Preparing for an event comes with a long checklist of tasks, and creating a visually engaging presentation can often be a stressful one. Catching your audiences’ eye is one obstacle, but keeping it is another. Having a visually engaging presentation is an easy way to help your audience absorb and retain the information you will be speaking about.

However, if your visuals are over or underwhelming, they may be a distraction from your message.

These four tips for creating a visually engaging presentation will ensure that your presentation is as communicative and captivating as your message.

Color me captivated.
Using color in your presentation is a simple way to create a presentation that’s visually appealing. Aim to use, at most, three to four colors, to keep your presentation looking neat. Be sure to avoid using bright or light colors that may not be legible when projected onto a screen. Lastly, if possible, use a color palette that is specific to your brand for consistency and enhanced brand alignment.

Keep it clean.
Maintaining a clean layout throughout your presentation is vital to ensure that it's not distracting to your audience. Refrain from using chaotic slide transitions or fonts that are hard to read. Though we all love a good GIF, try to limit your use of them in presentations.

Less is more.
One of the most common ways to overwhelm your audience is by having too much text on each slide. Instead of listening to what you have to say, your audience will be caught up in trying to read what's on the screen. To avoid this, try to use the fewest words possible. A good rule of thumb is to use a maximum of six lines of text per slide.

Show, don’t tell.
Using visuals is a good alternative to using text on slides. Photos, graphs, and symbols help your audience digest information without becoming distracted from your talk. For example, show your statistics with a graph or use brand logos instead of writing out names.

Keeping your audience engaged visually is just as important as keeping them engaged vocally. With the perfect amount of color, text, and visuals, your presentation can quickly become the perfect co-presenter.

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This post was written by cred’s intern, Leen Azmeh.