presentation backgrounds

presentation backgrounds

The Importance of Presentation Backgrounds

1. Introduction

The use of background visuals in a PowerPoint presentation can significantly enrich the audience’s understanding of the material presented because they can see how it relates to the spoken message. It can help the audience to grasp the information, and it can also help to prove a point by adding emphasis. Using an image can help the audience to grasp an abstract concept by putting it into a more concrete context. With Microsoft PowerPoint, it is powerful to use a simple pattern, a shaded background, or fancy graphics. You can also use digital photos, but you don’t want to use something too distracting that will take away from your verbal message. An image can also convey a mood and the tone of your message. Since presentations are typically given in a professional setting, it may be best to keep the images business-related. When presenting to an international audience, be sensitive to the fact that certain images may be offensive to different cultures. When considering a background, it is important to know your audience and factor in their expectations and values.

2. Benefits of Using Presentation Backgrounds

Using the right background for the right type of audience can help to “break the ice” between the audience and the presenter. Backgrounds can be a visual way to explain what you are talking about without actually speaking. For example, if you were giving a presentation about the moon and its phases, you could use a picture of the moon as a background and put a bullet point or just the title stating the phase. This can help your audience to have a clear understanding of your topic. If the audience is able to relate to your topic, chances are they will be more interested and ask questions. This will improve your professional image with your audience. A basic but neat and informative presentation can leave a lasting impression on your audience. This can reflect your commitment towards your topic and you will be taken more seriously next time you present to the same audience. Backgrounds can be somewhat amusing and entertaining. It can take a lot of stress out of preparing a presentation for first-time presenters by adding colors and their favorite pictures in an attempt to improve the appeal of their presentation. Time will easily fly by making one and the result will greatly improve compared to a usual plain and simple black on white presentation. Backgrounds can improve the overall quality of your presentation. A good background is important for branding. The background is the first thing people notice and it leaves an impression in their mind. There is no point spending a lot of time making a great presentation and at the end using a standard Microsoft Office background. Take time and advance your graphics onto the background. It will improve your corporate image and will leave a positive, long-lasting impression on your audience. Backgrounds can represent what type of organization or company you are. For example, a financial company would look more professional with a simple plain background using basic colors. While a children’s entertainment company will use bright and exciting colors with lots of pictures representing the nature of their job.

3. Tips for Choosing the Right Presentation Background

The most important thing to remember when choosing a background is contrast. Font and colour of text is almost as important as the text itself. What does it matter if you have a vitally important message, if nobody can read it? And a wall of text is hardly tantalising and attractive. The best way to do this is to write your text in plain font with no colour, and choose the background subsequently. That way you can easily assess the readability and attractiveness of your text. High contrast colours are exciting and vibrant, but can be abrasive on the eyes and difficult to read. Low contrast colours are soothing and easy on the eyes, but can fail to draw attention and appear dull. The best text reading colours are black and white. White text with a black border or ‘glow’ is highly visible on any coloured background. Black text with no effects is highly visible on any light coloured background. If your audience can read everything without squinting, your background is a success.

Likewise, mood has a strong influence on a message. It is very likely that the mood of your background will affect the way you deliver your presentation. A blue and cloudy background might suggest a relaxed and thoughtful atmosphere, with the presenter speaking slowly and articulately. A hot and fiery background might provoke an impassioned and energetic speech. For a background to be successful in affecting mood, it should influence without drawing attention away from the subject. It should be a subtle persuader, setting the mood but not becoming the focus of the presentation.

Every background has a ‘personality’ and whether you like it or not, the audience will be influenced by that personality. A background with trees and wildlife might suggest health and vitality. A space scene with planets and stars may suggest exploration and adventure. Consider the content and message of your presentation and decide on a background with a personality that is inline with what you want to get across.

There are several things to remember when choosing a background for your presentation. For many, the most straightforward advice might be to consider the background in terms of appropriateness. This is a sensible suggestion, but it does not highlight the paramount importance of the background in reinforcing your message.

4. How to Create Engaging Presentation Backgrounds

In order to create an engaging presentation background, an individual should consider the effects of color, texture, images, and the arrangement of these elements. The color of a background should contrast well with the text and should be easy on the eyes. Considering this, one should keep in mind the cultural differences in color symbolism. For example, in the United States, white is a symbol of peace and purity; in western cultures and Japan, it is a symbol of death. Texture can add a lot to a presentation, but should be used sparingly. A highly textured background can be distracting and detract from the presentation. If the background image is a photograph, this is a no-brainer. It should fill the slide. If it is a small image that is being tiled, it should be something that will look acceptable being repeated. When adding these elements together, they should still allow for easy reading. This is when the arrangement becomes important. If there is any doubt, arrange the elements on a slide and squint at it. Does the slide appear too busy? If so, consider removing some elements, or changing the arrangement and/or the elements themselves.

5. Conclusion

After examining how presentation backgrounds can improve oral power, audience recall, and effectiveness, it is clear that backgrounds play a pivotal role in determining whether a speaker’s message will be conveyed successfully. Considering that most scholarly research on this subject has been carried out fairly recently, it is important to note that backgrounds have not always been viewed as a crucial element. However, the motion picture “Behind the Screens” is evidence that backgrounds have influenced the viewer’s perceptions, if not subconsciously. In one scene, Charlie Chaplin peels a potato in a room with very ordinary furnishings. He is suddenly called away and forgets the potato. Upon returning, “miners” had turned his living quarters into a great discovery of gold. The room itself had not changed, but the context had, and thus the entire scene. The transition from the classroom to the professional world offers further evidence that the importance of backgrounds is not viewed as highly as it should be.