Exhibiton:

Explanation &

Seduction

15 points of interest

1 The relationship between 3D and 2D

Create a meaningful relationship between flat information (drawings and graphics) and spatial information (prototypes). Just as you need to clarify your project with a good title and

motto, you need to create a convincing positive tension between 2D and 3D visuals.

2 From BIG to small,

depending on the message

In a presentation some things can be made small, because they are either some kind of

intimate information, or they are less important.

3 Cognitive Speeds

Be aware of the speed with which visitors scan the exhibition: some are quick, some are slow.

It all boils down to their biorhythm and their specific interests.

4 Be Sexy and Deep

You will need to seduce others with your presentation. But at the same time you are required to show Depth

in what you have developed.

5 Too much is too wrong:

Editing is a MUST.

Choose carefully what you want to exhibit. Too meager information might imply a poor development, too much information might

imply a kind of camouflage to hide a poor concept.

6 Be elegant: hide the wiring.

After you have tested, re-tested, and then re-tested your electronics, you need to hide the wiring to the

point that nobody will get the feeling that everything is still under development. Be elegant in the camouflage.

7 What might color do to you?

Think about the setting in which you would like to present your project. Should it be a dark or light setting, and what

function could color have in highlighting your project? What would happen if your presentation would be

deep blue, fluorescent red, or virginal white?

8 Give something – be generous.

Not only the coach or assessor should be given something, but also the expert who helped you, or somebody who

shows much interest in your project. Make a little something. A booklet, a flyer, a card – anything that is cheap and easy to make, but which at the same time is an elegant gesture.

9 A Motto, a (graphical) soundbite

Think about a concise, evocative, and catching title for your project. This title should be accompanied by a concise, evocative, and

catching motto that covers the design brief, the goals you have set for yourself, and the ultimate value the project has at large.

10 Messiness presupposes a messy project

If your presentation is messy and inconsistent, people will think the project is messy and inconsistent.

I have seen too many bad presentations of projects that were essentially good. Don’t make that mistake.

11 Process versus End Result

In this ID faculty the design process is considered to be as important as the end result. After all, in the design process the learning experience reveals itself. So you need to create

a good balance between the design process and the end result.

12 Explain yourself

Every member of the team should be able to explain ALL in and outs of the project, and, as a consequence,

all ins and outs of the design process. It would be very wrong if only the techno buff is able to explain the

Techno elements of process and deliverables.

13 Sturdyness equals thoroughness

Make your display environment as sturdy as possible. Don’t make it look like the set of a B- or C-movie

with flapping paper, poor detailing, and a thoughtless composition of 2D and 3D visuals.

14 The Core Element

If you have succeeded in building a working prototype, then this should be the core element in your exhibition.

It would be great if this prototype would be sturdy enough to be touched, handled, and/or used by the visitors.

Up to a point the prototype could become a standalone element.

14 Sketches and Diagrams

We like you to draw and draw and draw. Sketching equals communicating – with yourself and with others. On the other hand a more formal visual language might be needed in order to clarify your project. Diagrams and a more ‘iconic’ visual language might do the job as well.

15 Storytelling

The design process can be perceived as a story in itself. Tell that story as well as you can.

But in the way the product, system, or service is used, another story can be told as well. In that light you

need to think of building a scenario that aptly explains the (future) life of the product, system, or service.