Final answer:
The correct answer is 'a. Animations and transitions'. When creating presentations, it's essential to balance media use and avoid distractions. Enhance your message with media, maintain consistent style, consider accessibility, and avoid common pitfalls such as using overly informal language or unclear sequencing.
Step-by-step explanation:
To answer the question, "Don't overdo ____ or ____, as they can be distracting," the correct response is a. Animations and transitions. While it is beneficial to include visuals and other media such as figures, charts, graphs, photographs, audio, or video in your presentations, it's crucial to use media in a way that doesn't clutter or overwhelm. The media you choose should enhance, not detract from, your message. Moreover, because speeches are auditory by nature, using media and other visual aids can enhance their effectiveness by helping the audience understand complex ideas or by adding emphasis to your message.
It is important to ensure that visuals are large enough to be seen by the audience and that media is clear, concise, and of high quality. Tiny, hard-to-read graphs or muffled audio clips will only frustrate your audience. Consistency in visual style, such as font, colors, and backgrounds, helps maintain a professional and cohesive look. Time and space provided for your audience to absorb the media and visuals are essential. Lastly, consider accessibility to make your presentation inclusive to all audience members, including those with visual impairments or those who rely on interpreters.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid:
Using too much summarizing instead of analyzing.
Employing too much informal language or an unintentional mix of casual and formal language.
Including too few, too many, or inappropriate transitions.
Creating an illogical or unclear sequence of information.