cool presentation boards

Best Architecture Presentation Board Ideas 

• AEC Marketing
• Digital Asset Management

Posted by: Cinthya Soto

If you’re an architect, you know that one of the most impactful methods for expressing your ideas is creating architecture presentation boards. These boards serve as more than just showcasing your project; they effectively portray your concepts and narrate the story of your design. 

However, creating your architecture presentation board can prove challenging. It’s crucial to establish a well-designed layout that maintains a cohesive and engaging narrative. This will enable you to effectively communicate your ideas and elevate the impact of your architecture proposal .  

In this blog, we’ll explore ten architecture presentation board concepts, encompassing vital elements necessary for crafting a polished and visually captivating presentation. These ideas include various aspects such as layout, structure, visual hierarchy, color, and more, all contributing to the creation of a professional and visually engaging presentation. 

By the end of this blog, you’ll possess the knowledge and confidence necessary to produce a creative and impactful architecture presentation board. This will allow you to showcase your architecture projects accurately and secure new projects.

What Is an Architecture Presentation Board? 

Applying all of this information to your architecture presentation board may seem challenging, but with the help of a well-designed layout, you can effortlessly tackle this task. 

An architecture presentation board is a visually appealing graphic that effectively summarizes all the ideas of your project. It provides a condensed and clear representation of your design. Architects use architecture presentation boards to showcase their projects and work. 

The purpose of a presentation board is to construct a narrative that effectively conveys the essential information of your project in a self-explanatory manner. This enables readers to comprehend each of the proposed solutions with ease. 

An architecture presentation board fulfills multiple objectives, including:

• Serving as a tool for presenting designs to clients, superiors, or colleagues 
• Assisting in attracting clients and securing commissions 
• Contributing to the advancement of your career and elevating your architectural projects to new heights 

Architecture presentation boards serve various purposes, being used by both students and professionals. During your time as a student, these presentations are crafted for juries and submissions, allowing you to present your work to professors and peers. In your professional life as an architect, these boards are used to present designs to clients, committees, shareholders, and exhibitions. 

In many ways, an architecture presentation board resembles a sales pitch, as you are essentially promoting your design, ideas, and concept to win clients over.

10 Architecture Presentation Board Ideas 

While the architecture presentation board may not be the only aspect of the project itself, it certainly has an impact on the audience. Additionally, it can showcase your artistic abilities and design skills. 

The structure of an architecture presentation board serves as the platform for combining the key ideas of your project, presenting only the essential elements required for a clear understanding of the proposed concept. Remember, there is no need to incorporate every single detail into the presentation board. It is equally important to be careful with the amount of text used and to maintain focus on the central idea of the project. 

To help you get started, let’s take a look at some of the essential concepts (with examples) that must be considered when creating your architecture presentation board. This will help you create a flawless presentation board for clients.

1. Size and Orientation 

When designing your architecture presentation board, you will have to determine whether you will be presenting them in landscape or portrait orientation. You can explore different formats to enhance the presentation of your proposal. 

However, it’s not certain you’ll get to choose the size or orientation of your presentation boards. You’ll most likely encounter limitations that restrict you to a particular board size and a specific number of boards. Sometimes you will have the opportunity to choose the size and orientation of your presentation boards. However, more often than not, these decisions will be decided by your director, client, or professor. It’s important to ensure that you are aware of the parameters beforehand to avoid any inconsistencies. 

If you’re a student, it is common for professors to impose restrictions regarding board sizes and the number of boards. In such cases, you should verify whether your boards should be presented in landscape or portrait orientation. 

However, if you have been allowed to decide for yourself, take some time to think about it. Consider which orientation will make your graphics stand out the most and which one will best tell the story of your project. 

Apart from deciding whether your board will be in the landscape or portrait orientation, you will have to decide which way you will present your board. Some options include: 

• Side by side as a single large board 
• As one equivalent-sized poster
• As separate boards arranged in a sequence 

Keep in mind, the orientation and size of your boards can also have an impact on the structure and layout of your presentation.

2. Layout 

When arranging your architecture presentation board, think about the main ideas you want to express. Then, decide on the images and graphics that will best showcase those concepts. Collect all the required information and take note of the graphics and text that will best convey your concepts effectively. 

Before starting the actual layout of your boards, take time to sketch out different versions to identify the most suitable arrangement. Create small-scale sketches to capture the basic flow of each board, enabling you to experiment with different element placements before finalizing your design on the boards themselves. This process allows for flexibility and adjustments to ensure you achieve a complete overview of your ideal layout. 

Once you have decided on the layout you want, think about how much space each element will require on the page. Make sure each graphic is big enough to make an impact and consider the amount of space you want to leave between each graphic. Leave enough space so that it doesn’t look crowded or messy, but, avoid leaving too much space as well, as it may give the wrong impression. 

3. Structure 

Using a grid structure is the most common layout method used among architects because it simplifies the organization of visual elements in your presentation. Several compositions can be used when using a grid structure, such as square or rectangular grids, mixing texts, and images, or even adopting an organic structure. 

The grid serves as the fundamental framework for diagramming. Diagramming an architectural presentation board involves the organization and arrangement of graphic and textual elements that deliver comprehensive information about your project. This process ensures a well-structured and cohesive representation of your proposal, providing viewers with an accurate representation of your architectural vision. 

Keep in mind, you are essentially narrating a story, therefore you must carefully consider the flow of the narrative as you organize your presentation board. To help you get started, follow these steps: 

• Consider the perspective of the individual observing your presentation 
• Prioritize what you want them to see first 
• Strategize the most effective approach to displaying your project’s story to them 
• Evaluate if your structure and layout successfully achieve this objective 

Remember, normally, we read presentations from left to right and from top to bottom, so consider the story of your project and how it will be read. 

You should also consider how each board in your presentation relates to each other. Assess whether there is a logical progression from one board to the next, ensuring that the sequence flows seamlessly. In case you will not display all the boards simultaneously, consider numbering them to guide your viewers and ensure they follow the correct sequence. 

4. Background 

The background of your architecture presentation board should not be complex or cause difficulty. We want the viewer to easily see all the elements without any distractions from a busy background. It’s important to avoid anything that may draw attention away from the crucial details of the board. Let your graphics and text take center stage, refraining from using bold colors or textures that may take away the focus from them. 

With that being said, be very careful when choosing a black background. It may diminish the readability of text and potentially reduce the impact of your graphics. Moreover, background images, if chosen, can often be distracting. A black background could also set a cold and boring tone. Therefore, if you opt for this approach, make sure that all the information remains easily comprehensible. 

On the other hand, going for a white or light gray background will enhance the visibility of your graphics and text, allowing them to stand out effectively. This choice gives your presentation a professional appearance without overwhelming the viewer. While you can incorporate other colors that align with your central concept, ensure that the background remains plain enough for the viewer’s attention to be primarily directed towards the design rather than the background itself. 

Regardless of the color you select for your background, use it strategically to your benefit. Embrace the concept of negative space and leverage its power. Include only essential information in your presentation, resisting the temptation to fill empty spaces with irrelevant details. The skillful use of negative space enhances the impact of your design, creating a clean and professional feel. 

5. Colors 

While we discussed the use of the typical black, white, and gray colors in an architecture presentation board, don’t hesitate to include some colors. ​​However, be mindful of your color choices to strike the right balance, ensuring that your board doesn’t appear dull or overwhelming. Introducing hints of color can bring life to your presentation boards and draw attention to the elements you want to highlight. This will help guide your viewers’ focus to the key aspects of your presentation board.

How you can use colors to make your design more lively? One example is you can add a contrasting color like green for landscaping to a mostly single-color presentation. You can also use a different color to represent specific building materials, such as brick, glass, or wood. These color choices bring visual appeal and improve the overall look of your design. 

You can also consider opting for a bold and attention-grabbing color, such as pink or red, to serve as a prominent feature in your diagrams. If you aren’t feeling inspired, there are many pre-made color palettes available online for you to work with. 

The choice is yours and whichever color you decide to continue with, make sure to always ensure consistency by using the same color across all of your boards. This approach will help maintain a cohesive and seamless flow throughout your presentation.

6. Visual Hierarchy 

When creating your architecture presentation board, leverage visual hierarchy to highlight specific images on your presentation boards. This means you should select which image deserves the most visual attention within the hierarchy. Identify your project’s strongest point that you want to highlight, and make it the main focus that catches the viewer’s eye from far away. You should also incorporate other images that reveal their details when viewed up close. 

So, how can you do this effectively? There are various techniques to draw attention to a specific drawing, such as playing with color or size. Don’t be afraid to use up the space you need to display the images that are crucial for your vision. For example, you can make the image you wish to highlight the largest, ensuring it can be viewed clearly from a distance of 6ft. This effectively communicates the visual hierarchy and emphasizes the importance of the highlighted image. 

Another method is to use color to direct the viewer’s attention to a specific graphic. By using color in a targeted manner, you can effectively guide the viewer’s eye toward the main idea on the board. 

You also have the option to center the image you want to highlight and arrange the surrounding content to complement it. This technique is particularly effective when the image contains elements that serve as the background of the architecture presentation board, such as a large sky or landscape. 

For the best outcome, focus on keeping the overall vision of your project in mind and selecting images that directly display and strongly support that idea.

7. Image Selection 

Choosing the right images is an important aspect of creating your architecture presentation board. The graphics you select can either make or break your entire presentation board. Throughout the architectural design process, you will generate various sketches, models, renderings, and drawings. Make sure to carefully select the images that effectively communicate the important details of your project. 

Keep in mind, using an excessive number of images in your presentation can lead to a cluttered and confusing visual experience for the viewer. However, using enough images may give the impression that you needed to invest more effort into your presentation. Strive for a balanced representation that showcases your project effectively. 

8. Content 

Not only should your architecture presentation board be easy to understand but it should also demonstrate your full commitment and dedication to your project. 

When it comes to planning out the content for your presentation board, consider the following elements to ensure a clear understanding:

• Internal and external images 
• Isometric views and exploded views 
• Perspective cut 
• Diagrams 
• Volumetry studies 
• Descriptive memorial 
• Technical drawings (plans, cuts, and details) 

It’s important to note that not all the mentioned items need to be included in every project, as this depends on the specific requirements and nature of each project. However, these elements are valuable resources that can enhance the understanding of your architecture proposal whenever applicable. 

9. Text 

It’s important to keep text at a minimum on your architecture presentation board. You should write a concise and focused concept statement, avoiding wasting time on lengthy descriptive text that is unlikely to be read. Shoot for a clear and short message that effectively communicates your concept. 

Some questions to consider when organizing the text sections in your architecture presentation board include: 

• What is easier to read? 
• What flows best? 
• What is pleasing to the eye?

Moreover, when creating the text for your architecture presentation board, consider the alignment of your text within its designated text box. Think about which alignment is easier to read and pay attention to text spacing and hyphenation to ensure they appear visually pleasing on your presentation board. Don’t forget that the size and alignment of your text boxes should complement your graphics. They are important elements of the visual hierarchy in your presentation. 

Some tips to consider when creating the text for your architecture presentation board: 

• Do not use all capitals in your text, unless it’s for the title 
• Follow the standard rules of capitalization for a professional and easy-to-read presentation board 
• When possible, replace text with simple illustrative sketches and figures

Remember, your presentation serves as your sales pitch. Therefore, avoid lengthy explanations that would cause you to lose your audience’s attention and keep your message concise and engaging to effectively capture and maintain their interest.

10. Font 

Select an appropriate font for your title and text, using only one font type per project whenever possible. However, you can create variations by adjusting the font size for the title, concept statement, and labeling. Consider using Sans Serif fonts such as Futura or Helvetica, as their sleek and minimalistic style complements modern high-tech designs. 

When choosing a font for your architecture presentation board, consider the following: 

• Avoid script or handwriting fonts to achieve a clean and professional look 
• Keep the color of your font dark (ex. black or dark gray) to provide contrast to a light background 
• Choose a font and size that will be easy to read 
• Make sure the title font and placement are consistent from board to board 
• Use font sizes to create a hierarchy (e.g. a large font for titles, a slightly smaller font for subtitles, and a standard size for the rest of the content.) 

The font you choose for your architecture presentation board can significantly impact its success or failure and greatly influence its level of engagement, which is why it’s important to make sure you find the best architecture font . 

Choosing the Right Elements 

Unless specific instructions are provided to you when creating your architecture presentation board, the choice of elements to include will be up to you. When making these important and creative decisions, consider what elements will effectively express and explain your design most compellingly. Remember to prioritize clarity and coherence to create a successful architectural presentation. 

Next Steps 

We hope this guide on the best architecture presentation board ideas was helpful. As you begin creating your architecture presentation board, remember that there are several solutions out there to help you make better presentation boards and win more business. When it comes to asset management for AEC and real estate professionals, OpenAsset provides a high-quality software solution. 

At OpenAsset, the only Digital Asset Management (DAM) solution designed specifically for firms in the built world, we make it easy to find the digital assets you need. With OpenAsset, you can easily find assets by project or person using keywords or file type. Our secure platform also helps you protect your digital assets by keeping them safe from unauthorized access and accidental deletion. You can also easily share files with team members, clients, and partners using controlled access to files. 

To ensure consistency and manage your ever-growing number of digital assets, request a demo with us and learn how OpenAsset can help you manage your digital assets today.

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How to Create a Successful Architecture Presentation Board

• Updated: December 31, 2023

Architecture is as much about effective communication as it is about innovative design. At the heart of this communicative process lies the architecture presentation board, a tool quintessential for architects to convey their vision, ideas, and concepts.

These boards are more than mere visual aids; they are the narrative bridge between an architect’s imaginative conception and the practical world where these ideas may take shape. They are not just a requirement for academic submissions or professional proposals but are a fundamental aspect of the architectural design process.

They serve as a canvas where ideas are visualized, concepts are explained, and designs are brought to life for various audiences, be it clients, peers, competition judges, or the general public.

Understanding how to effectively create and present these boards is crucial, as a well-crafted presentation not only showcases a finished scheme but also reflects the thought process, attention to detail, and the authors ability to communicate complex ideas succinctly and visually.

What are architecture presentation boards used for?

Architecture presentation boards serve several different purposes:

• Students use them to present work to their professors and peers.
• Professionals use them to present designs to clients, committees, shareholders, and exhibitions.
• They may be a means to win a commission, or they may help to take a project into the next stage. 

What is the purpose of an architecture presentation board?

Architecture presentation boards are a tool to showcase your work. They are a way to draw your viewers into your design process and methods, providing an overall summary and vision for the project. You are communicating your design and showcasing your artistic skills, and your sense as a designer. 

Every successful project has a central concept, a “big picture” theme that gives it purpose. When you look at your project, what is that big idea?

As it is central to your whole project, this will guide you as you prioritize your work and determine the flow of your ideas. The primary purpose of your project is to communicate this central concept in the best way possible.  

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How do you layout an architecture presentation board, 01 – structure/order.

Before you begin laying out your presentation board, think about the main points you want to convey. From there, determine what images and graphics will best represent those ideas. Gather all of the information you will need, making a note of what graphics and text you will need to communicate your ideas.

Remember, you are essentially telling a story, so pay close attention to the flow of the narrative as you arrange your elements. Consider the beginning, middle, and end of the story you want to tell.

Depending on the guidelines you are given, you may present your boards side-by-side, as separate boards presented in a sequence, or as one big poster. If no strict parameters are in place, figure out what structure and layout will tell your story the best. While a series of boards will logically convey your story, one big board is often the easiest option.

02 – Orientation

Will your presentation board be oriented in portrait or landscape? Sometimes you will get to make that call, but many times it will be determined for you by your director, client, or professor. Make sure you know beforehand what the parameters are.

If you get to choose, give it some careful thought. Which orientation will give your graphics the room they need to be the most impactful? Which orientation gives your whole project a natural flow for your narrative? 

03 – Size

Much like orientation, you may or may not get to decide what size your presentation boards will be. You will often have restrictions that limit you to a specific board size and a certain number of boards.

Make sure you know your limitations before you start working on your layout. Your boards should all be the same size to achieve continuity.

You can use a combination of different sizes to produce a board of equivalent size. For example, a combination of two A1  boards will add up to an A0 board. 

04 – Layout

The most common way to organize your layout is by using a grid. Using a grid will help keep the boards in your project consistent.

If you are using InDesign , you can achieve this uniformity by creating a master page that acts as a template for your whole project.

Templates are useful because they can save you a great deal of time, and they ensure uniformity throughout your project. Your grid should include spaces for titles, numbering, your name, and any other information that will repeat on each board.

Before you start laying out your actual boards, sketch out various configurations so you can determine what will work best. You can do a small-scale sketch to get the basic idea of the flow of each board. This allows you to change the arrangement of the elements before you commit to anything on your boards.

You can do this initial phase using software or sketching it out on paper.

After you have determined what type of layout you want to use, estimate how much space you will need for each element on the page. Each graphic needs to be large enough to have an impact. Determine how much space you would like to leave in between each graphic.

Use equal spacing throughout your project to create continuity. Here is an excellent tutorial on planning your layout using Indesign:

The layout of each board should show the relationship between all of the elements. It should be clear to read and follow a logical left-to-right and top-to-bottom progression.

Imagine a viewer looking at your presentation. What do you want them to see first? What is the best way to make them understand your project? Does your layout achieve this?

You should also pay attention to the relationship between each board. Is there a logical progression from one board to the next? Does the sequence make sense? If you will not display the boards in a configuration that makes them all visible at once, make sure you number them, so your viewers follow the correct sequence.

Don’t feel the need to fill every square inch of your presentation board. Leave enough space so that it doesn’t look too busy or cluttered. On the other hand, don’t leave too much space either, or it will look like you didn’t finish the board, didn’t have enough material for the board, or that you didn’t work very hard.

05 – Visual Hierarchy

Some of your images need to garner more attention than others. Consider all of the graphics and text you will be using. Which images are central to your main idea?

The images that are essential for communicating your vision should take up more space in the grid. You should have an image that people can see from a distance and other images that they can see from up close. This creates a visual hierarchy.

What is the most important aspect of your project? Make that the element people can see from a distance. There are ways to accomplish this in addition to making it the largest element on the board. For example, you can use color to draw the viewer’s eye to a particular graphic, especially if the rest of the board is monochromatic.

