Presentational Thinking

Presenting, so I have learned is the balance of many things. One should address as much information as possible in a condensed amount of time. Know which points are most important to cover in order to deliver the best interpretation of what you saw the design as to your audience. Amongst all this, balance defending your ideas without coming off as too aggressive when they are questioned or commented on in a less than positive light . This can be a challenge especially after spending a great amount of time on a design you feel almost connected too, but then again it is important to step back and recognize that being asked a question can usually help the process of a design by (hopefully) giving you some light on shortcomings. Overall, to achieve this balance, a presentation must be well thought out and planned.

The days leading up to my own presentation, I was up for hours upon end trying to produce the best images and components for my board I would be representing. I redid many renderings I was planning on using and about everything else I had originally planned to be part of my final board. Although I am glad I invested so much time and hard work into my final board, I know it took a toll on how well I balanced my actual presentation. Without rest, I can become a bit scatterbrained, and overall unbalanced. The day of my presentation came to studio extremely weathered from my days of being awake. Although I had practiced my presentation, I think my nerves interfered with how well the interpretation of my space came across in the light that it could have been more fluid, and addressed much more that after I sat down I realized I had failed to cover. Overall though, I think speaking to a large audience is a task that one gets better as with more practice. From this I learned a presentation, in many ways should be just as thought out as the project itself. In fact this presentation was a notable learning experience, especially since I was very self-critical how my own presentational balance was delivered. Presentations deserve as much care as a project does. I was inspired by many of my classmates of whom I thought did a wonderful job of maintaining a balanced presentation. It was watching others that made me realize that there were certain aspects to their presentations that made their interpretations of how they transformed either the administrative office, or loading dock into a design of their own. There is a flow that some achieved that provided the audience with a clear and understandable vision of the space. Come to a presentation well rested and well prepared. Although, speaking in large groups can be a bit nerve racking, practice makes perfect. Through watching others and being a harsh critic to myself, the presentational aspect of “Rituals in Space” project shed a lot of light to how I will go presentations in my future. From both good and bad experiences I found that to become skilled at something as confrontational as a presentation to a live audience, a great deal of care and consideration is an absolute must.