Items may include: your name, your grade level, your teacher’s name, acknowledgements, etc. You may also be required to display items beside, but not on, the board, such as lab notes, equipment, examples or prototypes, etc. Also make sure you’re aware of any items that are not allowed on your display board.
Review your whole project and determine what the major sections or parts were. These sections may end up being what you want to display on your board. When creating your storyboard, plan out what font sizes you want to use for each item. This will help make the creation and printing of each section quicker and easier. Many science fairs suggest that topics should be listed as follows on display boards: Left Panel — Question or Problem; Purpose; Hypothesis; Variables; Materials; Procedures. Middle Panel — Title and Subtitle (if you have one); Project Data; Graphs; Charts; Tables; Diagrams; Photos; Illustrations. Right Panel — Analysis; Results; Discussion; Conclusion; Recommendations; Future Studies; References.
Use at least a 16 pt font size for the main text on your display board. You want people to be able to read your board from at least a few feet away. Headings and sub-headings should be printed in larger font than the main text, and it is also helpful to use bolding, underlining, or colours to make them stand out. It’s also helpful to write items in lists or point form so they can be skimmed. Make these concise.
You can make your own buddy board using foam boards cut down to the proper size (with an x-acto knife). You can use another small piece of foam to make a stand. Attach the stand to the board using tape.
While it may not be possible to have a really short title, try to keep the title as short as you can. You want viewers to be able to read the title at a glance, while also drawing their interest. Examples of some good project titles are: Can your timber take the pressure? Staying Power - Lipstick or Gloss Bacterial content of milk Testing the 5 senses using fruit
Try to print as many of your graphics in colour as possible, especially graphs and charts where the colour distinguishes between different items or variables. If you don’t have access to a colour printer, you can use markers or crayons to add color to things like graphs and charts.
Using the proper terms is especially important if your project is being displayed in a science fair or event that is being judged by professionals. If your project is really complex, you can also include a ’layman’s summary’ as part of your display which sums up your project in language anyone can understand. This is particularly useful if your display board is also being viewed by fellow students, parents, or non-professionals.
Search the web for example display boards to get an idea of what works well, and what doesn’t. Ask your teacher for advice on what to do and not to do, and for examples of project boards that previously received awesome grades.
You can create your materials in a variety of software on the computer, including word processing, spreadsheet, or presentation software. You can also consider using more specialized software like Adobe Photoshop or iPhoto if you’re familiar with the software. If you don’t have access to a computer at home, you can usually use one at school or at public libraries. When creating each section of material, use the Page Setup of the software to display the page in the same orientation as it’ll be on your project board. You can choose between horizontal (landscape) or vertical (portrait). Try to fit one page on your screen at a time to enter and size the material, so you can see how the overall section will appear when it’s on your board. Use san-serif fonts like Arial, Verdana, etc. , or simple serif fonts like Times New Roman, Georgia, etc. Avoid script fonts or fancy fonts that are hard to read.
If you have the ability, consider printing your material on thicker paper or paper that isn’t plain white. Keep in mind that standard printer paper is quite thin, and if you’re using glue to attach the items to your display board, the glue may show through this type of paper. Try not to use bright coloured paper for printing. Or, if you do, make sure the font colour can be properly seen on top of the colour. Black font on a dark coloured background, or white font on a light coloured background, can be very difficult to read. Use the computer spellcheck on your material and manually check your spelling and grammar to make sure there are no mistakes before printing your material. [12] X Research source If you’re printing photos on photo paper, consider using matte photo paper instead of glossy. The glossy photo paper can cause a glare to appear on your photos, which can be distracting.
The layout, in general, should read almost like a newspaper article - top to bottom and left to right. The title of your project should stand out on the board so it can be read from a distance. Avoid spelling the title vertically, as vertical letters are harder to read at a glance. [14] X Research source
Be careful with your colour choices. Really bold colours, especially more than one of them together, can be distracting and hard to look at. Use a colour wheel to pick the colours you want to use. You can find many colour wheels online.
Your school will probably have a paper cutter available somewhere that you can borrow. Ask your teacher. Printing and stationery stores sometimes have paper cutters and trimmers available for use. If you know someone who does a lot of scrapbooking, they may have a paper trimmer you can borrow.
You can also use rubber cement. A parent or older person will probably have to purchase it for you, though.