06 – Background

The background of your presentation board should be simple. This allows the viewer to see all of the elements without the distraction of a busy background. You don’t want anything to detract from the critical details of the board. Your graphics and text should be the primary focus; don’t use bold colors or textures that will detract from that.

A white, or even light gray, background will make your graphics and text stand out. It will give your presentation a professional look that isn’t too busy. You can use other colors if they help convey your central concept; just make sure the background is plain enough that the viewer focuses on the design, not the background.

Be very selective when using a black background, as it may make the text harder to read, and your graphics may not stand out as much as you would like them to.

Whatever color you choose for your background, use it to your advantage.  Effective use of negative space can make your design look clean and professional.

07 – Color Scheme

Many professionals and students stick with black, white, and gray for presentation boards. While this can give your boards a professional look, don’t be afraid to add a pop of color. While sticking with greyscale may seem like a safe choice, there is a risk of blacks and greys making your design seem cold and lifeless.

Think about ways you can use color to bring life to your design. You may opt to add just one color, such as green for landscaping, to provide contrast to an otherwise monochromatic presentation. You could also bring in an additional color to represent a particular building material (brick, glass, wood, etc.).

You can also choose a brighter, more eye-catching color, such as yellow or orange, as a feature in your diagrams . Whatever you choose, use the same color across all of your boards to maintain a consistent flow.

If color is one of the main focuses of your project, or if there are details that you cannot adequately represent in greyscale, then you should feel free to delve deeper into the world of color. Don’t limit yourself to merely an accent color in this case, but don’t take it too far and make the mistake of overusing color to the point where it is a distraction.

08 – Font

All of the text throughout your project should be in one font. Don’t use font style as an avenue for creativity; it is more important to make sure the font style and size produce a readable, consistent product.

Sans serif fonts, such as Helvetica or Futura, will give your presentation a clean, minimalist look.

Avoid script or handwriting fonts, as they will not give your boards a clean, professional look. Keep the color of your font dark (black or dark grey work well) to provide contrast to a light background.

Whichever font you select, make sure the style and size are readable for your viewers before you finalize your boards. The best way to do this is to print out your text on an A3 paper, pin it up somewhere, and stand back to see how it will look when it is displayed.

A full breakdown, list, and description of the most popular fonts for architecture can be found here .

09 – Title

The most common placement for a title bar is the top left since your board will most likely follow a left-to-right and top-to-bottom progression. Many successful and professional-looking boards have titles at the top right, at the bottom, or somewhere in the middle.

Choose the position that makes the most sense for your project. As with other design decisions, make sure it does not distract the viewer from seeing the big picture.  

Make sure the title placement is consistent from board to board. This consistency will be both visually appealing and professional.

10 – Text

Keep your explanations concise. People are not going to spend much time reading lengthy descriptions, so only include relevant information and keep it short. Remember that your text boxes are part of your visual hierarchy, so utilize the size and alignment to complement your graphics. Consider the various ways you can align the text within the text box. What flows best? What is pleasing to the eye?

Aside from your title, do not use all capitals in your text. Your work will look more professional and be easier to read if you stick with the standard rules of capitalization.

Whenever possible, use a graphic or a sketch, rather than an explanation, to portray an idea. Since this is a graphic presentation, you want your graphics to tell the story, not your text. Include a concise statement that highlights the features of your design. This is basically your sales pitch; lengthy explanations will make you lose your audience.

11 – Image Selection

The selection of images is a critical part of putting your presentation board together. The graphics you choose can make or break your entire design presentation.

You want to select the images that best convey the important details of your project. If you use too many images, your presentation may appear cluttered and confusing. If you use too few images, it may look like you did not put much effort into your presentation.

Over the course of your project, you have generated countless sketches, renderings, models, and drawings. Resist the temptation to include everything just to show how hard you worked. Keep your big picture in mind and determine which images will directly show or best support that idea.

12 – Models

On occasion, a physical model, or even several models showing different aspects of your design, may be required for your presentation board. This is an additional means of communicating your vision to your viewers.

There are several materials you can choose for your model. Card and cardboard are inexpensive and come in various weights, finishes, and colors.

Foam board is also available in various widths and thicknesses. It is generally white, but it also comes in other colors. It is very lightweight and sturdy, making it an ideal material for your presentation board.

Balsawood is another good option. It is easy to work with and comes in varying weights. The material you choose will depend on the look you are trying to achieve as well as how much weight you can adhere to your presentation board.  

Your model pieces can be cut by hand with tools such as an X-Acto knife or a scalpel. If you have access to a laser cutter, it will save you some time and give you more precision.

13 – Time Constraints

Give yourself enough time to produce a well-thought-out, effective, visually appealing presentation. You spent a considerable amount of time on your design; it would be a shame to rush through your presentation boards. Give each part of the process enough attention so that your final product really showcases and highlights your talent and hard work. 

Time management is critical when working on a big project like this. It can seem overwhelming at first, so split the project into smaller sub-tasks to make it more manageable. Give yourself a deadline for each of those smaller tasks. Make a schedule that shows which tasks you will accomplish each day. Make sure you leave yourself a little wiggle room in case anything unexpected comes up.

What should be included in an architecture presentation board?

Unless you receive explicit instructions regarding what to include in your presentation boards, it is up to you which elements make the cut. When you are deciding what elements to incorporate into your project, reflect on what will best explain your design.

When someone completely unfamiliar with your project is looking at your boards, what do you want them to see?

When deciding what text to include in your project, make sure you include an introduction, your design brief, and any applicable precedents. In addition, you will want to include concise textual explanations as needed throughout your presentation.

For your graphic representations, you want to include the basics: elevations, floor plans, and sections. You can represent these with 3d drawings, perspectives, or renders.  You may also include some key features of your design that make it unique, and in addition to highlighting the finished product, select elements that show your concept and design development.

Some additional tips:

• When choosing a perspective view, select one that highlights the best aspects of your design. This graphic is usually the most prominent picture on the presentation board. The hero image!
• You will want to include at least two different elevation views so your viewers can get a sense of the bigger picture.
• Don’t be afraid to include sketches. If you include some sketches that show the progression from a simple idea to the final product, you can communicate your vision as well as your process.

When you are adding all of these elements to your presentation board, make sure each graphic representation of the plan has the same orientation. If one picture has north pointed in one direction and another picture has north pointed in a different direction, it can be disorienting for the viewer.

Likewise, each graphic should use the same scale unless there is one picture that is bigger than the others for the purpose of visual hierarchy.

There is one obvious detail that you may inadvertently overlook. Make sure your name is on your presentation board. If you have more than one board, put your name on each one. The name is in the bottom right-hand corner, but it can also appear in the title bar.

Types of Architectural Presentation Boards

Organizing your architectural presentation sheets into specific categories can be a very effective way to present your projects. There are several types of architectural presentation boards, and the following tips can help you present your project at different stages:

C onceptual board

Concept sheets are a type of presentation board that showcase your initial ideas and approach to a project. They typically include information about the concept behind the project and how design decisions were made. It is important to submit concept sheets before presenting your architectural drawings and renderings.

When creating concept sheets, you may want to include conceptual collages and diagrams to help explain your ideas to the audience. These can be created using 3D modeling software or programs like Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator. The goal of concept sheets is to clearly and simply present the various stages of your project to the review panel.

Site a nalysis board

Before beginning a project, architects perform thorough analyses to determine the needs, conditions, and limitations of the site. This analysis serves as the foundation for the concept development. Site analysis boards may include site analysis, urban scale analysis, sociocultural analysis, analysis of physical conditions, and environmental analysis.

It is important to conduct extensive research and present your findings in a clear and organized way, as analysis boards can help reinforce the concepts presented in your architectural drawings.

It is also important to keep in mind that the jury members may have difficulty understanding analysis presented alongside the architectural drawings.

Technical / Detail Board

Technical drawings are a crucial aspect of architectural projects, as they help to depict the structural elements of a design and guide the construction process. It is important to present technical drawings in a clear and organized manner, particularly in application projects and student projects.

Technical drawing boards should typically include a master plan at a scale of 1/5000 or 1/1000, as well as site plans and floor plans at a scale of 1/500, and sections and elevations at a scale of 1/200. Detail drawings, including system sections and details at scales of 1/20, 1/10, and 1/5, should also be included on the technical drawing boards.

These drawings will help to provide a more complete understanding of the project to the review panel.

Professional Boards

While student projects and competition entries are evaluated by a panel of judges, in professional practice, the client serves as the “jury” for your work. Instead of preparing presentation boards in the same way you would for school or competition projects, it is important to create presentations that will appeal to clients.

The most important factor for most clients is the design of the living space, so it can be helpful to focus on renderings and plain plans rather than technical drawings. The visual appeal of your presentation boards, including the color scheme and atmosphere in the renderings, as well as your ability to effectively present and explain your ideas to the client, will also be important factors in their evaluation of your work.

Programs, Software, and Tools

There are several software applications you can use to build your presentation board. Choose one that you are already familiar with, so you aren’t trying to learn new software while you are doing your layout. That is an added stressor that you just don’t need!

InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop are excellent programs, but if you need something a bit more simple, Microsoft Word, Pages, Powerpoint, or Keynote will also work. 

InDesign was designed for making presentations. AutoCAD was designed for constructing plans. Photoshop was designed for editing raster images. Illustrator was designed for creating vector art. While some people are able to make their whole presentation using Illustrator, Photoshop, or even PowerPoint, it makes more sense to use each piece of software in a way that takes advantage of its strengths.

You can import files from AutoCAD, Photoshop, and Illustrator into InDesign and take advantage of the strengths of each application.

Before you delve into your own presentation board, do some research. Look online for examples and make a note of the elements you like. Combine that inspiration with your creativity to produce a stunning presentation. 

Here are some websites you can use for inspiration:

The President’s Medals Winners

Pinterest – Architectural Presentation Boards

World Architecture Students Community – Presentation Boards

FAQ’s about architecture presentation boards

How do you present an architecture presentation.

Here are some general guidelines for presenting an architecture presentation:

• Define your objective : Clearly define the purpose of your presentation and the main ideas or arguments you want to convey.
• Organize your material : Gather and organize your material in a logical and coherent manner that supports your objectives. This may include drawings, images, models, diagrams, and text.
• Create a clear and visually appealing layout : Use a layout that is easy to follow and that effectively presents your material. Consider using contrast, hierarchy, and balance to guide the viewer’s eye.
• Practice your presentation : Practice your presentation to ensure that you are comfortable with your material and can deliver it in a clear and confident manner.
• Use visual aids effectively : Use visual aids such as slides, drawings, and models to supplement your presentation and help illustrate your points. Avoid overloading the viewer with too much information and focus on presenting the most important ideas.
• Engage your audience : Engage your audience by using a variety of presentation techniques, such as asking questions, using storytelling, and using interactive elements.
• Conclude with a summary : Recap the main points of your presentation and conclude with a clear and concise summary.

Why do architects use presentation boards?

As explained above, architecture presentation boards are commonly used by architects and designers to visually communicate their ideas and designs.

Presentation boards typically consist of a series of large format panels that can be mounted on a wall or a stand. These panels can be used to display a variety of materials, such as drawings, images, models, diagrams, and text.

Presentation boards are an effective way to present a comprehensive overview of a project or design concept, and they can be used to showcase the key features and characteristics of a project.

They are often used in design reviews, presentations, exhibitions, and competitions , and can be a useful tool for architects and designers to communicate their ideas to a variety of audiences, including clients, stakeholders, and reviewers.

Presentation boards can be customized to suit the specific needs of the project and can be designed to effectively convey the key ideas and concepts of the design, enabling architects and designers to effectively present and showcase their work in a clear and visually appealing manner.

To Sum Up…

Even the most exceptional design concept can appear uninspired if you do not present it well.

You have spent weeks, maybe even months, on your design. Don’t sell yourself short by not communicating your vision well. The professional, creative, and aesthetic quality of your presentation will affect how your work is received.

Every design project begins with site analysis … start it with confidence for free!.

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How to create successful architecture presentation boards

In architectural design, the ability to communicate your vision effectively is as crucial as the design itself. 

Architecture presentation boards are essential for this type of communication. These boards provide a visual and textual representation of your architectural solutions that is easy for your clients to understand.

Want some ideas for creating more effective architecture presentation boards? 

In this 7-minute read, we’ll delve into the art of crafting presentation boards that not only convey your design intent but do so in a manner that captivates and convinces your audience. 

So whether you’re a seasoned architect or a new contractor working on your first project, the tips in this article will help elevate your presentation skills and land you more clients. 

Let’s start with a quick look at the basics.

What is an Architecture Presentation Board?

An architecture presentation board is a visual tool used by architects and designers to convey the concepts, details and essence of their architectural projects. It combines images, drawings, text, and sometimes physical materials, to provide a coherent and appealing overview of a project. 

These boards are pivotal in architectural competitions and client presentations since they serve as a bridge between the architect’s vision and the client’s understanding.

But presentation boards should be more than just a random collection of visuals. 

• Use your board to tell a story and guide the viewer through the project’s inception, development, and final design. 
• Effective boards balance aesthetics with information by employing a strategic layout to highlight key elements and facilitate easy comprehension. 
• Presentation boards can vary in format from digital displays to large printed panels.

Check out the next section to see the 8 steps to creating your presentation board.

How to Develop Architectural Presentation Boards

Developing architectural presentation boards that stand out requires a blend of creativity, strategic planning, and technical skills. Here’s a step-by-step guide to crafting boards that showcase your project and impress potential clients.

1. Size & Orientation

The size and orientation of your presentation board are foundational decisions that set the stage for the rest of the board’s design.

Size: Consider the amount of content and the level of detail you wish to present. Larger boards can accommodate more information and are suitable for complex projects but require careful organization to avoid overwhelming the viewer. Standard sizes often range from A3 for smaller projects to A0 for more detailed presentations.

Orientation: The choice between landscape and portrait orientation can influence the flow of your presentation. Landscape is preferred for its width which facilitates a natural, left-to-right reading flow. It’s ideal for showcasing panoramic site views or extensive floor plans.

PRO TIP : 

• Always tailor the size and orientation to the context of your presentation. For intimate settings, a smaller board might be more practical since it allows for closer viewing and discussion.

The layout of your board is critical in guiding the viewer’s eye through your presentation. This ensures they focus on key elements without missing important details.

Balance and Flow: Create a layout that balances visual elements, text, and white space. Start with the most impactful images or drawings positioned centrally or towards the top, where they attract immediate attention. Use text sparingly to complement the visuals rather than overwhelm them.

Hierarchy: Establish a visual hierarchy that leads the viewer through your board logically, from the project overview to specific details. Use different sizes and styles of text and images to denote importance.

• Use grids to align elements. This creates a professional appearance and makes your board more readable.
• Consider color blocks or frames to delineate different sections without cluttering the board with too many lines.

DON’T FORGET:

• Keep a consistent margin around the edge of the board. This ‘frame’ ensures that none of your content is lost if the board is mounted or encased.

3. Structure

The structure of your presentation board is about more than just where things are placed. It’s about creating a coherent flow that guides the viewer through your design.

Organizational Strategy : Start with a clear organizational structure, such as chronological, thematic or by the project phase. This helps in making your presentation logical and digestible.

Connectivity: Ensure there is a clear connection between different elements on your board. Use lines, arrows or even a numbered path to indicate the order in which the content should be viewed.

PRO TIP:  

• Incorporate an “Introduction” and “Conclusion” section on your board. An introduction at the top left can set the stage for your presentation. Then, a conclusion at the bottom right summarizes the project outcomes or next steps.

DON’T FORGET:  

• The viewer’s eye naturally moves from left to right and top to bottom. Place your most important information (like the project title or key visuals) where viewers will likely see it first.

4. Background

The background of your architecture presentation board plays a crucial role in setting the tone and making your content stand out.

Simplicity is Key: Opt for a simple, non-distracting background that enhances the readability of your content. A subtle gradient or a light texture can add depth without overpowering the visuals and text.

Contrast: Ensure there is enough contrast between the background and the content to make everything easily readable. Light backgrounds with dark text and visuals usually work best.

PRO TIP: 

• Experiment with soft, architectural textures as backgrounds to add a thematic touch to your board without overwhelming the main content.

DON’T FORGET: 

• Always preview your board in its final form before printing or presenting. What looks good on a computer screen may not translate well to a large format print or display.

Colors can evoke emotions, highlight important information, and organize your board visually.

Color Scheme: Choose a color scheme that complements your project. Use your project’s primary colors, or select a palette that reflects the project’s mood and context. Consistency in color usage across the board ties the presentation together.

Accent Colors: Use accent colors sparingly to draw attention to key areas or important details. This can be an effective way to guide the viewer’s eye through the board.

• A limited color palette (2-3 main colors) can help in maintaining visual coherence and professionalism.
• Consider the psychological impact of colors. For example, blue can convey trust and stability, while green might be used to emphasize sustainability or environmental aspects.

6. Visual Ranking

Visual ranking on your presentation board ensures that key elements capture immediate attention and then guide the viewer through your design story.

Prioritize Content: Decide what elements of your design are most important and deserve the prime real estate on your board. Typically, this includes your main concept image, and key plans or sections.

Size Matters: Larger images attract more attention. Use size strategically to emphasize the most critical aspects of your project. Smaller images can show less important, but still relevant, information.

• Use visual contrast through varied textures or color highlights to elevate important content further. A high-contrast backdrop for your most crucial images or diagrams can make them stand out.

7. Image Selection

The images you choose to display on your architecture presentation board can make or break your presentation. 

Quality Over Quantity: Select high-resolution images that clearly communicate your design. Blurry or pixelated images can detract from your professionalism.

Relevance is Key: Every image should serve a purpose, whether it’s to showcase design details, illustrate spatial relationships or convey the atmosphere of your proposed project.

PRO TIP:   If you plan to use 3D-generated images, make sure they are high-quality. Poor-quality, unrealistic images can detract from your design presentation. That’s why more and more housing professionals are switching to easy-to-use 3D design software like Cedreo . Cedreo makes it easy for anyone to generate photorealistic 3D project images for architecture presentation boards.

8. Text & Font

The text and font choices on your presentation board are vital for communicating your design intent clearly and effectively.

Legibility is Crucial: Choose fonts that are easy to read at various sizes. Sans-serif fonts are often preferred for their clean lines and readability in both digital and print formats.

Hierarchy Through Typography: Use different font sizes and weights to create a visual hierarchy in your text. It should be easy for viewers to distinguish between titles, headings and body text.

