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Chapter 4: Presentation and Communication
Drawings perform multiple tasks for the interior designer. They help communicate
ideas to the client at the beginning stages of a project; they present the image and
content of the design at strategic points in the process; and they are integral to the
construction documentation. Their effectiveness, however, depends on the manner in
which they are presented. Designers have a variety of presentation methods avail-
able to them, all of which have specic functions in the design process. Anything that
an interior designer transmits to the public should be considered a reection of the
design practice. Referred to as Branding it is a “name, term, sign, symbol or design,
or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of a design
rm and to differentiate them from others. Letterheads, business cards, proposals,
brochures, design boards, models, and projected images all serve to communicate
the designer’s ideas. It is thus important to develop a clear and graphically cohesive
program regardless of how the work is being presented.
DEVELOPING A PRESENTATION
A key skill for the designer is the ability to develop an appealing and successful presentation
that translates the ideas and processes that led to specific design decisions. Creating a nar-
rative, outlining and storyboarding the presentation, and determining the appropriate medium
for the content are but a few of the interior designer’s tasks.
The designer must also grasp how drawings—used as graphic elements—function within
different types of presentations, and how the principles of graphic design can influence the
presentation. It is a good idea to keep an updated library of graphic design references that not
only offer inspiration, but also provide strong examples of article layout and narrative develop-
ment. The design award issues of graphics magazines are an excellent starting place.
Keep in mind that the relatively recent appearance of high-quality color prints—even from
fairly inexpensive inkjet printers—has expanded the resources available for presenting ideas
in printed form. It is important that the interior designer take a look at how the format of a
print can affect the translation of design ideas, and also how to draw on graphic skills to sup-
port this communication.
DESIGN BOARDS
Design boards set up a sequential and ordered structure in which the intent of the
proposal is illustrated. For boards to succeed, the principles of storyboarding must be
applied to the information being presented; this entails the hierarchy of the elements on
the board itself and the sequence in which the narrative unfolds. Design boards allow the
client to spend as much time with the work as possible, and thus elements should be
paced to allow for further discovery the longer they are examined. Numerous issues need
to be considered when designing presentation boards.
Number of Boards:
ber of boards in a presentation, several
questions must be asked: What is the size
of the project? How many drawings will be
needed to adequately describe the project?
Are there going to be perspectives? Will
samples be attached directly to the board or
scanned and added to a perspective?
Narrative Development and Outlining:
Developing a narrative for the presentation
means, essentially, telling the story of the
design process. A well-conceived narra-
tive structures what and when to include
in the presentation. Narratives provide a
framework that can allocate emphasis and
importance to certain aspects of the proc-
ess. Maintaining an outline of the design
intent, and developing it as the project itself
evolves, will focus the narrative.
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construction documentation. Their effectiveness, however, depends on the manner in
able to them, all of which have specic functions in the design process. Anything that
it is a “name, term, sign, symbol or design,
the designer’s ideas. It is thus important to develop a clear and graphically cohesive
A key skill for the designer is the ability to develop an appealing and successful presentation
that translates the ideas and processes that led to specific design decisions. Creating a nar-
the presentation, and determining the appropriate medium
presentation. It is a good idea to keep an updated library of graphic design references that not
only offer inspiration, but also provide strong examples of article layout and narrative develop-
fairly inexpensive inkjet printers—has expanded the resources available for presenting ideas
print can affect the translation of design ideas, and also how to draw on graphic skills to sup-
DESIGN BOARDS
Design boards set up a sequential and ordered structure in which the intent of the
proposal is illustrated. For boards to succeed, the principles of storyboarding must be
applied to the information being presented; this entails the hierarchy of the elements on
the board itself and the sequence in which the narrative unfolds. Design boards allow the
client to spend as much time with the work as possible, and thus elements should be
paced to allow for further discovery the longer they are examined. Numerous issues need
to be considered when designing presentation boards.
Number of Boards: In determining the num-
ber of boards in a presentation, several
questions must be asked: What is the size
of the project? How many drawings will be
needed to adequately describe the project?
Are there going to be perspectives? Will
samples be attached directly to the board or
scanned and added to a perspective?
Narrative Development and Outlining:
Developing a narrative for the presentation
means, essentially, telling the story of the
design process. A well-conceived narra-
tive structures what and when to include
in the presentation. Narratives provide a
framework that can allocate emphasis and
importance to certain aspects of the proc-
ess. Maintaining an outline of the design
intent, and developing it as the project itself
evolves, will focus the narrative.
Spacing, Scale, and Speed: When developing
the layout for a presentation, it is important
to consider how the boards will be viewed.
