There is a fine line to walk. For a technical paper where content of code or coding technique is the point, then the trick is to distill out of the real code, the essence of what you are trying to show. The detail of particular syntax might be the point, so focus on that, and not presenting a piece of code that will acually run if you cut and pasted it into a code window for execution. The actual "real" code can be referenced in the paper, but pseudo code is often better for presentation. I personally find that clipart distracts more often than it contributes because I start thinking about the relevance of the art to the point being made, not about the point itself. We have enough metadata alrady. That is not to say I'm oposed to "graphics" or "InfoGraphics" in a presentation, but it takes skill to present on the key points that need to be distilled out of one. Information transmission is fundamenatally down to the signal to noise ratio. Look at the slide in relation to what you will say while it is up on the screen from that point of view. The content of the slide should support or enhance the presentation point being made, not add noise that distracts from it being detected. As for judging, I guess that depends on what the point of the judging is. Is the judging panel clear about that? It is hard not to let bias enter the process. personal bias, subject matter expertise, age, culture...