• Limit your presentation to two fonts to maintain visual coherence—one for headings and one for body text. This simplifies the design and enhances readability.

Types of Architecture Presentation Boards

Understanding the different architecture presentation board templates and layouts is essential for selecting the most effective way to communicate your project’s vision. Each type serves a unique purpose and audience, from conceptual designs to detailed technical drawings.

Here are a few architecture presentation board examples.

Conceptual Board

Conceptual boards are the storytellers of architectural design. They focus on the vision, ideas, and themes behind a project. They are less about detail and more about conveying the concept and atmosphere of the design.

• Use compelling visuals that evoke the intended feel of the project, such as mood boards, abstract diagrams, and 3D floor plans .
• Include brief text descriptions or quotes that capture the essence of your design philosophy and the main concept behind the project.

Advice: Conceptual boards are your chance to connect emotionally with your audience, so choose images and words that resonate deeply with the project’s core idea. Remember: The goal is to intrigue and inspire while making viewers curious and excited about the potential of your design.

Technical Drawings Board

Technical drawing boards detail the specificities of the design through precise drawings and specifications.

• Incorporate a range of technical drawings, including floor plans , elevations , sections , and detailed construction drawings , to provide a comprehensive overview of the project.
• Use annotations, dimensions, and notes to clarify the technical aspects and innovative solutions within your design.

Advice: Make sure your technical boards are meticulously organized and labeled to ensure clarity and ease of understanding. Remember: While technical accuracy is important, consider the layout and visual appeal of your board to ensure it remains engaging and not overly dense.

Professional Board

Professional boards are tailored for client presentations, competitions, or public exhibitions. They blend both conceptual and technical elements to present a complete story.

• Combine striking visuals, key technical drawings, and succinct, persuasive text to showcase your project’s strengths and feasibility.
• Balance the layout to highlight the most compelling aspects of your design while ensuring a logical flow that guides the viewer through the narrative.

Advice : Professional boards are your portfolio’s highlight reel. Focus on quality over quantity and make sure to select only the most impactful images and information that demonstrates your vision.

Remember : Take the time to get it right. A well-executed professional board is a powerful tool for winning bids, gaining approval, and impressing stakeholders.

Get Designing with Cedreo Today!

Crafting an architecture presentation board that effectively communicates your vision and details can be a daunting task. 

Whether you’re creating a simple conceptual board for a small project or a detailed technical board for a custom home, Cedreo empowers you to make the best boards as fast as possible. 

• Rapid Visualization: Cedreo lets you quickly transform your ideas into visual concepts, with easy-to-use features that save you loads of time and effort.
• One-Stop Solution: From initial sketches to final presentation boards, Cedreo offers a comprehensive platform for all your design needs.
• High-Quality Outputs : Produce professional, high-resolution 3D presentation board images that impress clients and showcase your projects in the best light.

Get started with Cedreo now (there’s a FREE version !) and take your architectural presentations to the next level.

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Architecture Presentation Board Ideas

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Being an architect, you understand that showcasing your project effectively to the stakeholders is very essential. The architecture presentation board examples helps make that right impact in the first go. These architecture presentation board drawings ensure that your idea is beautifully expressed and is conceived the same way as you have thought.

But creating and designing the architectural presentation is a challenging task as a slight mismatch or mistake can completely ruin your architectural project. It’s very important to design the presentation board in such a way that it can communicate your ideas cohesively and engagingly.

Best Architecture Presentation Board Ideas

Let’s have a look at 8 critical elements of architectural presentation boards design that’ll help you craft a polished and visually captivating presentation. Just go through these tips and enhance your ability to showcase your architecture projects impactfully and impressively.

What do you mean by an architecture presentation board? How it is helpful?

An architecture presentation board is a visual summary of a project, used by architects to showcase their designs to clients, superiors, or colleagues. It serves as a tool for presenting ideas, attracting clients, and advancing careers. The purpose of an architectural presentation model is to convey essential project information in a self-explanatory manner.

Key elements of an effective architecture presentation board layout include:

• A well-designed layout that organizes and presents information in a logical and visually appealing way.
• Clear and concise text that explains the project’s concept, goals, and solutions.
• High-quality visuals, such as drawings, renderings, and photographs, that illustrate the project’s design and features.
• A consistent visual style that creates a unified and professional look.

Architecture presentation drawings are used by both students and professionals. Students use them to present their work to professors and peers, while professionals use them to present designs to clients, committees, shareholders, and exhibitions.

Top 8 Architecture Presentation Board Tips and Techniques

To help you get started, Renderspoint has exclusively curated some of the best architectural presentation board techniques and tips that must be considered when creating your architecture presentation board. So, let’s get started in our journey to create flawless architecture presentation board tips for clients.

1. Size and Orientation of the Architecture Presentation Board

When creating an architecture presentation model, consider the size and orientation that will best showcase your project. You may have limited options due to restrictions imposed by your director, client, or professor. If you have the freedom to choose, think about which orientation will make your graphics stand out and tell the story of your project most effectively.

Presentation Options:

• Single Large Board : Present your boards side by side as a single large board. You may choose horizontal or vertical architectural presentation boards depending on the requirements of the project.
• Equivalent-Sized Poster : Present your boards as one poster of equal size.
• Separate Boards : Arrange your boards in a sequence, with each board presenting a different aspect of your project.

The orientation and size of your architecture presentation board can influence the structure and layout of your presentation. Choose the option that best suits your project and allows you to communicate your ideas clearly and effectively.

2. Choosing the Right Layout for your Architectural Presentation Board Drawings

It all starts with brainstorming for the right layout. Brainstorm and jot down the main ideas you want to express. Also, work on the images and graphics that will best showcase those concepts. Now start creating small-scale sketches to capture the basic flow of each architecture presentation board. Before finalizing your design, keep experimenting with different element placements until you get the perfect one. You may explore some architectural presentation board layout examples online for some cool and best ideas.

Be very diligent regarding the space allocation. Determine how much space each element will require on the page. Ensure each graphic is impactful and consider the amount of space between elements. Avoid overcrowding or excessive space. By carefully planning the layout of your architecture presentation board, you can ensure that your ideas are communicated clearly and effectively.

Also, work on the size of images. Too small an image will fail to make that impact. Try to go for big and visually appealing images/graphics. You can even approach a 3D architectural rendering firm as 3D renders give a more photorealistic option to impress the stakeholders. Remember, the goal is to create a visually appealing and informative presentation that effectively conveys your project’s message.

3. Structure and Flow for a cohesive Architecture Presentation Board Style

The structure and flow of your architecture presentation board are crucial for effectively communicating your project’s vision. Using a grid structure can simplify the organization of visual elements, while diagramming helps deliver comprehensive information. Consider the narrative flow of your project, ensuring a logical progression from one architecture presentation board to the next. Number your boards if they won’t be displayed simultaneously.

Remember, viewers typically read presentations from left to right and top to bottom. Use visual cues to guide their eyes through your architectural presentation models. Maintain consistency in font, colour, and style throughout your architectural presentation boards. Leave sufficient white space to avoid overcrowding. Finally, proofread your text carefully for errors. By carefully following these professional architectural presentation board techniques, you can create a visually appealing and informative presentation that effectively conveys your architectural vision to your audience.

4. Visual Hierarchy of Architecture Presentation Board: Guiding the Viewer’s Eye

In architecture presentation board, visual hierarchy plays a crucial role in directing the viewer’s attention to specific images. This involves identifying the strongest point of your project and making it the primary focus that catches the eye from a distance. Other images should reveal their details upon closer examination.

Techniques to Create Visual Hierarchy:

• Size : Make the image you want to highlight the largest, ensuring it can be viewed clearly from a distance.
• Colour : Use colour strategically to guide the viewer’s eye toward the main idea on the board.
• Placement : Centre the image you want to highlight and arrange the surrounding content to complement it.

Additional Tips:

• Keep the overall vision of your project in mind when selecting images.
• Choose images that directly display and strongly support your project’s idea.
• Avoid using too many images that will make the board look cluttered and messy.
• Maintain consistency in the style and tone of your images.

By carefully considering visual hierarchy, you can create conversion-ready architectural presentation drawings that effectively communicate your architectural vision and guide the viewer’s eye to the most important elements of your project.

5. Choosing Perfect Colours: Bringing Life and Focus to Your Architecture Presentation Board

This is one of the most critical architectural presentation board techniques that you need to decide very wisely. While black, white, and grey are commonly used in architecture presentation boards, don’t shy away from incorporating colours. However, be mindful of your choices to strike the right balance and avoid overwhelming the viewer. Here’s how you can make strategic use of the colours in your presentation architecture style.

• Introduce hints of colour to bring life to your architecture presentation board.
• Use colour contrast as it helps to draw attention to elements you need to focus on.
• Represent different building materials with unique colours.
• Consider bold colours for diagrams to create a focal point.

Maintain consistency by using the same colour across all architectural presentation boards. This approach ensures a cohesive and seamless flow throughout your presentation. Also, you may explore pre-made colour palettes online for inspiration. Experiment with different colour combinations to find the best fit for your project.

6. Selecting Background Colour: Enhancing Clarity and Focus

The background of your architecture presentation board should be a supporting element, not a distraction. Avoid complex or busy backgrounds that may draw attention away from your graphics and text. Bold colours and textures should be used sparingly, if at all. Here are three key things that you need to keep in mind while selecting a background colour for your architectural presentation board.

• Black Background: Use with Caution

Black backgrounds can be challenging to work with. They can diminish text readability and reduce the impact of graphics. Additionally, black backgrounds can create a cold and boring tone. If you choose to use a black background, ensure that all information remains easily comprehensible.

• White or Light Gray: A Professional Choice

White or light grey backgrounds are typically the best choice for an architecture presentation board. They enhance the visibility of graphics and text, creating a professional and clean appearance. Other colours can be incorporated to align with your central concept but ensure that the background remains plain enough to direct the viewer’s attention to the design.

• Embrace Negative Space

Negative space is your friend. Resist the temptation to fill every space with information. The strategic use of negative space enhances the impact of your design, creating a clean and professional feel.

7. Image Selection: Striking the Right Balance

Choosing the right images is crucial for creating an effective architecture presentation board. Your graphics can either enhance or detract from your overall presentation.  Always go for high-quality images/CGI and ensure that they are relevant, engaging, and catchy.

As already stated just use enough images to effectively communicate your project. Avoid overcrowding your architecture presentation board with too many images. strive for a balanced representation that showcases your project’s key aspects.

You may include a variety of images, such as sketches, models, renderings, and drawings. This approach provides a comprehensive overview of your project.

8. Content, Text, and Font: The Impression Makers

An effective architecture presentation board should convey a clear understanding of the project and demonstrate the designer’s commitment and dedication. Key elements to include are internal and external images, isometric and exploded views, perspective cuts, diagrams, volumetry studies, descriptive memorials, and technical drawings. The specific elements used may vary depending on the project’s requirements and nature.

Make sure the text that you place on the architecture presentation board should complement the layout and try to keep it minimum. A crisp, concise, and focused concept statement will make your architecture presentation board more impressive and attention-grabbing.

Additional tips that will enhance your communication power using texts on the architecture presentation board.

• Consider readability, flow, and visual appeal.
• Align text within text boxes for easy reading.
• Complement graphics/images/CGI with text box size and alignment.
• Avoid all capitals except for titles and follow standard capitalization rules.
• Use simple sketches and figures instead of text when possible.

Select a single font type that complements your project’s style. Sans Serif fonts like Futura or Helvetica are popular choices for their clean and modern look. Avoid script or handwriting fonts for a professional appearance. Use dark hues for your font to ensure contrast against a light background. Choose a font and size that is easy to read and create a hierarchy using different font sizes for titles, subtitles, and body text.

Win More Clients with Perfect Architectural Presentation Boards

Hope you liked our tips and techniques to make your architecture presentation board impressive and converting. At, Renderspoint, we offer you the best 3D CGI that will ace up your architecture presentation board styles and help you communicate in a never-like-before way. Reach out to us for eye-catching and engaging 3D visualization such as 3D rendering, modelling, floor plans and more. Feel the magic that our 3D rendering studio experts cast on your images.

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Introduction

The Architecture Presentation Board is a means of producing visually captivating summaries of design projects. They can be used for a variety of purposes. On an academic level, students use them for their architecture school submissions but they can also assist a client’s imagination or help win a commission on the professional side. 

Your drawings, graphics and architecture presentation boards have one main purpose – to communicate your design in all its entirety from the concept to final renderings. If your presentation boards look good, but don’t do their job – you may need to think again.

In order to win over a tutor, client, planning officer or committee it is vital that your scheme is clearly conveyed and easy to understand. In a way it is like a sales pitch, you are selling your design, ideas, concept. So read through this post for some essential tips on designing the best architecture presentation boards!

And remember a great design can be mediocre if it is not presented well.

Scroll to the end to download this article as a handy PDF guide!

Our Top Important Tips for Architecture Presentation Boards

Brief requirements .

A project brief whether it is for a university project or for an architecture competition will typically outline what you need to include in your architecture presentation boards. So make sure you read this through and note down the non negotiables. 

Architecture presentation boards usually include floor plans, elevations, and sections along with some sort of perspective views, 3d drawings or renders. There may be a focus on some of the key features of your design, perhaps with brief sentences explaining your scheme. Hand drawings and development work can be good to include if relevant/required.

Going through the brief will also help you determine what content to assign to your boards. For architecture school projects, there may be more than one presentation board to curate. Try to determine each board’s key focus –  it could either be to depict your site analysis, conceptual development, material application, technical resolution or final scheme. Generally for competitions you will have to compile all of these key stages on one or two presentation boards.

For more helpful tips on how to dissect your briefs, check out our Architecture Assignments Brief Guide post. It includes a cool Architecture Assignment Planner:

Architecture Assignment Brief Guide – First In Architecture

When you start to plan your architecture presentation board is also crucial. If you begin planning out your boards immediately after reading through your brief, you will get an idea of what you are working towards. You can get as specific as you like with the details. Revisiting this rough plan throughout your design process may help you work on perfecting the images that will best represent your project.

On the other hand, if you plan your boards after completing your project, all the work you have done until then will determine your end result. It would sort of be like piecing all your work together as you would a puzzle. You may end up editing your existing work or even having to create more work to place on your presentation boards.

Either way, take a moment to organise your work. Think of what you are trying to convey. What drawings / images do you have to show as part of your brief/criteria? What are the key elements in your design that you would like to portray?

Collect all this information –  list out all the images to be included and what text you would like to put in, then you can start planning the structure of your boards. This will really help you visualise what information will be on your boards and how you are going to communicate your design.

Inspiration

Similar to having precedents for your design, we recommend having an idea of what graphic style you would like to use for your architecture presentation board. Try to bring your work together as a unified selection of drawings with a format, scale and style that work together to create a logical and comprehensive view of the project. Different graphic styles and inconsistencies can cause a lack of clarity and confusion.

For this you can seek inspiration from a variety of sources like Pinterest or Instagram. 

If you are finding it difficult to come up with a graphic style for your architecture presentation boards, check out our Pinterest board here:

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/1starchitecture/architecture-presentation-boards/

Representing Architecture

Your architecture presentation board must use graphics and text to represent your design idea and clearly communicate the details and essential aspects of the scheme. It is important to be efficient with the production of drawings, and only use what is necessary to convey your idea. Quality is better than quantity as quantity can lead to confusion. 

View your project as if for the first time, and consider how easy or difficult it is to understand the concept and the main elements of the scheme. Only add work you would be confident presenting in person and avoid any unnecessary information.

Architectural Notation

When you plan your architecture presentation boards make sure that you can see the relationship between the drawings. 

For example sections and plans should be aligned so it is clear to read. You can even use dashed/dotted lines to highlight these connections.

Every instance of a plan needs to be of the same orientation (north point always in the same place) otherwise it can get very confusing for someone who has not seen the project before.

When showing plans and elevations/sections together, it is beneficial if they are of the same scale and in line. However, if one drawing is more important than the others then it makes sense to show it on a different scale.

Just because it’s a pretty architecture presentation board, don’t forget to include your symbols! Scale bars, section lines and north points often get forgotten, but are important to be included in order to make your drawings and information clear.

We would recommend sketching out the structure of your architecture presentation board before you start, so you can get an idea of the possible configurations you can use and what might work best. A small storyboard sketch or small scale mock up of the presentation can work well as you can adjust the layout until you are happy with the arrangement and alignment.

In general we read design presentations from left to right and from top to bottom, so consider the story of your design and how it will be read. Show the progression and don’t be afraid to experiment.

Use a program you know. The last thing you need to be doing is learning a whole new software program whilst in the panic of putting your boards together. If you have allowed yourself enough time, fair enough. We would recommend InDesign or Photoshop, but Microsoft Word or Pages on the Mac will still give you good results if you are more comfortable using them. Powerpoint or Keynote on the Mac, can be good options, but do check they can print to the size you require the boards to be.

Orientation, setting and size

Confirm whether your architecture presentation boards are supposed to be presented in landscape or portrait orientation. Think of the size your presentation boards are going to be. Ensure you have the right resolution and print settings applied. Check if you are limited by the number of boards and don’t forget to explore relationships between each board, and how they will be read together. Consider numbering the boards to show what comes next. 

Ensuring you have set up your presentation board files correctly will help save you loads of time in the end.

Key Information – Title, story, content

Do you need to have a title bar? If so, consider keeping it consistent throughout your architecture presentation boards. This gives a sense of professionalism, and orderliness. Don’t forget to include your details – name, title of project etc and whatever else is applicable. 

It’s tempting to get carried away with multiple fonts but please, don’t! Stick to one font, a maximum of two. You can consider using fonts from the same font family for visual coherence.

Use font sizes to create a hierarchy on your architecture presentation boards – e.g. a large font for your titles, a bit smaller for subtitles and standard size for the remainder of your content. 

Make sure your chosen font and size is readable. Keep your sentences short and punchy. No one is going to want to read an essay on your presentation board. A picture paints a thousand words!

Consider how to align your text within its text box. What is easier to read? Think about text spacing, and hyphenation and how it appears on your architecture presentation board. 

For more advice on fonts and to discover some cool font recommendations, feel free to check out our blog post on the Best Fonts for Architects:

Best Fonts for Architects – First In Architecture

Try to keep your background plain, unless it is featuring one of your key images. Architecture presentation board backgrounds can get a little busy and it can be difficult to see the key details of the board.

