Recall a time when you were basking in the sun. How did your skin feel? What scents were in the air? What did you see and hear around you? How well can you recollect all these details? Our memories are more vivid when we engage all our senses. According to Richard Mayer from the University of California at Santa Barbara, the connection between multisensory experiences and improved memory is an emerging field in cognitive psychology research.

In Mayer’s studies, students exposed to multisensory environments, which include videos, texts, and images, can remember information better compared to those who receive information through a single sensory channel, like reading text or viewing. To create presentations that stick in people’s minds, it’s important to communicate in a way that appeals to more than one sense. In this context, we will explore how to convey information through sight and sound, our two primary senses.

When it comes to sight, there are essentially two ways to communicate information: pictures and text. You’ve likely noticed that successful TED talks often use images rather than text-heavy PowerPoint slides. This approach makes sense because we have limited capacity for processing information. A presentation overloaded with words can overwhelm and distract your audience. Instead, use images to complement your presentation, along with a few concise keywords that support your message.

For the sense of hearing, you can use rhetorical devices like repetition. Think about Martin Luther King’s iconic speech, where he repeated the phrase “I have a dream.” These words are still remembered today and strongly associated with King. A more recent example is Barack Obama’s famous slogan, “Yes, we can,” which helped rally the electorate around his message and contributed to his election as the President of the United States.