The use of Visual Aids

The most important thing to remember is that visual aids should be just that: visual and aids. Visual, in that they make use of the most effective channel of communication of all, the sense of sight, not just be providing the audience with something to look at, but wherever possible providing them with pictures rather than words to look at. Aids, in that they should help, not hinder, the audience in receiving and understanding the speaker's message. Some examples of visual aids include, whiteboards, flip charts,physical objects, overhead projectors, data projectors, slide projectors, videos, etc. Used badly, visual aids are time-wasting, distracting, expensive, inflexible, at best confusing, at worst catastrophic and humiliating. Used well however, visual aids are time-saving, essential, interesting, entertaining, memorable and invaluable.