A white background will make your images and text stand out and look professional. Most of the board images we are sharing in this post feature white backgrounds, it is clear to see why. The information comes across well, and the background makes the visuals pop on the page. 

A background image can often be distracting, so make sure all the information is crystal clear if you decide to go down that route. 

The standard architectural style particularly for students appears to be black, white and grey! Grey grey grey! We understand why people sway that way, but sometimes it’s good to break out and use a bit of colour. Agreed there is a place for simplicity, and grey can give a professional atmospheric board, but try to inject some colour. 

Think how colour is reflected in your design. If the architecture presentation board is predominantly in black and white or grey, does this make the design feel cold? Consider how colour will have an impact on the overall feel of the scheme. Imagine the function and users of your design. What colours would resonate with these? 

As a starting point you can insert colours for natural elements such as the sky, vegetation on your site etc. Experiment with accent colours to highlight key design elements or ideas.

You will also find numerous ready made colour palettes online that you can work with. 

Layout options

Consider using a grid to help you organise the visual elements on your architecture presentation board. You can use a simple grid or something more complex. A grid helps you to organise the elements on your page and produce consistency across the architecture presentation board set.

Once you have set up your page size and orientation you can start creating a grid that suits your needs. The grid can include space for title bars, page numbers, and other information that needs to appear on each board. Using a program like InDesign is great as you can set up master pages as templates so you only need to create the grid once and it can then be used on numerous pages.

Keep in mind that the grid can also be used as a guide, so you don’t have to strictly aim for perpendicular lines. You can have elements and images that blend into one another if you want.

Visual Hierarchy

You will want some of your images to receive more visual attention than others, in order to communicate your idea. You can do this by giving certain images more space in the grid than others. If you wish to showcase one compelling visualisation, you can centre this image or  make your other content fit around this image. It often works best when this type of image has elements that form the background of the architecture presentation board, for instance an extended sky or landscape.

When you view your architecture presentation board, you want something viewable from a distance (an impact image) 6ft away, and up close. This communicates your visual hierarchy.

Also if you plan to use precedent images on your architecture presentation boards, remember to distinguish them from your proposal images to avoid confusion for the readers. 

Example Layouts

There are numerous ways to organise your work onto boards, here are some options to help you visualise:

Landscape Examples:

Portrait Examples:

Give yourself time

It’s a real shame when you have spent weeks/months on a design project, and leave yourself an hour or two to put it together for your architecture presentation boards. It is such a waste. By denying your project the time and care of developing a structure and a plan for how you present your work, you are effectively deducting grades/points there and then. By showing a well thought out presentation, with a clear process and design result, which is easy to engage with you will greatly increase your chances of showing how good your design is and why it should receive a stellar grade!

Our Architecture Presentation Board Templates

We are excited to present a selection of 14 Architecture Presentation Board Templates in Photoshop and Indesign that all have varying layouts and fonts.  They are designed to help speed up your process, create a strong design identity, and save you a huge amount of time. This bundle also includes some textured backgrounds to help you experiment!

You can find out more about these here:

Architecture Presentation Board Templates – First In Architecture

You might also be interested in…

We have a dedicated Pinterest board full of architecture presentation board ideas and styles that will really help inspire you:

We also have lots of incredible architecture content. Be sure to check it out:

Download the Guide!

Download this helpful article as a pdf to keep for reference later!

We hope this post helps you come up with some really good architecture presentation boards, and to show off your work to its best.

If you have got some tips and advice to offer to our readers, let us know in the comments below.

And finally, if you found this post useful, do share it with a friend.

Thank you! 

Image Credits

Landscape Example 1

https://www.arkxsite.com/site-chapel-_-winners

Landscape Example 2

https://architecturecompetitions.com/teamakersguesthouse

Landscape Example 3

https://archidose.tumblr.com/tagged/student

Landscape Example 4

https://www.kairalooro.com/competition_emergencyoperationcenter/winningproject_mentions.html

Landscape Example 5

https://www.archdaily.com/257270/buenos-aires-new-contemporary-art-museum-competition-results/0412750?next_project=no

Landscape Example 6

https://www.presidentsmedals.com/Entry-49001

Portrait Example 1

http://www.arquideas.net/es/vof1170

Portrait Example 2

https://www.pinterest.es/pin/488710997053933680/

Portrait Example 3

https://www.dezeen.com/2020/06/08/carleton-university-graduates-architecture-vdf-school-shows/

Portrait Example 4

https://www.behance.net/gallery/47245227/The-First-Half-A-War-to-Eywa

Portrait Example 5

https://www.archidiaries.com/result-announced-bauhaus-campus/

Portrait Example 6

http://www.arquideas.net/es/mesc1258

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24 Comments

Really great Emma,

Both in the tips and tricks but also in the observation and selection of images used. (nice to see them properly credited).

An extra tip; when including precedent studies, make it clear what is precedent rather than proposal by grouping, using a background colour or outline, and if they are on multiple pages keep them to the same place on each page.

Although your tutors are familiar with most precedents, confusing a precedent with proposal is embarrassing for all of us!

Hi Caine, Thanks for your comments – much appreciated.

I WAS ABLE TO USE THIS IN MY CLASS EMMA. WITH DUE RESPECT AND PERMISSION. MY STUDENTS WERE IMPRESSED WITH YOUR COLLECTION OF IDEAS. TNKS.

Thank you so much for this post, I’ve always had a bit of a problem with my boards and this will surely help me in the long run.

with what for a program do u make these portfolios ?

Those presentation boards look awesome! 🙂 what for a program is used to do something like that ?

Hi Jeffry, Boards like these can be achieved using a number of programs, most commonly inDesign or Photoshop. If you don’t have access to this software you can also use things like powerpoint or keynote – although you may be more limited with functionality.

Hi, just wondering what do you recommend to be the best way of getting images onto presentation boards? drawing/ rendering the design then scanning, then editing/ enhancing on photoshop? or using revit to draw and render and transferring these to the boards?

If you could reply to this, it would be muchly appreciated! thank you

Hi Stephanie, Thanks for your comment. I think a lot of it is down to what you are comfortable with, and what stage of your project you are presenting. If you are presenting initial ideas then hand drawings / sketches would be suitable for your boards. These would be best scanned in, and adapted in photoshop, adjust the levels and so on, to get the effect you are looking for. However, if you are presenting final work, perhaps some digital renders would be more relevant. Having said that, if you are comfortable with your drawing skills and have chosen to present your project as hand drawn work, then by all means you should draw and hand render your work to then scan in. I would recommend digitising all hand work and putting together on photoshop/inDesign, as it creates a more professional outcome – and also means you can adjust things as you wish. So, consider your time constraints, what can you achieve in the time you have. Consider what you want the desired outcome to be, and what stage of the project are you presenting. It may be that you use a combination of hand drawings, sketch up models, and final revit renders. There is no correct answer, just do what works well for you, and what you will be able to do at the best of your ability. Hope this helps – and best of luck with your work!! Emma

Heyyy how about capitalisation? Does all the writing should be in caps or it could include lower and upper case??? Thanksss

I think that is down to personal choice and how you want it to look. No strict rules on this. Just make sure you are consistent.

how about manual presentation formats?

thank you so much for all the tips! Appreciate it:)

You’re welcome 🙂

I had receive the pdf copy.however it doesnt contain any image

Hi Nurul, the pdf doesn’t have any images as it is for printing without using too much ink. If you want images you can print directly from the article web page.

Great post..Very helpful. Thanks

Hey, Thank you so much, this has been really very helpful as it has always been a task to understand the requirements and needs that have to be considered for architectural sheet presentation as we have a lot of information to put in but what matters is giving the information a hierarchy as to what needs to be included or not . Appreciate it.

Thank you Anand.

Hello Emma, thanks… I have a presentation next week, could you please send me a downloadable copy of that, thanks

can I take your post because your post very exelent

can i know what is a standard word size for an a1 size presentation board???

Hi, it will depend on many factors, like the font you are using, the intended purpose of the presentation board, how much text you are putting on there etc.

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• Design Presentation Boards

Presentation Board Content

Consistency In Presentation Boards

• Presentation Boards should all be the same size and orientation (landscape/portrait)
• Common colour scheme
• Same font size, colour and style for titles and lables
• Same Layout/ Grid patern of content
• Consistent style and size of images
• Common Logo/Insignia on each board

Presentation Board Titles & Labels

Grid Layout In Presentation Boards

"Reading" A Presentation Board

Left to right  or  center outward reading order in presentation boards.

Top -> Down reading order in Presentation Boards

Presentation Board Weighting

Framing images in a presentation board.

Stand Back From The Presentation Board

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Architectural Presentation Board Design Tips

Before you start designing your presentation board , here are some tips to make sure your design outshines the rest.

•   Structure – Your presentation board should be designed with importance in mind. What should observers know and see first. 1) Perspective view that shows off the design best. This should be the biggest image on your board. If you can, make the image bleed on two or three sides. 2) Concise statement that tells them about the features and benefits of your design. Pretty much the sales pitch of your design. 3) Front, top, and side views of the Floor Plan. 4) Include at least two elevation views. 5) Hand drawings to demonstrate how the design came to be.
• Background – Use a plain background color, nothing fancy or patterned. Solid white or gray are great for backgrounds. The background should be plain to allow the observers’ focus to be drawn to the content rather than the background.
• Font – Pick one font. There is no need to have different fonts used for different portions of your board. Instead, use the same font but at different sizes to create a visual hierarchy. Make the title the largest size font, and then your informational sentences or captions smaller. Choose a font that is simple and legible. Script and writing fonts are not suitable for presentation boards. Like the background, remember to keep the color simple by using black or a dark gray.
• Text Copy  - Any text on your board should be short and sweet. Only one or two key sentences need to be added as part of the “architect’s statement”. Captions under images and illustrations are fine, again as long as they are short and sweet.  Remember this is a presentation board – it is a VISUAL tool. Do not let your board do the explaining. If you need to elaborate, do so during your oral presentation.
• Sketches – Include a few small sketches of the concept and how your design developed along the way. People are intrigued to see how you developed your idea and how the first sketch transformed into the amazing design that you are presenting.
• Your Name – Do not forget to include your name on your board. Typically names are placed in the bottom right hand corner. If you have more than one board, be sure your name is on all of them.
• Negative Space – Be sure to leave some free, empty space on your board. There is no need to cover every inch of the board with images, sketches, or text. Remember quality over quantity. The negative space on your board allows the viewer to not be overwhelmed and ease into viewing your board.
• Research – Do your research and look at others’ work. Jot down what you like and don’t like about other boards. This will give you a great idea of what you want your board to look like. Remember to show your creativity through the boards as well. Try not to replicate another’s board, even if you like everything about it.
• Time – Do not wait until last minute to start designing your board. Rushed work is usually never good work, and definitely not great work. Try to map out a schedule of what you want to accomplish each day, or how far along your board should be. Cushion your timeline too, just in case something pops up that you can’t control.
• Design Programs - Use a program that you are comfortable with and know how to use efficiently. If you are not familiar with any design programs, find someone who can teach you and who uses a particular program often.
• Do Not – Do not create your board manually. This means no writing, no gluing or pasting – nothing by hand! Your board will end up looking like a collage rather than the presentation it should.

When your  rendering is complete, give Avalon a call. We would be more than happy to print your presentation board for you!

If you liked this blog you might also be interested in reading:  Graphic Design Tips for Beginners

References:

http://falihinjasmy.blogspot.com/2011/04/tips-on-how-to-make-better-presentation.html

http://visscom.wordpress.com/2013/04/14/presentation-board-layout-tips/

Posted in Design & Build , Graphic Design

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Mastering architectural presentation boards., everything you should know about creating architectural presentation boards., communicating ideas..

As architects, one of our main tasks is to communicate ideas. Wether it is through images or text, we need to tell the world what we think space should look like. And we all now that a Presentation Board is one of the most effective ways of communicating ideas.

That is why this course was created, to teach everything we didn´t quite learn in traditional education. This is not just a course to learn a new software, this is a course on knowing how to communicate your ideas.

What is this course about?

In this course you will understand and learn how to create a presentation board that can communicate effectively the message of the architecture that is being portrayed.

You will also learn the basic tools of Adobe InDesign to create presentation Boards, how to use typography, what colors to choose in your presentation, what image style to go with when creating boards, main composition components in graphic design, how to tell a story and many more!

This course is divided into two important parts : First it is understanding presentation boards and the second one is creating presentation boards. You can´t learn how to create a presentation board in InDesign without first understanding the though process behind communicating ideas through text and images combined.

You will see this course throughout one week. One new chapter will be released each day for a total of 6 days, That way, you are able to take the course slowly and meditate and think about each one of the previous chapters.

Sneak Preview into the Course

Here is a short snippet of just some of the things we will see in the course.

_________________________________

What you will learn...

✔How to tell a story and present an argument in presentation boards.

✔ Understanding Presentation Boards

✔ Composition in Presentation boards

✔ Introduction to Adobe InDesign

✔ Mixing Image styles

✔ Understanding Typography

✔ Adjusting your old images to one similar language.

✔ Recommended workflow for your boards

✔ Most common mistakes and how to fix them

Composition in Presentation Boards

Understand the main methods of composition possible when creating your board.

Use of negative space

More important than knowing: what to include in your presentation board, we need to know what to leave out!

Combining Image styles

Which image style do I choose? What color palette is best? How big to I put my images? All of this and more will be answered throughout the course.

◤Get lifetime access to Mastering your Presentation Boards

___________________

This course is for you if..., 》 you are an architect or architecture student., 》 you are interested in improving your communication skills., 》 you are not conformed with what you were taught in traditional education., 》 you have great architectural ideas but need to portray them better., 》 you don´t have a full knowledge on how to create presentation boards from start to finish..

Course Structure

• Welcome to the course (0:59) Start
• How to navigate the course (3:42) Start
• Files of the course (4:12) Start
• 1 The importance of presentation boards (5:18) Start
• 2 How to tell a story (7:46) Start
• 3 How to present an argument (7:14) Start
• 4 Most Common mistakes (7:20) Start
• 1 Best workflow process creating a content list (5:20) Start
• 2 Preliminary Sketch of your boards (1:51) Start
• 3 Folder structure (1:57) Start
• 4 Workflow conclusions (2:04) Start
• 1 Introduction to Adobe Indesign (2:52) Start
• 2 Creating a new document (3:13) Start
• 3 Setting up your workspace (2:07) Start
• 4 Basic interface (3:36) Start
• 5 Importing Images (4:39) Start
• 6 Display Resolution (4:34) Start
• 7 Frame and content difference (4:35) Start
• 8 Links panel (4:17) Start
• 9 Creating text and paragraphs (4:53) Start
• 10 Using grids and guides (5:56) Start
• 11 Presentation Mode (3:21) Start
• 12 Shapes and colors (10:24) Start
• 13 Tips and tricks of indesign (7:10) Start
• 1 Grid Composition (11:21) Start
• 2 Main Image Composition (3:38) Start
• 3 Blended Composition (4:29) Start
• 1 Explaining the project and looking at references (5:50) Start
• 2 Creating the base file (4:16) Start
• 3 Preliminary Board in Indesign (6:58) Start
• 4 Grid Layout (18:47) Start
• 5 Main Image Layout (29:08) Start
• 6 Blended Layout (13:06) Start
• 7 Key Takeaways (3:19) Start
• Presenting the project (4:38) Start
• Preliminary Board (8:05) Start
• Extending the sky of a render (9:52) Start
• Adjusting floor plan to a sky background (13:27) Start
• Second Presentation Board layout (11:51) Start
• Final Adjustments (5:24) Start
• Alternative Layout Options (4:20) Start
• Best export and printing tips (8:22) Start
• Key Takeaways (4:35) Start

Choose a Pricing Option

One - time payment, life time access, hi, i'm steven.

Since I was in school I have had a passion for representation and how as architects we can communicate our ideas through drawings.

For more than four years, Show It Better has a community of more than 300,000 thousand people from more than 150 countries. With over 2,500 online students that have taken previous online courses, we have deepened the passion for architecture and representation.

I think that if you can create a stunning presentation board then you have 40% of the job done (which is captivating everyone's attention) and now your design can speak for itself!

If you are interested, join me in this course so we can explore the world of presentation boards and everything there is to it!

Say hello at:

@letsshowitbetter

◤ Start learning now.

What other people have said about previous courses:.

》 Steve gave us something I have never found in other classes about this subject: a historical background! And he relates architectural collages with some paintings that we can get inspired by. It's a great and inspiring view for us students. Such a great professor.

》 Steven's not only technically adept, but also a great communicator in that he's thought really carefully about how to build up the lessons. A brilliant teacher!

》 Hi! I finished this whole course with high and good expectations of what I learned at photoshop. First at all, I speak spanish as my native language so I thought that I was not prepared for an english course, but it wasn´t. Secondly, I think that this course is fully complete for a begginer at photoshop. And eventually I will recommend to all my archi friends this course of Show it better. Waiting for more courses of you guys!...... Greetings from Venezuela!

》 The Course was really really GOOD, i mean i always saw something missing in my images or my after production images and I couldn't never find out what it was , because of course I'm not a professional, but now i know for sure what is missing. Also the final touches of the image were really cool and really FINAL ! I'm so glad for participating in this course and above all Thank You for sharing your experience !

》 It's exactly what I was looking for! Very helpful!

Konstantinos S.

◯ Do I need to know InDesign for this course?

Not at all! You do need to have the program installed though, but we will dedicate one entire chapter to teaching you how to work in InDesign.

◯ How many Presentation Board Examples are we going to create?

In this course we see more than 7 different examples of presentation boards, we also create them with an urbanistic and architectural project.

◯ Will I learn to create all the drawings that are inside of the presentation boards?

No, this course is intended in teaching how to design organize and compose Presentation Boards exclusively. Although we will be re adjusting various graphics and images, that will not be the main theme of the course.

◯ I don't know if this is the right course for me

No worries! This course was made with a lot of passion and love for those designers that are interested and enthusiastic about learning things that traditional education didn't quite meet. If you are not sure yet, no worries, there will always be free YouTube videos on our channel where we will also talk about Boards and architectural representation.

◯ Until when is this course available?

Forever and ever! It comes with lifetime access.

◯ How long does the course last?

