Humans love repetition

Images are powerful devices that can be used by the presenter to reinforce concepts and connections. In my own presentation I use images in two ways:

1. to visually reinforce a concept
2. to place an image/object into context and remind the view of that context

Visually reinforce a concept through repetition

In long presentations try to tie concepts to images. When repeated, the effect is much stronger than if I had just repeated the words. So in a presentation on writing a statement of purpose, one might have the following images:

…which serve as speaking points on A) being distinct, b) using strategies in your writing, and b) the idea that you need to show how you fit. Later in the presentation when the speaker revisits these ideas, or when summing up a particular concept, re-showing the relevant slide, along with brief commentary, serves to remind the audience of the original content or message – this can be much more powerful than simply orally repeating the same message. In this way, images like this can be used to unite andreinforce connections across the whole presentation.

Placing into context

It is important to create a context for your presentation in order for the audience to understand clearly the content and message of your presentation. A description of an object, particularly an unusual or uncommon one, needs to have a context created for it before the audience can fully understand and appreciate it.

One method that I encourage presenters to use is the repetition of images or parts of images. Through the repetition of images the audience can better understand the relationship and context of the displayed image. The series of slides below illustrate this relationship. The first slide shows the image in situ, giving the viewer the context for the image; the second slide builds upon and expands on this context by providing a definition of the Korean phrases and referencing the icon on the flag to a historical monument.

The Menu Slide as an image
Something similar to this is done with menu slides. The first menu slide shows the whole organization of the talk. The second and subsequent graphics indicate the position of the presentation. For long presentations (1 hour or more) I’ve developed a template that I use that allows me to indicate in a visual way the components and progress of a presentation.

For long presentations like this one (almost 3 hours), this kind of visual device is helpful for the audience. The lengths of the bars can be varied to proportionally represent the length of each section. When one section is complete, the slide is reintroduced with the contents for the next section.