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Common Assignments: Repetition and Proximity

Repetition and Proximity

Repetition makes significant ideas, main themes, and key takeaways clear to your viewer. Repeat visual elements (including colors, fonts, textures, images, and sizes) throughout the presentation to show consistency and clear organization.

Example of a slide with no repeated visual elements. Example of a slide with repetition on font and underlining.

Ask yourself: Do you use a cohesive and consistent design throughout your presentation?

The position of items relative to other content also helps communicate hierarchy and relationships. Group items close together to demonstrate a basic relationship, like a link, or a more complex relationship, like causality. When items are close together on a slide, they create a single visual unit, increasing clarity and decreasing clutter.

Example of a slide with content too far apart for visual connection. Example of a slide with content closer together for better visual connection.

Ask yourself: Can your audience easily find necessary elements (or assignment requirements) on each of your presentation slides?