Page 313 - Nutrition Counseling and Education Skills: A Guide for Professionals

The instructional media selected depend on the goals, the size of the audience, the physical facilities, the
equipment and time available, as well as the learning style of the audience.

CASE ANALYSIS 1

Using the questions above, what information might apply to Julie’s audience?

Before discussing types of visuals, let’s identify key principles for all visuals.

Art and Design Principles

The quality and effectiveness of media may depend to a great extent on art and design principles. A
practitioner does not have to be a great artist, but some understanding of simple principles improves results.
First and foremost, the visual must be large enough for all participants to see. Know basic parameters on the
physical conditions where your presentation will occur and the type of presentation before selecting and/or
creating the visuals.

Simplicity and Unity

The presenter should try to convey only one idea at a time, since too many ideas confuse the audience. Decide
what should be at the center of attention or interest and then build around it. Focus on it immediately and
reinforce the message. The inclusion of three main messages is enough for most presentations.

Wording and Lettering

Be concise and use the fewest words possible. Use an image when you can. Working on conciseness of
wording should help to organize the thoughts that the presenter wants to get across. Titles and labels are
placed at various locations. Headings or headlines need to clarify the emphasis and should be in larger print.

Standardizing the size of the lettering (type size) and the kind of lettering (fonts) conveys a more
professional appearance. Times Roman and Gothic are more readable than some stylized script fonts (see Box
14-1 for examples of fonts). The size must be large enough to be read by the reader who is sitting the farthest
away. Limit the number of fonts to one or two. Type size also needs to be considered in handouts. For
handouts, a minimum of 12-point type size is recommended; for the elderly, a 14- or 18-point type size. Dark
colors on light backgrounds provide an effective contrast.4

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