For decades, researchers have shown that visuals make presentations more persuasive, clearer, and more memorable than words alone. However, most of those studies were done in academic settings, often comparing slides to no slides at all.
What hasn’t been studied nearly as much is the type of visuals presenters should use in real-world business settings. Are image-driven slides truly more effective? Or do good old-fashioned bullet points still play an important role?
We set out to find the answer through a pilot study comparing text-based bullet point slides with image-driven visual slides in a business presentation. What we discovered challenges some common assumptions about presentations and offers practical takeaways for communicating most effectively.
How We Tested It
To explore how different types of visuals affect presentations, we conducted a pilot study with 91 participants. Each person was randomly assigned to one of three groups:
- Control group – watched the presenter with no slides at all
- Text group – watched the same presentation supported by bullet point slides
- Image group – watched the same presentation supported by image-based slides
The presentation was identical in every other way: same topic (the benefits of slide management tools), same length (3 minutes and 30 seconds), and even the same relatively inexperienced presenter. This helped ensure the only difference was the type of visuals used.
Afterward, participants evaluated the presenter and, for the test groups, the slides themselves. They also completed short-term recall questions to measure retention and engagement, and persuasion questions to see how the visuals influenced their overall impressions.
What We Found
The results revealed clear differences between bullet points and images and challenged a few common assumptions.
How the Presenter Was Perceived
Adding slides (both bullet point and image-based) made the presenter look better than speaking without visuals, with participants rating the speaker as clearer and more credible. Image-based slides gave a stronger impression of clarity and data quality, while bullet points actually scored higher on preparedness and professionalism.
How the Slides Were Viewed
When compared head-to-head, image-based slides were seen as more engaging, clearer, and more visually appealing. However, differences were generally small to moderate, and they didn’t come out on top across all measures.
Which Supported Better Recall
Surprising to some, while visual slides improved memory overall, bullet point slides were often better at helping viewers remember specific data points. In fact, on one key question, recall improved by 149% with bullet point text compared to just 67% with image-based visuals.
Engagement & Persuasion
Both types of slides slightly boosted engagement and perceived understanding of the concept. However, neither bullet points nor images made a big difference in convincing participants about the actual need for the solution presented.
The Bottom Line
Our study reinforces what presentation experts have said for years: visuals make a speaker look stronger and help audiences remember more compared to going without slides. But it also challenges the widespread assumption that image-driven slides always beat bullet points.
While images tend to make a presentation feel more engaging and polished, when it comes to remembering specific details, bullet points actually proved more effective.
The takeaway for presenters isn’t to abandon bullet points entirely, but to use them strategically alongside image-based visuals, depending on the communication goal. Images are powerful for grabbing attention and creating impact, while text-based slides can be better for driving data retention. The most effective presentations blend both, using the right tool at the right moment. In the end, it’s how you combine them that makes your message stick.
Ready to elevate your slides? Get started with SlideSource today and design presentations that balance clarity, engagement, and retention.
