If you’re an architecture student, then you’ve probably had to endure the daunting arena that is the critique, or the pin-up, or the review. Whatever it’s called for you, one thing is for sure: the quality of your presentations in school significantly impact how your work is received. Most students spend hours on their projects but then sell them short by not communicating them well to others. There’s nothing more frustrating than knowing you have a great project and not being prepared enough to help a professor or juror see that as well. Having a roadmap to guide you can provide just what you need to enter a presentation confident and ready for action. This is your roadmap.
Before anything, you must understand your project better than anyone else. When you’re at a review and the person you’re presenting to has to tell you what your project is really about, it’s not the best position to be in. From the beginning of the semester, you’ll be developing your idea with your instructor and probably talking about it with your studio mates. Use this time to find out what the core concepts are within your work. What is the main idea? How has that influenced your design decisions? Why did you situate your program in a particular way? Is there a driving force behind your formal moves?
These are the kinds of questions that will enable you to dive deeper into what you’ve created. Design is a fluid process and our intuition often discovers things that our minds don’t entirely understand. We must deliberately address why a decision was made. As one grows in their ability, design moves can be made more from this intuitive process, but in school, the student benefits from a more methodical approach to their creations. “I just thought it looked cool,” may not fly in your first three years of school, but, depending on your place of study, it might be more acceptable in upper-level studios. The justifications are more to give those teaching you the space to help you develop than a putdown of your abilities. And it will make the communication of your work that much stronger.
Architects, in the grand scheme of things, are master communicators. It is our primary function to present information clearly, concisely, and absent of confusion. When an architect hands a set of drawings to a contractor there is an expectation of thoroughness. Or when a designer presents an idea to a client, it must be understood. Even in the coordination of the entire project team (your consultants, engineers, specialists, etc.), it is the job of the architect to ensure all information is unified and cohesive. Every step of the process of architecture involves elite-level communication, and as a student, this is one of the most valuable skills you will develop in school.
Building a plan of attack, or an outline, before your presentation day will help you tremendously in conveying your ideas. This is just a simple guide of what you are going to cover during your exhibition. It doesn’t have to be super detailed, in fact, the simpler the better. You just want to know beforehand how you plan to move through your points. After a long night of work, you’re not going to be able to wing it the way you might imagine. Here’s an example of something that could work:
Introduce program / design problem - 1 minute
Explain my approach to the solution - 4 minutes total
How I identified the problem - 2 minutes
My formal method for addressing the problem / my concept - 2 minutes
Walkthrough of drawings and tie to concept - 4 minutes
Close and recap - 2 minutes
It’s only a basic sequence of ideas to help me touch all of the major points and to move me along in my explanations in a logical and fluid fashion.
An outline gives us the big picture, but it’s up to us to know the details. TED conferences have become a standard to strive for in public speaking. The talks are meticulously crafted and leave a lasting impact. According to TED, a basic outline and thesis of a presentation should be completed six months before the talk is scheduled and rehearsals should begin as early as four months before. This is drastically different from the one hour or thirty-minute rehearsals most practice in school.
The aim is to stand in front of the jurors with confidence, feeling prepared, and knowing exactly what you have to say
Six months isn’t realistic, but even pinning up early and practicing the day before will help give you an edge. The aim is to stand in front of the jurors with confidence, feeling prepared, and knowing exactly what you have to say. This gives you the ultimate power over how your work is perceived rather than leaving it up for interpretation. Remember, you are the CEO of your project, it is up to you to control and frame how others will see it.
At the end of the day, there are going to be certain drawings and visuals that are vital to your project and others that are more in line with the deliverables your professor has asked you to have. If it comes down to having all of your deliverables and preparing for your presentation, forget the deliverables. If you’ve managed your time well throughout the semester, you should be able to finish everything, but if you have to leave out a couple of diagrams, or a process study so that you can ensure you have a great talk go ahead and do it.
Think about it. Does it help you to have a bunch of work on the wall and not be able to explain it? Or would it be better to have a little less and be able to communicate it flawlessly, resulting in an engaging and meaningful conversation? When you graduate and working in your first job, no one is going to care that you didn’t pin up your axon drawing in third year. But everyone will love your awesome communication skills.
