Dissemination of architectural projects is in itself a significant part of the design process because without the dissemination methods there won’t be any clients. In this technological age, an architectural presentation has come a long way from simple blueprints. Every project has a different clientele and requires appropriate means of dissemination. An architectural exhibition can range from an image and text presentation, a video presentation, or just an image presentation. The most important objective is to communicate the story of the designer. Architectural presentations are the reflection of design as well as the designer and their ideologies. The following ten ways in which your architectural presentation will stand out.

10 Ways to make your architectural presentation standout - Sheet1
Baroque topologies by Andrew saunders ©www.baroquetopologies.com

1. Everyone has a story | Architectural Presentation

Every designer has their journey when they design a project, and conveying that story is the first and foremost part of an architectural presentation. When a client or a peer is exhibited with a well thought out story, it makes the design relatable and disseminates it to the audience in a more natural manner. The final design is the most important part but showing how the personal connection of the designer and their design ideologies led to that outcome is what makes your presentation stand out. Utilizing an ai presentation maker can streamline this storytelling process, allowing architects to convey their design journeys in a more visually compelling and time-efficient manner.

2. Visual Hierarchy

A hierarchy is an imperative element to include to highlight your strong point throughout the presentation; this may be the final drawing or a conceptual sketch that depicts that strong point of your design that binds the whole concept together. When you create these highlight points, it engages the audience and establishes a riveting point in your story.

10 Ways to make your architectural presentation standout - Sheet2
Babel Swing ©www.instagram.com

3. Image Versus Text | Architectural Presentation

The biggest dilemma when creating a presentation is the proportion of image and text. One can argue that an image is more powerful because it engages and communicates more in the constricted time but, a carefully crafted sentence or even a few highlighted words mentioning the details of the project can elevate that image to a different level. The right balance of image and text is in the designer’s presentation style but, with feature images and detailed constrained words, you could find the winning combination. This debate can be further extended, now to videos or gifs that are now becoming a very imaginative way of explaining the working details of the design.

4. Textures and Materials

When mentioning textures in architectural presentation, it usually means materials and their depiction. It is important to include textures and highlight materials in your presentation to create a connection between the virtual image and the design that will be built. In my experience clients and peers always respond better to a presentation with clear specification of materials providing a sense of precision and dedication on the part of the designer.

10 Ways to make your architectural presentation standout - Sheet3
Sectional elevation showcasing textures _©www.behance.net

5. Monochromatic Versus Color | Architectural Presentation

In the last few years, I have noticed that architects prefer to go more towards a monochromatic color scheme for the presentation. It’s always grey, grey, grey, to play safe. There is nothing wrong with the safe choice that works every time, but sometimes adding even one more color can enhance the level of presentation. I have been guilty of preferring the monochromatic color however, I always use a focus color for my highlight pieces. They create an automatic separation between different projects or phases and helps to focus on the details. 

6. The importance of iterations

The journey is never complete without the various measures that led to the final point. Every storyteller has their way of presenting the measures but including them and not just focusing on the outcome is most important. The various iterations that you might have developed in the process must be presented but not in detail but, a mention that takes the audience to the finale is how a great story is displayed.

7. Uniformity

An architectural presentation can be described as an illustrated story of your design and it needs to have a uniform language of expression to connect with the audience. A presentation is always more coherent when its uniformity is through the presentation style; it should be present in the text, color, and images. The uniformity also provides a clear sense of vision for the designer as well as design. 

8. Negative Spaces | Architectural Presentation

The negative space always makes architects nervous about their presentations, however, it is better than overcrowding the page. Sometimes a single image works better than a clutter of information that is hard to focus on. It is important to create a focus on every page rather than a distorted view. A centerpiece will engage more with the audience and help communicate more data than a hoard of data that is difficult to navigate. The presentation should be precise and informative. It is always quality over quantity.

9. Dissemination

The dissemination of a design is a crucial process. The exhibition depends on two main factors: relevance and accessibility. The project should be presented, in a manner that is understandable by both your peers and the clients. The presentation style is highly influenced by the relevant audience. If you create something entirely technical for a client then it renders the presentation moot because the client cannot connect with it, but if you just create something flashy with no actual technical detailing it again fails its function to provide appropriate information. The right balance between technical detailing and aesthetic images projects a relevant and accessible presentation.

10. Time Management | Architectural Presentation

The time management of a presentation has to be precise to present everything at a natural pace. In this time-constrained environment managing the time in which your presentation can be presented carefully or studied is crucial. If you make an enormous presentation that the client cannot go through in the time allotted or you cannot present without rushing through, it creates a massive problem and nobody can connect with the design. But on the other hand, if you make a very constrained presentation that does not provide important details it becomes useless. The way to create an architectural presentation is to follow your story and practice in advance the delivery time.

Author

Taapsi Nayyar, a recent post graduate in Interior Architecture and Spatial Design from Edinburgh College of Art, United Kingdom. She is an avid reader and painter with a passion for art, culture and architecture. Furthermore, she is working on exploring the relationship betweeninterior design theories and their impact on the psychological behavior of users.