It is rightly said by Saul Bass that “Design is thinking made Visual” and therefore, presenting a project is as equally important as designing it. The art of presenting an architecture project should be cultivated right from the design school, which will help one to deliver the optimum in the practical field too. The Project presentation may not be the most essential in the entire process, but it is the only tool for creating an impression or expression of your project. This article is about those aspects that help to make a successful architecture project presentation. The two types of impressions that an architecture project creates on the audience which can be categorized as Psychological impression and Visual impression.
1. Prepare and Practice.
As the saying goes, “Practice makes a man perfect” and therefore, it is highly advisable to prepare and present. Try to make a dummy presentation in front of a friend, a family member, or even a mirror, which will boost confidence. This makes the presentation look effortless and creates a clear impact on the listener. Practicing the presentation helps to figure out the loopholes and thus creates a room for improvement. Making key points will surely help in memorizing the content.
2. Explain the Structure of Presentation.
At the beginning of the presentation itself, present the glimpses by giving the structure of the presentation. This will keep your audience aware of the topics well in advance along with keeping them on track while the presentation is going on. In addition to this, every slide should have an indication or the title at the bottom which will give the clarity of where you are in the presentation.
3. Audience Matters!
It is very important to know to whom you are presenting. What does your audience want to know from you – basically knowing their interest will help you in making a successful presentation. Set the Goals for yourself, which will fulfill the aim of your listener. The typology and structure of the presentation changes with the type of audience – for instance: if they are your jury members then the defense is the key, if they are students wanting to learn some concepts then the stagewise explanation would work and if they are your clients then the strategic process would help. Sometimes, what is done is less important than how it was done. Understand the difference!
4. Simplicity is the Key.
Avoid using heavy jargons and thus complicating the presentation. Your presentation should be as simple as it can be in terms of introduction, major content, and conclusion. Using heavy jargons may lead to confusion and thus not delivering the exact idea. Your audience and you should be on the same plane, interacting at the same level of knowledge. Therefore, explaining the key points or phases works very well.
5. Wear Confidence First.
As we all know, the first impression is the last, and therefore, it is advisable to represent your best form in terms of physical appearance. Dress up well but in the most comfortable ones. You can still look professional and feel comfortable at the same time.
Here, body language also performs a crucial role. Therefore, I would recommend wearing the confidence first and the rest will settle on its own. A confident speaker can lead a discussion to its desired destination thus fetching the output.
6. More Illustrations.
A presentation should be such that, most of the content should be delivered through various illustrations, images. This will not only make the presentation vibrant but will also convey the meaning with lesser text. Using colors to further demarcate and clarify things will serve the purpose of cherry on the cake.
7. Background and Detailing.
Using a plain background is always recommended. A white background enhances the composition as well as keeps the audience focused. A black background should be used where the images need to enhance in the absence of the text. A visual hierarchy should be maintained to keep the audience on track. Refrain from overdoing and packing up the slide with too much information that is difficult to process at once for the first time viewer.
8. Colors and Fonts.
Try to adopt a color scheme that complements your project theme. Contrasting colors create a sense of variation and thus lose the harmony. Monochrome always works suitably well when there is confusion. Fonts convey those aspects which can be missed while explaining the work and therefore, selection of appropriate type and size of fonts is a must. Avoid using different types of fonts, rather use various sizes of same fonts for heading, labeling, and captioning. The recommended family of fonts is serif type which includes Helvetica, Sans Serif, and Century Gothic.
9. Explanation with Gestures.
Just the visuals and explanations are not going to help. A few hand gestures, body movement sums up to a better way of representation and it also generates confidence amongst the audience.
10. The conclusion is a must!
A summary at the end of the presentation always binds the presentation. After the summary, a simple thank-you should be avoided, rather use a quote or a saying which relates to your project concept or theory. It also represents the end of the explanation and also indicates the room open for questions and answers session for the audience.
