Tips for a good scientific visual aid

You're tasked with a presentation at a conference next month. You start putting them all together- the material, the design and the content. Now what? There's a fine art (and sound science) on how you can do a perfect scientific presentation. Visual charts that break down dense information into easily digestible chunks, a good flow of conversation and interaction, and an impactful performance that's sure to bring the house down. Here are some tips on how you can create that killer scientific visual aid that will wow your audience: Start With A Striking Color Palette The law of visual design states that you have to follow this palette on each slide you create. For example, you can put dark grey for the font, a light green for the background and red font for the headers. Customized color scales can be found online if you want an idea on how it looks like and how it works. Apply The Appropriate Font Use two, not one main font and use each one according to how you want the presentation to be. The larger font should be used for headers and titles while the smaller font can be used for text. The size should also follow this 2-rule. Use the same font size for text and a bigger font size for the titles. Having one too many will confuse your audience. Appeal To The Visual

Images serve to engage your audience, so it makes sense that you should put up more images than text when creating your presentation. Text should be used as sparingly as possible, while images should be placed first. People should not be reading from the visual aid- it's up to you, the speaker to do that. Images must complement what you're saying and simplify the message. Short videos that explain complex processes should be inserted to send a simple yet effective relaying of information to your audience. Lines and Shapes Lines and shapes can enhance the overall scientific presentation to great effect. For example, you can use rectangles and insert the content you wish to show in order. Just make sure to be uniform all throughout for the sake of consistency. Include Artful Diagrams Don't be afraid to enlarge your diagrams to drive the visual point home. For example, if you want to show the parts of the brain, you can put it out to the whole left side of your slide while cutting out the ears and the eyes part. Attractive Data How does one spruce up boring data? Simple. You can divide up the data into their own areas, then enlarge each section in accordance to the timing of your presentation. Helpful and colorful images can be used to highlight the importance of each datum. You can change text size for extra emphasis. The Perfect Font Size Do not go below font size 36- anything smaller will make your audience squint to try and read your presentation. Effects and Animation Don't go overboard with the visual effects and animation. Keep things interesting with one or two. Having one too many will make your scientific presentation look cluttered and unprofessional. Don't Forget The Title Remove the page number and put up a small title that marks the subject of your scientific visual aid. This will serve as a reference and keep your audience in the loop.