Choosing the Right Picture for your Slides

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By Jullietta Stoencheva

You’ve probably heard that a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, the same goes for presentation photos. Whether it’s using PowerPoint, Sway, or one of those old school overhead projectors (ok, so we might be wrong about that last one), images make messages stronger.

But why?

Well, without getting all geeky about it, research shows that the human brain processes information more easily when supported by pictures. In fact, we remember slides with visual cues 55% better. Pictures just linger in our minds longer than words. So, adding a nice-looking shot to that slide full of bullet points might just help them do their job better.

Like it or not, we’re all visual learners

That said, don’t go overboard. Images need to illustrate your point, not compete with it. Nor should they just be used for decoration. See, because they’re so memorable, it’s crucial that the images you use actually support your topic, otherwise, your audience will be remembering the wrong thing, and that would be a little annoying.

Skip the cliché cogs and archery targets

Instead, go for images that illustrate genuine emotions that connect with your audience on a more personal level. Emotion-evoking presentations increase engagement, so support your message with shots that shock, surprise or make people laugh.

Show them something they haven’t seen

Memes and classic images may be recognizable, but chances are that your listeners will switch off. Worse still, they might associate them with another context where they’ve seen them and not to your presentation. All of a sudden, your photo is distracting and detracting from your message instead of supporting it. As for that handshake photo on your introduction slide – your audience has seen that one too many times. Give them something fresh to make them smile instead.

Make the right point with the right metaphor

For example, if your slide is a call-to-action, make sure the picture illustrates the same action. Be bold, creative, and have fun when choosing your visuals.

Lastly, don’t forget about quality and style

Here are a few things to avoid:

Small, pixelated or grainy images
Overly saturated, flashy image colors
Images that don’t match the rest of your color palette
Pictures that are hard to look at or steal all the attention.

Jullietta Stoencheva is a Media Psychology graduate from the University of Cologne, Germany. Jullietta manages the content and community of Pickit.com, a marketplace for presentation images. In addition, she is responsible for PR and media inquiries, as well as social media management of the company. Outside of work, Jullietta is a photo enthusiast, passionate about reading, literature and meeting new people.

The views and opinions expressed in this blog post or content are those of the authors or the interviewees and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer, or company.

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Choosing the Right Picture for your Slides

But why?

Like it or not, we’re all visual learners

Skip the cliché cogs and archery targets

Show them something they haven’t seen

Make the right point with the right metaphor

Lastly, don’t forget about quality and style

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