We live in a multimedia world. Whereas our parents once started their day by reading the newspaper, then spent their day at work reading reports, writing comments and letters, and correlating sales and financial data, we watch videos, listen to podcasts, and send photos. Even at the office, we increasingly convey information using visuals, animations, videos, and all manner of multimedia. Where presentations were once enriched with a few colour-coded charts at best, dynamism is now key.
There is one big caveat, however – don’t overdo it. Too many multimedia elements can make presentations distracting, making it difficult to get your point across. After all, you want your audience to remember the information, not the animation. That’s why we’ve prepared a few tips for you to keep your multimedia use focused and keep your presentations on-point:
- Choose wisely. When selecting multimedia elements – be they visuals, animations GIFs, or video clips – ask yourself the questions, ‘Does this add to my presentation? What?’ If you can answer these questions, add it, and if you can’t, don’t. Multimedia elements aren’t just window dressing – they should help you make your point.
- Stay consistent. As important as it is to stay flexible and dynamic, you should remember to keep multimedia elements consistent. Choose a general style for your presentation and then stick to it. If you’re going to be minimalist, be minimalist. If you’re going to be colourful, be colourful. Even if each element individually helps you make your point, an inconsistent presentation will prove distracting.
- Keep it short, keep it simple. In the modern business environment, attention spans are short. To keep everyone focused, it’s best to keep your presentation short and on-point. Multimedia elements should take as much time as needed to serve their purpose, and not more.
- Keep it sharp. Like it or not, formatting is crucial. Even the best visual will fail to impress if it’s fuzzy or off-centre. Before giving your presentation, run through the slides and check your media, making sure each element loads properly, is clear and sharp, and is set up properly. It only takes a minute, but it can make a huge different.
- Think you got it? Check again. Just as with writing an article, report, or position paper, it’s important to take at least a fifteen minute break after assembling your presentation, then go back over it again. For each slide and each element, ask yourself, ‘Do I need this? Does it serve my purpose?’ Even if all the elements check out, you’ll surely find a few things you missed, and you’ll be better prepared for it.
Even if you’ve followed the tips above, the choice of AV solution can make or break any presentation. In the fluid, flexible office of today, the traditional overhead projector setup is going the way of the dodo, rapidly replaced by collaboration-oriented solutions such as Vivitek’s NovoConnect. The NovoConnect family of solutions allow everyone at the meeting to connect and share on the big screen with ease, with a wide range of collaboration features ensuring maximum productivity. With well-crafted presentations and solutions like NovoConnect, you’ll never have to worry about making your point.
Visit www.novoconnect.eu to learn more, or contact us for a demonstration.