The course is approximately 4 hours long, and each Chapter will be released a day after completing the previous one, that way you will be able to see the course in around one week.

We´ve also done this in case you didn't know:

Architecture Digital Collage with Photoshop

Communicating architecture in a compelling way.

Steven Rubio

How to create Presentation Boards  using Adobe InDesign

• December 28, 2021
• Presentation

This video explains how to produce architectural presentation boards using Adobe InDesign. In all walks of life as an architect you have to present your ideas effectively.

Whether that’s to a tutor or client, your ability to present both visually and verbally can make or break a project. This lesson gives you some ideas on how to improve this skill set!

Courses by ArchAdemia to help you create perfect visuals and presentations

We have two courses you may be interested in.

• Photoshop | The Complete Guide: This course is essential for any designer! It contains 15 in-depth Photoshop tutorials that will turn any level of user to an absolute master, understanding every necessary tool for architects and visualisers alike and how to get the most from them. We use Photoshop everyday for diagrams, reports, photo editing, drawings, CGIs and so much more! Learn Adobe Photoshop here.
• InDesign | The Complete Guide: You’d be amazed how often we use InDesign in practice. Company portfolios, presentations, planning reports and specifications are but a few examples of why it’s needed so often. You’ll learn all you require to master an essential programme for architects, interior designers + CG artists. Learn Adobe InDesign here.

The importance of strong & clear architectural presentation boards in practice

Architectural presentation boards are powerful tools that convey design concepts, ideas, and visions visually. Whether you are a student presenting a project at university, a professional pitching to a client, or proposing a new project to a local planning authority, the importance of clear architectural presentation boards cannot be understated. In this article, we will explore how these boards play a pivotal role in effectively communicating architectural projects and why they are crucial in achieving success in various scenarios.

Enhancing Visual Communication

Clear architectural presentation boards are a gateway to effective visual communication. Through well-crafted images, diagrams, and renderings, complex ideas can be simplified and conveyed to the audience effortlessly. By presenting visual information, architects can better connect with their audience, ensuring their designs are understood and appreciated, regardless of technical background.

Telling a Compelling Story

A well-structured presentation board tells a captivating story about the design concept, inspiration, and thought process behind the project. It is essential to guide the viewers through a narrative that highlights the project’s objectives, context, and unique features. A story-driven approach helps create an emotional connection with the audience, leaving a lasting impression.

Demonstrating Design Intent

Architectural presentation boards act as a window into the architect’s mind, revealing their design intent. Clear boards showcase the architect’s creativity, problem-solving skills, and attention to detail. This transparency builds trust with clients, university professors, and planning authorities, assuring them that the project is well thought out and addresses the intended purpose.

Professionalism and Credibility

For university students, professional presentation boards demonstrate a high level of commitment to their projects. This professionalism elevates the overall perception of the work and enhances the student’s credibility within the academic environment. Similarly, in the professional world, clear presentation boards elevate an architect’s reputation and instill confidence in clients and planning authorities.

Concise Information Delivery

An effective presentation board consolidates information into a visually digestible format. By presenting the essential elements of a project concisely, architects can prevent overwhelming their audience with unnecessary details. This approach ensures that the key aspects of the project remain the focus and prevents critical information from being lost in the clutter.

Addressing Different Audiences

One of the key challenges in architectural presentations is addressing diverse audiences with varying levels of expertise. Clear presentation boards cater to these differences by providing a balance between technical information and accessible visuals. Whether it’s a highly technical university panel or a community-oriented planning authority, well-crafted boards can bridge the gap and convey the project’s essence effectively.

Facilitating Feedback and Collaboration

In both educational and professional settings, clear architectural presentation boards facilitate constructive feedback and collaboration. They act as a starting point for discussions, allowing stakeholders to provide valuable input and engage in meaningful conversations. This iterative process enriches the project, ensuring it aligns with the expectations and requirements of all involved parties.

Compliance with Regulations and Guidelines

When proposing a new project to a local planning authority, adherence to regulations and guidelines is of utmost importance. Clear presentation boards can help demonstrate how the project complies with zoning laws, environmental considerations, and community needs. This visual representation aids planning authorities in assessing the project’s viability and making informed decisions.

Clear architectural presentation boards are indispensable tools in various settings, from university project presentations to professional client pitches and engagements with planning authorities. They serve as conduits of visual communication, helping architects convey their ideas effectively, while also fostering collaboration and facilitating constructive feedback. Emphasizing the importance of clear presentation boards is essential for every aspiring architect, as it can significantly impact the success and reception of their projects in academia and professional practice alike. By mastering the art of visual storytelling through presentation boards, architects can create a lasting impact on their audience and leave a positive impression of their designs.

What is ArchAdemia?

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• Grades 6-12
• School Leaders

100 Last-Day-of-School Activities Your Students Will Love!

Is This a Less Stressful Way To Do a Science Fair Board Project?

A new site offers ready-made templates to take some of the stress out of science fairs.

If you teach science, I am willing to bet you and your students have participated in your fair share of science fairs (see what I did there?). In my experience, these large scale projects can be stressful for students. They must decide upon a topic and investigate it, plan their experiment based on the scientific process, and execute their plan. All of that is arduous in and of itself, and that’s before putting all data together in an aesthetically pleasing way. This is where a handy website called My Science Boards comes in clutch to help students create better, easier science fair board projects. As a result, students and teachers (and likely parents, too) can enjoy the fact that the design part is a breeze.

(Just a heads up, WeAreTeachers may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. We only recommend items our team loves!)

One less step to think about? Yes, please!

My Science Boards is a site that allows users to design and create easy science fair board projects for a tri-fold presentation board. Because students can digitally create a design exactly the way they want it, the final (and often frustrating) part of putting together a science fair presentation is made instantly easier.

The site offers three plans ranging from $19.99 to $34.99 (tri-fold boards not included), which allows the user to customize as much or as little as desired. My Science Boards offers black and white and full color text, layout selections, clipart, and backgrounds. The templates are very user-friendly and intuitive, removing the struggle of figuring out how to use a new site when all you really want to do is make your science fair board look nice.

Furthermore, you can preview and save your design as you go. After that, when you’re ready to purchase, add your design to the cart and My Science Boards will print your creation with the perfect proportions and ship it to your door. Finally, all that’s left to do is mount the designs to your tri-fold board, and voila! Ready to wow the crowd at the science fair.

8th Grade Example: Compare Electrolytes in Sports Drinks

Here is an example of an 8th grade science fair project  I made using the My Science Board Basic Layout. The text was easy to add and manipulate. Also, I liked that I could add and edit headings for each section. Here you can see the space provided for each heading along with the steps of the experiment itself.

Helpful Features: Middle align text, make text bigger or smaller, and pre-formatted boxes move with text.

7th Grade Example: Marvel at a Density Rainbow

For this one, still using the Basic Layout, I decided I wanted a larger picture and fewer boxes/headings. So, that’s exactly what I did. Also, I was able to delete boxes I didn’t need and enlarge ones I wanted to be more prominent. Notice the fancier text and lovely color for the headings.

Helpful Features: Easy to change font colors, colorful headings, and more formatting options.

Real-Life Example: “Happy Peas” Indeed

Take a look at this tidy and organized science experiment! Check out the properly aligned text, clear and bold headings, eye-catching background, and bright photos. All the hard work put into planning and conducting the experiment doesn’t have to extend to creating a visual display!

Helpful Features: Colorful background and full color photos.

Is it worth it?

Without a doubt, conducting a scientific experiment is tough enough without the stress of making everything look nice. My Science Boards allows you to type, print, and glue your way to a fast, organized, and aesthetically pleasing science fair presentation. It doesn’t have to be expensive; choose the layout that fits your needs. Above all, the science fair doesn’t have to be stressful anymore!

How can My Science Boards help your next science event go more smoothly? Share in the comments below!

Want more articles and tips from me subscribe to the middle & high school math newsletter here ., looking for science fair and lab ideas check out “40 best science experiments high school labs and science fairs” ..

You Might Also Like

50 Sensational 7th Grade Science Fair Projects and Classroom Activities

Mummification, oxidation, electroplating, and more! Continue Reading

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• Education and Communications

How to Create a Science Project Display Board

Last Updated: April 4, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Bess Ruff, MA and by wikiHow staff writer, Jennifer Mueller, JD . Bess Ruff is a Geography PhD student at Florida State University. She received her MA in Environmental Science and Management from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2016. She has conducted survey work for marine spatial planning projects in the Caribbean and provided research support as a graduate fellow for the Sustainable Fisheries Group. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 67,836 times.

When entering a science fair or completing a science project for a class doing the experiment is just the first part. Once you have finished your experiment, you will have to display the work you did and the results that came from that work. The typical science experiment is displayed on a white tri-fold board and includes many sections. Proper placement of the sections is crucial to the success of your board.

Deciding What Information to Include

• A good title might be “Volcanic Explosions” as opposed to just “Volcanoes.”
• When you can, use vivid, specific titles like “Bioluminescence in Crystal Jellyfish” in place of generic titles like “Glowing Jellies.”

• Follow the guidelines of the assignment or fair to know if you need an abstract or a hypothesis section.
• A hypothesis must accurately describe what is to be tested in the experiment, and what the expected outcome is. For example, a statement such as “The baking soda will react with the vinegar in a neutralization reaction, evolving gases and building pressure inside the volcano replica. This pressure will cause fluid to spew from the top of the replica.”

• Cite previous experiments that indicate that there is a reason to expect the results that your hypothesis predicts. For example, you could cite a lab experiment that states that acids and bases give off gas when they neutralize each other to support the hypothesis that baking soda and vinegar will go through such a reaction.

Organizing the Information

• All fonts should be easily readable. If the font is too small or unclear, this will discourage people from reading the information.
• Use bullet lists, multiple paragraphs, and white space on your board to avoid an overwhelming amount of text.

• If you prefer not to use glue, it may sometimes be acceptable to tack items to the board.
• Double sided tape is a good way to stick on things that do not stick well with glue.

Going Above and Beyond

Community Q&A

• Use a paper cutter to make sure of straight cuts. It improves neatness a great deal. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Use plenty of graphs and pictures on your project. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• When typing titles/descriptions, use larger fonts, especially for titles. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

• Do not bring any dangerous materials (strong acids/bases, etc.) for display. Thanks Helpful 5 Not Helpful 0

Things You'll Need

• Display Board (Tri-fold preferably)
• A computer with word processing and printer
• Glue stick or double-sided tape
• Paper cutter (optional, if not using, replace with scissors)

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/science-fair/science-fair-project-display-boards
• ↑ https://www.stevespanglerscience.com/2012/01/30/science-fair-911-display-boards/
• ↑ https://www.sciencebuddies.org/blog/top-ten-tips-project-display-board
• ↑ http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_display_board.shtml
• ↑ http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_display_board.shtml#materialsandconstructiontechniques

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White Tri-Fold Display Board (25 Boards / Box) 4.95 each

Black tri-fold display board (25 boards / box) 5.25 each, blue tri-fold display board (25 boards / box) 5.25 each, shop by category, tri-fold display boards, header boards, title sheets, certificates, dog tags and pins, why showboard is the leader in science fair boards, over 25 years experience.

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Showboard isn't a broker like many other websites and science fair supply catalogs... we are the manufacturer. Our display boards are in stock and ready to ship. Over 98% of orders are shipped the same or next day for quick delivery to meet Science Fair project deadlines.

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Ultimate Guide for A+ Science Fair Project: Science Fair Board Layout Ideas & Examples

• September 27, 2021
• Kids Printables , Science Fair Ideas

Science fair project displays can seem like a daunting task for many students. However, there are some simple tips and tricks to make it easier for yourself! 

This article will help you with your display by giving you free layouts and examples to use.

We provide a variety of science fair board ideas designed for different purposes, such as displaying all your entries or just some of them. 

There is also information about how to organize your project, what materials you will need and more..

Steps to Plan Your Science Fair Display Board

We have learned the following advice from working with thousands of middle school students over the years. 

By reading this post and following the tutorial, you will be on your way to a great display that will impress judges, parents, and spectators.

Your display board will be the only part of your science fair project that your child and anyone visiting the school will see. It’s your opportunity to show the judges that your child deserves recognition for their project and all the hard work they’ve put in.

So, how do you put together a plan for it?

Many project display boards follow a schematic format and are typically outlined in black marker, usually in columns. The columns represent the different pieces of information that the board contains.

Create a detailed plan of your project and board.

If you’re unsure where to start or how to go about it, consider the complete science fair project steps below.

2. Organize

3. Research

8. Evaluate

Know Rules / Regulations of Science Fair Competition

When it comes to the judging of science fair projects , it’s important to know the rules. Most competitions will have a list of criteria for judging, and following these can help your project stand out.

If you’re following a science fair project book, check its list of judging criteria. Many science fair books have a list of categories and points for each, so you can run a quick Google search to see if your book matches up with the criteria of the competition you’re entering.

If you’re entering a local science fair, ask someone there about the criteria for judging. Many local science fairs have online entry forms where you can also find out about criteria.

If your competition is online, go to the competition website and search for the rules or criteria. Many science fair websites have downloadable copies of their rules, so you won’t have to hunt them down.

You might also ask the science fair coordinator or teacher for a copy of the rules. Many science fairs take entries online, so organizers have access to this information.

If you’re entering a national science fair, check its website for rules. Science fair rules vary widely from competition to competition, so you may have to do a little more research, but it’s usually not hard to find.

Once you’ve found the rules, make sure to follow them. Certain rules may vary from school to school, so it’s best to do a small web search first.

Some science fair rules might be hidden; be sure to look in the “Additional Information” section or check the website’s FAQ page. If you’re still unsure whether the rules apply to your project, ask the teacher or coordinator.

Sections to cover in Display Board

The science fair project display board is the students’ opportunity to showcase their hard work and how they solved a problem or question.

Good science fair project display boards should be organized, easy to read, and visually appealing. The science fair judges are not scientists, and their science fair project displays should be the same way.

There are two main parts to a science fair project display board: the header and the body.

The header should include:

– Your name

– the category you belong to (“Chemistry” or “Math”)

– your science fair project title

– the district or region you belong to (“Chicago,” “Illinois,” “Midwest”)

– and your grade level

Body aka Science Fair Display Board

The display board is the body of the display and should incorporate all the details of your science project. The typical science fair project display board is made up of several standard components.

The display board should include the following information:

Title and Name of Project

The title and name of the project should be clearly written on the board, and the project information should be written on the board clearly and concisely.

The science fair project display board title may include the project title, your name, and your school name.

Background information

The background section includes background information about the project.

The hypothesis section includes your hypothesis or what you are hoping to prove. The problem or question that the student attempted to address.

Materials Used

The materials used in the project should be listed along with the quantity used. You can also include a list of the tools and equipments used in the project.

The methods section includes your methods or how you went about proving your hypothesis. The method by which the student attempted to address the problem or question.

The steps of the procedure should be written on the board.

Results and Final Outcome

The final result, product or outcome of the experiment should be displayed on the board.

Significance

The significance of the project to the child and to his or her community.

Reference list

In this part, include necessary references to the project that you used. 

Photos / Graphics 

Try to include as many visual elements as possible to make the inference clear and simple.

Things to Consider while Designing Project Display Board

A science fair project display board is the first thing people look at when visiting your project room. Therefore, it is important to make a good impression.

You have to consider certain things while designing your project display board. For example,

* The background is very important. You can use any board or paper for the background, but keep in mind that the white colour needs to be bright.

* Use colour contrast. Use colours that are in contrast with each other. For example, you can use a black background with white-coloured text.

* Consider your theme. If your project is related to space, then consider using a space theme for your project display board.

* Use pictures. Pictures give your project display board a personalized touch.

* Include important information. Include information regarding the topic, as well as contact information.

* Use graphics. You can use graphs, diagrams, and figures to make your project display board look more interesting.

Size of Project Display Board

A science fair project display board is a large sheet of paper, poster board, or foam core used to display information about an experiment in a science fair.

The size of the board should

be at least 36″ x 48″.

The dimensions of the science fair board should be 2 feet wide by 3 feet long, and this allows for ample space to cover all the details and diagrams needed to present the research at an exhibition level.

Most science fair display boards have a 4′ by 10′ layout, which gives you plenty of room to cram all your data, photos, and drawings. But, if you want to pack in more information or a larger display board for a big project, there are alternatives.

One approach is to make the board out of the poster board. Posterboard comes in 2′ by 3′ sheets. You can arrange the sheets end to end to make a 12′ by 36′ display board. You don’t have to put these sheets together, though, and you can just join them at their corners and cut your display board to size.

You can also make a display board out of foam core. Foamcore comes in 2′ by 3′ sheets, too. You can buy it at most office supply stores. But, as with poster board, you don’t have to put these sheets together to make a display board. You can join them at the corners, cut your board to size, and glue the sheets together.

standard science project board size

The standard scientific board size is arbitrary.

(It was originally called the Lincoln Board.) But it’s arbitrary in the same way that a dusty tube of paint is arbitrary. The colour you paint with isn’t important; what’s important is what you paint.

The rectangular board is better for making things. You can make almost anything rectangular, including mazes, making rectangular boards better for displaying science fair projects.

Once you’ve selected the perfect science display board, you have one final task: setting up the display.

How to set up a science project display board

So you’ve found the perfect project, and you’re ready to construct your display board. Congratulations! Now, how do you get started? First, find blank poster board (or foam core) in sizes appropriate for your project. You’ll need at least a 24×36-inch poster board for your display board’s background (this is called a “background board”).

Then, find an image file or paper printout of your project. You’ll need to “posterize” this printout or image for use as your display board background. Posterize simply means shrinking or stretching it to fit within the boundaries of the poster board. The image below shows how you can do this:

Now, place the background board on a flat surface.

Center your printout or image on the board, and trim any excess.

Next, tape the printout or image to the board.

Then, tape the poster board to a flat surface (such as a table or countertop).

Finally, tape the decorative border (if applicable) to the board.

You now have your display board.

One simple rule to remember: Don’t crowd your display board.

Project display boards often serve a dual purpose. On the one hand, they provide a space for showcasing projects, but on the other, they serve as a gathering space for students and families.

Here are some tips to make the most of your display board, whether you’re hosting or attending:

1)  Placement is crucial.  Make sure there’s room to move around the board and that it’s possible to read everything on it. Most boards should be 18 to 24 inches high and 36 to 48 inches wide.

