Consider Your Context, Audience, Purpose, and Role

During a multimedia presentation, slides containing text or graphics are projected on a screen, and in some cases, audio, video, or animations are played. Multimedia presentations can also include links to the Web and embedded applications, such as spreadsheets. As you consider whether and how you might use multimedia during a presentation, focus in particular on the setting in which your audience will see your presentation. Most often, multimedia presentations are made in person, typically in lecture halls or meeting rooms that are equipped with projection equipment and public address systems. At other times, though, these presentations are given in more intimate settings where the presentation is viewed on a laptop screen or using a portable LCD projector. In some cases, multimedia presentations are created for delivery via the Web, allowing a larger audience to access the presentation. Web-based multimedia presentations can be designed so that the speaker either appears in a smaller video window next to the presentation slides or provides a voice-over for each slide. More often, however, Web-based presentations consist only of the slides, and no audio or video is provided.

A strong multimedia presentation does one of two things. If it is used to accompany an oral presentation in front of a group of listeners, it should highlight your points without stealing the show. If it serves as your only point of contact with your audience — that is, if it will be viewed on a computer, tablet, or smartphone — your presentation needs to stand on its own. In this sense, context — and in particular the setting in which your presentation is delivered and any time limits you might have to work within — has important implications for how you pursue your writing goals and meet your audience’s expectations.

Once you understand the context for your presentation, consider how it will shape your efforts to achieve your purpose, adopt your role, and meet the expectations of your audience. If you are giving a talk as you make your presentation, you can use many of the techniques that are used during an oral presentation, such as observing and responding to your audience, varying the pitch and loudness of your voice, using gestures, and establishing eye contact with members of the audience. You can also invite questions and encourage discussion among members of your audience. If you are preparing a presentation that will be viewed on the Web, put yourself in the place of someone who will be encountering your ideas for the first time. Ask yourself what you’d find confusing, surprising, or interesting. Better yet, ask some friends to read a draft of your presentation. Observe their reactions to each slide, and ask them how you might improve the presentation.