Some Tips on Surviving an Architectural/Design Jury
Are you into design, fine arts, an architecture student, or in the creative field wanting to boost your presentation skills? If so, continue reading - You might find this article helpful in building your confidence while presenting next time. The Design Bloc Ambassador Urvashi Vasishtha shares in this post her best tips she can give to help you face the design jury with confidence.
It's Time to Face Your Fears
Presenting in front a jury can be nerve-wrecking for a student. It is that time of the year where students have spent sleepless nights and an exorbitant amount of time working on the sheets and trying to perfect the presentations – preparing to score well in the jury.
How do you ensure that you’ve hit the nail on the head? Here are some tips that will help you score better than your peers.
Finish your work at least two days in advance
As design students we are always on our toes, trying to get the work done. Set a deadline for your work. Don’t dwell on making things perfect. No matter what, try and have all your work in order before the final submission. This will help you in avoiding last minute panic.
Practice
We are all familiar with the age old adage – Practice makes a man perfect. Identify key points of your project and prepare a set of questions that you think a juror can ask. Stand in front of a mirror and rehearse your answers. Even though, the questions jurors ask are a tough nut to crack, rehearsing some questions will boost your confidence and help you identify the difficult questions.
Ask for help
Don’t be afraid to seek out help from your peers, tutors and mentors. A lot of students are usually hesitant in seeking out help when they are stuck with a problem. If you don’t understand how to explain any aspect of your project – seek help! Trust us, you’ll be surprised on finding out multiple ways to address a question.
Participate in a Mock Crit
Most students hardly ever seek constructive criticism from their classmates/peers. Form a mock jury group with your friends and ask them to critique your work. Not only will this help you in seeing your project with a different perspective but will also help you in avoiding blunders during the jury. Remember, constructive criticism never hurt anyone.
Keep your responses crisp and to the point
It is important to understand that rambling on and on in a jury is never of much help. If you want to avoid looking under-prepared, while presenting your work, it is a good idea to keep your responses crisp. Be quick on your feet and answer to the point. Don’t come across as an arrogant person trying to prove your point. Make sure you listen to the question carefully and answer accordingly. Don’t fight the jury, they are on your side and want you to do your best.
Recap
Never forget to analyse feedback you’ve received from your tutors in the design studio. Keep an eye out for any repetitive mistakes. Most importantly, never take things personally. It is vital to respect the juror’s feedback so that you can use it to your advantage in the future.
Don’t be too harsh on yourself and play it light.
We hope this article helps you in presenting your work to a jury. Good luck for your crit day.
Share your Story!
Let us know about your best and worst design presentation experience in the comments below and be sure to follow us on Instagram at: @thedesignbloc for more fun post, tips, and articles.
