Basics of Innovative Presentation Board Styles

Innovative presentation boards are best used with smaller groups of fewer than 25 people to ensure good visibility of the information. Here is a simply designed, basic board with minimal information on it.

When the presenter wants to repeat and reinforce certain points such as “Return On Investment,” he transitions from his electronic presentation, which shows visuals about his product’s benefits, and walks to the side of the room where the board is positioned close to the group, stressing that “no other competitive product can deliver such a high financial return,” as he points to it.

Or he can begin his presentation by using the board’s four main points as his executive summary and be able to repeat his main messages on the board during his presentation.

Credit: Photograph courtesy of Ray Anthony

How to use tri-fold presentation boards for innovative presentations

The tri-fold presentation board can contain a good many key ideas, and the three-panel design provides a flexible base to lay out information. These boards work in conjunction with an electronic presentation or as a standalone visual display.

With this type of board, you can choose to present this information in a random or organized way, depending on the needs of the group.

With groups of fewer than five people you can ask your audience to come nearer to the visual and then convey your information in a conversational style that encourages discussion.

Credit: Photograph courtesy of Ray Anthony

How to use oversized boards for innovative presentations

Most presentations benefit from being on a large board (5 feet wide, 3 feet high). Your text and images can be seen even from a distance, and details of complex figures are easier to understand.

The oversized board in the example was used to talk about the company’s creative team, which comprises four executives. The foam-core graphics were glued onto the board’s large black foam-core background, giving them a raised, three-dimensional effect. In addition the board is fitted with an attractive black metal frame (that also protects the edges when transporting).

Credit: Photograph courtesy of Ray Anthony

How to utilize storyboards for innovative presentations

The storyboard system is borrowed from filmmaking. Each single visual represents a scene of the story. The storyboard system, uses a background board consisting of a large 1/4 -inch piece of flat plastic framed with aluminum strips.

The plastic background gives the board rigidity and durability and enables you to attach self-sticking black Velcro strips (that cannot be seen several feet away) in any configuration, creating a flexible, modular board where you can attach any number of visual panels as the presentation calls for.

In addition, because of the strong, rigid plastic backing, you can add other novel functional and decorative items to your board. In the example vertical Velcro pieces spaced 12 inches apart hold the panels and a decorative, high-quality die-cast bulldozer rests on a metal platform, adding extra visual appeal to a board a construction company might use.

Credit: Photograph courtesy of Ray Anthony

Credit: Photograph courtesy of Ray Anthony

By attaching visual panels of various sizes and shapes at specific points in your presentation, you methodically feed your audience information only when you want to.

Credit: Photograph courtesy of Ray Anthony

Still another attraction is the ability to add objects (such as the large resin spark plug replica) to your board with a Velcro or magnetic backing system.

By using the storyboard technique, your audience tends to pay more attention to you than they would while watching slide after slide after slide while you stand in one position. This activity of occasionally using your board in combination with your electronic visuals adds real animation and value to your talk.

Credit: Photograph courtesy of Ray Anthony