2 ) Color counts.  Colour helps differentiate projects. If you’re planning on hanging your display board, consider the colour contrast. Black text on dark backgrounds is easier to read than dark text on light backgrounds.

3)  What goes on the board?  Consider the length of your project. A 15-minute project should be photographed, but projects lasting more than 15 minutes should be described in the text. Test different layouts to make sure the board can be navigated easily.

4)  How much detail?  Photos should clearly show the project and explain how it works. Avoid “bullet points.” Students should be able to follow a project from start to finish without having to read anything.

5)  Consider lighting.  Try to place the board in an area that receives plenty of natural light. If your board is hung, make sure it has plenty of light behind it.

6)  Writing.  Consider using dry-erase markers. Writing on the board with a dry-erase marker is a quick and easy way to jot down notes, check off items on a to-do list, or display student responses.

7)  Think about storage.  You’ll want to store the board

Display Board Layout Types

Display boards can be in different shapes, designs, and sizes, but a few standard layouts work well for science fair projects.

1. The  “step and repeat”  layout is the most common. This layout features one central background or image with many smaller images, text or graphics surrounding it.

2. The  “block”  layout is similar to the step and repeat, but it uses one large image, maybe with text or graphics, surrounded by smaller images or text.

3. The  “grid”  layout is similar to step and repeat, but it’s organized like an Excel spreadsheet, with columns and rows.

4. The  “storyboard”  layout features one large background or image with several smaller images, text or graphics around it.

5. The  “poster”  layout features one central background with a picture or text of project steps or process above it.

How to choose the best title for your science fair project

You spend hours or even days doing experiments, coming up with ideas, and collecting and documenting data. Many kids don’t realize that 80% of the hard work is done before you even start the project.

The first step in the process is to choose a good title for your project. This decision can make or break your project.

A creative, funny, or interesting title will catch the judges’ attention and may even make them laugh. On the other hand, a dull title may turn them off.

How you choose to title your science fair project says a lot about you. Your project’s title should be short but catchy. Your title should describe your project and highlight it.

So, how do you come up with a good title? There are several ways.

1. Ask an adult.

2. Look at the pictures on the magazine covers.

3. Make a list of your topics.

4. Do an Internet search.

5. Look for other interesting titles.

6. Think about funny titles.

7. Think about titles that will grab attention.

8. Think about descriptive titles.

9. Think about titles that express excitement.

Why Images / Visual Items are Important for Science Fair Display

Visualizing your work is a great way to help other people understand it, so it’s important to make sure that your presentation is always clear. For example, if you’re making a poster, the first thing people will see is your title and subtitle, followed by your visual elements.

A science fair project display board presents several challenges. The first is making sure your text and graphics are the right sizes, so they don’t overwhelm your viewer.

The second challenge is making sure your text is easy to read. Many science fair display boards have a bold font. That can work if the font is easy to read, but in general, it’s better to go with a more subtle font that doesn’t compete with your visuals.

Your visual elements are just as important as the text. Images and charts need to complement your words, not overpower them.

The biggest mistake you can make is not including your visual elements. It’s important that other people understand what your project is, and images can definitely help with that.

For example, if your project tests the effect of a fertilizer on plant growth, pictures of different plants with different fertilizer levels would be important.

If your project is about the effects of pollution on fish, images of fish with different pollution levels would be important.

For a project about the effects of global warming, images of ice melting and icebergs breaking apart would be important.

Putting in a lot of effort to make your science fair project display board appealing and appealing is worthwhile. People will be interested in your project, and it will help make sure you achieve a good score.

Visual items, such as charts, graphs, photos, and displays, are unnecessary for every science fair project. Still, they do help to make the display more interesting and easier for the audience to understand.

It’s a good idea to have several different visual elements on your science fair project display board.

This lets the judges know you’ve thought carefully about the project and that you’ve done your homework.

Plus, having an array of visual elements allows the judges to compare and contrast your project with others.

Labels for Your Project Display Board

It seems like a lot of work to print out labels for all your charts and graphs for your science fair project display board. But, once it’s done, you’ll wonder why you didn’t label everything yourself.

First, you need to prepare the label sheets. Most printers come with label sheets, but you can get label sheets at any office supply store.

Get Free Project Display Board Labels from here

To make a label sheet, you just measure the height and width of the space you want to label and divide that by the label size. For instance, my label sheet measures 8.5″ by 11″. This means that I can print 8.5″ by 11″ labels.

Then, you print the labels on regular printer paper. To print labels, you simply select ‘Label’ from the printer menu.

When you’re finished, you just cut around the labels and punch a hole in them with your label puncher.

Here’s how to label all your graphs and charts:

1. Print the graph/chart onto the label sheet.

2. Cut around the graph/chart on the label sheet.

3. Punch a hole in the top left corner of the label.

4. Attach the labels to your graphs/charts with pushpins.

How to Setup Background for Your Project Display Board

A display board isn’t exactly a wall, so it doesn’t have to withstand as much weight or pressure. But if you stuff your board too full, people won’t be able to take in all the information you’re trying to convey.

Also, if your background is too busy, people won’t be able to read everything you’ve written.

On the other hand, if nothing stands out on your board, it might not even catch the eye of judges.

How to make informed decisions about background colours:

Use contrasting colours.  Use colours that don’t match. Think complementary.

Use neutral colours.  Use blacks, greys, whites and muted shades. These colours won’t distract the judges from what you have to show them.

Use bright colours.  Use colours like yellows and oranges, but only very small amounts. Too much of it will stand out like a sore thumb.

Use colors that are neutral or bright.  Use both dark and light versions of the same colours. This will balance your display.

Use dark colors.  Use colors like grey, brown, or black. These colors aren’t as bright or distracting as bright ones.

Don’t use too many colours.  Use no more than three colors for your background.

Stick to shades of the same colour for your background.

Background colours should be pleasing to the eye. Bright colours tend to grab attention, but dark colours can make your display look more mysterious. Select colors that blend well together for your specific project.

Why & How to Use Tri-fold display boards

A trifold project board is a formal way to present and display your science fair project. Often, the trifold display board consists of one large panel, which is divided into three smaller panels.

A tri-fold Science Fair display board often comes in single or double-sided versions, but the board can be any shape. Double-sided displays are more economical, but single-sided display boards provide more flexibility.

Your project display board needs to be large enough to hold the information you present but small enough to fit on a classroom board.

A display board that is 24 inches wide by 36 inches tall is a good starting point for most projects, but you may need a custom display board if your project is very large or complex.

You can assemble your display board very simply with foam core and poster board, but heavier materials usually require heavier frames. For heavier materials, the choice is usually between a tri-fold display board and a wall-mounted display board.

Tri-fold display boards are inexpensive, lightweight, and easy to transport, but they usually don’t offer much support for heavier materials. For thicker displays, you’ll probably need a sturdy metal frame.

The best way to display your project is by tri-folding the poster board.

The tri-fold display board is 11×17 and is 2.5 inches deep. A tri-fold display board can hold 2-3 science projects.

You should place all your project details on the tri-fold board.

You should write in your project title, date, and your grade level.

You can write in project details and results.

You should place your presentation in the center of the tri-fold board facing out.

You can include handouts, information sheets, and any associated materials.

You should add three small pictures in the center of the tri-fold board.

The pictures should be 5.5 x 7.5 and on plain white paper

Size of tri-fold science fair project display board

There are several options for the science fair display board, including tri-fold, tri-fold with portrait mount, and tri-fold with portrait mount and foam core board.

Tri-fold display boards come in various sizes, including 24 x 36 inches, 30 x 40 inches, 36 x 48 inches, and 36 x 60 inches.

The size of the science fair display board that you choose largely depends on the size of the science fair project.

If you display something small, such as a science fair project measuring 12 x 12 inches, then a 24 x 36-inch tri-fold display board may be a good choice.

However, if your science fair project measures 18 x 24 inches, you may need a 30 x 40-inch tri-fold display board.

Tips for choosing from Different Types of Display Boards

There are several types of display boards, each with strengths and weaknesses.

Variable display boards

Variable display boards are the simplest and most affordable. They can be as simple as a corkboard or a sheet of poster board, or they can be more elaborate, with pushpins, thumbtacks, and magnets to hold materials in place.

Variable display boards are useful for short, simple presentations. They can even be used to illustrate simple models, such as diagrams or Venn diagrams.

Oneway display boards

Oneway display boards are a variation on the variable board. Instead of providing multiple surfaces to attach materials, they typically have a single panel on which the materials are displayed.

Oneway display boards are more durable than their variable counterparts. For example, they’re made of heavier paper and can be mounted on the wall. They also tend to have more grommets or holes for hanging, making it easier to hang heavier materials. Oneway boards are often used for more durable materials like posters or blueprints. They’re also useful for presenting complex models, such as diagrams or Venn diagrams.

Pinnable display boards

Pinnable display boards are similar to one-way boards, but with one major difference: They can be pinned. Instead of being mounted to the wall, they’re designed to be pinned on walls. They’re useful for displaying posters and blueprints.

It’s simple: pick the one that’s right for you. Here are the differences among science fair display boards:

Display Boards:  Also known as “poster board,” this type of display board will cover your entire wall. Display boards are rigid and don’t fold, so you’ll need a frame. They’re best for hanging, but you can also display them standing.

Poster Boards:  Poster boards are thinner, more flexible, and fold smaller than display boards. They’re also easier to hang, but you may have to invest in a frame. They’re great for smaller projects.

Bulletin Boards:  Bulletin boards are staples in classrooms, but they’re also useful for science fair projects. They’re sticky-backed and come in rolls. Bulletin boards can be hung on the wall, but they also work well on easels or tables.

Easels:  Easels are a common part of classrooms, but they’re also useful in science fair projects. They’re ideal for displaying large projects, and they come in a few varieties, including folding, portrait and landscape.

Table Covers:  Table covers are thin, vinyl sheets that can be attached to tables. They’re ideal for table-top displays because they’re easy to put up and remove.

Other Options:  You can also hang your display board on the wall, using a frame or a poster frame, and you can display your display board on the floor.

Here are 10 tips for designing a good science fair display board

A science fair display board is the centrepiece of your science fair project. Your display board should clearly define your project and communicate its goals to the judge.

1.  Show how you plan to carry out your project.  A science fair display board should show how you will carry out your project. Include pictures, diagrams, and sketches along with the written description.

2.  Include a budget.  Include a budget for the whole project. The budget should include all of the costs, such as materials, labour, and any equipment.

3.  Include a list of materials.  Include a list of materials needed to carry out your project. Include brand names and retail prices if possible.

4.  Use headings and subheadings.  Use headings and subheadings to organize your project document.

5.  Include a summary.  Your summary should clearly describe the scientific problem you address, the steps you took to solve the problem, and what you learned.

6.  Include the hypothesis . Explain the hypothesis, or idea, that you tested in your science fair project.

7.  Explain the results.  Explain the results you obtained.

8.  Explain your interpretation . Explain how you interpret your results.

9.  Include a bibliography with sources . Include a list of sources you used.

10.  Leave room for corrections.  Let the judge know if you made any changes or discovered new information during the project.

Here are 6 tips to make the most of your science fair project display board:

1.  Pick an interesting display board.  The display board is the centrepiece of your display. It should be eye-catching, and it should complement your project. It’s important to be creative here. Try to find something that fits your project theme. If you’re making a volcano, for example, a lava rock display board would be perfect.

2.  Keep the display board simple.  No rule says your display board has to be a work of art. Please keep it simple, or, at the very least, keep it clean.

3.  Use complementary colours.  Don’t overwhelm your display board with colours. Ideally, your display board will have a cohesive colour scheme. For example, if your project is volcanoes, your display board might have a warm colour palette.

4.  Use contrasting colours.  If your science fair display board has a central colour, use complementary colours as accents. For example, if your display board is red, use blue as an accent.

5.  Use clear labels.  It’s easy to get hung up with fine details, but the last thing you want to do is confuse your audience. Label everything on your display board.

6.  Use contrasting fonts.  Again, use easy-to-read fonts.

Tips for presenting in your science fair

Nothing is worse than being at the science fair and seeing someone else’s beautiful display. It leaves such a bad taste in your mouth and makes you think, “how could I be that poor?”

Well, I’m here to tell you that it is not as difficult as you think.

It’s especially important that everything you display is to scale. This means measuring your magnifiers and beakers first and marking their dimensions on your cardboard board.

Also, try to bring decorations that compliment your display. For instance, if your display is about solar energy , bring props from nature such as a tree branch or potted plants.

Time is also an issue. Don’t try to squeeze in last-minute projects. Give yourself plenty of time to finish, so you won’t be in a rush to get everything done.

“The first rule of presenting is: keep it simple,” says Jeffrey Palermo, Ph.D., chief scientist for undergraduate STEM education at the National Institutes of Health.

After you’ve spent countless hours tweaking your project, the last thing you want to do is fail to recognize its potential. Palermo recommends keeping the message simple: “If you don’t know what you’re talking about, then your audience won’t either.”

Here are some simple guidelines to keep in mind when you’re presenting your science project:

Keep it short.

A presentation should be no longer than 5 to 10 minutes. Short presentations also allow you to cover more ground, so your audience gets a stronger sense of what you’re presenting.

Keep it simple.

“Those 10 minutes are the most effective 10 minutes that students spend in their science classes,” Palermo says.

Keep it organized.

“A presentation should be a clear, logical flow from one step to the next,” Palermo says. Even if your science fair project is full of twists and turns, keep your audience on track by asking a few questions early and often.

Tell your audience what you’re going to present and why they should care. Sometimes that means repeating yourself.

Why & How to Use Digital Display Boards

For decades, display boards have been a mainstay in science classrooms, but in recent years, especially after the Corona impact, they’ve also become popular outside of schools.

This shift has occurred due to three factors. 

First, technology has made it easier to create high-quality display boards, which has led to a sharp increase in demand for the technology. 

Second, displays can be used for various purposes beyond school, including business presentations, trade shows, and museum exhibits. 

Third, digital technology makes presentations more interactive and accessible to a wider audience.

As the demand for display boards has increased, so too have many companies offering digital versions of the boards. Digital display boards are the result of cutting-edge technology, but they’re also easy to use.

Here are some of the reasons why they’re ideal for science classrooms and other parts of an educational program:

•  Easy scheduling, editing, and sharing.  With digital board software, you can set up your displays in advance, then edit them or add additional content later. There’s no need for physical boards, which take up floor space, and they can be updated easily when new information becomes available.

• Versatile applications.  Digital displays can be used for various purposes, from displaying information for students in the classroom to representing data for museum exhibits.

• Easy transportation.  Digital displays can be transported easily, so they’re ideal for classrooms that have multiple classrooms. The displays can be set up and taken down quickly, and the software allows minor adjustments to be made on the fly.

• Cost-effective.  Because digital displays are digital, they eliminate the costs associated with traditional boards, such as the cost of multiple printing runs.

• Eco-friendly.  Digital displays have a smaller carbon footprint than traditional boards.

http://www.chicagostudentsciencefair.org/ – The best place to find information about the Chicago Public Schools Science Fair

http://www.neiu.edu/~sfc/ This webpage gives detailed information about the future CPS Science Fair dates in and around Chicago.

http://www.scifair.org/ How-to guides and tips on science projects created by teachers and former winners, all for your convenience

http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/aasquesv.htm Argonne National Laboratory is one of the world’s foremost research centers for science, engineering, and technology. The website features over 10,000 questions and answers on various topics in science. The archive of questions has not only helped students find answers for their Science Fair projects but it also provides information to teachers who are looking for reliable sources.

http://www.acs.org/ American Chemical Society is an educational resource designed for the teaching of chemistry and chemistry related projects.

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15 Best Presentation Software for 2024 (Full Comparison Guide)

Written by: Orana Velarde

In this comparison guide, we’ll analyze each of these tools and many more to understand what the difference is between them so you can  choose the best presentation maker for your business.

So, if you want to stand out from run-of-the-mill PowerPoint presentations and have a reliable presentation software that will help you collaborate with team members and design stunning slide decks in a fraction of the time, you’ll need this guide. 

Let’s get started.

Table of Contents

• Google Slides
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Beautiful.ai
• Microsoft Sway

What are Presentation Tools

Presentation tools are software applications that enable users to visually present ideas or share knowledge. These presentations are delivered in a slide-show format using a combination of text, images and other graphic elements.

Presentation software is frequently used to pitch an idea to investors , present proposals to clients , introduce new products or services to customers, train staff on new policies or ideas , or teach your students new or complex concepts.

Best Presentation Software: A Visual Comparison

When choosing the right presentation programs for your projects, there are some things to consider:

• Does the price point fit your budget?
• Is it easy to use?
• Who is the program geared at: businesses, educators, bloggers or social media managers?
• Does it have lots of templates to choose from? Are they good quality and helpful?
• Is the built-in graphic asset library extensive and varied?
• Can you embed content, add videos or GIFs?
• Can you add audio to your presentations?
• Can elements be animated?
• Is it desktop or cloud-based ?
• Can you use it to create presentations on any of your devices?
• Can finished presentations be viewed offline?
• Can you have team accounts or business accounts for easy collaboration inside your company?
• Does it include a Brand Kit? Is it easy to use?
• Can the finished presentation be shared online straight from the presentation software?
• Can your presentations be uploaded to the cloud privately with password protection?
• Does the presentation software include analytics to see how your projects perform on social media?
• Can you use the finished presentation as a lead generator straight from the software?

We'll take a look at all these aspects in the following list of best presentation software so you can make your own well-informed decision.

Last updated on May 30, 2024.

Visme is a powerful presentation software and all-in-one content authoring tool. It has a user-friendly interface and an extensive set of tools that make it easy for both beginners and experienced professionals to design and deliver impactful presentations.

Presentations made with Visme go beyond the standard slide deck to incorporate interactive elements and easy, full-featured offline sharing.

Making professional presentation slides with Visme is easy and straightforward. Create slides from scratch using content blocks and the extensive slide libraries categorized by style. Browse the presentation template library to find pre-designed slide decks which you can easily customize to fit your needs.

That's not all that Visme can do, though.

You can also use Visme to create other visual content, such as digital documents, animated infographics, interactive reports and whiteboards. There are tons of customizable templates that come built-in with the app.

You can also use Visme to create other visual content, such as infographics, reports and interactive charts. There are tons of customizable templates that come built-in with the software.