Lastly, go into the review day humble and ready to learn. School is a place for you to make mistakes and grow. You won’t always have perfect presentations, and there will always be people who don’t like you, that comes with any creative pursuit. Often students go into presentations feeling the need to prove themselves. You’re there as a student, it actually lifts a weight off of your shoulders. If you give one hundred percent of your effort on your work, chances are that it will be okay.
Approach the review as a kind of workshop, you have the opportunity to get one-on-one feedback from a hand-picked group of people. Receive what they tell you even if you don’t agree. If someone destroys the work you’ve done, try not to take it to heart, just accept that they don’t like it. If the jurors have strong disagreements amongst themselves about what you’ve pinned up, you should be happy in knowing that you’ve produced a truly thoughtful piece of work. When you're in your final year, if you’ve walked away learning something from all of your presentations the four years prior, you are sure to be a formidable force.
Here are some quick tips to help you out. You can skim through these or reference them as you desire:
Your appearance matters. Contrary to what people say, they care what you look like.
Speak clearly and audibly.
The presentation is not the time to think about what you’ve done. It’s the time to convey and discuss. Be sure to have your thoughts clear before imparting them to your audience.
Practice silence when you are trying to find the right word. This is better than “umm” and “uhh.”
Guide with your hands. This works wonders.
It’s okay to pause and regroup.
It’s okay to answer a question with a question.
Your drawings are merely a means to communicate your ideas, they are not an end in themselves. Use them as a tool.
Have someone record a video of you presenting. Watch it after and critique yourself.
Accept that some jurors enjoy hearing themselves talk more than helping you get better.
Be open-minded and relax.
Don’t put your hands in your pockets or behind your back.
When rehearsing, memorize big points instead of a long script.
Rest in the fact that most people will forget about your presentation the following day. This should relieve some pressure.
If you have any thoughts or questions, always feel free to email me or leave a comment below. Cheers!
Sean Joyner is a writer and essayist based in Los Angeles. His work explores themes spanning architecture, culture, and everyday life. Sean's essays and articles have been featured in The Architect's Newspaper, ARCHITECT Magazine, Dwell Magazine, and Archinect. He also works as an ...
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Wonderful, resonant advice; I will forward this to my daughter; she is beginning her architectural journey this fall.
I'd also like to add that attitude counts. For one of my undergraduate design presentations, I was frustrated by some injustice and presented my project from a pessimistic perspective. At the end of my presentation, one of my professors gently asked if he could present my project from a contrasting perspective. He then launched into a twenty minute whirlwind, full of sunshine and light. It dawned on me that I had merely re-presented the problem while he taken an important step and suggested an inspiring solution to the problem. Exactly the same project, totally different conclusion. Then, my professor turned to me and asked with a wry smile: "Now, my friend: would you like an A or a D for your project?".
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Also, make sure the ideas you are presenting are your own. They might have started as a professor's idea or an image or concept you saw somewhere else, but digest if fully if that's the case. Don't think that because the professor gave you the concept that they will be your guardian angel at the crit. And most importantly, be proud of your work. Whatever others think about it, if you don't love what you've done, it will be hard to show it off to a prospective employer down the road with conviction. Be open minded and listen to others, but own your work as it will be the basis of your future employment.
So true! Well said!
Wonderful, resonant advice; I will forward this to my daughter; she is beginning her architectural journey this fall.
I'd also like to add that attitude counts. For one of my undergraduate design presentations, I was frustrated by some injustice and presented my project from a pessimistic perspective. At the end of my presentation, one of my professors gently asked if he could present my project from a contrasting perspective. He then launched into a twenty minute whirlwind, full of sunshine and light. It dawned on me that I had merely re-presented the problem while he taken an important step and suggested an inspiring solution to the problem. Exactly the same project, totally different conclusion. Then, my professor turned to me and asked with a wry smile: "Now, my friend: would you like an A or a D for your project?".
PerpendicularBisector, this is a really good point! Sounds like you had an awesome professor. Thanks a lot for adding this to the discussion!
I have no idea what to do until ýou! this is just what i need for next week! Praise God for people like you. Great,
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