One of my biggest pet peeves is being in a presentation and having the instructor just read off slides that are text heavy. I was at presentation not too long ago in which the speaker referenced his slide deck and had 0 images, none, zip, zilch, zero. It was unbelievable really that a speaker using a projector and a slide deck didn't use a single image to illustrate his points. Its not like it would have been difficult, many of his ideas would have been easily portrayed with an image.
Item #1 for effective visual presentations is to use pictures. If I was presenting on the election and what the electoral map looked like and I was doing it without any visuals my audience would be lost as soon as I started. On the other hand a good map with identifiable color, text, and symbols can really enhance a discussion on the electoral college
This image helps make the complications of 50 states of differing sizes and numbers of votes understandable. Trying to explain this topic without a visual would be nearly impossible.
#2 Don't bullet point and read everything. Too much text and reading is an absolute waste of the tool. College professors are notorious for this bad behavior and poor use of technology. We all know they like to hear themselves talk, but c'mon don't read it too.
#3 A good presentation slide deck shouldn't make a lot of sense without the presenter. There should be images and text but the presentation shouldn't necessarily make sense if you are just looking at the deck. A good presenter weaves a story and ties everything together. That's the magic of a good presentation, don't tell and show everything all at once.
Good visual design should ensure everything is legible and understandable, increase engagement, and focus attention. If you are checking your phone or looking at the clock somewhere along the presenter failed in one of these areas.
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