Visme can be used for free to test it out for as long as you want. With a free account, you can create up to three projects.

To access all of Visme's capabilities, you can upgrade to one of the paid plans .

• Starter: $12.25/month paid annually
• Pro: $24.75/month paid annually
• Visme for Teams: Custom – learn more here

If you're a nonprofit organization, you may qualify for a discount. Visme also offers separate Education plans for students and teachers.

Ease of Use

Visme is incredibly easy to use. Switching from slide to slide is a breeze, and you can even save a slide to your content block or slide library to reuse later.

The editor comes with a handy sidebar that lets you browse media, graphics and data tools and drag and drop relevant elements onto your slides. You can also use the /shortcut feature to open a search bar and quickly find what you need.

The dynamic fields feature ensures you don’t miss out on any critical information. With single click, you can easily update content throughout your presentation.

Who Is It For

Visme is perfect for small and large businesses, enterprises, marketing teams, project managers, educators, content creators and so much more. The resources and tools available in Visme reach far beyond the ability to create presentations.

• Social media teams can create content for their company’s social channels.
• Sales agents can create branded and personalized proposals in minutes.
• Professionals can build visual CVs to find the next ideal job.
• Project managers can conduct team meetings with a collaborative whiteboard.

Template Options

The template options in Visme are extensive and varied in style. From minimalistic to photographic, there are many presentation styles to pick from.

Presentation Templates

Ecommerce Webinar Presentation

Buyer Presentation

PixelGo Marketing Plan Presentation

Product Training Interactive Presentation

Company Ethics Presentation

Work+Biz Pitch Deck - Presentation

Create your presentation View more templates

You can choose from dozens of fully designed presentations tailor-made for specific industries and topics or mix and match hundreds of slide layouts by choosing a presentation theme.

You can also start with a blank canvas, add new blank slides to existing presentation templates, and save custom slides to use later as your own templates.

Graphic Assets Library

When selecting the best tools for presentations, the visual capabilities and creative design elements should be a top consideration. Visme’s graphic library includes thousands of free icons, illustrations, stock photos, videos , 3D graphics , audio clips, charts and graphs to include in your presentations.

The best part is that every graphic asset that comes built-in with the Visme editor is fully customizable. Resize, rotate or change colors to fit your brand, content and theme.

AI-Powered Tools

Visme comes with a wide variety of useful AI-powered tools, making it one of the best presentation software.

Let's start with the AI presentation maker . This advanced tool is engineered to make your presentation creation process as quick and efficient as possible.

To create a presentation using this tool, you only need to provide a text prompt outlining your requirements. The tool will then generate the slides, complete with text, images, illustrations and any other content you specify.

After that, you can use Visme's presentation tools to personalize the AI-generated slides and add the final touches.

Next up is the AI writer . This user-friendly tool is your key to overcoming writer's block and crafting engaging copy for your presentation. It can help you create layouts, edit and proofread text, summarize the content and much more. Explain to the AI writer what you want to generate, and it will take care of the rest.

Visme offers several AI image editing tools , including erase and replace, background remover, unblur, and upscaler. These tools can be used to edit the image content or enhance its quality. For example, you can use the Image Upscaler to resize your image without sacrificing quality, ensuring your visuals always look high-quality.

And as always, you just need to provide the right text prompts. Feel free to tweak the prompts as many times as you want until you achieve the perfect outcome.

Videos and GIFs

It's easy to insert or embed videos and GIFs inside a Visme presentation. This is another that makes Visme a powerful video presentation software .

To insert a video, upload a video from your computer or cloud storage and place it on a slide of your choosing. Once you’ve uploaded it, it’ll be in your Media library for future use.

If you don’t have videos of your own, Visme has hundreds of stock videos to choose from in lots of categories. Browse them by clicking the / shortcut on your keyboard and opening the videos tab.

Edit your videos with the integrated timeline feature. Trim video clips and customize playback settings. Resize the video on your slide easily by dragging the corner. Or you can resize any video into another shape for more flexibility.

GIFs are available through the Giphy integration, which you’ll find in the Media tab. These are a great choice when you want to make a meme-based presentation.

Take note that all presentations that have videos or GIFs in the slides must be shared as a live link or downloaded as HTML5 or MP4. If you download it as a PDF or PPTX, all the interactive elements won’t play back.

Adding audio to a presentation is easy on Visme. Either along with a video or as the audio on its own. You can also record a voice over.

Another great option is accessing our Presenter Studio to record a video of yourself presenting your content. You can turn on your camera or record audio only before sending a link to your audience. This is a great way to present asynchronously or save your presentation for people to view again and again.

Embed Third-Party Content

There is more content that can be embedded into Visme presentations, like polls, quizzes , forms , online videos and any content that can be turned into code to insert in an iframe.

You can also take advantage of several integrations to embed even more engaging and interactive content into your slides.

Some of our integrations include SurveyMonkey, Hubspot, Giphy, and many more.

Animations and Transitions

With Visme, you can animate your content and create interactive experiences such as:

• Hover effects or clickable pop-ups, link your slides or content blocks to objects
• Pre-animated assets like characters, illustrations and gestures
• Custom animation and motion effects

Features inside Visme presentations can be animated, and we also have a number of seamless slide transitions that make your content pop, like "Enter from Side" or "Staggered Fade."

If you want to make your content even more dynamic, you can access our Custom Animation feature. This is perfect for creating video presentations or making your elements look like they're floating on your slide.

Visme also comes with a 3D Character Creator that helps you elevate your storytelling and connect with your audience. You can create and customize 3D animated characters to embody your brand or message.

Tweak everything, from gender and hairstyles to outfits and skin tone, until you achieve the perfect look. You also have the ability to choose their entry, waiting and exit poses.

Desktop or Cloud

Visme is an online cloud-based app that can be easily used on your computer. We also provide a desktop app that you can download and use outside of your regular browser for seamless content creation.

And if you need to create content on the go, you can easily edit existing projects right from your mobile device or tablet using the Visme iOS app .

Data Widgets

Visme offers a wide selection of data widgets that allow you to creatively visualize statistics and figures in the form of gauges, clocks, pictographs and icon arrays.

Data visualization in Visme goes beyond widgets. Add tables, graphs, and charts to your presentation slides and connect them to a live data source . Create a data stream from Google Sheets or Google Analytics into customized data visualizations.

Offline Viewing

Finished presentations can be viewed offline in four different formats.

The best option is to download it as an HTML5 file. That way it will maintain all the animations when opened on Google Chrome, even without internet. Downloading as an HTML 5 file is a premium feature. Presentations can also be downloaded as a collection of JPG or PNG images, as a PDF or as an editable PowerPoint file.

Create a stunning presentation in less time

• Hundreds of premade slides available
• Add animation and interactivity to your slides
• Choose from various presentation options

Sign up. It’s free.

Collaboration Possibilities

Visme has a premium teams plan that lets all team members customize and complete projects together. Leave comments with edits and feedback, edit projects simultaneously and easily share with other people on your team to move the project along.

Plus, Visme's workflow management features give the project admin complete control over your team's collaboration process. You can assign tasks, manage roles, set deadlines and more, all from a centralized platform. These features are useful for streamlining communication and reducing the time between briefing and final presentation design.

Branding Capabilities

Visme's brand design tool makes it easy to keep all of your content on-brand regardless of who's creating it. It works in three easy steps:

1. Upload all of your branding assets (colors, fonts, logo) to Visme with the Brand Wizard . Input your website URL and watch as our Brand Wizard automatically pulls in all of your branding.

2. Access a bundle of 30+ automatically branded templates that have your logo, fonts and colors already ready to go.

3. Easily access thousands of other templates and input your brand fonts and colors with just a click in Visme's editor.

Then boom! All of your content will always have the same branding, helping increase brand strength and recognition.

Share to Social Media

Once a presentation is finished, it can be shared to social media seamlessly right from the editor. It can also be downloaded.

Privacy and Password Protection

Presentations on Visme can be published privately with password protection so that only the people you want can access it. It is advisable to only use strong passwords for this purpose. There are a few free password managers that could help you do that and keep your account secure .

Visme’s analytics is what makes it stand out as the best tool for presentation. When a presentation is shared via a live link, it can be analyzed for views and sharing.

Access in-depth analytics that show you how much of your presentation is typically viewed, for how long and which slides seem to be the most popular.

Lead Generation

You can add a signup form to your presentations to collect leads that could potentially become clients. Simply head over to our  Advanced Settings tab before sharing your project and turn on  Requires Registration to collect emails from each person who views your content.

The best part of using Visme is that you get access to an interactive online form builder that's proven to generate 2X more conversions than traditional forms. You can choose your preferred form type and customize every aspect, including character appearance, color, background and animations to match your design and branding requirements.

Prezi offers a great alternative to the traditional presentation format that goes slide by slide. The creative idea behind Prezi is you can create an animated, non-sequential flow with topics and subtopics that are hidden until you zoom in.

While Prezi's interface can be slightly complicated to use, it's a good option for people who need to add a creative touch to their presentations.

Prezi is free for basic capabilities and limited templates.

For the paid plans, there are three tiers.

• Standard: $5/month
• Plus: $12/month
• Premium: $16/month
• Teams: Upon Request

There are separate plans available for students and teachers.

Prezi has a slight learning curve, but once you create a couple of presentations, you get the hang of it. However, it doesn't offer too much customizability inside the templates.

Businesses and educators who are in need of a different style of presentation. Prezi offers a “conversational style” of zooming and moving around between information. So, who Prezi is for really depends on who needs this sort of presentation style.

There are plenty of templates to choose from, and you can also start from scratch. The templates are different in color and style, but the idea of zooming into topics and subtopics is the same.

AI Presentation Assistant

Prezi has an AI assistant that automatically generates presentations for users.

The assets library has some icons and shapes available, the usual ones like arrows and buttons. Premium plans get access to over 80,000 icons and 500,000 images.

Videos can be uploaded or embedded from YouTube. Embedded videos are not viewable in offline mode. GIFs aren’t supported.

Voice over can be added in premium plans.

No other content can be embedded into Prezi presentations.

Prezi is all about animations between topics and subtopics. The presentations themselves are viewed as animations.

Prezi is a cloud app but can be accessed to view offline with premium plans.

Available to Create on Multiple Devices

Prezi presentations can only be created on a computer but can be viewed on all devices.

Prezi for teams is available upon demand and has a Slack integration.

Brand Kits are only available with Prezi's team plans, but each presentation can be customized to fit your brand with color customizations and some available fonts.

Prezi presentations can be shared to social media via a special share button at the top-right of the Prezi page. They can be shared to LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Prezi presentations can only be downloaded from the Prezi app. There are two options, as an EXE file for PC and a ZIP file for Mac. Presentations can then be viewed without internet connection or the need to connect to the Prezi app.

Presentations are public unless you have a paid account.

Analytics are available with premium accounts but it only applies to Prezi presentations you share via a link to someone.

There are no lead generation capabilities with Prezi.

3 Google Slides

Google Slides is the presentation software available via your Google account. Just like you can create documents and spreadsheets with Google Docs and Sheets, you can create presentations with Google Slides.

The setup is very similar to PowerPoint and is free to use for anyone with a google account. There is a business version called G Suite, which includes the same things with more storage and management capabilities.

Google Slides is free to use for anyone with a Google account. All features are available to everyone.

There are plans for business accounts so that teams can be created and information can be managed in a more organized way. Plans start at $6/user/month and go up to $18/user/month.

Compared to other examples of presentation software, Google Slides is very easy to use. The controls are very similar to Google Docs and Sheets.

Business professionals, educators and students who need fast and easy access to a presentation software that can get things done.

There is a general collection of templates, but there are not very many. Presentations can also be started from scratch.

The graphic assets are average and simple. The shapes are classic and generic. Photographs can be uploaded from your desktop, your Google Drive, a URL or searched online.

Videos can uploaded with a YouTube link or from Google Drive. GIFs can be added just like images.

Audio and Embed Third-Party Content

Anything from your Google Drive can be added in. Also there are some available “add-ons” that can be integrated for icons, stock photography and audio.

Elements inside each slide can be animated and so can the transition between the slides.

Google Slides is a cloud-based program.

Google Slides can be used fully on any device with their respective apps for Android and iPhone. Presentations can be edited and viewed on all devices.

Collaborating with other people is easy with Google Slides

There is no brand kit feature.

Presentations can be shared via email or link.

Google Slides can be viewed offline with a Chrome Extension and the use of Backup and Sync.

Presentations can be shared privately, but there are no password capabilities, only invitations.

Analytics and Lead Generation

These features are not available.

Read this article about Google Slides vs Visme to get a detailed overview of each tool and find the perfect presentation software for your needs.

Keynote is the native Apple presentation software — one of the original PowerPoint Alternatives. Anyone with an Apple ID can use the Keynote editor. It is the most similar to PowerPoint and also Google Slides.

Keynote is free for downloading and also accessing via the cloud with an apple ID.

If you know how to use PowerPoint or Google Slides, Keynote is a breeze. This feature makes it stand out as one of the best tools for presentation.

Keynote is good for businesses, educators and anyone who needs a practical presentation software.

The templates are limited but come in standard or wide sizes. Templates can also be found outside of Keynote and uploaded into the program.

There are plenty of classic symbols and icons available which are also customizable in terms of color and gradient. Images can only be added from your computer.

Videos are not embeddable in Keynote slides but that is sorted with a plug-in like LiveSlides. GIFs can be added as .gif images.

You can upload existing audio files in Keynote to play on specific slides. There's also an option to record your own voiceover to create a narrated presentation.

Including these is not available

Slides and objects can be animated in a number of ways, including path creation, scaling, bounce or jiggle effects, and more.

Keynote is available on both desktop and cloud.

You can create keynote presentations on any apple device and PC.

Keynote presentations can be downloaded as .pdf or as .pptx to view offline.

Keynote presentations can be collaborated on via a link or email with permission settings set to “can make changes”.

Brand Kit, Share to Social Media, Analytics and Lead Generation

None of these are available on Keynote.

Presentations are private until shared and there is no password protection capabilities.

5 Microsoft PowerPoint

This list wouldn't have been complete without the most popular presentation software in the world. Even though there are tons of more advanced presentation tools out there now, PowerPoint is still a favorite of many because of its familiarity, ease of use and availability.

The desktop-based PowerPoint program is part of Microsoft 365, which has different plans for businesses that start from $6/month and go up to $22/month. You can also buy an unbundled digital PowerPoint account for $159.99

PowerPoint Online is free on any device, including mobile.

Most, if not every, computer user knows how to work a PowerPoint. The traditional sidebar interface is easy to use simply because it's familiar. But for people who are using PowerPoint for the first time, there might be a slight learning curve.

Businesses, individuals, students, teachers and anyone who uses a Windows PC or device. PowerPoint is also a good fit for people who want to create simple, conventional presentations, and aren't looking for fancy new features or capabilities.

There are dozens of themes that come built-in with PowerPoint, and there are all customizable so you can play around with the styles.

You can browse stock images, icons, stickers and more by searching for relevant keywords in PowerPoint's graphic library.

Videos and GIFs can be uploaded from your computer. You can also embed videos from YouTube and other online sources. However, this feature is only available to Windows users.

You can upload audio files from your computer. You can also record audio directly inside PowerPoint and edit the settings for playback.

You can embed files created in other Microsoft Office applications, such as charts created in Excel, or any other programs that support Object Linking and Embedding (OLE.)

There are tons of animation and transition options available in PowerPoint, which can actually get confusing at times. However, if you know your way around these options, it gets easier to create a professional-looking slideshow.

There are both desktop and cloud versions of PowerPoint available.

You can download the PowerPoint mobile apps on both Android and iOS devices.

It's possible to share your presentation with specific people.

Brand kits are not available, but you can save custom themes.

Presentations cannot be shared to social media.

You can download your PowerPoint presentations in various formats, including PPTX and PDF. This makes it easy to access them on any device offline.

You can mark your presentations as read-only to prevent users from editing the file.

This feature is not available in PowerPoint.

Ludus is one of the best-looking presentation tools available online. The main attractions with Ludus are the clean black screen to edit on and the number of integrations that give importing capabilities for all sorts of content. From photography to .svg to code builds.

Ludus starts at $14.99/month for teams of 1-15 people. Teams that need more licenses are encouraged to contact for more pricing information. Ludus does offer a 30-day free trial.

Ludus is quite easy to use and includes lots of keyboard shortcuts. It is easy to learn how to use and pretty straightforward. It seems to be easier for designers than for non-designers to use.

This presentation software is geared more towards designers or business owners who have some design knowledge to totally be able to use the broad capabilities.

There are no templates to choose from. You have to start from scratch or use smart blocks that you can create to use over and over easily. Smart blocks are kept in their own library.

Ludus has minimal in-house graphic assets like simple shapes, but the integrations are epic. You can import .svg icons and edit them inside Ludus quite easily. Photos can also be imported via Unsplash, Instagram, Facebook or uploaded.

Videos and GIFs are easily imported via the integrations like YouTube, Vimeo, Giphy and more.

Audio can be embedded as an audio file from SoundCloud, Dropbox and other integrations.

You can pretty much embed anything into Ludus. The integrations are impressive and there are also iframe and HTML options.

Internal elements can’t be animated but there are so many integrations that animations can be done in different ways.

Ludus is a cloud-based app. No need to download anything.

Presentations can only be edited on computers. Finished presentations can be viewed on all handheld devices that have access to the internet via a URL link.

Collaborations are possible with the team plans. This includes live collaboration, workspaces and more.

With collaborations, smart blocks and the Brandfetch integration, a brand kit can be organized quite easily. But it’s not an internal feature.

Finished presentations can be easily shared to social media straight from Ludus.

Ludus presentations can be downloaded as .pdf or .html to be viewed offline.

Pro Plans have password protection.

There are no analytics or lead generation capabilities available in Ludus.

Slides is the only presentation software that promotes itself as being “pixel perfect” as the editor includes a built-in grid to help with composition. Slides has a lower cost at the highest price tag which is good for smaller businesses.

Slides is free to use, but finished presentations will be public and available. 

The paid plans start at $5/month, and the Pro plan sits at $10/month and go up to $20/month for features like unlimited collaborators, privacy, shared media library and Google Analytics.

Slides is very easy to use, the editing board is minimal but all tools are at easy reach. No need to get confused with Slides. There are no templates so presentations are built from scratch.

