and placement to make sure your audience can’t miss the important stuff.

A great way to improve your visual aids is to collaborate with someone who excels in that area. Too often we feel like we have to be specialist or an expert in ALL areas of presentation but that's not always a reality. You may be excellent at speaking or working with technology but not as great with visuals. Connect with someone who IS great with visuals and offer to trade your services. Leverage the expertise of someone else and offer your services of expertise as a trade-off so that you can each boost your presence and growth. It's a win win. You can grow your network and possibly gain some referrals while sharing knowledge with one another!