7 mistakes when presenting visuals for construction project, Building online advice, Safe platform

7 Mistakes When Presenting Visuals for a Construction Project

19 Mar 2022

Presenting a construction project in front of a panel can be one of the most nerve-wracking experiences you’ll ever have. Naturally, you’d want to get everything right, right from the text to the visuals and timing.

While most people seem to have the text part down pat,they can’t seem to get the visuals right. Understandably, visuals are arguably the trickiest part of any lesson learned presentation for anyone.

It gets even trickier when you have to present architectural and other complex drawings.

The only way your construction project can sail through is if you ace the presentation. A few blunders here and there, and you can kiss your project goodbye. Luckily, we’re here to ensure that never happens.

In today’s post, we’ll be highlighting a couple of mistakes you should avoid when making a visual presentation.

7 Mistakes When Presenting Visuals for a Construction Project Design

Having Too Many Slides

We get it; you want your presentation to be as comprehensive as possible. However, stuffing your presentation with dozens of slides is not a good look. It only makes you look unprepared and unknowledgeable.

If your slide covers everything, it defeats the point of you standing there to present. Your slides should only give a brief outline of the subject matter. The person presenting will explain further whatever is on the slides.

Trying to explain everything in your presentation will lead to crammed slides. It will almost look like your words and images are fighting for space on the slide. This only makes your presentation look disorganized.

Having Too Many Visuals

Having too many slides is one thing, and having too many visuals is another. Construction is all about drawings and tables, but don’t let them dominate your presentation. While they’re certainly important, too much of them might dilute your core message or intent.

As a rule of thumb, consider having only one visual per minute. This will give you adequate time to explain the drawing, chart, or table before moving to the next visual. Plus, when you present a building design, you really won’t have that many visuals to work with.

Instead of having a slide for every room, combine all the rooms into a single floor plan drawing. Provided your drawings are clear, one slide is enough to get the message across. When it comes to visuals during presentations, less is always more.

Using Irrelevant Visuals

Simulated 3D models or architectural drawings are integral elements of any construction project. It’s hard to say the same about a photo of a random truck or construction worker. These irrelevant visuals have no place in your construction project presentation.

Your presentations should be concise and straight to the point. Irrelevant visuals are only there to fill your slides. They add zero value to your presentation.

Avoid adding any irrelevant images to your presentation, even if it seems too short. Doing so will only make you look unprofessional to your clients.

Using Grocery Lists

This is one of the most common mistakes among construction companies and even students. A grocery list doesn’t mean an actual grocery list. Instead, it’s a long, bulleted list of single words or short phrases.

From a client’s perspective, this long list of short words and phrases looks like a grocery list. Of course, there’s nothing bad with having a grocery list, but it completely misses the visual aspect of your presentation.

It’s best to avoid these grocery lists at all times. But if you absolutely must use them, compliment them with relevant visuals. We’re talking diagrams, line graphs, charts, and the likes.

Talking to Your Slides

It’s great that you spend a lot of time and effort picking the right visuals and text for your slides. However, when making your presentation, make sure you address your clients and not the slides. This is a rookie mistake that could paint the wrong picture.

The worst thing you could do is read your visuals while making your presentation. You should know enough about your slides, so you don’t have to turn and read from them while presenting. Ensure you maintain eye contact with your clients throughout the entire presentation.

Do a couple of practice runs so that you can avoid becoming overly dependent on your slides. Do a mock presentation with your colleagues and let them tell you every time you talk to the slides and not to them.

Presenting the Wrong Figures

Numbers are just as important as any chart, drawing, or text you display in your presentation. Don’t think you can get away with cooking figures and slapping them on your slides. Thanks to the internet, clients can tell whether the figures are accurate or not in a matter of seconds.

Make sure you present accurate figures that correspond to your charts and architectural drawings. For construction costs, consider using contractor estimating software to generate accurate figures in a finger’s snap. Make this software your go-to tool for estimating construction costs.

Going Over-The-Top With Your Presentations

People in the construction industry are known for their pragmatic and utilitarian approach to most things. An overly fancy presentation might paint the wrong picture of your construction firm. Things like dramatic transitions and builds may come off as unprofessional.

Plus, transitions that fade into blackness are lengthy and might annoy your clients. Don’t even think about incorporating those checkerboard transitions into your presentation. You’re not in the 7th grade.

Simple transitions with slides that slide in from the side are much faster and more professional. Also, steer clear of fancy text or pretty backgrounds. In fact, try to make your presentation as plain and simple as possible to convey the right message.

Make No Mistakes During Your Construction Project Presentation

Keep the above tips in mind if you want to ace your construction project presentation. Whether it’s a construction project design presentation or the initial client presentation, these presentation tips still stand. The internet is rife with resources on how you can craft a standout presentation, so do some research before it’s crunch time.

For more insightful reads, please check out the other posts on the site.

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