Small business owners or startups. Individuals that know what they want and don’t need templates to help them along. Also for developers because it has HTML and CSS building capabilities.

Slides has a very limited template library with just a handful of different options to choose from.

The available shapes and icons are common and minimal. Photos have to be uploaded or imported from a URL.

Videos and GIFs are easy to add. Videos can be uploaded or linked and GIFs can be uploaded as .gif or .mp4 as video.

Including audio is not possible with Slides.

Anything with code can be added in an iframe.

All elements and features can be animated to fade in, fade out etc. Length of duration can be customized.

Slides is a cloud-based presentation software that can only be used online.

Slides can be used on the computer and handheld devices. To edit and to view.

Paid plans have very capable collaboration possibilities. Users can leave comments with feedback for the creator to review and make edits.

There is no set section for a brand kit but branded decks can be created and then cloned to use as a template.

Yes, quite easily.

You can also share presentations via URL, email or embeddable code.

A Slides presentations can be downloaded as a ZIP file with an .html file inside that can be viewed offline on any browser.

Privacy and Analytics

Possible with paid plans.

This is not possible on Slides.

8 Slidebean

Slidebean is an easy-to-use presentation software with interesting templates and customizable content blocks.

The highlight of this presentation software is that it uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help you put together the best possible slide layouts and configurations. They also have a team of experts that can both write and design your pitch deck for you if you don't want to take the DIY route.

The free plan has limited capabilities but it's enough to see how Slidebean works. To export your presentation, you'll need to upgrade.

There are three price levels from $8/month to $19/month to $149/month. The last one is the Founder's Edition plan, which includes help from the experts on your presentations.

If you choose to get their help on your presentation design, it starts at $29 per slide or $1,999 for the full project.

Slidebean is quite easy to use. You can choose between templates or start from scratch. Adding content is simple and to the point from a popup.

Editing can be done in outline or design mode. The editing is limited to how the content blocks are set up, but there are lots of choices. There's no free size changing or moving around.

Startups, small businesses and entrepreneurs.

There are plenty of template options. They are organized in sections and niche. The template collection has presentations by known brands like Snapchat and Buzzfeed.

There are plenty of icons and images to choose from. However, there are no shapes, but icons can be used as shapes.

GIFs can be added via the Giphy integration in a content block. Video can be added in the paid plans.

There are no audio capabilities.

The code snippet content block has lots of options so a lot of different kinds of third-party content can be added in.

Content blocks and their elements can be animated with a couple features.

Slidebean is an online program on the cloud.

It can be used to edit or view on any device.

Collaboration is possible in the paid plans.

This feature is available in the paid plans.

Sharing to Social Media

Slidebean presentations can be exported to download as both .pdf and .html files to view offline.

This feature is not available.

Analytics are available in the paid plans.

9 Zoho Show

Zoho Show is a presentation software that mimics Microsoft PowerPoint in the way it is set up, with a menu up top for all the actions. However, Zoho's version is much nicer and polished.

Zoho is a complete CRM for businesses and the company offers different types of apps for teams and office use — Zoho Show is only one of their programs.

Zoho show is completely free and without ads.

Zoho Show is pretty easy to use. The content blocks can be chosen as themes but they can also be moved around freely and resized. The presentation can be viewed in three ways, with a handy grid view to see all slides next to each other.

Businesses, entrepreneurs, educators and students. Anyone who needs to make a presentation.

There aren’t exactly templates, but there are themes. These do not come with images or lorem ipsum but are more like visual canvases that can be customized in terms of color, layout and more.

The shapes are pretty good, there are quite a bit to choose from. An added bonus is the possibility to draw shapes or scribble anything yourself with the trackpad.

Videos can be added via the YouTube integration and GIFs can be added as an image.

Audio can be added via Soundcloud with an embed code.

There are a number of sites that are supported via Embed codes but not that many. Zoho Show says that you can ask your needs to be added in the permitted list.

All elements and transitions can be animated.

Zoho Show is a cloud bases program and can be broadcast from anywhere and on any device. The live broadcast includes a chat window and the audience can download the presentation if they want to.

You can only create presentations on a computer.

Teams can easily use Zoho Show, even in the free version.

Custom branding is only available in the highest paid plan.

Sharing to social media is not possible unless downloaded as a PDF file and then uploaded to something like SlideShare.

Presentations can be downloaded as .pptx or .pdf files for offline viewing.

Yes, this is possible on all plans.

Analytics are possible on the paid plans.

10 Beautiful.ai

Beautiful.ai is a presentation software that helps you create great-looking slides with the help of Artificial Intelligence. This means that your presentation will look professional every single time, regardless of who designs it.

Beautiful.ai currently offers a Pro plan at $12/month and a Team plan at $40/month, both billed annually. They offer a 14-day free trial to test out their tool.

This is probably the best thing about Beautiful.ai — it's incredibly simple to use. All you need to do is add smart slides, plug in your content, and choose from different preset layouts.

Of course, that also means that you have limited customization options. But if you're looking for a simple solution and you don't trust your design skills, this may be a good option for you.

Beautiful.ai is a great tool for absolute beginners and non-designers who are looking for a no-nonsense presentation software.

For example, startups and entrepreneurs can use this software to create a nice-looking pitch deck or proposal quickly without any design help.

There are a handful of slide themes available, but they're mostly basic in terms of design. You can play around with the layouts inside each theme to put together a unique presentation.

The graphic assets library comes with a bunch of free stock photos and icons to choose from, but the options are pretty limited.

Videos and GIFs can be uploaded from your computer. You can also import videos from YouTube and Vimeo to embed in your slides.

Audio can be uploaded from your computer.

It's not possible to embed third-party content into Beautiful.ai presentations. However, you can add interactive links to your slides.

Each slide comes with a preset animation style that you're unable to customize. However, you can change the speed, timing and triggers for the animations. 

Beautiful.ai is a cloud-based application.

The software only works on your desktop computer.

You can invite people to collaborate on your presentation by either giving them "view" or "edit" access. Collaborators must have a Beautiful.ai account to view or edit the presentation.

While there's no brand kit feature available, you can customize a theme (colors and fonts) and save it to your library to use in future presentations.

There are several options to share your presentations. Send an email invite, share a public or private link, generate an embed code or share directly to social media.

You can export your presentations to PDF or PowerPoint to view offline.

There is no password protection, but you can use the Secure Viewing option to only share your presentation with other Beautiful.ai users via an email invite.

This feature is only available in the paid plans. You can access a number of viewing and usage statistics for your presentations.

This feature is not available in Beautiful.ai.

11 Genially

The main idea behind the Genially presentation software is interactivity.

This program is good not only for presentations and video presentations but also for other visual graphics. It’s great for adding a modern, interactive feel to your presentations.

There is a free plan in Genially, which gives you unlimited creations but limited resources. The paid plans are as follow, paid yearly:

• Pro: $7.49 / month
• Master: $20.82 / month
• Team: $79.15 / month

Genially is easy to use if you are accustomed to programs with lots of choices. There is a lot that can be done with the features in Genially.

Any change can be applied to all slides with a single click of the button in the menu. When editing, there is a "design view" and a "layers view."

Professionals and educators of any field who can benefit from interactive presentations.

There are plenty of template options. Some are free and some are only available via the premium plans. Presentation templates are also available as "video presentations."

The graphic assets in Genially are quite varied; there is plenty to choose from. Images can be uploaded or found on the Pixabay integration.

Videos can be added via a YouTube link and GIFs can be imported with the Giphy integration.

Audio can be uploaded from your computer, added via SoundCloud and a couple of other integrations, or recorded directly in Genially.

Third-party content can be added to your presentations with Genially integrations. For example, you can add an interactive map via Google Maps.

All elements can be animated, as can the transitions between slides. Animation effects are quite extensive. There is a similar tab called “interactivity,” which are pop-ups and hyperlinks supplied with lots of button choices.

Genially is a cloud-based presentation program.

This program is only available to edit on computers but can be viewed on any device.

It seems that a professional plan allows 5 team members, but the pricing plan shows that all plans have collaborative capabilities. Collaborators can be added in the dashboard where  all creations are stored.

Brand kits are available in the premium plans. It is an internal feature with easy access.

Finished presentations can be shared to social media.

Finished presentations can be downloaded as a set of .jpg images, as a .pdf or as an .html5 file which will keep all animations.

Premium plans have these features.

This is not available in Genially.

Canva is not only a presentation software but also a full editing program for all visual needs. Presentation creation is only one of the possibilities with Canva. It has become a favorite with bloggers and home-based businesses.

The free version of Canva is pretty extensive. The only restrictions are the use of premium resources that can be either bought separately or through the Canva Pro plan. Canva Pro is charged at $12.99/month or $119.99/year.

Canva Teams is $14.99/month + $14.99/month for every team member after the 5th.

Canva is easy to use as all elements are easy to find and are mostly customizable. Presentations are viewed scrolling; there is no master view and you can’t change something on all slides at once.

Bloggers, small home-based businesses and startups

There are lots of customizable template options, and each slide inside the templates can be used individually.

There are plenty of options in the graphic assets library, including shapes, icons, photos, frames and stickers. Some are free, while others are paid.

Videos and GIFs can be uploaded to Canva.

You can add music to your presentations using the available options inside Canva.

Canva offers dozens of integrations and media embed options, including YouTube, Google Maps, Vimeo, Pinterest, Tumblr, Twitter and more.

There are several animation options that apply to entire slides inside Canva. You can also add animated stickers to your slides.

Canva is a cloud-based app. Presentations can be seen on any device.

Canva is available as an iPhone app and an android app for editing capabilities.

Presentations can be shared for editing with team members.

Canva Pro has a brand kit feature.

Presentations can be shared on Twitter and Facebook.

Presentations can be downloaded as a group of .png or .jpg images or as a .pdf. You can also download it as an MP4 video for offline viewing.

All designs on Canva are private unless they are made public or shared via a link. There is no password-protected sharing though.

These features are not available in Canva.

While Canva offers a wide range of features for various visual design needs, you can explore better alternatives to find solutions that may better fit your requirements. If you want to explore other options, read our article about 12 excellent Canva alternatives .

13  FlowVella

FlowVella is a downloadable presentation software that can be used offline. The main attraction of FlowVella is the Kiosk Mode, in which you can create interactive presentations like the ones used in museums or information counters at malls or hotels.

FlowVella is free to try out. You can use it free forever but the options are limited and the finished presentations has a watermark. P aid plans are as follows:

• Premium : $10/month or $60/year
• Pro : $20/month or $200/year
• Enterprise : Upon request

FlowVella is pretty easy to use, and the controls are straightforward and uncomplicated.

This presentation software is for professionals and educators that need to be able to create presentations offline. Also for those who can take advantage of the Kiosk Mode.

The template options are quite varied and well designed.

The graphic assets library is very limited. Photographs and images need to be uploaded from your computer.

Videos can be uploaded or found via YouTube, iCloud and Dropbox integrations when online. GIFs can be added as images.

Audio can be uploaded from your computer, or added via iCloud or Dropbox.

You can add PDF files.

Only the transitions are animated minimally.

This is a desktop-based application. It must be downloaded.

There are iPad and device apps available for editing on those devices as well.

Paid premium plans can work with teams.

Brand kits are not available.

Presentations can be shared on Facebook and Twitter.

Since this is a desktop application, offline viewing is not a complication.

These features are available in the paid plans. Analytics can be viewed once the presentation has been published online.

This feature is not available on FlowVella.

14  Haiku Deck

Haiku Deck is a presentation software that is straightforward with a simple interface that makes quick and practical presentations. Presentations can be created on the computer and on mobile devices.

Haiku Deck can be tried for free with one available presentation. The Public plan is USD 7.99 a month, Pro plans are USD 9.99 a month billed annually and USD 19.99 billed monthly, and Premium plans are USD 29.99 a month.

Haiku Deck is quite easy to use and menus are easy to follow. There are word size limiters and specific text placement choices for each slide. Charts are simple to create and can be customized. The editor can be connected via cloud to all devices. The new addition, Zuru, is an Artificial Intelligence system that creates creative presentations from simple PowerPoint files or outlines.

The Haiku Deck presentation software is geared mostly toward educators and classrooms. Businesses and bloggers can also use it for practical purposes.

Templates on Haiku Deck are more like an inspiring collection of photographs for a specific niche with some suggestions on where to place the text and what charts to include.

The available graphic assets library in Haiku Deck are millions of photographs, numerous font choices and charts and graphs.

YouTube videos can be embedded easily in a Haiku Deck. GIFs cannot be added to Haiku Decks but a finished presentation can be turned into a video or into a GIF.

Narrations and voice overs are easily recorded on a presentation in Haiku Deck.

Only videos can be embedded.

Features can't be animated in Haiku Deck

Desktop or Cloud / Available to Create on Multiple Devices

Haiku Deck is a cloud-based app that is available for editing and viewing on your laptop and also as an app on phones and tablets.

Haiku decks can be downloaded as .pptx files for offline viewing.

Presentations can be easily shared to social media from the editor.

Haiku Deck offers team possibilities upon request.

There is no brand kit, but you can add your logo to the finished product.

Pro and Premium plans have private and password-protected capabilities.

Premium plans have analytics for who has viewed your presentations.

Emails cannot be captured with Haiku Deck but slides and presentations can be sent with invitations to your existing email contacts.

15  Microsoft Sway

Microsoft has its own alternative to PowerPoint — Sway.

This online presentation software is completely different from PowerPoint and introduces a new concept of building "Sways" instead of "presentations."

Sway is free to use for anyone who has a Microsoft account.

It's super easy to use Sway and kind of fun too. It has a non-traditional storyline editor, which lets you add "blocks" of content that the software configures into layouts.

Sway is mostly for people who don't want to spend too much time designing a complex presentation. For example, students and nonprofit organizations.

There are several templates for different purposes, such as photo slideshows, sales trainings and even personal portfolios.

You can upload your own media or search from various sources inside Sway, including Flickr and Bing Images. There are no shapes and icons included.

You can upload videos from your device or embed from YouTube.

You can add audio to Sway by uploading or dragging and dropping the audio file onto your storyline from your computer.

You can embed images, videos, maps and other content from tons of websites, including Google Maps, Soundcloud, Twitter, Facebook and more.

Sway automatically adds animations to your slides. You cannot change or customize them; you can only increase or decrease the level of animation added to your Sway.

Sway is an online, cloud-based software.

Sway works on any device with an internet browser.

You can invite people to view or edit your Sway presentation.

Sway presentations can be shared directly to Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

You can download your Sway as a Word or PDF file to view offline.

There is no password protection available, but you can choose to share your Sway with specific people, anyone with a link or only people in your organization who have a link.

You can view reader statistics for your Sway if you have a Microsoft Office 365 subscription.

This feature is not available in Microsoft Sway.

Presentation Software FAQs

Still have questions? We've compiled answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about the best presentation tools available.

Q. Which Is the Best Software for Making Presentations?

There are many presentation tools out there but Visme stands out as a top pick and a creative presentation app with a full suite of advanced features tailored to the needs of individual users and businesses. Visme offers real-time collaboration, interactive and animated elements, hyper-customization options, robust data visualization tools and a brand wizard to maintain brand consistency across your presentations.

Q. What Is Better Than PowerPoint?

Visme is often considered a top presentation software and offers several advantages as a PowerPoint alternative software. Its intuitive interface and extensive template library make creating visually stunning presentations seamless, even for beginners. Visme's collaboration features are superior, allowing teams to work seamlessly. On top of that, Visme is packed with advanced interactive and animated elements to keep your audience hooked.

Q. Is PowerPoint or Prezi Better?

PowerPoint and Prezi each have strengths and are suited for different presentation styles. PowerPoint is easy to use, has a clear structure, and is widely available, making it suitable for traditional slide decks and formal presentations. On the other hand, Prezi excels at non-linear, visually engaging presentations with its zooming and panning features, making it ideal for creative or storytelling presentations. The best choice depends on your content, audience and desired presentation style.

Q. What Is the Best App to Do a Presentation On?

Visme offers a powerful presentation app that allows you to create, edit and present your slides from anywhere. Its mobile app is designed for on-the-go editing and presenting, ensuring you always have your presentation at your fingertips.

Q. Is Canva Better Than PowerPoint?

Canva and PowerPoint are tailored to suit the diverse preferences and requirements of different users.

Generally, Canva is known for its drag-and-drop interface, extensive library of design-focused templates and emphasis on visual appeal. It is an excellent choice for those who value aesthetics and want to create content quickly. On the other hand, PowerPoint offers more traditional features and is super flexible. It is often preferred due to its integration and compatibility with other Microsoft Office tools.

Q. What Is Replacing PowerPoint?

Visme is quickly gaining popularity as a PowerPoint replacement and a free presentation software with a user-friendly interface, tons of customization options, and powerful tools that make creating presentations a breeze. With a plethora of templates, interactive elements, and powerful data visualization tools, Visme empowers you to create presentations that truly captivate your audience and leave a lasting impression

Don't just take our word for it. Hear what Kendra Bradley, Graphic Content Developer at WOW!, has to say about Visme:

“Previously we were using PowerPoint, which is fine, but the interactivity you can get with Visme is so much more robust that we’ve all steered away from PowerPoint.”

“PowerPoint templates are plain and boring, and we want to create more fun and engaging content. Visme has multiple slide templates to choose from, which makes this so much easier.”

“I just made a deck recently and it took me about 15-20 minutes. I found a template I really liked and tweaked it and put it in our brand colors. In PowerPoint, it would take anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half.”

Read the full case study to learn how they streamlined their presentation creation process and found a better alternative than PowerPoint.

Looking for a Presentation Software?

Choosing the best presentation program for your business is a great first step towards better and more effective slide deck development. In this guide, you learned about 15 different types of presentation software and we gave you a checklist to help you decide.

If you're looking for an easy-to-use presentation maker that also comes with unique features that you won't find in most other tools, Visme might be a great option.

You can look for the right pricing plan for your needs and even apply for a discount if you're a nonprofit organization. And if you just want to try out Visme to see if it's a good fit, sign up for a free account and use it for as long as you like — no strings attached.

Which of these best presentation software options fits your needs? If you have any questions or comments, we'd love to hear from you below.

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About the Author

Orana is a multi-faceted creative. She is a content writer, artist, and designer. She travels the world with her family and is currently in Istanbul. Find out more about her work at oranavelarde.com