Presentation Skills Training Effective Visual Aid Design 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A presenter is designing slides for a room where the furthest viewer is 40 feet away. What should be their primary visual aid concern?
- Text size and contrast to ensure readability at distance (Correct answer)
- Using the most current slide template
- Including detailed footnotes for accuracy
- Maximizing the number of slides shown
Correct answer: Text size and contrast to ensure readability at distance
Viewing distance directly impacts legibility; text and graphic elements must be large enough and high-contrast enough to be seen clearly from the back of the room.
Question 2: What is a 'deck' in the context of business presentations?
- A complete set of slides that form a presentation (Correct answer)
- The physical platform where a presenter stands
- A type of chart used for financial data
- The slide notes section visible only to the presenter
Correct answer: A complete set of slides that form a presentation
In business contexts, 'deck' is standard terminology for a collection of slides that together make up a presentation or pitch.
Question 3: Which approach best demonstrates the 'assertion-evidence' slide design model?
- A slide headline states a clear claim, supported by a relevant visual or data graphic below (Correct answer)
- Bullet points list all features of a product followed by a conclusion slide
- Each slide contains a single large image with no text
- Slides alternate between questions and answers throughout the presentation
Correct answer: A slide headline states a clear claim, supported by a relevant visual or data graphic below
The assertion-evidence model, developed by Michael Alley, uses a full-sentence headline to make a claim and uses visuals — not bullets — to prove it.
Question 4: When a presenter uses a physical object as a visual aid instead of a slide, what is the PRIMARY benefit?
- It creates a tangible, memorable experience that engages multiple senses (Correct answer)
- It saves preparation time compared to building slides
- It ensures the audience stays awake
- It eliminates the need for technology
Correct answer: It creates a tangible, memorable experience that engages multiple senses
Physical objects engage touch, sight, and sometimes other senses, creating multisensory experiences that are more memorable than purely visual slide content.
Question 5: What is the '10-20-30 rule' proposed by Guy Kawasaki for presentations?
- No more than 10 slides, 20 minutes, and 30-point minimum font size (Correct answer)
- 10 images, 20 words per slide, 30 seconds per slide
- 10% animation, 20% data, 30% storytelling
- 10 slides per hour, 20pt font, 30-second transitions
Correct answer: No more than 10 slides, 20 minutes, and 30-point minimum font size
Guy Kawasaki's 10-20-30 rule is a practical guideline for pitch presentations: 10 slides, 20-minute limit, and 30pt font to prevent text overload.
Question 6: A presenter plans to include a video clip in their slide deck. What is the MOST important technical consideration?
- Embedding the video file in the presentation rather than linking to an external source (Correct answer)
- Ensuring the video is at least 10 minutes long
- Using auto-play so it starts without clicking
- Converting the video to black-and-white for professionalism
Correct answer: Embedding the video file in the presentation rather than linking to an external source
Embedding video files ensures they play even without an internet connection or if the original file path changes on a different computer.
Question 7: Which slide element is most effective for helping audiences understand a process or sequence of steps?
- A flowchart or process diagram (Correct answer)
- A pie chart
- A data table
- A scatter plot
Correct answer: A flowchart or process diagram
Flowcharts and process diagrams use arrows and shapes to visually map sequences, making the order and relationships between steps immediately clear.
Presentation Skills Training Effective Visual Aid Design 5
A presenter is designing slides for a room where the furthest viewer is 40 feet away.
What should be their primary visual aid concern?