presentation background

presentation background

The Power of a Persuasive Presentation Background

1. Understanding the Impact of Presentation Backgrounds

The case of a company logo used as a background is an often seen instance of PowerPoint misuse. It is thought by the presenter that the audience will gain understanding of the company and its ideas through a logo set as a constant reminder in the corner of the screen. The reality is that a presentation is a method of communication to relay an idea or a product, and that the company is better showcased through the speech and supplementary text with the logo only acting as a representation tool. The time and effort put in by the presenter to find that image in a suitable resolution and saving it as a bitmap, which takes up far too much memory, would have been better spent surfing the net for a clearer understanding of the difference between JPEG and Bitmap. A clearer understanding would result in the realization that the very same logo could have been portrayed with equivalent diagnostic quality and much smaller memory consumption through the use of a JPEG. An audience will be better able to understand that idea or product when more memory is occupied by slides pertaining to the subject matter rather than the background itself.

Presentation software primarily uses the analogy of transparencies and overhead projectors to describe how presentation backgrounds work. A transparency, when the entire focus of a presentation, can diminish audience understanding due to the lack of context. Instead, a speaker must use a contrast of transparencies and words to better communicate with his or her audience. In the same sense, a presentation background should enhance the audience’s understanding and should be acted upon by the speaker as a guide for better communication. This is where the importance of understanding the impact of different presentation backgrounds becomes relevant.

2. Choosing the Right Presentation Background

Once you have determined the purpose of your presentation, it is time to think about the presentation background. Remember that the background’s sole purpose is to illuminate the subject; it is not meant as a distraction spawn. Generally, you will need to use slides to assemble complex and multifaceted material or to signify statistical data. Make sure that your slides are legible. This might mean having to simplify statistical graphs and charts, but the clarity will help you communicate your message more efficiently. Ask yourself whether the template’s background is appropriate for the topic and content of your presentation. For instance, it’s quite likely that you could use an image as a background. It is essential that this image is relevant to the content of your slide. If it is not, it will detract from the message you are trying to communicate. In this case, the title of the slide is “Choosing the Right Background”. Obviously, the image detracts from the content of the slide, and thus it is a poor choice of background. The best choice that you could make when choosing a presentation background is to simply use a solid color. This ensures that there are no distractions from the content of your slides, and it is suitable for any type of presentation. It might sound boring, but it’s a safe choice. The only time you absolutely have to use a slide is in trying to persuade an audience. This is one of the few instances where the content of your speech should be the focus of the audience’s attention. In which case, it may be just as effective to use a blank slide with a colored font to illustrate hierarchical points of the topic. For example, red for points against the topic and blue for points for the topic.

3. Enhancing Visual Appeal with Presentation Backgrounds

Color is often the easiest way of enhancing the slide background; considering the purpose and the audience, the presenter can choose the most suitable shade. A gradient background is a good way of adding a bit of depth to the slide background. A picture or graphic can be added to the background using the watermark feature. Textured or photographic backgrounds can also be used to enhance the background, but one has to be careful about the contrast and legibility of the text and ensure that the text doesn’t get lost in the busy background. Steps should be taken back and look at the slide from a distance at the size of the audience to check if the text on the background is readable.

3.1 Different Types of Backgrounds

We can enhance the visual appeal of the presentation by adding a background. The background can be a solid color, graphics, designs, or use a photograph. A well-chosen background can greatly enhance the visual appeal of a presentation.

4. Using Presentation Backgrounds to Convey Messages Effectively

There are three different psychological explanations of implicit messages to help explain how background effects persuasion. The first is the Elaboration Likelihood Model. This model has two routes to persuasion – the central route and peripheral route. The central route involves deep thinking and scrutinizing arguments which the audience has been presented. This will only lead to attitude changes being more resistant to later change, and it is only more likely to occur if the arguments presented are strong and valid. A background implicit message can influence evident attitudes which the central route does not. The peripheral route involves attitude change with the use of the shortcut method triggering changes in the attitudes that are not resistant to later change. This is more likely to occur, and as such, the implicit message is significant.

The final application of visual background in a PowerPoint presentation – including color, images, patterns, and textures – provides the best opportunity for the selection of an appropriate message. Choosing an effective presentation background is an even more crucial decision than one would think. Properly executed and considered background selection can actually enhance or encourage persuasion of the presentation. An implicit message is a signal to the audience to think or feel something, but it is not stated explicitly. Variable factors from the colors, the alignment of the visual, and the available space can affect the persuasion level of the implicit message.

5. Mastering the Art of Persuasion with Presentation Backgrounds

Consider the moment when a clothes store presents itself as a professional establishment. It is unlikely that one will walk into a business meeting wearing a swimsuit, unless his prior behavior establishes a reputation for creativity or non-conformity. The theory that our dress and behavioral patterns can affect the way others perceive our level of professionalism is based on the premise known as impression management. This theory is easily transferable to the realm of presentations and public speaking. One way to obtain the desired response from an audience during a presentation is to manage the audience’s impressions of the speaker. Just as a president will strive to maintain a confident and authoritative image at all times, speakers who wish to persuade their audience will seek a powerful and confident impression through their speech. They, like the president, believe that the more powerful and confident their performance, the more likely they will attain compliance with their wishes or ideas. One overlooked method of impression management in presentations, however, is the employment of a professional background. Though its effects and influence are difficult to measure, it is unwise to deny the substantial potential power and persuasion that a professional background can provide to one’s audience. A study of the effects of background color in consumer decision-making and argument strength has shown that individuals are more influenced by background color in the realm of low involvement decision tasks and less influenced in the realm of high involvement decision tasks. Though this study is geared more towards consumer behavior, one can realize a parallel connection between consumer decision making to audience decision-making and the relevance of the study to presentations.