Some viewers will quickly scan the boards,
and others will pause to look at the work in
depth. By anticipating this, layout strategies
regarding the spacing and scale of objects
can begin to address the speed at which
they are examined.
Orientation: Boards arranged with their
length in the vertical dimension are said
to be in portrait format and those with a
width longer than height are referred to as
landscape. Each has its benefits: Portrait-
oriented boards have a visual resonance
with the printed page, and when displayed
in sequence, allow for more information in
less horizontal space. Landscape-oriented
boards enable a more natural cropping of
views for perspectives, and their width en-
courages a more relaxed sequencing.
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THE INTERIOR DESIGN REFERENCE + SPECIFICATION BOOK
White Space: The surrounding white space
can be used to increase the relative im-
portance of any drawing, sample, or text
on the page. Designers should avoid over-
complicating the layout of the presentation
by crowding too few boards with too much
information. Adding another board is always
an option.
Storyboarding and Thumbnails: A useful
method for developing the presentation is
to create several variations as mock-ups.
These mock-ups gather the information
to be presented and then explore several
sequencing strategies.
Grid Development
To establish the structure and placement of objects on a presentation board, the designer
must develop a template that provides rules in the form of grids. Grids, set up correctly, can
clarify the distribution of the design elements. If uncertain where to start, interior designers
can draw from the world of the graphic arts, from which the following examples come, to fash-
ion their own grid systems.
Single Column
Emphasizes singular
content, such as
a rendered plan or
perspective.
Layout Strategies
The following examples illustrate two of the ways
in which a modular grid system can be deployed
in a larger set of design boards.
Labeling and Annotation: Often overlooked,
one of the most important factors in de-
termining how a layout is perceived is the
choice of fonts that will translate the de-
signer’s text. Clear, legible type, used at
varying type sizes, can add another layer to
how a board is read; it also offers another
graphic element for the design of the board.
Establishing a good hierarchy of fonts early
in the process allows annotations to be
placed in relation to the graphics in precise
ways. At the very least, decisions should
be made with regard to the following label
types in a document: title font, label font,
and caption font.
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Presentation and Communication
can draw from the world of the graphic arts, from which the following examples come, to fash-
Single Column
Emphasizes singular
content, such as
a rendered plan or
perspective.
Multi-Column
Allows for multiple
images and text.
Anchored
Content, including
images and titles,
anchors the page.
Modular
More comprehensive
grid that allows for
variation in place-
ment of elements.
Layout Strategies
The following examples illustrate two of the ways
in which a modular grid system can be deployed
in a larger set of design boards.
Often overlooked,
varying type sizes, can add another layer to
graphic element for the design of the board.
Establishing a good hierarchy of fonts early
placed in relation to the graphics in precise
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THE INTERIOR DESIGN REFERENCE + SPECIFICATION BOOK
Informal
Allows samples to be
evaluated by touch;
organization is not so
important, although
a tray or box can be
used to give order to
schemes.
SAMPLE BOARDS
Prepared during design development, sample boards function as a representative palette of
the materials that will be used throughout an interior project. Materials should be proportion-
ally represented on each board to give the client a clear understanding of the nishes that will
make up their project.
Boards should include material samples for each of the major elements in a project. Sam-
ple boards can also contain clippings of furniture products—chairs, tables, lamps, and so
on—that are relevant to the design.
Sample boards should not only serve as a reflection of the designer’s ideas for the space,
they should also represent the care and attention that will be taken throughout the project.
Strands of hot glue, fabric threads, and general messiness can undermine the effectiveness
of a presentation. In preparing the boards, any items that have been cut from the samples
should be finished in a professional manner: Fabrics should be upholstered onto a hard board;
images should be laminated to cardstock; carpets should be trimmed of extraneous pieces.
When ordering materials for sample boards, interior designers should obtain three copies of
each material that they intend to use: one for the sample board, one for the designer’s library,
and one for the clients, should they request it at any time.
Sample Board Presentation Types
There are many ways in which samples can be presented to reect the professionalism of the
designer. Looking to trade magazines, books, and other publications to see how manufactur-
ers are displaying their products can be a good way to keep sample boards looking current.
Typical Sample Board
1 Sheer fabrics for drapery
2 Upholstery fabrics
3 Paint colors
4 Stone for counters/flooring
5 Carpet
6 Wood for millwork
7 Tiles for restrooms
8 Cork flooring
Element Material
Floors wood, tile, cork, stone, carpet, etc.
Ceilings acoustic tile, paint, panels, etc.
Walls paint, wall coverings, plaster finishes, etc.
Furniture wood, metals, plastics, etc.
Fabrics drapes, shears, upholstery, etc.
Hardware actual pieces or representative nishes (stainless steel, bronze,
anodized aluminum, etc.)
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